Shite in Miniature II

[Tenmil Socket]

20 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Spotted this Lucky Toys Porsche 924 on the Bay. Pretty much perfect condition, it would be easy to say it's a copy like so many of their products - but is it?

Love that!

[Split_Pin]

I recently acquired the Corgi Superhaulers Volvo Transporter in blue from @Tenmil Socket. I recall this being the colour issued as part of the BP promo. 

I thought I had more Corgi cars that were included in that promo but they're either vans or otherwise too big. So I'm trying to find some cars that were new castings to be launched in that range. I have an XJ6 and my Volvo 760 is staying on my Volvo shelf. I am therefore looking for the following if anyone has any spare still?

Mercedes 190

Volvo 760 (so I can keep my boxed example with the other Volvos)

Rancho with the 🌈  on it

Mercedes 300E estate

Polo Porsche (racing livery but I had this one as a kid)

Light blue R5 turbo

And so on.

TOP PRICES PAID !!11!!!1!1!

[bunglebus]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I'm trying to find some cars that were new castings to be launched in that range.

Rancho with the 🌈  on it

I offered all my Corgi Ranchos on my sales thread a few weeks back - all sold now via eBay! Corgi Juniors are fairly easy to track down but I'll try and keep them in mind when I'm hunting.

Bought a job lot off eBay, I was only really after one of them but actually they're all better than the pics suggested

Pretty sure I've got a decent Shovel Nose and Bandolero, let's have a quick look in the loft...

...oh. Yes they're all different!

Main target was the K-7, so I could pinch the ramp out of it

Only have four different versions of those!

I did have the Martini one with a red tailgate but for some reason sold it

Just one more of those to find (I think) - the Team Matchbox stickered white one - but as I reckon this is an error, it might take a while

Of course I could just make one using Black Square Decals products

 

[bunglebus]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Rancho with the 🌈  on it

 

16 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

I offered all my Corgi Ranchos on my sales thread a few weeks back - all sold now via eBay!

Hang on - just remembered what was in that Zee Toys carry case I bought on Saturday!

 

[Split_Pin]

25 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

 

Hang on - just remembered what was in that Zee Toys carry case I bought on Saturday!

 

Brilliant! Let me know what I owe you 😀

[bunglebus]

Was it this 190E? Got a spare of that too.

 

[danthecapriman]

A sense of deja vu today with my latest buyage!

Yes. Yes I do already have one of these! But I like them. And I like doing custom jobs of them to make them into their British built brethren so technically they won’t be the same after I’m done!

Needs a more British style back fitting, but I’m sure I’ll have something suitable.
They are a really nice model of the Austin/Morris FFK though. Such a stylish cab design!

[Datsuncog]

On 04/06/2024 at 06:25, Split_Pin said:

Not Deutz, those are Berliet TR280s.

I've had the burgundy and yellow version since I was a very young kid. I liked the body as its a Jack Allen Collectomatic, something you would see on UK roads (I really wanted a Corgi Revopak like the ones my local Council used but Mum said no as it was too dear). I also liked the Borders registration mark, something that  featured on the Bedford Horsebox and MK4 Cortina as well. 

However the cab really irked me. I'd never seen a Berliet as they were really rare on UK roads. Even the Renault badged versions were uncommon.  But why on earth did MB use one as a bin lorry? That's a chassis that you would never see carrying a refuse body in the UK and probably the rest of the world too. 

Still, it was one of my favourites as a kid and weirdly, despite me definitely being under 4 when I got it, it has survived really well with no real evidence of hard play.

Ah, that's interesting - I always assumed they were just some sort of generic fantasy casting of an unspecified cabover truck - I'd never realised that Lesney had modelled a real-life truck.

Agreed, it's a moderately unlikely choice of vehicle to base any sort of refuse wagon on - think my local council was running low Seddon Atkinson wagons back when I was a nipper - but still a great toy.

Interestingly, the Matchbox Wiki page lists it as a Ford for some reason - maybe mistaking the cab design for a Transcontinental of the same era?

'My' version was also the dark metallic red with a yellow body, though the hinged rear door went missing at some point (I think mine was secondhand, so it's entirely possible it had gone AWOL before it came into my keeping). I really liked the sliding compactor function too - good for pushing out grit and the like.

At some point when I was about four or five I also received a brand new Refuse Truck with a mid-blue cab and an orange body, but in very-unMatchbox fashion the front axle quickly detached from the base, causing the wheels to disappear up into the cab and rattle around in there, to my great chagrin. It was hardly played with! It wasn't even scratched!

A few years later I was told to have a clear-out of my assorted broken toys, and the blue two-wheel Refuse Truck was one of many which took a final drive off the kitchen worktop and into the bin... I can remember that very clearly.

I did, however, remove the rear door from the scrap version and fitted it on to my original red and yellow version - so it now had a two-tone Colectomatic body.

I wonder if it's still around, or if I sold it on a few years back... I ought to have a look...

[Split_Pin]

3 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

mistaking the cab design for a Transcontinental of the same era

You maybe already knew this but they are the same cab except the Berliet was a bit lower and became the Renault Turboliner in the 1990s.

[bunglebus]

Red Gruesome is now Twosome again thanks to a donor engine

Bought a couple of boxed Zylmex, Jag E type 

Unfortunately the other one I bought didn't turn up, got sent this 959 instead 

Which is seriously shonky. The casting is distorted so much it doesn't fit together 

At least the Playart Custom Van turned up correctly 

[Split_Pin]

It's weird that the E-type is really nice but the Porsche is so bad.

[bunglebus]

They're not always that shonky!

Funny enough they also sold the Maisto version under the Zylmex name

 

[danthecapriman]

55 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Ah, that's interesting - I always assumed they were just some sort of generic fantasy casting of an unspecified cabover truck - I'd never realised that Lesney had modelled a real-life truck.

Agreed, it's a moderately unlikely choice of vehicle to base any sort of refuse wagon on - think my local council was running low Seddon Atkinson wagons back when I was a nipper - but still a great toy.

Interestingly, the Matchbox Wiki page lists it as a Ford for some reason - maybe mistaking the cab design for a Transcontinental of the same era?

'My' version was also the dark metallic red with a yellow body, though the hinged rear door went missing at some point (I think mine was secondhand, so it's entirely possible it had gone AWOL before it came into my keeping). I really liked the sliding compactor function too - good for pushing out grit and the like.

At some point when I was about four or five I also received a brand new Refuse Truck with a mid-blue cab and an orange body, but in very-unMatchbox fashion the front axle quickly detached from the base, causing the wheels to disappear up into the cab and rattle around in there, to my great chagrin. It was hardly played with! It wasn't even scratched!

A few years later I was told to have a clear-out of my assorted broken toys, and the blue two-wheel Refuse Truck was one of many which took a final drive off the kitchen worktop and into the bin... I can remember that very clearly.

I did, however, remove the rear door from the scrap version and fitted it on to my original red and yellow version - so it now had a two-tone Colectomatic body.

I wonder if it's still around, or if I sold it on a few years back... I ought to have a look...

I think my first version of that bin truck was the grey cab & blue back body, pretty sure I had it from new and still have it somewhere. 
I found a few second hand boot sale bargains in the years after, the green & yellow and red & yellow ones but I think they went to my cousins kids with most of my old toy cars when my interest in collecting them disappeared! They’ll be land fill by now I think. Which is kind of ironic!

The big Corgi Revopak one was one I got as a Xmas present one year in red & grey. I’ve had a few of the orange versions over the years too. 
My favourite bin truck though has to be the old Husky Shelvoke & Drewery! A true icon in the shit collecting business!

[danthecapriman]

I’m so glad I’ve started arsing around with these cars and trucks! I’m STILL waiting around half packed and bored for a moving date and I’d be screwed without these to waste spend my time on.

Dug out the FG project I started months back and started reassembling it.

Sierra estate is getting rebuilt too.

Another one I started then put away now got out again is the SEB Sherpa.

Painted the roof on the Bedford TK removal truck. Did it a dark greyish colour to resemble that translucent fibreglass they use on these box trucks. Made a cab quarter window frame too as it’s missing on the Dinky casting.
Still needs more doing/finishing but it’s creeping forward!

 

Started another one too. 
Bond partwork BMW 518 E28. This is one of those irritating ones with its front wheels modelled turned, which I hate! But the Bimmer itself looks a peach so I decided to rectify it.

Front wheels originally are screwed onto angled plastic bits on the chassis so I just chopped the angled parts off.

 
There’s no front axle so I made one from a length of old steel rod. The mounting post for the body was, unfortunately directly in the way of the axle so I just went straight through it! I can still fit the screw in then fit the axle afterwards.

Made up some new bits to hold the new axle and fill the holes in the inner arches from scrap plastic card. Not pretty but it’s strong and won’t be visible afterwards anyway.

   
The ride height seemed a bit low to me on the back end so I put a spacer in to raise it slightly.  
No spacer:

With spacer:

  
looks better slightly higher to me. And now I know this works ok for straightening the wheels I can do the same to the Bond AMC Matador model!

[bunglebus]

 

[morrisoxide]

Today's finds.

Not that exiting but I don't think I have a Superfast Lambo, shame the stickers gone and the back suspension has collapsed.

But I did get a BUY1 Jag!

In other miniature tat news, I spotted this in a charity shop.

I picked it up and the chassis fell of the back. But still it was cheap at...

[Split_Pin]

On 04/06/2024 at 17:06, bunglebus said:

Was it this 190E? Got a spare of that too.

 

Yep those are the ones! Will PM you.

[sierraman]

Spotted a Mustang Mach 1 Opening Parts yesterday in Entertainer. I suspect the scalpers had been in making 38 pence on buying them to flog on as its this years model and the shelf was absolutely decimated that was the only one left. 

[Tenmil Socket]

12 hours ago, morrisoxide said:

Today's finds.

Not that exiting but I don't think I have a Superfast Lambo, shame the stickers gone and the back suspension has collapsed.

But I did get a BUY1 Jag!

In other miniature tat news, I spotted this in a charity shop.

I picked it up and the chassis fell of the back. But still it was cheap at...

Absolute dreamers!

[Nibbler]

Bought during the last month. I thought that the Aro and Oltcit was in 1:43 scale as they were cheap. But they turned out to be 1:24 instead. White Volvo is a Norev, orange Volvo is a Nacoral. I usually don’t buy no names, but that poor Turbo Fiero was an exception. Yatming Citroen CX has collapsed rear suspension, really realistic! Altaya 1964 Datsun Bluebird was found in a flea market and so was the mint Siku Mercedes truck.

[Datsuncog]

17 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

You maybe already knew this but they are the same cab except the Berliet was a bit lower and became the Renault Turboliner in the 1990s.

Heh, I knew that the Transcontinental was something of a bitsa and shared a cab with the Turboliner (I was able to compare my Ford artic by Corgi in Michelin colours, with a Renault tanker model by Italieri built by my Uncle Brian - who also built the Martini Porsche 935 which now lives with you), but I didn't know anything about the Berliet until you mentioned it.

It's funny, comparing the Matchbox Refuse Truck to the real-life pics I can now very obviously see that it's the same cab being modelled - albeit maybe a bit shorter and wider in Lesney's rendering - but I couldn't ever have drawn that conclusion myself.

I think it's maybe because the Corgi and Italieri models were so big, and were obviously representing large articulated 'trucks' - while for some reason I thought the Matchbox effort was trying to be a much smaller rigid chassis 'lorry', something about the size of a Bedford TK or Ford D-Series.

Funny how perceptions of scale could throw me off the scent - the size of the UK numberplate on the bumper also suggests something that's not very large - though as you say, in practice this kind of vehicle would never be used for a refuse wagon.

I think the lack of badging on the Matchbox rendering also confused me - the Corgi had 'FORD' lettering on the panel beneath the windscreen, while there was a big Renault badge on the Italieri R360. The Matchbox had nothing on it at all.

Since I'd already frustrated myself trying to figure out what other 1970s Matchbox fantasy releases in my small but growing collection were meant to be (Stretcha Fetcha, Soopa Coopa, Freeman Commuter), then if it was a real vehicle then surely it would have some sort of identification, either on the body or on the toy base?

With no clues, and no real-life commercials around me which looked like that, I just mentally filed it under 'generic' and left it at that... until now!

Mystery solved, after all these years.

I still like it, but now maybe I like it a bit more.

[Split_Pin]

It's bugging me but I am fairly sure that cab casting was used for something else, perhaps a copy.

I'd love to see a pic of that Italeri Renault. That was always one I was after in the 90s when I used to build these kits but I had to make do with a Herpa 1/87 example. I was always after the fine Siku version as well but never found one either, until I got one from one of you chaps a few years ago (I can't recall who now).

Just to say the huge Tamiya 935 is slowly being joined on its shelf by any other similar 935s I can find!

[Datsuncog]

7 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I'd love to see a pic of that Italeri Renault. That was always one I was after in the 90s when I used to build these kits but I had to make do with a Herpa 1/87 example.

Sadly, the R360 (and attached tanker trailer) didn't survive a very unfortunate shelving collapse c.1996...

It looked just like this one, though:

Renault R360, Italeri 1:24 von Markus Szakowski (modellversium.de)

 

I was especially tickled by the tilt-forward cab, with the hinged grille that dropped neatly out of the way.

I really should have tried to fix it, but after my assorted cack-handed Airfix glue bomb attempts of my early teens, I felt it would never be good enough to display again.

It went into a box in the attic with all the other broken plastic kits, and I believe it was chucked when my folks moved house in 2005.

I know. Gutted.

I found a few random bits from it in a tub a while back (fuel tank, Michelin mascot), though I'm now not even sure where they are either.

Glad the 935 has a few friends now too!

[flat4alfa]

On 05/06/2024 at 18:32, danthecapriman said:

arsing around

With spacer

Yay!

 

[flat4alfa]

On 04/06/2024 at 06:25, Split_Pin said:

Not Deutz, those are Berliet TR280s.

However the cab really irked me. I'd never seen a Berliet as they were really rare on UK roads. Even the Renault badged versions were uncommon.  But why on earth did MB use one as a bin lorry? That's a chassis that you would never see carrying a refuse body in the UK and probably the rest of the world too. 

Imagine how confused Americans were

So more than Trans-continental, Matchbox went Multi-continental 

The Fandom wiki needs correcting, the bumper and lights difference is clear

A pre-facelifter on trial

[danthecapriman]

30 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Yay!

 

Good lord! That was… truly horrendous!😆

Dance moves are fucking dreadful too! 

[FakeConcern]

1 minute ago, danthecapriman said:

Good lord! That was… truly horrendous!😆

Dance moves are fucking dreadful too! 

I liked it...

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

Good lord! That was… truly horrendous!😆

Dance moves are fucking dreadful too! 

You’ll love this one then

 

[flat4alfa]

On 05/06/2024 at 16:51, Datsuncog said:

I also received a brand new Refuse Truck with a mid-blue cab and an orange body, but in very-unMatchbox fashion the front axle quickly detached from the base, causing the wheels to disappear up into the cab and rattle around in there, to my great chagrin.

Stance, innit

[Spottedlaurel]

After having very little joy finding HWs in the local big supermarkets, today I walked into one of them just when The Entertainer ladies were restocking. At the bottom of the cage I noticed a new case, they let me rummage through and this is what I ended up with:

Oddly a couple of them came up at a different price, £2.10 each not £2.40 (and they all got multibuy/clubcard discount in any case).