Shite in Miniature II

[eddyramrod]

Regular readers will know that I have a large and growing collection of cars I and my family have owned, used, or otherwise had something to do with.  I've been building up this part of the collection "with intent" for decades.  For a very long time I've had an old Dinky Anglia that I can just about remember buying new in the early 70s (when such a thing as a toyshop existed).  It's had many coats of paint, the last one designed to replicate the 1/1 Anglia I bought in 1979.  And now I've replaced it with a much better-done Vanguards Anglia, this one an ex-police car courtesy of @danthecapriman

The old Dinky will now get stripped and repainted.

I did something similar with an old Corgi Mini, to reproduce the 1975 mk3 that my dad and I bought for my mum when their wedding anniversary was approaching in (I think) 1991.  Of course the old Corgi was the mk1, so it was never quite satisfactory.  Until a 1/36 Corgi mk3 turned up.  

In early 1999 Lynne and I went to Carcraft in Rochdale to get shot of her Suzuki Samurai, which really wasn't suiting us.  We fell in love with a Willow Green Proton saloon which hadn't even reached three years old yet.  And I had to bide my time until quite recently, Hot Wheels issued a Proton saloon - in red, OK, but paint comes off.  And then more paint goes on, in this case a Tamiya green that I think is pretty close.

So these are what I've completed today.  Plenty more on the bench...

[FakeConcern]

  On 27/03/2025 at 21:53, eddyramrod said:

Regular readers will know that I have a large and growing collection of cars I and my family have owned, used, or otherwise had something to do with.  I've been building up this part of the collection "with intent" for decades.  For a very long time I've had an old Dinky Anglia that I can just about remember buying new in the early 70s (when such a thing as a toyshop existed).  It's had many coats of paint, the last one designed to replicate the 1/1 Anglia I bought in 1979.  And now I've replaced it with a much better-done Vanguards Anglia, this one an ex-police car courtesy of @danthecapriman

The old Dinky will now get stripped and repainted.

I did something similar with an old Corgi Mini, to reproduce the 1975 mk3 that my dad and I bought for my mum when their wedding anniversary was approaching in (I think) 1991.  Of course the old Corgi was the mk1, so it was never quite satisfactory.  Until a 1/36 Corgi mk3 turned up.  

In early 1999 Lynne and I went to Carcraft in Rochdale to get shot of her Suzuki Samurai, which really wasn't suiting us.  We fell in love with a Willow Green Proton saloon which hadn't even reached three years old yet.  And I had to bide my time until quite recently, Hot Wheels issued a Proton saloon - in red, OK, but paint comes off.  And then more paint goes on, in this case a Tamiya green that I think is pretty close.

So these are what I've completed today.  Plenty more on the bench...

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Great work as always Eddy!

 

I've just not had the time to do any modelling lately because of reasons (as they say) and I'm getting to the point of MOJO completely gone, but seeing your work cranks it up again! Thank you.

[eddyramrod]

Happy to help!

[danthecapriman]

Nice work on those @eddyramrod. That shade of Tamiya green is a lovely colour.

@155V6 I’m 99% sure that Alpine did come from me. Has it got a manufacturer name anywhere?

@FakeConcern I remember that big one now! I’d completely forgotten about it, but that’s my old desk it’s sat on so definitely one of mine!

 

In other news here,   
My new model shed is coming along. Just been held up by timber suppliers but the last lot should be here tomorrow. 
Both end walls are now mostly covered. And it has a proper roof finally! 
Roof is EPDM rubber which is fantastic stuff. Completely weather resistant and UV resistant too. Lasts significantly longer than traditional felt. Goes on very easily too (much cleaner than pissing about with felt!). 
That length is an end of roll off cut, just over 6m long and just over 3m wide. Being an end of roll clearance sheet it’s covered in chalk and chalk lines from manufacture but it should wash off eventually. £150 for the sheet though which I think pretty good.

 
You simply glue it down with a thick deck adhesive which looks very much like PVA to me! But it grabs and bonds pretty quickly. Tomorrow I’ll use some mastic adhesive stuff they recommend to go around the outer edges then fit the purpose made trims etc.
 Im well impressed with that rubber though.

 

 

[bunglebus]

Alpine you say?

 

[FakeConcern]

  On 27/03/2025 at 22:44, bunglebus said:

Alpine you say?

 

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They're so small I can barely see them...

 

Not contemporary with car , or are they?

[ETCHY]

  On 27/03/2025 at 22:26, danthecapriman said:

Nice work on those @eddyramrod. That shade of Tamiya green is a lovely colour.

@155V6 I’m 99% sure that Alpine did come from me. Has it got a manufacturer name anywhere?

@FakeConcern I remember that big one now! I’d completely forgotten about it, but that’s my old desk it’s sat on so definitely one of mine!

 

In other news here,   
My new model shed is coming along. Just been held up by timber suppliers but the last lot should be here tomorrow. 
Both end walls are now mostly covered. And it has a proper roof finally! 
Roof is EPDM rubber which is fantastic stuff. Completely weather resistant and UV resistant too. Lasts significantly longer than traditional felt. Goes on very easily too (much cleaner than pissing about with felt!). 
That length is an end of roll off cut, just over 6m long and just over 3m wide. Being an end of roll clearance sheet it’s covered in chalk and chalk lines from manufacture but it should wash off eventually. £150 for the sheet though which I think pretty good.

 
You simply glue it down with a thick deck adhesive which looks very much like PVA to me! But it grabs and bonds pretty quickly. Tomorrow I’ll use some mastic adhesive stuff they recommend to go around the outer edges then fit the purpose made trims etc.
 Im well impressed with that rubber though.

 

 

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We had that rubber on our old garage roof, it was put on about 10 years ago, still perfectly ok when we left. Felt is shite in comparison.

[danthecapriman]

  On 28/03/2025 at 05:58, ETCHY said:

We had that rubber on our old garage roof, it was put on about 10 years ago, still perfectly ok when we left. Felt is shite in comparison.

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It is brilliant stuff. It costs more than felt initially but it’ll outlive felt many times over so it’s more cost efficient long term. Provided you don’t stab a hole in it of course, but that’s true of felt too. 
I found it easier than felt to lay too, it’s much more pliable and actually cleaner to work with. Tbh, I wouldn’t bother with felt anymore after using this.

[ETCHY]

  On 28/03/2025 at 12:30, danthecapriman said:

It is brilliant stuff. It costs more than felt initially but it’ll outlive felt many times over so it’s more cost efficient long term. Provided you don’t stab a hole in it of course, but that’s true of felt too. 
I found it easier than felt to lay too, it’s much more pliable and actually cleaner to work with. Tbh, I wouldn’t bother with felt anymore after using this.

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The stuff on our garage roof was guaranteed for 25 years so gives you an idea how confident they are in it especially as you don't do anything to it. To get a felt garage roof to last, you need to paint it with solar reflective stuff every couple of years to protect it from UV. Right pain in the arse & tbh it doesn't last very long anyway.

[danthecapriman]

I have had some diecast deliveries lately, so it’s not all just been shed building.

First one was a model I’ve been after for a while but they aren’t that easy to find. 
Atlas Jaguar collection 1:43 S type. 
Im not completely satisfied with the colour but it’s the only colour it comes in. That nice metallic light bluish silver the real ones  came in would be my pick. Otherwise it’s a very nice model, just a little bit of extra detailing should set it off.

 

Next one is also 1:43, but a tiny bit bigger!

American trucks collection Mack F series & trailer. 
The tractor unit is an IXO base casting, but when looking for one of the IXO version it’s actually more cost effective to get this partwork version that also has the trailer (IXO ones don’t), plus I like the livery on this one better! 
It’s a lovely model. All the license plates and logos etc are fully legible and it’s nicely painted too. Trailer is a bit basic, but I should be able to spruce it up a bit, and maybe make a more realistic load too. 
These F series Mack’s were actually available in many countries, a few Scottish hauliers actually ran them! You can also see the family resemblance with the conventional bonneted R series with the grill & headlights. 
I really like old American cab overs! There’s something quite ugly and brutish about them that makes them attractive somehow!

[bunglebus]

One to look out for!

[Datsuncog]

  On 28/03/2025 at 16:58, danthecapriman said:

These F series Mack’s were actually available in many countries, a few Scottish hauliers actually ran them!

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Archive pic!

One of the first photos I ever took, on an old square-format Kodak. This was the American 3-Ring Circus, pitching up in Castle Park c.1988.

[danthecapriman]

  On 28/03/2025 at 17:01, Datsuncog said:

Archive pic!

One of the first pics I ever took. This was the American 3-Ring Circus, pitching up in Castle Park c.1988.

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I remember when I was a kid being out with a friend from school on our bikes one day, we were messing around on some waste ground next to the A3 near home. We heard it coming, something with a big throaty engine sound, so went up to the fence next to the road and it was a Mack F series with a trailer absolutely tanking along. I seem to remember it was orange. It stood out though, just because of the size and style of it - completely unlike any other European trucks of the time. The trailer behind it was a normal European box trailer and looked oddly small behind the tractor. 
Absolutely amazing thing to see and hear to a young petrol head!

 

Theres actually two different versions of the F series. For the USA they had the standard type like your pic and my model. 
For the rest of the world, they had the option of the standard USA version or a ‘set back axle’ style that had the front beam axle set back further under the cab giving a thicker front panel behind the where the bumper is. No idea why though.

[Tenmil Socket]

  On 27/03/2025 at 21:07, Hertz said:

Yeah I was going to ask about that, looks like a home made mod rather than factory?

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Looks pretty neat if it’s not factory!

I finished this today and it was pretty difficult to apply the water slide decals at this scale with a not so steady hand and worsening eyesight.

*It’s an Airfix kit.

 

[sierraman]

Having a Mack as a truck driver in the U.K. in the late 1970’s was tantamount to having a foot long cock. I remember down Chesterfield way on there being a White cab over which was knackered but still sat outside a unit at Whittington, presumably parts must have been an issue. 

[danthecapriman]

  On 28/03/2025 at 19:07, sierraman said:

Having a Mack as a truck driver in the U.K. in the late 1970’s was tantamount to having a foot long cock. I remember down Chesterfield way on there being a White cab over which was knackered but still sat outside a unit at Whittington, presumably parts must have been an issue. 

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Most probably! The film ‘Convoy’ probably boosted that sort of image back then.

Quite a few US truck manufacturers did sell here and in Europe though. I’ve seen Kenworth, Mack, International and various other UK registered trucks before but by the 80’s it seems to have largely stopped for some reason. Possibly because of the advances of European truck technology? Maybe importing something big and powerful from the US wasn’t really advantageous by then? Maybe partly down to US manufacturers moving away from cab over designs too. Obviously in Europe and UK having shorter length tractor units (cab overs) is more of an advantage.

Parts could have been an issue, although many US trucks used common mechanicals like Detroit Diesel engines etc so parts for stuff like that is dead easy to get. Or was. 
Im not sure how build quality was either. Late 70’s and 80’s wasn’t exactly a high point in US vehicle quality. I know some of them rusted like hell in our shitty climate!

White trucks became part of Freightliner and Western Star I think?

[sierraman]

I think the length/weight came into it in the 80’s. 

[AndyW201]

International Harvester trucks were quite popular over here, they had a factory in Doncaster IIRC. Owen Pugh Construction in Newcastle were a big customer of theirs.

A famous Mack F Series was the one driven by Phil Davis' character in the BBC  series Truckers. An owner driver from Lancashire owned it at the time.

Looks like one of the ones with the set back axle.

[danthecapriman]

  On 28/03/2025 at 22:10, AndyW201 said:

International Harvester trucks were quite popular over here, thay had a factory in Doncaster IIRC. Owen Pugh Construction in Newcastle were a big customer of theirs.

A famous Mack F Series was the one driven by Phil Davis' character in the BBC  series Truckers. An owner driver from Lancashire owned it at the time.

Looks like one of the ones with the set back axle.

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Well spotted! I’ve never seen that before. Definitely the set back axle version and shows the difference well. I’m still not sure why it was necessary.

My mum used to live not too far from the International Harvester factory in Doncaster. Must have been in the late 60’s I think, just before my grandad got posted to RAF Akrotiri and they moved to Cyprus. 
As you say, International stuff was quite popular over here. There used to be loads of tractors and plant equipment around. I’ve definitely seen some International Loadstar trucks with UK plates too. Dunno how/if they differ from the American versions though? I know the American ones had petrol V8 options (Chevy I think) as well as Cummins and Detroit diesel engines. I can’t imagine the petrol V8 would have been very popular in this part of the world given how bad the fuel economy must have been.

[bunglebus]

Spotted this in Smyths the other day

[bramz7]

Whoever posted this on the eBay miniature tat thread, thank you. 

[MiniMinorMk3]

  On 28/03/2025 at 16:58, danthecapriman said:

I have had some diecast deliveries lately, so it’s not all just been shed building.

First one was a model I’ve been after for a while but they aren’t that easy to find. 
Atlas Jaguar collection 1:43 S type. 
Im not completely satisfied with the colour but it’s the only colour it comes in. That nice metallic light bluish silver the real ones  came in would be my pick. Otherwise it’s a very nice model, just a little bit of extra detailing should set it off.

 

 

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This would be my choice

 

[danthecapriman]

  On 29/03/2025 at 10:57, MiniMinorMk3 said:

This would be my choice

 

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Oooh, that is nice. And I already have a very similar Tamiya shade of gold. Hmmm!

I nearly bought a Jag mk10 in a dark metallic silver/grey almost gunmetal shade. It had a red leather interior like that pic. Absolutely stunning car. The only reason I didn’t was because I was supposed to be going to live in Cyprus. That didn’t happen either so I lost the car and a life in the sun!😄

[junkyarddog]

Found this today,probably the world's highest mileage $uper treasure hunt from 2001,The 442.

 

It's definitely led a full life.😁

 

[bunglebus]

Had some postal arrivals while I've been away this week. Firstly, some lovely Volkswagens - a Norev Mini Jet Golf

Which came with a Siku Caddy, a hard one to find it seems

They just call it a pick up truck

Last of the VWs is a Bulgarian Sand Digger. There have been a large number of mint Bulgarians on eBay recently but most got rather too expensive for me

Plastic base

The Mrs spotted a job lot on Vinted, and thanks to the odd way the pictures displayed, this Thames wasn't visible without clicking on them

It seems my current custom project is missing a central bench, but I'm not too worried 

This slightly mad Dome-O was in a lot of mostly junk. Made by Sunnyside/Superior 

Unusual Corgi Landy was in there too

Lastly, new 5 pack supplied by @Spottedlaurel

[Tenmil Socket]

  On 29/03/2025 at 14:31, bunglebus said:

Had some postal arrivals while I've been away this week. Firstly, some lovely Volkswagens - a Norev Mini Jet Golf

Which came with a Siku Caddy, a hard one to find it seems

They just call it a pick up truck

Last of the VWs is a Bulgarian Sand Digger. There have been a large number of mint Bulgarians on eBay recently but most got rather too expensive for me

Plastic base

The Mrs spotted a job lot on Vinted, and thanks to the odd way the pictures displayed, this Thames wasn't visible without clicking on them

It seems my current custom project is missing a central bench, but I'm not too worried 

This slightly made Dome-O was in a lot of mostly junk. Made by Sunnyside/Superior 

Unusual Corgi Landy was in there too

Lastly, new 5 pack supplied by @Spottedlaurel

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That Corgi LR is unusual… is it a very late one perhaps?

[ambassador84]

  On 29/03/2025 at 16:01, Tenmil Socket said:

That Corgi LR is unusual… is it a very late one perhaps?

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The Corgi Defender is part of their short lived Built To Last series from the 2010s.

[Tenmil Socket]

  On 29/03/2025 at 16:21, ambassador84 said:

The Corgi Defender is part of their short lived Built To Last series from the 2010s.

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New one on me but at the time I wouldn’t of been interested as I was probably up to my eye balls with DIY as I’d only bought my house a couple of years earlier and it needed gutting!

[FakeConcern]

Went to Ford market this morning and picked up a few interesting toys.

Lovely Bburago 1/24 StreetKa picked up for @155V6

Barely a mark on it and a good buy for £3 I think

The steering wheel turns as well as front wheels

My favourite seller from toy fairs was there, but I only bought this in terrible condition, but for only £1

I think it's 1/25, but pretty small, any interest @Split_Pin? If not I'll probably get around to it myself at some point.

 

I was expecting it to be a Bburago or Polistil, but...

King Size Charger dragster and Corgi standard wheels Toronado for £2 each

and lastly a not half bad Corgi rozza SD1

Missing steering wheel and parcel shelf, but only 50p!

Here they all are, see how small the Visa is

[quicksilver]

  On 29/03/2025 at 12:41, danthecapriman said:

Oooh, that is nice. And I already have a very similar Tamiya shade of gold. Hmmm!

I nearly bought a Jag mk10 in a dark metallic silver/grey almost gunmetal shade. It had a red leather interior like that pic. Absolutely stunning car. The only reason I didn’t was because I was supposed to be going to live in Cyprus. That didn’t happen either so I lost the car and a life in the sun!😄

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Metallic blue was my choice. This is actually a Hyundai colour but a pretty good match to the Opalescent Silver Blue S-type in the JDHT collection.