Shite in Miniature II

[quicksilver]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

Yes, why was that?  I can't recall finding the DB7 and even if I had, likely missed it due to the blandness

I think mainly because the range was so heavily focussed on US-market vehicles, there was little to recognise for the typical European lad.  Perhaps confirmed by these two that did sell well: the Astra GSi (GTE) and ALFA SZ :

But for the era, these took some beating...  Rhino Rod, Tailgator and Rotwheeler :

The designers in that era must have been taking some good drugs. "What I really want is a toy car that looks like a big angry dog on wheels with a shiny engine in its arse" said no one ever.

[bunglebus]

Don't know if it was Tyco or Universal, but the ethos seemed to be just put mad colours and graphics on everything, whether it needed them or not

 

[andrew e]

I really enjoy the neon era on toy cars, and dayglow good examples are tough to find - collectors turned their noses up whilst kids played the life out of them.

[sierraman]

The Frontera is particularly memorable, my dad had to go to London for work and dropped me and my mum off to go shopping. I remember buying that one from Hamleys. In true Autoshite style we went there in the firms 1991 Cavalier 1.4 saloon, I remember it distinctly as it had the usual rash they used to get on the panel below the headlamps. 

[Spottedlaurel]

Happy New Year all! Wonder what 2025 will hold in store for us here, will the same old Matchbox still be cluttering up the pegs? How many more Fast & Furious cars can HW knock out?

On a personal level, will I build more kits than I buy? Doubtful, but......

 

 

TR7 is coming along nicely. Main job now is to polish the bodywork then I can paint the vinyl roof and black trim and detail the various moulded-in lights. Even with the black bumpers fitted it's started coming to life.

Also did final finishing touches to this one:

 

 

Skyline GT-R RB engine transplant.

The level of detail is fantastic, but that also presented some challenges not all of which I adequately rose to.

[eddyramrod]

I don't really "do" 1/24 diecast, but MrsR surprised me at Christmas with this...

...We are an Elvis house after all!  So obviously I've unpacked it now...

That'll do nicely.

[666jjp]

Hi, I have these cars that have been in a box for years. is there anything special or just are they just standard fodder?

None of them are perfect but are still sealed.

 

[bunglebus]

Some unusual ones up there ^ the blue cards should be easy to re-home at least.

I'm not familiar with the Transformers but they're quite pricey going by eBay, anything Transformers related seems to be popular at the moment 

[Tenmil Socket]

Guaranteed for life… I wonder if anyone has actually gone to the lengths of claiming on this? 
 

[sierraman]

10 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Guaranteed for life… I wonder if anyone has actually gone to the lengths of claiming on this? 
 

It’s pretty meaningless isn’t it, I mean where would you send it to? Who’s going yo keep the receipt? What would constitute unreasonable wear and tear? 🤣

[bunglebus]

Anyone recognise this? I thought it might be a 60s Corgi Chrysler Imperial but looking at the Junior above it, the scale is too small

[eddyramrod]

I would say it is the 60s Corgi Imperial.  As with many of Corgi's American cars, scale was closer to 1/48 than 1/43.  It did have everything opening, as that does; it also had those rather nice cast wheels and oh look, so does this model.  Not sure it was ever offered in blue, but if it's a repaint it looks pretty well done.  I can only remember them in red.

As it happens I would like to find a repaint project of this casting.  No rush...

(Edit: I don't think that's a Junior above, I think it's the Lazy Bones Corvette, which is roughly in-scale to the Imperial.)

[flat4alfa]

It says 'Corgi Toys' not 'Corgi Juniors' on the base.  Pretty sure all Juniors were titled that way?

Yes its the Whizzwheels release recolour of the Lazy Bones Corvette

on top of a repainted Chrysler Imperial that was in red with the blue interior.  There were a few shades of red to be had

There was a deeper blue release

Not the most common find, due to being in the range for just two years.  In the boot (trunk) was a set of golf clubs.  Recently retooled by CMC

 

Think I'll go and look to see if any are here, now the throbbing headache has calmed.... 

[MiniMinorMk3]

[MiniMinorMk3]

18 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Don't know if it was Tyco or Universal, but the ethos seemed to be just put mad colours and graphics on everything, whether it needed them or not

                 

 

They were just following the trends in teh Custom Car and Hot Rod world.

 

[flat4alfa]

3 hours ago, 666jjp said:

I’d be interested in the Johnny Lightning

Even though the proportions do look odd. At first glance it looks more of a Fox body !

[flat4alfa]

20 hours ago, bunglebus said:

just put mad colours and graphics on everything, whether it needed them or not

Was the fashion 

[bunglebus]

I liked the fashion, still got some Bermuda shorts like that somewhere. I quite liked the mad paint jobs too, especially on VWs and mini trucks, it just doesn't always translate down to a scale model properly.

Maybe I need to recreate the ultimate UK custom VW, Billabug, which had the mad stuff inside the subtle exterior 

[flat4alfa]

36 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Maybe I need to recreate the ultimate UK custom VW, Billabug, which had the mad stuff inside the subtle exterior 

Good idea.  Forgotten about this one, I remember wondering if it had any strengthening because he removed the pillars

She'd be GILF now, and BGP 915B left the road in 2007

[bunglebus]

Billabug is safe and well, it got a revamp a while back with an oval window windscreen, flush headlights, smoothed roof and various other subtle mods, the original was built in just a few weeks

[MiniMinorMk3]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

Good idea.  Forgotten about this one, I remember wondering if it had any strengthening because he removed the pillars

 

She'd be GILF now, and BGP 915B left the road in 2007

I remember seeing it at the Bug Jam in 1990. I went in my Ruby Red '63 seen here on Ashdown forest.

The car was built for the Billabong Surf Wear Company. I had some of their shorts which I purchased when I went on the first Run to the Sun in my lowered Ford Signal Yellow '72 1200 seen here at Fistral Beach.

The Billabug was a great concept, but some of the detailing was a bit iffy when you got up close. The interior was done in one of Billabongs staple patterns, and you can see the wave effect was used for the engine cooling intake under the window.

[FakeConcern]

On 22/12/2024 at 11:17, Spottedlaurel said:

Actually a found a few recent/new HWs that I hadn't previously seen in person:

HWs from Tesco/Entertainer, plus a Moving Parts Prius from Sainsbury's. Couldn't remember if I already have the latter, I suppose I'll find out when I next have a putting-away session....

Also started my next kit project, intended to be something I can get done over the Christmas/New Year break:

I first built one of these as one of my very first kits, well over 40 years ago. Didn;t paint the body just hastily daubed some matt black Humbrol onto the bumpers, interior etc. It hasn't survived, although I do still have the wheels.

As a kit with such a low parts count the joy is that it can be mocked-up really quickly. The floorpan has a very positive fit to the bodyshell and the interior tub locates into place nicely. Just the main bodyshell that needs painting in colour, and for that I'm looking to use Tamiya TS-35 Park Green which is fairly close to Java Green. I'll probably change the wheels. It's already been primed and I'll try and get some green onto it before Christmas so it can be drying ready to be worked-on later in the week.

I've previously built a Datsun 280Z from the same series and that was an enjoyable thing to put together.

I was looking for some decals and found the last remains of the Monogram TR7 I had as a teenager!

 

[flat4alfa]

Just had CMC newsletter through and it says

Quote

Before the Batboat, in July, we have the extremely rare white-liveried Dutch Police Car version of Corgi 492. Originals sell for silly money, so this’ll be an almost unique chance to add one to your collection without selling a kidney

So had to go and look didn’t I

Hmm….

Hmmm.  Could I make one up early?

So looked up on SteveFlowers decals list

Quote

492/373 VW ‘Politie’ (Dutch issue)  (W)   £1.75

Well, that's sorted easily then

[MiniMinorMk3]

Vectis have on coming up on January 15th. The estimate is £200-£300.

Vectis Auctions | Corgi Toys 492 Volkswagen 1200 Saloon 'police' Car - RARE all white body with 'POLITIE' door decals

 

They also had on last January at the same estimate but did not sell.

[bunglebus]

Happened to stroll past the market as they were setting up this morning, and spotted a box of tatty toys in front of a 50p sign! Had to rescue them of course, even though most are fairly shonky

[Datsuncog]

Crikey, that Juniors Ro80 is pretty good going for 50p - nicely done!

[Tenmil Socket]

Ooofff

 

[bunglebus]

I was actually on my way to Entertainer, where I found two Hot Wheels C cases, only netting me one new car

But also a Matchbox B case - no chase cars at all despite all the boxes being sealed, but

*edit* there are no green MK2 Fiestas up for grabs now 

[sierraman]

16 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Ooofff

 

@sheffcortinacentre

[bunglebus]

Daily deliveries continue, spotted this unusual plastic VW T2 with a few other oddments 

@Spottedlaurel sent me a Graffic Traffic Transit, that's already apart and in the paint stripper

Lastly some boxed Corgis, Chinese made BMW 635 was just in too nice condition to ignore

And while the box is in need of TLC, the Renault 5 within appears to have never been played with, going by the plastic spacer holding the tailgate open etc