Shite in Miniature II

[Spottedlaurel]

2 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

That’s lovely! They did some fantastic styling back then, the Japs.

From what I’ve read, the restyle at the back end was motivated by complaints about poor visibility? 
It’s a bit of a shame they did it really as it lost some of the cool styling afterwards, although the later cars are still great.

Did they sell many 160J’s here? 
They don’t/didn’t seem particularly common.

That model cost £16.20 btw. Shipping was similar which is why if I do the international orders I get a few to get more value from the shipping cost! Man maths or something…😄

 

Mine was £50! And the dodgy bloke delivered it to me, although I did then have to drive him to pick up another car.

Here's the vaguely more coventional update:

Outside of the UK there was a 2-door saloon and I think that kept going with the fastback rear end, as did the pillarless coupe. There was an estate too, which we never saw.

I think they occupied a funny position in the market, bigger than an Escort but smaller than Cortina, so the 120Y and 160/180B Datsuns were more obvious competitors and probably sold better as a result.

Keeping it small car related, it looks like the coupe is also available at 1/43:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255789194592

And there is the odd Japanese kit. The Doyusha "Nostalgic Hero" 1/24-ish offering is probably the most obtainable - I have one, but no photo immediately to hand.

[danthecapriman]

It’s a pity they didn’t sell better here, it’s a fantastic looking car! I imagine most of the ones that did sell here died pretty quickly of rust though. 
That’s what claimed my parents Sunny Coupe in the end. Mechanically it was spot on and would probably still be going now but the rot was really starting to set in by the late 90’s when it was replaced.

It can definitely go I’m my UK cars collection though, as a nice little Japanese oddity!

[sierraman]

I’ve probably regaled this story before but anyhow as a kid I was fascinated by a brown 180B that lived a few doors down from my grandma, it lived outside some old guy called Jim’s house. Anyway I still have the badge that she said she ‘found’ on the floor one day from it, im not certain whether it was actually on the floor or if it had been ‘helped’ on its way. 

[IronStar]

Bought this DeAgostini Skoda 120LS today

[danthecapriman]

Everything for the Chevy K30 is now in primer to dry overnight. 
It’s had various small bits added, doors for toolboxes, door handles, air vents for the sleeper cab box etc etc.               

Cab is in bare metal now drying off, tomorrow I’ll get that primed and on the way too. Need to think about colours…

Heres a couple of pics from this morning as I was doing bits & bobs to it. 
Cab spacer and step extension for the bigger chassis trucks - the smaller versions (like the C10) don’t have this.

More details added, sleeper has been finished off around top and bottom. 
I’ll make a new exhaust for it from some scrap wire after the primers dry and decide where to put it. The original for the donor truck came out the very back but it’s not likely to be that way on the big extra long trucks!

[sierraman]

When might we expect the mk2 Fiesta to appear? 

[andy18s]

I was gifted a tiny Euromodels Opel Manta yesterday by a fellow Bulgarian collector.

I bought the 3pc Presidential Limo set from Datsuncog on his behalf a good while ago,and he was chuffed to death with it...

So a big thanks to Tim for his assistance. 

[bramz7]

I must be bored this evening.

The RX4 is actually a Universal Hobbies casting, there was a period of time where both Norev and UH made models for Renault Toys. 

 

My favourite era of Norev Renaults are the ones with the box art, a real throwback. 

 

Some more odd ones I have:

 

Renault Trucks dealer tube, which was the Master and Mascot. The packaging got wrecked in the parcel it came in, but thankfully the models are ok. 

The Red Cross Kangoo is genuinely worth upwards of £200. I don't know why. Mine cost me £20. 

 

 

[155V6]

I've got a few of those small Norevs,mostly Renaults

Lagunas,had to have a couple of one of the most useful cars I've ever had 😉

These were the ones that were easy to photograph,I'll try & dig out some of the others tomorrow

[bramz7]

That FPS Master is actually quite uncommon. The Dutch chap I get a lot of models from hadn't even realised they existed, and he has chronicled every single release so far on his website. 

[155V6]

1 minute ago, bramz7 said:

That FPS Master is actually quite uncommon. The Dutch chap I get a lot of models from hadn't even realised they existed, and he has chronicled every single release so far on his website. 

I've got a Trafic in the same livery too

[bramz7]

Yes I believe there was a Trafic, Dispatch/Jumpy, Berlingo and Master. 

 

For anyone interested, this is the website I mentioned:

https://www.mjrttnrv.nl/norev/index.html

 

[sierraman]

What scale are the Norevs? They look Matchbox size. 

[155V6]

2 hours ago, sierraman said:

What scale are the Norevs? They look Matchbox size. 

Yes,1/64 ish

[sierraman]

Why have I never come across these? The only Norev I have are the 1/43 cheapish Renault stuff and the mini jet ones again Matchbox size. 

[Bren]

One of my fatha's day gifts

I had the bronze one while very young but not the streakers one.

[danthecapriman]

In between painting stuff on the K30 I’ve done some bits on others - it’s good to have so many projects in various stages! 
Building up the BMW 5 series and Sierra estate, bit of painting on the Transit tipper.

And this one’s just about done now bar making some decals.

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, Bren said:

One of my fatha's day gifts

I had the bronze one while very young but not the streakers one.

I’d love to find the gold plated one they did as a US Issue, Screaming Manta I think it was called.

[MiniMinorMk3]

On 13/06/2024 at 22:28, AndyW201 said:

 

I was a Micra K11 pervert, 

 

 

 

 

Your Micra reminds me of the AHC 1/43rd diecast that passed through here a few years ago. AHC were Pilen models made in Holland back in the 1990s. This example was a Nissan Dealer edition sold in dealerships.

And talking of Pug 106 models, Vitesse did quite a few versions of the Mk1 car.

 

XSi

XT Dealer versions in silver and green

Standard Vitesse Red XT

Roland Garros "Limited Edition"

 

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

On 15/06/2024 at 11:01, bunglebus said:

Wandering around Newcastle again, Metro Centre. Big load of naff all anywhere, Smyths, BuM, Entertainer and Asda all failed to have anything new or exciting, with the slight exception of a battered F+F from a series I hadn't seen before.

 

I've not been to the Metro centre for years. I used to go regularly when there was a Modelzone, an independent model shop down one of the link malls and an F1 shop. The Modelzone used to sell off quite a bit of end of line 1/43rd stuff cheap, I used to buy it up and flog it on Fleabay when I couldn't find stuff at auction. Must be a good 10 since I stepped foot in there.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Talking of Norev Assistance vehicles, here's some of 1/43rd models from the French Big 3

[eddyramrod]

Trailer... there's been work this afternoon.  Pics to follow.

[bunglebus]

2 hours ago, sierraman said:

I’d love to find the gold plated one they did as a US Issue, Screaming Manta I think it was called.

Not had this one either 

Bulgarian jobbies

[155V6]

5 hours ago, sierraman said:

Why have I never come across these? The only Norev I have are the 1/43 cheapish Renault stuff and the mini jet ones again Matchbox size. 

I don't know if they were ever really sold over here.If you have a Citroen dealer near you,it might be worth looking in there as they sell them in my local one.I don't know if they sell them in Renault dealers though?

[bramz7]

First one I ever got (and to blame for this) was from a Citroen dealer in 2003. 

I think dealers were the only source for a lot, possibly all, Norev 3 inches in the UK. They do come up on eBay on a fairly regular basis but it does tend to be the same things. Some of them are probably almost impossible to get here. 

[eddyramrod]

OK, trailers and ads over, here's the main feature.  This is like the old-fashioned Saturday mornings at one's local fleapit, in that what we have here is episodes of various serials.  So, we'll start with Eddie Shoestring's Hillman Hunter:

I know the wheels are wrong but Corgi didn't offer a steel-with-hubcap option; probably the nearest would be the Rover 2000TC type, which I do know would fit.  I should probably try to lay some in.

Now that Shoestring's fate is established, we should visit the paintshop.  We'll start with a Corgi Beast Carrier body that came (damaged) with a Dodge Kew Fargo.  It was also available on a trailer chassis but I don't think I've ever had one of those.  The wagon became this one:

And the body is now this:

Further episodes will follow; it's going to become a (dim) memory from my childhood.  Now we're going to rejoin two more serials.  First up, a Yesteryear Packard which has been awaiting some brightwork:

...and the section of Carrimore transporter is going to go with this:

...which used to be a Dinky CF, in fact it was the model of my old van for many years.  Detailing and assembly to come.  Now here's one that has been languishing for a couple of years, primered then stuck in a cupboard because I couldn't find the right colour for it.  Well Halfords' new range to the rescue!

From memory this Maisto (usually seen in racing green) scales out to about 1/40, so it's going to be slightly oversize in my Screen cabinet, but I don't mind that.  Anyone want to guess why it belongs in there?  It doesn't matter because there are no prizes and I'll explain it anyway when it's done.

And so to a new round of drilling!

These are just some of the unloved toys I started with today; they'll all look a whole lot better in future episodes.  I'd actually already done some...

That's a Vanguards PA Cresta you can see.  They're screwed together, which is nice, but the dash is riveted in place and you won't be able to remove the roof-and-windows without drilling that as they are a one-piece moulding.  I'm not spraying this car, I'll be hand-painting it.  You'll see why eventually...

Broken and distorted Corgi Simon Snorkel comes apart without drilling, but now I need to do some cutting in order to re-use part of the body.

I said there was a lot of work going on!  The Lada Riva didn't need drilling; it's a Bond partwork car and screws together, but for my purposes it's the wrong colour.  You'll be seeing it again.

And finally tonight, the rinse bucket after the Cosmic Soda bath.

We are now getting rained-on, so the bucket may well fill up a bit overnight while these shells are rinsing!  So until next time...

 

[danthecapriman]

Great stuff Eddy.👍

Quite a few I recognise in that lot! Can’t wait to see how they come out.  
That orange & black Rover is quite something isn’t it!? I wonder what little Johnny’s inspiration was for that one!?😆

[eddyramrod]

Your guess is as good as mine!  The model is old enough that he might have done it in 1977 after seeing one bodged-up by his local Onslow.  That pseudo-rally sort of look was popular in the 70s.

Anyway, I've wiped out that bit of history now; it's going to be black.  You'll see why eventually.

[FakeConcern]

I've not been getting much diecast fun for a couple of weeks due to having people to stay, but got this from a junk shop in Hastings

I've given it a good soak, but it hasn't yet come completely clean (this is still pre clean). I need to find my Tomte DS now to go with it

I also picked up the Corgi BMW to rob the wheels as I think they look more like the HotWheels Mini Pickup ones and I may put them on my Fake Corgi (if you want the BMW you can have it for the £1 it cost though)

We went to a Toy Fair in Midhurst this morning, but it wasn't great for me as mostly trains and MIB Vanguard type stuff. There was nothing cheap enough for me to pick up for Mr Ramrod and not much for us. Mrs Concern got a Majorette caravan and a Lone Star Dune Buggy

I got a few Corgi & Dinkys none as cheap as I wanted and only the Dinky/Solido Ritmo/Strada is at all unusual.

 

Afterwards we went back to Mrs Concerns Sister's house where I spied this lovely Triang Horse box

She has a large collection of Britains stuff including Land Rovers some of which can be seen below

@eddyramrodinteresting projects as always going on! What is the lovely lemon yellow you got from Halfords called? I could do with some of that!

@danthecaprimansome super projects as always, thankyou for sharing them with us!

[danthecapriman]

7 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

I've not been getting much diecast fun for a couple of weeks due to having people to stay, but got this from a junk shop in Hastings

I've given it a good soak, but it hasn't yet come completely clean (this is still pre clean). I need to find my Tomte DS now to go with it

I also picked up the Corgi BMW to rob the wheels as I think they look more like the HotWheels Mini Pickup ones and I may put them on my Fake Corgi (if you want the BMW you can have it for the £1 it cost though)

We went to a Toy Fair in Midhurst this morning, but it wasn't great for me as mostly trains and MIB Vanguard type stuff. There was nothing cheap enough for me to pick up for Mr Ramrod and not much for us. Mrs Concern got a Majorette caravan and a Lone Star Dune Buggy

I got a few Corgi & Dinkys none as cheap as I wanted and only the Dinky/Solido Ritmo/Strada is at all unusual.

 

Afterwards we went back to Mrs Concerns Sister's house where I spied this lovely Triang Horse box

She has a large collection of Britains stuff including Land Rovers some of which can be seen below

@eddyramrodinteresting projects as always going on! What is the lovely lemon yellow you got from Halfords called? I could do with some of that!

@danthecaprimansome super projects as always, thankyou for sharing them with us!

Some nice ones you bagged there! Love that little Fiat.

That big Triang horsebox (Austin/Morris FFK) is a beauty too. I’ve got one here somewhere in dropside truck form.  
There is a very very slight difference in condition of course! 
Id love to dig it out again if I could remember which box it’s packed in and restore it. It’d look good on display like that green horsebox one.