Shite in Miniature II

[Datsuncog]

This 1964 Buick Riviera is another beauty from the 2024 Moving Parts range.

I do love the Rivieras of this vintage - there's just something about the sharpness of these mid-sixties personal luxury coupes that I find pleasing.

The casting's quite finely rendered, although the opening doors are maybe a little bit clunky, and don't seem to quite line up on the passenger side.

Decoration is subtle, with printed lights some silver detailing around the windows. Base detail is adequate too, but that's not really Matchbox's forte.

Some effort's been made for the interior, including seat patterning, although the steering wheel is just a featureless disc - possibly toy safety regs preclude anything as fine as the sort of spoked steering wheels seen on Lesney products back in the day?

Nonetheless, this is a handsome big model - and it is pretty large. The wheels look just right on it too.

It first came out in last year's range wearing black paint, and is also included in the 2024 Collector Series in red.

This kinda silvery-pink shade is, apparently, known as Desert Beige.

I'll have to compare this to some of the other recent '60s Matchbox releases like the Charger and Continental...

[sierraman]

I’d really like it if they brought the superfast wheels back. 

[bunglebus]

There's a new Race Days series coming up, most don't float my boat but this looks good

[Datsuncog]

And then lastly there was this...

A Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4, in satin black with a slight pop of colour down the sides.

The loaded roofrack, side ladder and awning suggest a semi-stealth camper rather than a commercial load-lugger.

This is also a large model - I'm not sure it'd fit into a power grab box or onto a standard mainline card. It barely fits into the Moving Parts box. But it makes for a good hefty toy that does feel a bit premium.

The base does a decent job of replicating some of the underside detail, while also setting out all the codes and whatnot.

The opening part here is the sliding side door - it's a little bit awkward to prise out of the frame, as it's held closed top and bottom by two little nubs, and a fair bit of levering with a thumbnail or similar is required to persuade them to release their grip - but it's good that they've fitted a painted metal door rather than cheaping out with a plastic one.

Inside can be seen (just about) a stove with a pan on it, a sink and (out of shot) a seat towards the back.

Chunky off-road wheels with orange rim embellishers complete the look nicely.

This is another recolour of a 2023 casting; previously it was rendered in pale grey with a green forest motif. Aside from the yellow glazing, I think I like this version better.

I didn't really anticipate buying all of these, but since models from the range can be annoyingly hard to track down, it felt like a case of now or never...

Moving Parts seem to vanish pretty quickly from the Matchbox display in this store, suggesting a high degree of popularity amongst collectors and/ or scalpers. They're nearly double the price of mainlines, but in terms of paint finish and detailing they do feel a bit more special, with printing on every surface and a generally hefty feel to them.

I was a bit surprised to see that there are 54 different models to collect in the 2024 Moving Parts range - that's a lot to commit to. Not all of them appeal to me as much - some of the newer US pickups and hypercar exotics are all a bit much of a muchness, and there was also a Seagrave fire appliance with a liftable ladder in the store, which I left behind on the pegs as it seemed a bit tiddly compared to the others.

Hey, I'll never be a completionist with Matchbox, but it's still interesting to see what they come up with.

Now if only they still printed paper catalogues so I could tick them off as I found them...

[MiniMinorMk3]

18 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Some of the Matchbox Moving Parts from yesterday, then:

 

Details of the original Bizzarini

Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada, Giotto's masterpiece (archive.org)

Quote

Giotto Bizzarrini is one of the most valuable Italian engineers and because of his skill he collaborates with numerous manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini and Ferrari. In 1964 he worked for Iso Rivolta in Bresso, for which he designed the Iso Grifo grand tourer equipped with powerful American 8-cylinder engines. Once the road model has been developed, the volcanic engineer from Livorno would like to focus on the competition version called A3C but clashes with the company's management, who is not inclined to officially engage in car racing with this car.

Bizzarrini did not give up and decided to set up on his own to realize the production of his most extreme creature. Based on the Iso Grifo A3C, a road-legal sports car was created with the idea of producing it in small series. The car saw the light of day in 1965 under the name of Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada, immediately becoming a formidable competitor for the Ferraris of the period. The style and technical characteristics of the car reflect the genius of its designer and the 5300 GT appears similar to a racing car, much more extreme than the grand tourers offered by other car manufacturers.

The breathtaking design largely echoes the line set by Giorgetto Giugiaro for the Iso Grifo A3C: the nose is dominated by rounded wheel arches while the tail is long and elusive, characterized by a large, almost horizontal rear window. The side highlights the sinuous course of the beltline and reveals the presence of numerous slits and vents for hot air with a clear competitive imprint. The front also houses generous air intakes, both near the grille and on the bonnet, as if to hint at the presence of the powerful engine that powers the 5300 GT Strada.

The price to pay for such a fascinating aesthetic appearance is a certain discomfort of the cabin. The seating surface is practically low to the ground and the riding position is semi-recumbent. The seat is not adjustable: since it is a handcrafted creation, it is fixed at the factory directly to the rider's measurements. The interior is characterized by the voluminous transmission tunnel from which the short gear lever emerges and by the particular dashboard. The main instruments, speedometer and tachometer, are located in the centre of the dashboard, while four secondary indicators are located in front of the driver.

The engine of the Bizzarrini 5300 GT is a powerful 5,358 cc Chevrolet V8 powered by a single four-barrel carburetor from the Holley brand. It develops a maximum power of 365 hp at just under 6,000 rpm. and is mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox. It is a rather traditional unit with rod and rocker arm distribution, but by virtue of a car body weighing only 1,200 kg, it allows the Italian grand tourer to achieve remarkable performance. The top speed varies according to the set of gear ratios chosen by the buyer and ranges approximately between 250 and 280 km/h.

Production of the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada continued until 1968, totalling 133 units produced, including some rare examples with spider and targa bodywork. 

Details of the Revival as modelled by Hot Wheels

British-built Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival takes to the road (retromotor.co.uk)

Quote

The reborn Bizzarrini sports car company has achieved a significant milestone, as its first completed car hits the road. 

A painstaking recreation of the original, the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival is now undergoing endurance testing to ensure reliability.

The project is intended as a tribute to the company’s founder, Giotto Bizzarrini, and his dedication to innovation and performance.

An engineering icon
Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival
A former engineer for Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Iso, Giotto Bizzarrini was involved in some of the most significant sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s.

His work includes the 1957 Ferrari 250 TR, the renowned 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO and the revolutionary Ferrari 250 GT SWB Breadvan. 

Bizzarrini founded his eponymous company in 1964, with his Bizzarrini 5300 GT based upon the Iso Grifo A3C he had engineered. 

The Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa went on to take a class win at the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hours race, finishing ninth overall. As a demonstration of its reliability, Bizzarrini then drove the successful car back home to Italy.

Modern performance potential
Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival
Today, the revived Bizzarrini company includes former Aston Martin chief executive Dr Ulrich Bez as chairman. 

The Bizzarrini 5300 GT Revival is a faithful replica of the original, but made with the benefits of modern engineering. 

A 5.3-litre V8 engine, using Weber carburettors, develops more than 400hp. Independent suspension using Giotto’s own design is used, along with disc brakes all-round. 

A kerb weight of just 1,250kg results in an impressive power-to-weight ratio.

Still pushing the boundaries
Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival
Although Bizzarrini was originally founded in Livorno, Italy, the 5300 GT Revival is being hand-built in the UK. 

Each of the 24 examples will conform to FIA Appendix K historic racing regulations. This includes a comprehensive six-point roll cage, two racing bucket seats and a safety fuel cell. 

A lightweight one-piece composite bodyshell is fitted, with buyers able to specify a carbon fibre version if desired. 

“Had it been available, we believe Giotto Bizzarrini would almost certainly have deployed carbon fibre in his racing cars,” said Richard Quinlan, COO of Bizzarrini. “As a result, the 5300 GT Revival Corsa will be offered with a full carbon fibre bodyshell as standard for those customers who do not need to conform to Historic Racing regulations.”

Placed on red alert
Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival
The 5300 GT Revival was constructed using Bizzarrini’s own blueprints, and the knowledge of those who made the car back in the 1960s. Materials from original suppliers have also been utilised to ensure period accuracy. 

Such dedication to authenticity extends to tracking down the correct shade of Rosso Corsa red paint. A sample from an original panel was used, which was subsequently colour-matched to create Rosso Corsa Bizzarrini 222.

With final testing now underway, Bizzarrini plans for first deliveries to customers in May 2022.

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

20 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

I got this some while back too, Fiat Tipo. (With what look like Lancia wheels!!)

 

Snap

 

That Tipo is from the Edison Giocattoli series

Giocher also did a version with the correct for 1988 wheel trims

And your right about the wheels on the EG version, they are from a Lancia Dedra

[danthecapriman]

33 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Snap

 

That Tipo is from the Edison Giocattoli series

Giocher also did a version with the correct for 1988 wheel trims

And your right about the wheels on the EG version, they are from a Lancia Dedra

I didn’t get a box with mine! It just came in a little blister packet.

Odd why they decided to put the Lancia wheels on it too. Maybe they had a load of them leftover?

[Datsuncog]

1 hour ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Details of the original Bizzarini

Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada, Giotto's masterpiece (archive.org)

Details of the Revival as modelled by Hot Wheels

British-built Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival takes to the road (retromotor.co.uk)

 

Ah, that explains a lot - I can kinda see the Grifo's lines echoed in the 5300 Corsa, especially the contours of the rear window and bootlid where it blends with the rear flanks.

The Iso Grifo is one of my all-time favourite car designs, so that maybe explains why I'm drawn so towards this one!

[Tenmil Socket]

On 09/07/2024 at 19:32, FakeConcern said:

I got wo long standing projects finished today.

First up the 50p Pilen Volvo 480 with missing door, it was really fiddly to put back together as all the front lights are separate and one or othe fell out every time I hooked the base on at the back and lowered it

I painted the top coat with the doors shut so as not to find they wouldn't

I touched in over the white very thinly by hand afterwards

The home made door doesn't open and shut as smoothly as the original, but hey at least it does open and close!

It does stick out a tiny bit, but strangely the same one on my original 480 does the same

i have to sdmit it did turn out much better than I expected

The other one that got finished was a Corgi Whizzwheels Rover 2000TC I bought in Brighton for £2 quite a while ago

It was missing front grill, bumper and rear bumper while the glazing was all very scratched so I took it from a scrap Golden Jacks version

The colour was chosen to be similar to original as I liked it and I kept the jewelled headlamps as I felt Corgi designers would have done if they hadn't had to economize. Also I like them. The grill looks much better IRL than in the pics. I printed the shape of the bars out the right size on paper, covered in sellotape and used a biro to press the shape through from the back. It came out pretty well,but as I said doesn't show that well in the photos

Genuine Whizzwheels!

Nice looking cars...

Great job on the Volvo door 👍🏻

[danthecapriman]

I’ve had to leave the shed for now. Been painting the Renault 4 van and the Tipo and it smells really really funky down there now!!

Between painting I’ve put the 4 interior back together and swapped it to rhd.   
It’s been painted now too but it’s still wet. @bunglebus was bang on with the plastic going brittle, this interior is incredibly hard and very very easy to snap.

 

Done a bit more to the old Matchbox Kingsize Mercury too. 
It’s not perfect, but it’s an old toy so I’ll forgive it that! The roof was slightly bent around the windscreen which I’ve straightened as best I can but it was starting to crack the roof and pillars so I had to stop. You can see the glazing doesn’t quite sit in perfect. That was cracked inside the roof too so I’ve glued it to stop it cracking further. 
It needs tyres now, which are packed away somewhere!

[danthecapriman]

@Datsuncog ‘s recent Matchbox buys made me remember about this recent find…

From the 24 moving parts range, 78 Ford Bronco.

I couldn’t find a hood prop so the sweeties I was eating at the time had to work! 
Nice little rendering of a V8 in there, hood prop by Haribo!

  
New packaging on these too, no plastic.

I’ve not actually bothered looking for any 1:64 sized stuff for a while, there’s not been a great deal around for one thing apart from dregs and leftovers nobody wants. But this jumped out so it then jumped into the shopping basket!

[danthecapriman]

Tomorrow I shall be starting another project involving chopping up partwork models!

Ive mentioned it before here, but the ingredients are to hand at the moment so why not.

Draw your attention please to exhibit A:

A Vauxhall Chevette.

Now draw your attention to exhibit B:

A Chevy Marajo.

Look at the back end though…

It’s a Chevette estate! 
So I shall sand off the Marajo’s waist trim strips, then chop the front off both cars and put the Vauxhall’s front end/bonnet/wings onto the Marajo’s arse end to give me a Vauxhall Chevette estate or a Bedford Chevanne, whichever I decide to do. 
I’ve got a small fleet of the Vauxhall’s so if this works ok I also have another Marajo to become a van or estate and a Chevy Chevette saloon too which will receive another Vauxhall front end.

It should be similar to what I did with the Sierra estate front end swap, carefully mark out and cut then impact adhesive to rejoin the pieces.

Hopefully!

[sheffcortinacentre]

Well your all jammy buggers as this afternoon been in Smyth's ,range,2x B&M & Poundland nothing new hot wheels wise,only 2 had a small amount of matchbox & one had some fat & furriest.

No matchbox buildings of any sort in any.

 

[bunglebus]

2 hours ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Well your all jammy buggers as this afternoon been in Smyth's ,range,2x B&M & Poundland nothing new hot wheels wise,only 2 had a small amount of matchbox & one had some fat & furriest.

No matchbox buildings of any sort in any.

 

I did a similar tour of Basildon today and found absolutely nothing new

[sheffcortinacentre]

Trouble is it's been like this for several years round here.

[Split_Pin]

Nothing round West Central Scotland either  😞

[sierraman]

10 hours ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Well your all jammy buggers as this afternoon been in Smyth's ,range,2x B&M & Poundland nothing new hot wheels wise,only 2 had a small amount of matchbox & one had some fat & furriest.

No matchbox buildings of any sort in any.

 

Toy Town at Peaks has the bus station.

[MiniMinorMk3]

14 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

 

It should be similar to what I did with the Sierra estate front end swap, carefully mark out and cut then impact adhesive to rejoin the pieces.

Hopefully!

[Spottedlaurel]

I remember the odd black Chevette estate with yellow and black hazard tape on the roof edge, presumably ex-RAF cars which had made it out into civilian use.

[danthecapriman]

I do like the Chevette! Very nice looking small car. Pity they weren’t rust proofed a bit better though!

When I was at school our drama teacher had one, a Y reg 3 door hatch in a brown/gold colour. I used to like it even back then. Hated drama lessons though and she was a horrible old cow too!😆 maybe those two things were connected?

Anyhoo,

Stripped both the Chevette and Marajo down and got the paint off.

Weirdly the hatch looks bigger and wider than the estate but after measuring a few parts on both there little to no difference. 
Now the paint is off though you can see the hatch is almost certainly the same base casting as the race car version produced by IXO, as the wheel arches have the same flare. It doesn’t bother me massively tbh, but I think I’ll try to keep the bulk of the front wings on the Marajo and cut the bonnet and front panel out on both cars and just swap that bit over. 
Flared arches might be a bit more noticeable on an estate, especially if the fronts are flared and backs aren’t!

The Marajo then,

Apart from the front end (which looks very Vauxhall Nova-like to me!) it needs to lose the waist height trims down the sides, and also the raised trim around the side windows, and the boot lid has a raised trim around the window that needs to go. The boot lid also has a ridge cast into it which isn’t present on the Chevette so needs smoothing out.

So far I’ve done all of the trim removal, which has absolutely killed my fingers! It took a fair bit of doing!

It’s a hard one to get right in places. Filing and sanding the metal away but being very careful not to go too far or ruin the side profile. There’s a couple of spots on the wheel arches I did go a bit far, so a skim of filler should fix that (just like the real ones!). 
It looks much more Chevette estate like though now I think. The real ones always had a nice clean slightly rounded shape to them which I think this model now has with the Marajo bits removed. particularly around the boot lid. 
I’ve also cut and scribed in the missing sections of the door shut lines as the side trims had these cast into them which obviously was lost when they were removed.

Tomorrow I’ll mark them both up and cut the required parts out.

In the meantime, here’s the Renner 4 van and Fiat Tipo fresh out the paint shop!

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

So far I’ve done all of the trim removal, which has absolutely killed my fingers!

You need this, absolute game changer for me

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196180726044?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=P5_83tceR0C&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=X5RtjeAxSP-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Gets rid of casting lines etc really easily - just use a much finer grit than you'd think, they remove material really fast

[bunglebus]

Mrs has just come back from Tesco Maldon with this for me

Friend

[danthecapriman]

39 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

You need this, absolute game changer for me

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196180726044?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=P5_83tceR0C&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=X5RtjeAxSP-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Gets rid of casting lines etc really easily - just use a much finer grit than you'd think, they remove material really fast

Nice one! Just bought one.

Its bloody hard going with a file and sand paper!

[FakeConcern]

3 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

I do like the Chevette! Very nice looking small car. Pity they weren’t rust proofed a bit better though!

When I was at school our drama teacher had one, a Y reg 3 door hatch in a brown/gold colour. I used to like it even back then. Hated drama lessons though and she was a horrible old cow too!😆 maybe those two things were connected?

Anyhoo,

Stripped both the Chevette and Marajo down and got the paint off.

Weirdly the hatch looks bigger and wider than the estate but after measuring a few parts on both there little to no difference. 
Now the paint is off though you can see the hatch is almost certainly the same base casting as the race car version produced by IXO, as the wheel arches have the same flare. It doesn’t bother me massively tbh, but I think I’ll try to keep the bulk of the front wings on the Marajo and cut the bonnet and front panel out on both cars and just swap that bit over. 
Flared arches might be a bit more noticeable on an estate, especially if the fronts are flared and backs aren’t!

The Marajo then,

Apart from the front end (which looks very Vauxhall Nova-like to me!) it needs to lose the waist height trims down the sides, and also the raised trim around the side windows, and the boot lid has a raised trim around the window that needs to go. The boot lid also has a ridge cast into it which isn’t present on the Chevette so needs smoothing out.

So far I’ve done all of the trim removal, which has absolutely killed my fingers! It took a fair bit of doing!

It’s a hard one to get right in places. Filing and sanding the metal away but being very careful not to go too far or ruin the side profile. There’s a couple of spots on the wheel arches I did go a bit far, so a skim of filler should fix that (just like the real ones!). 
It looks much more Chevette estate like though now I think. The real ones always had a nice clean slightly rounded shape to them which I think this model now has with the Marajo bits removed. particularly around the boot lid. 
I’ve also cut and scribed in the missing sections of the door shut lines as the side trims had these cast into them which obviously was lost when they were removed.

Tomorrow I’ll mark them both up and cut the required parts out.

In the meantime, here’s the Renner 4 van and Fiat Tipo fresh out the paint shop!

That's looking great! It's amazing how much work is involved that really won't be noticable when all is finished.

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

You need this, absolute game changer for me

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196180726044?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=P5_83tceR0C&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=X5RtjeAxSP-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Gets rid of casting lines etc really easily - just use a much finer grit than you'd think, they remove material really fast

Oh yes, I need this too!

 

This afternoon I made the mistake of getting all my die cast out in one go to have a sort out and Mrs Concern got to see how much there is haha!

[danthecapriman]

54 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

That's looking great! It's amazing how much work is involved that really won't be noticable when all is finished.

Oh yes, I need this too!

 

This afternoon I made the mistake of getting all my die cast out in one go to have a sort out and Mrs Concern got to see how much there is haha!

That’s you on a buying ban now then!🤣

[IronStar]

Today’s picks 

Rant: I really don’t get Hot Wheels pricing. Cheapest I’ve seen them in Serbia is around 2E for a single, but they’re usually in 3-3.5E ballpark. Some stores have them at a bit under 4. These are all bought in Croatia today. One store has them at 1.49E at a regular price and supermarket next door has them at 3E. 😵‍💫

[bunglebus]

UK prices vary between £1.50 and the hilarious £2.99 Toys R Us want - probably even more at place like airports

[danthecapriman]

Had a few hours on the Chevette project this morning, and the face transplant is almost done!

Started by marking both cars up to be able to slice out the section I need and don’t want from both. It would have been much easier and quicker to swap the entire front ends but I’d rather do it this way and have the stock sized wheel arches. 
I made a few cuts with the razor saw and the rest with a cutting disc in the Dremel. The front end on the Chevette is bloody thick! Just got to be careful with heat build up.

   
I made the cuts on the Marajo just inside of the cast bonnet shut lines so I could keep them. On the Chevette I did the opposite so the two parts would fit tightly together.


   
After a clean up and a bit of filing to get a good fit we now have a Chevette estate!

     

Fit is generally pretty good but there is a slight discrepancy around the wings. The Chevette is marginally wider and sticks out a bit. Nothing that can’t be filed and filled to shape after though.

Once the glue had dried I test fitted the interior and chassis to check how it looked. 
Interior fits fine as to be expected, but the chassis is a completely different shape at the front so will need altering to suit the new nose.

After that I dug out some two part chemical metal (JB Weld), mixed it up and slathered the underside of the join in it to reinforce the front end, making sure to force it well into the gaps and joint.

  
Leftovers were then carefully forced into the gaps and joint on the outside to fill the gaps.

I can’t do anything else to it now until that dries, but it should be pretty solid once it has. 
Then it’ll get a rub down and filed to shape where needed, any remaining gaps filled and rubbed down again. I’ll run the scribe down the shut lines etc too just to make sure they haven’t been filled in. 
Scuttle panel air vent need’s reducing in width slightly too.

Im pretty pleased with it so far! It’s always a worry when you start slicing lumps out of models! 
Im hoping at least one of the donor hatchbacks will be able to take the unwanted front end from the Chevy Chevette saloon I’ve got somewhere (waiting to turn into a Vauxhall saloon) to make it into a US Chevy Chevette with the original front end styling. Not sure what I’ll do with the other two hatchback donors?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

10 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Had a few hours on the Chevette project this morning, and the face transplant is almost done!

Started by marking both cars up to be able to slice out the section I need and don’t want from both. It would have been much easier and quicker to swap the entire front ends but I’d rather do it this way and have the stock sized wheel arches. 
I made a few cuts with the razor saw and the rest with a cutting disc in the Dremel. The front end on the Chevette is bloody thick! Just got to be careful with heat build up.

   
I made the cuts on the Marajo just inside of the cast bonnet shut lines so I could keep them. On the Chevette I did the opposite so the two parts would fit tightly together.


   
After a clean up and a bit of filing to get a good fit we now have a Chevette estate!

     

Fit is generally pretty good but there is a slight discrepancy around the wings. The Chevette is marginally wider and sticks out a bit. Nothing that can’t be filed and filled to shape after though.

Once the glue had dried I test fitted the interior and chassis to check how it looked. 
Interior fits fine as to be expected, but the chassis is a completely different shape at the front so will need altering to suit the new nose.

After that I dug out some two part chemical metal (JB Weld), mixed it up and slathered the underside of the join in it to reinforce the front end, making sure to force it well into the gaps and joint.

  
Leftovers were then carefully forced into the gaps and joint on the outside to fill the gaps.

I can’t do anything else to it now until that dries, but it should be pretty solid once it has. 
Then it’ll get a rub down and filed to shape where needed, any remaining gaps filled and rubbed down again. I’ll run the scribe down the shut lines etc too just to make sure they haven’t been filled in. 
Scuttle panel air vent need’s reducing in width slightly too.

Im pretty pleased with it so far! It’s always a worry when you start slicing lumps out of models! 
Im hoping at least one of the donor hatchbacks will be able to take the unwanted front end from the Chevy Chevette saloon I’ve got somewhere (waiting to turn into a Vauxhall saloon) to make it into a US Chevy Chevette with the original front end styling. Not sure what I’ll do with the other two hatchback donors?

Flippin' love that, Dan. For full shite points, you need* to build one into a Chevanne. 

[danthecapriman]

15 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Flippin' love that, Dan. For full shite points, you need* to build one into a Chevanne. 

That’s the plan.

Im not sure if I’ll do this one as a van or estate, but I’ve got another Marajo and Chevette hatch waiting here to do whichever this one isn’t! 
Then I’ve got a Chevy saloon and another hatch to combine into a Vauxhall Chevette saloon!

It’s a bit of a pain in the arse with Vauxhall’s in 1:43. Anything that’s shared with the Opel or Chevrolet versions of cars is available but anything from Vauxhall only of the earlier models isn’t available. At least not easily or cheaply.

As far as I know this is the only way to get a Vauxhall Chevette - 3 door is available but the rest you have to make. 
Cavelier mk1 - not available. 
70’s Victor etc - not available. 
PC Cresta - not available. 
HC Viva - not available.

I suppose the market for a model of them wouldn’t be anywhere near as big as the Opel or Chevy equivalents. But a PC Cresta would make a fantastic model!