Shite in Miniature II

[ambassador84]

New Majorettes dropping big at TK Maxx and unlike last years fiasco most stores appear to be getting them in. I could only be arsed visiting three stores so no doubt there's a lot more out there as per the TK Maxx norm. Very happy to have found the Dacia 1300s.

[sierraman]

Those massive wheels on the Dacia though, ruin it for me. 

[Spottedlaurel]

33 minutes ago, ambassador84 said:

New Majorettes dropping big at TK Maxx...................

Will be interesting to see which of them make it to Sainsbury's, which is where I normally get current(ish) Majorette stuff from. Fingers crossed there'll be a good choice when we go to France in the summer.

Is that a new Renault 4 van in blue?

31 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Those massive wheels on the Dacia though, ruin it for me. 

Master SL and I have discussed this about Majorette, even on supercars the wheels don't look quite right and he prefers to stick to HW for his Lamborghinis etc.

On the older 1970s-80s range the issue was more the 'over-keen' suspension giving a rather tall ride height. Looked OK on the French family cars, but not so much on things like the Porsche 924 that I'm looking at right now.

Going back to modern Majorette I wish their packaging was a little smaller - get a few of them and they do take up space......

[ambassador84]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Those massive wheels on the Dacia though, ruin it for me. 

They are a bit clunky, sadly Majorette have never been know for their elegant wheels. 

[ambassador84]

28 minutes ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Will be interesting to see which of them make it to Sainsbury's, which is where I normally get current(ish) Majorette stuff from. Fingers crossed there'll be a good choice when we go to France in the summer.

Is that a new Renault 4 van in blue?

Master SL and I have discussed this about Majorette, even on supercars the wheels don't look quite right and he prefers to stick to HW for his Lamborghinis etc.

On the older 1970s-80s range the issue was more the 'over-keen' suspension giving a rather tall ride height. Looked OK on the French family cars, but not so much on things like the Porsche 924 that I'm looking at right now.

Going back to modern Majorette I wish their packaging was a little smaller - get a few of them and they do take up space......

I suspect a lot of these won't end up at Sainsbury's as they are releases often destined for East Asian and Australasia markets.  

Wheels are their weak spot and always have but for their toy price point I can live with them 😀😉

[ambassador84]

30 minutes ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Will be interesting to see which of them make it to Sainsbury's, which is where I normally get current(ish) Majorette stuff from. Fingers crossed there'll be a good choice when we go to France in the summer.

Is that a new Renault 4 van in blue?

Master SL and I have discussed this about Majorette, even on supercars the wheels don't look quite right and he prefers to stick to HW for his Lamborghinis etc.

On the older 1970s-80s range the issue was more the 'over-keen' suspension giving a rather tall ride height. Looked OK on the French family cars, but not so much on things like the Porsche 924 that I'm looking at right now.

Going back to modern Majorette I wish their packaging was a little smaller - get a few of them and they do take up space......

Sorry yes that's the new R4 van which is still proving difficult to find even in France.

[bunglebus]

Really hoping the MK2 Escort will turn up at some point, but I'm not holding my breath. Dickie Toys don't seem interested in the UK, usual story 

[bunglebus]

Picked up a few cars in a charity shop this afternoon from their motley selection 

Torino is quite tidy

As are the Astra... 

...and Datsun 

Number plate

And wing badges - hadn't noticed this detail before

[ambassador84]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Really hoping the MK2 Escort will turn up at some point, but I'm not holding my breath. Dickie Toys don't seem interested in the UK, usual story 

The Escort Mk2 appeared here on their last drop in October.

Dickie are VERY interested in the UK but like Matchbox it's our retailers who are the problem. They don't seem interested in anything than Hot Wheels and HTI shite.

[danthecapriman]

Got a bit more done to the ramp truck this afternoon while waiting for the carpets and headlining in the car to dry out!

I did make a pair of ramps for the back that would slide into the body but couldn’t get them to fit because of the frame inside the body. So instead I’ve made two dummy ones stuck to the back in the stowed position. Not as cool but oh well! 
Fitted a little step to the back end and two round tail light bezels too which I’ll paint red then fill in with Glue n’ Glaze to look like light lenses. 
Added a tool locker door on each side too just to take the plain-ness off the sides. Most of the real ones seem to have them anyway. 
Just need to add a fuel filler cap and new exhaust poking out one side, and a few wire handles for the tool locker doors, and a few tie down eyes on the bed.

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, ambassador84 said:

The Escort Mk2 appeared here on their last drop in October.

Well if you see a spare or ten...

[sheffcortinacentre]

Not seen a single majorette 

[bunglebus]

32 minutes ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Not seen a single majorette 

Bigger Asdas, Sainsbury's and TK Maxx/Home Sense. Occasionally Morrisons too

[Noel Tidybeard]

snap!

[bunglebus]

I don't have a 1975 Corgi catalogue, the 1976 shows the Mazda at the bottom of a page without any fanfare, so I suspect it launched the previous year

Talking of launched, it also appears as the gift set with boat

And also as the NEW Motorway Maintenance Truck and Camper

 

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

I don't have a 1975 Corgi catalogue, the 1976 shows the Mazda at the bottom of a page without any fanfare, so I suspect it launched the previous year

Talking of launched, it also appears as the gift set with boat

And also as the NEW Motorway Maintenance Truck and Camper

 

Interesting the Mack crane truck says available with remote control operation but not in UK! wtf is that about!? 

[Spottedlaurel]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

I don't have a 1975 Corgi catalogue, the 1976 shows the Mazda at the bottom of a page without any fanfare, so I suspect it launched the previous year

Wow, within a year or so of the Mazda's launch they'd already managed to get four different variations out of it.

[bunglebus]

I don't know what it is about diecast MK1 Escorts, but they always fight me. I got so fed up with the Dinky ones awful casting defects that I turned it into a beater. This Whizzwheels has been an on and off project for over a year

I've modified the base to get the wheels central to the openings, and opened up the rear bubble arches to improve their shape. Had to fill the terrible casting lines behind those rear arches too, which was a right +&£#@ to sand to shape.

Made a new interior, fitted a bit of mesh from a sieve instead of a windscreen and put the wheels from a Mini on as they seemed appropriate with a decent bit of sidewall. Had to mask the paint up twice as I somehow missed the swage line the first time, sent myself cross-eyed putting a set of eBay decals on, and voila, a short oval style 70s racer 

I'm supposed to lacquer it but I'm scared something will go wrong! Just noticed one of the decals has fallen off too, there was a Cibie one next to the Ford logo on the bonnet last night

[AndyW201]

Got a few bits of Master W201's modern-ish miniature tat (HW, MB, etc) that he doesnt want any more up for sale on the Boot Sale thread if anyone's interested.

[junkyarddog]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

I don't know what it is about diecast MK1 Escorts, but they always fight me. I got so fed up with the Dinky ones awful casting defects that I turned it into a beater. This Whizzwheels has been an on and off project for over a year

I've modified the base to get the wheels central to the openings, and opened up the rear bubble arches to improve their shape. Had to fill the terrible casting lines behind those rear arches too, which was a right +&£#@ to sand to shape.

Made a new interior, fitted a bit of mesh from a sieve instead of a windscreen and put the wheels from a Mini on as they seemed appropriate with a decent bit of sidewall. Had to mask the paint up twice as I somehow missed the swage line the first time, sent myself cross-eyed putting a set of eBay decals on, and voila, a short oval style 70s racer 

I'm supposed to lacquer it but I'm scared something will go wrong!

Very nice.

[bunglebus]

Sometimes I buy job lots just to find out what the mystery vehicles within it are

Jeep is made by Ideal Toy

Truck has a logo but I don't know it

Fox body Mustang is by Uniborn, who I'd never heard of

This Celica Silvia looks very much like a Yatming, but it doesn't actually say so - @ambassador84?

Guisval pickup

Aviva made this one, should have Snoopy at the wheel but he's been decapitated 

MC Sierra usually comes with decals

It doesn't always work out, this Hot Wheels Hi Tail Hauler looked pretty good in the listing but it's fairly average 

Matchbox fastback is quite amusing, this is actually a purple car underneath 

[Spottedlaurel]

52 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

This Celica looks very much like a Yatming, but it doesn't actually say so - @ambassador84?

Can't help on who made it as a diecast, but the car is a Nissan Silvia (S110 series) rather than Celica. HW did the 2-door version.

It has some fairly serious badging on the bootlid!

[ambassador84]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Sometimes I buy job lots just to find out what the mystery vehicles within it are

Jeep is made by Ideal Toy

Truck has a logo but I don't know it

Fox body Mustang is by Uniborn, who I'd never heard of

This Celica looks very much like a Yatming, but it doesn't actually say so - @ambassador84?

Guisval pickup

Aviva made this one, should have Snoopy at the wheel but he's been decapitated 

MC Sierra usually comes with decals

It doesn't always work out, this Hot Wheels Hi Tail Hauler looked pretty good in the listing but it's fairly average 

Matchbox fastback is quite amusing, this is actually a purple car underneath 

Yes definitely a Yatming. The unknown Isuzu Elf truck was made by Summer.

Uniborn I believe were just another brand name owned by Universal Toys and thus shared castings with Kidco etc...

 

[Spottedlaurel]

Modest haul over the last week or so:

Truck and alternative version of the nice Corolla found with thanks to @bunglebus. I tend not to buy the 5-packs but this one had several in it that appealed to me and it was just £8.05 at Tescotainer.

On the subject of which the Tesco that I regularly visit had absolutely no single HWs when I last called-in, and no label on the shelf for them.

Found these at a different local Tesco that did still have some.

[eddyramrod]

Another week, another arrival...

...this time a Roffle win from the lovely Mr @Dick Cheeseburger!  So what did I win?

Overview: not bad!  Let's look closer...

Very satisfying!  Thank you good sir

[eddyramrod]

Further: some will be available for resale, so if you see anything you fancy, feel free to shout up...

[bunglebus]

51 minutes ago, Spottedlaurel said:

That 5 pack is like gold dust, I've got one but finding a second for my friend has proved impossible so far, 

[sheffcortinacentre]

5 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I don't know what it is about diecast MK1 Escorts, but they always fight me. I got so fed up with the Dinky ones awful casting defects that I turned it into a beater. This Whizzwheels has been an on and off project for over a year

I've modified the base to get the wheels central to the openings, and opened up the rear bubble arches to improve their shape. Had to fill the terrible casting lines behind those rear arches too, which was a right +&£#@ to sand to shape.

Made a new interior, fitted a bit of mesh from a sieve instead of a windscreen and put the wheels from a Mini on as they seemed appropriate with a decent bit of sidewall. Had to mask the paint up twice as I somehow missed the swage line the first time, sent myself cross-eyed putting a set of eBay decals on, and voila, a short oval style 70s racer 

I'm supposed to lacquer it but I'm scared something will go wrong! Just noticed one of the decals has fallen off too, there was a Cibie one next to the Ford logo on the bonnet last night

You need to remove all lights for a short oval raver. Otherwise great job.

[eddyramrod]

1 minute ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

You need to remove all lights for a short oval raver. Otherwise great job.

Have to say, when I saw the pics I thought of Rallycross.  Used to watch that (always from Lydden Hill) on a Saturday afternoon in black and white.  Escorts, Anglias and Minis of course, DAF 55 Coupes, Beetles, and four-wheel-drive Capris.  Those were the days!

[EyesWeldedShut]

Just now, eddyramrod said:

Have to say, when I saw the pics I thought of Rallycross.  Used to watch that (always from Lydden Hill) on a Saturday afternoon in black and white.  Escorts, Anglias and Minis of course, DAF 55 Coupes, Beetles, and four-wheel-drive Capris.  Those were the days!

YouTube keeps 'suggesting' videos of RallyCross to me for some reason. No idea why but I reckon that'd be a total rabbit hole of an evening - wonder if Dickie Davies is on any of them? For some reason we always wanted a Mini to win - no idea why as nobody in my family had a car (or even a driving licence)