Shite in Miniature II

[andrew e]

6 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

They sourced parts from the 205 spares stock. The chassis is 205 T16

It might be a stationary display car, but there is a genuine 600bhp Group-B engine and gearbox in there

I can vouch for that having seen it before Christmas. It does look like it’s has run though?

[flat4alfa]

Sorry, I meant its life has been as a display piece rather than a competition entrant

[sierraman]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Those Land Rovers lead me on nicely to today's Hot Wheels finds, starting with this new casting: Drift-Ender, which, if it wasn't obvious, is a Defender

"To Protect and to Swerve" on the side

There were a few other new finds

I also collected these eBay wins, apparently the guy has bought several thousand pounds worth of someone's collection, so I'll be keeping tabs

Looks like LR Tangi. 

[Datsuncog]

I'm very badly wanting one of those Drift-Enders - have been hunting for a few weeks now.

I feel it's definitely a niche joke on the part of Hot Wheels designer Craig Callum.

There aren't many Northern-Ireland-specific diecast out there on general release (besides DeLorean DMC12s, but that kinda doesn't count), so I'm really impatient to find this one!

[bunglebus]

20 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

I'm very badly wanting one of those Drift Enders - have been hunting for a few weeks now

You might have to wait a little while, as I'm told this is the E case, and the first time I'd seen it anywhere. I'll keep an eye out for more, for as much as I get the wink wink colour scheme, I think it needs a different one! I've got a few requests for diecasts anyway so I'll keep it in mind

[ETCHY]

19 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Not exactly spot on!

Dinky effort isn't great under close scrutiny

Hot Wheels went for no grille on their latest one

The old one was very wide compared to the real deal

New Matchbox isn't bad (when are we getting a recolour?)

Old one is lovely

Minix is pretty good considering its size

Vanguards had a good crack at the Thames basic style

 

Funny design the 105e, it's just a bit too narrow imo. It's narrower than a 100e, never know why Ford did that. It didn't do much for handling or stability & width wise the interior was always a touch tight if you had two big folk in it.

[bunglebus]

Easily rectified 

[Split_Pin]

A Super GT variation to keep @sierraman awake at night:

Sorry for the shite pics, it was dark and early. The forum is also fucking with the orientation, again.

Red one is English made, blue one is Chinese made. Different rearmost 2 rivet countersinks and the blue ones wheels have wider spacers. You can just make out in the 2nd picture how the wheels sit further in on the English (red) example.

[bunglebus]

Can't believe I'd never noticed the differences, other than country of origin.

The wheel spacer thing is obvious once you see it, but I didn't know

I'd still like to know if there are any Super GTs that are identical other than country of origin, I can't seem to find any examples

[flat4alfa]

Ford Anglias?  Saico also do this smart enough Police Car variation.  It is die-cast and measures to approx 1:30 in scale

It looks a reasonable effort I think for a modern Chinesium considering they very cheap and found in Toy Master etc.  You can see the hub caps are way too big, but at least its grille is not gopping

OPENING THINGS too

Got three of these....   

[flat4alfa]

This one not just for the hell of it...   is now a slot car running a Scalextric chassis

...as young daughter is a Harry Potter nutcase. No driver fitted to this one as the real thing flies itself without, apparently

Have a slimmer set of wheels and shorter axles to fit the original hub caps to as well but never got round to it and for some time stored away in loft

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Easily rectified 

Brings thing round to this Anglia slot car homage I knocked together a while back 

Body is same die-cast by Saico.   Just for the hell of it.

Bit heavy around the bends but the daft wide Fandago’d track helps there.  A bit.

It wasn’t intended to be an exact copy of the ‘livery’, so the decals just make do to make me smile and it belts about the track at speed, so pointless getting the bonnet decal accurate. Well that is my best excuse.

[Datsuncog]

Not the nicest morning for it.

[Datsuncog]

Rain's coming in sideways!

[Split_Pin]

Just now, Datsuncog said:

Rain's coming in sideways!

Even the plastic bag has given up.

[Split_Pin]

What's good for getting Graffic Traffic pen off a car?

This is actually quite nice under the red:

 

[bunglebus]

14 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

What's good for getting Graffic Traffic pen off a car?

This is actually quite nice under the red:

Maybe surgical spirit or meths although it will eventually attack the decals and paint. Apparently even going over it with a dry wipe marker then immediately wiping off works.

I never tried cleaning that one up

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Can't believe I'd never noticed the differences, other than country of origin.

The wheel spacer thing is obvious once you see it, but I didn't know

I'd still like to know if there are any Super GTs that are identical other than country of origin, I can't seem to find any examples

I’ve got over a hundred of them in the loft, I’ve never actually looked to be honest. Some are harder to find than others, the Pantera for example isn’t common. They were going to use the Muira for one of them but the mould was fucked so that was out of the question. 

[sierraman]

I have a paint question actually, how can I get this off? I think it’s enamel? I’m respraying it bronze so I need to get all the blue stuff off the wheels?

[Split_Pin]

10 minutes ago, sierraman said:

never actually looked to be honest

Half a job Tom, I expected more from our Super GT Lead.

[Split_Pin]

14 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Maybe surgical spirit or meths although it will eventually attack the decals and paint. Apparently even going over it with a dry wipe marker then immediately wiping off works.

I never tried cleaning that one up

Cheers, shall try the least aggressive product first!

[flat4alfa]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

The wheel spacer thing is obvious once you see it, but I didn't know

THEY DID WHAT

I never knew about these spacers either and in my shame I am going to submit myself to Saturday detention at Shermer High School.  I hope Molly Ringwald is there that day.

[Datsuncog]

Fret not folks, you haven't been missing anything much.

The Great Belfast Diecast Drought seems to be entering its sixth or seventh month, with not much change forecast.

The main Tat Stall seemed to be free of diecast altogether this morning, though I eventually spotted a small tray of appetizers - but nothing really all that wonderful.

Some interesting items, but £5 for the Matchbox, Majorette, Corgi Junior, Hot Wheels and Far Eastern items seemed a bit much; £10 on the older Corgis was also rather steep, I thought.

No fanx.

Still, these were total bargains compared to Paddy and his Antiques Shitshow round the corner, still looking £6 for a wonky-axle Matchbox Tanzara with the engine cover missing.

The Charity Stall had nowt of interest either today.

Colin's Irish Tat stall continues to stock Oxfords, Vanguards and Mattel stuff, but there wasn't all that much to tempt and tantalise when I stopped by. I already have all the Moving Parts and Working Rigs items on offer.

He'd hoped to have some new items today, but apparently they won't land until Monday.

Some alright Hot Wheels, though.

Which left only Alan and his Eponymous Emporium to make my dreams come true...

Eh.

Oh well.

[Datsuncog]

A bit of hoking revealed a few interesting items on Alan's celebrated Tray Of Tat - this topless Lesney Mk2 Zodiac wasn't in the best of nick though, and the sticky biohazard grot inside was a bit squicky.

This Hong Kong-made ERF fire appliance was an oddity - and pretty big. Way bigger than the common Corgi Juniors offering of a similar nature.

By 'SM', apparently, with a catalogue reference of No. S8113

'E.R.F. Fire Tended'. Heh.

Not one I remember encountering before; annoyingly missing its boom or ladder or something.

Lots of rubbishy cheapo tat like these cars - not even diecast, these had coloured plastic tops clipped to what looked like the same generic black plastic base.

Although, I'll give them a half-mark for attempting, however poorly, to model actual vehicles - the dark blue coupe seems to be a half-assed stab at a Fox body Mustang; the turquoise one is trying very hard to be a Jaguar XJS, while I think the yellow thing starts as a Porsche 928 at the front, then runs out of ideas as it moves towards the back.

The orange thing has me stumped, however - it had very few distinguishable features.

Much as I dislike these, the absolute worst stuff around right now seems to be these actual tinplate efforts that I've seen in discounters like B&M - boy, are they nasty.

Not even the slightest effort to emulate a prototypical vehicle, these are just a single lightly pressed piece of thin steel with everything printed onto it, clipped on to a crappy plastic base.

I'd have been devastated if someone had bought me these as a kid. Ungrateful as it sounds, I'd sooner have had nothing.

I'd complain that it's all just modern rubbish, but to be fair very similar cheap toys were being churned out some seventy years ago - it's just they don't appeal much to me either.

So! Another day that leaves me wondering why I even do half the silly stuff that I do, though at least the coffee was worth braving the wind and rain for.

And a couple of back-issue Hot Wheels longcards from Colin, of course.

Happy Friday, kids.

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

I have a paint question actually, how can I get this off? I think it’s enamel? I’m respraying it bronze so I need to get all the blue stuff off the wheels?

Taking it apart? Paint stripper attacks pretty much all of it. Oven cleaner (or a mix of caustic soda and water, not hot!) will clean the paint off the wheels and glass, but it will take the chrome too. Nothing a Molotow pen won't fix though 

[MiniMinorMk3]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

What's good for getting Graffic Traffic pen off a car?

This is actually quite nice under the red:

 

Lighter fluid is my go to as a starting point for removing pen.

2 hours ago, sierraman said:

I have a paint question actually, how can I get this off? I think it’s enamel? I’m respraying it bronze so I need to get all the blue stuff off the wheels?

I'd try some enamel thinners on the wheels, or just paint over with some satin black.

[bunglebus]

Check this oddball out

Looks kinda familiar?

What a mad bit of kit, and feels like I could snap the roof off by giving it a disapproving look. "Rolamatic" engine and exhaust piece moves, but there are no pegs on the wheels to make it do so automatically.

Love it

[sierraman]

55 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Taking it apart? Paint stripper attacks pretty much all of it. Oven cleaner (or a mix of caustic soda and water, not hot!) will clean the paint off the wheels and glass, but it will take the chrome too. Nothing a Molotow pen won't fix though 

Yeah will need to strip it to spray it properly.  Maybe oven cleaner on a cotton bud will get the isolated bits on the wheels off? 

[sierraman]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Half a job Tom, I expected more from our Super GT Lead.

I’ve let everyone down there, I’ll get in the loft when I finish work. 🤣

[quicksilver]

2 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

This ERF fire appliance was interesting though - and pretty big. Way bigger than the common Corgi Juniors offering of a similar nature.

By 'SM', apparently, with a catalogue reference of No. S8113

'E.R.F. Fire Tended'. Heh.

Not one I remember encountering before; annoyingly missing its boom or ladder or something.

 

I have a couple of those Fire Tendeds with a bit of added detail and new wheels and they look pretty decent. The brand name I have recorded for them is 'Tuf Toys' but that doesn't seem to be the actual manufacturer. Wouldn't say no to giving that one a home if it's still there next time you find yourself market-bound.