Shite in Miniature II

15,348 · January 18

Managed to acquire some stuff myself this week:

Alfa and 5-pack from B&M, remainder from Smyths. 5-pack was on offer and just about worth getting for the Silvia. Porsche has been donated to Master SL and the rest of can sit in the wheel donor/for sale one day pile.

The heavily tinted windows and lack of detailing on the front end don't really do it any favours.

Strange then for them to have printed the rear lights.

68,150 · January 18

We know what this is right?

But what's this?

It seems Corgi re-used this casting well past its sell-by date, quite tempted to buy this...

2,309 · January 18

Like @danthecapriman this week, I've been questioning my sanity on the model front.

Brought four 1:43 models this past week, three of them have been fails! Two turned up damaged, thanks to careless packing. Plus one of the damaged pair, was also glued bombed back together.

Then a third has some paint issues. Luckily only with the wheels. More on that one in a minute.

Thankfully at least this one was okay. A Vitesse 1:43 Renault Megane.

The pictures were poor but thought I'd chance it at under a tenner inc postage.

Really pleased with this one. They aren't perfect models. Though I reckon Vitesse did a pretty decent job overall, for the time and money.

I have the Silver version already, since childhood. Also with the Megane Coupe & Classic too. So didn't need this one. Just thought it be nice to have another hatch with the alternative wheels.

So that leaves me with this problem.

A Norev partwork Peugeot 405.

Looks alright doesn't it? Expect as I picked it up, my fingers stuck to the wheels!!

Seams as though the silver paint hasn't cured properly since new. So after some swearing and dismantling. I've removed the wheels tonight. Hopefully I can save them.

Meantime I've rooted through my spares stash/ scrap model pile. Which has given me these alternatives.

Both aren't quite a perfect fit, width wise but seam good enough. Still rolls fine on each set as well.

So it's either the rural French farmer or Inner City youth look.

Which we reckon?

Edited January 18 by Burnside
Error

12,809 · January 18

Steel..

29,824 · January 19

34 minutes ago, Burnside said:

Like @danthecapriman this week, I've been questioning my sanity on the model front.

Brought four 1:43 models this past week, three of them have been fails! Two turned up damaged, thanks to careless packing. Plus one of the damaged pair, was also glued bombed back together.

Then a third has some paint issues. Luckily only with the wheels. More on that one in a minute.

Thankfully at least this one was okay. A Vitesse 1:43 Renault Megane.

The pictures were poor but thought I'd chance it at under a tenner inc postage.

Really pleased with this one. They aren't perfect models. Though I reckon Vitesse did a pretty decent job overall, for the time and money.

I have the Silver version already, since childhood. Also with the Megane Coupe & Classic too. So didn't need this one. Just thought it be nice to have another hatch with the alternative wheels.

So that leaves me with this problem.

A Norev partwork Peugeot 405.

Looks alright doesn't it? Expect as I picked it up, my fingers stuck to the wheels!!

Seams as though the silver paint hasn't cured properly since new. So after some swearing and dismantling. I've removed the wheels tonight. Hopefully I can save them.

Meantime I've rooted through my spares stash/ scrap model pile. Which has given me these alternatives.

Both aren't quite a perfect fit, width wise but seam good enough. Still rolls fine on each set as well.

So it's either the rural French farmer or Inner City youth look.

Which we reckon?

I quite like both tbh. Although because Autoshite, I’m leaning towards the steels!

The Norev 405 is a nice model. I’ve got a couple of the Argentinian partwork version in the metallic dark red. One’s for respraying.
There’s an estate version too in a few forms. One of which is the yellow French postal service livery.

68,150 · January 19

Can you remove the tyres from the originals and repaint? I've seen some odd reactions over the years, plastic wheels melting where they contact the tyres, original paint on the body going sticky, and perhaps worst of all, if I put a car with rubber tyres in my display cabinet that I spray painted silver, they melt into the paint. Plastic tyres are fine however

2,309 · January 19

2 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

I quite like both tbh. Although because Autoshite, I’m leaning towards the steels!

The Norev 405 is a nice model. I’ve got a couple of the Argentinian partwork version in the metallic dark red. One’s for respraying.
There’s an estate version too in a few forms. One of which is the yellow French postal service livery.

Tbh I wasn't expecting the alloy wheels to look alright. They seam to fill the arches nicely I thought as well.

I was originally thinking of painting the steels Matt black. Make it look like it's missing a set of wheel trims, but I'm quite liking them in silver.

Agree it's a decent looking casting by Norev overall. I've seen the postal estate version too. Was tempted as it's cheaper, although I'd prefer the more expensive civilian spec. Maybe that's one I could respray myself though. 🤔

Was looking at getting that Argentine version, being the facelift to go with it.

Be interested to see what colour you go with, on the extra one.

I've always liked the 405, they were everywhere as a kid. Usually in Red like this one!

2,309 · January 19

32 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Can you remove the tyres from the originals and repaint? I've seen some odd reactions over the years, plastic wheels melting where they contact the tyres, original paint on the body going sticky, and perhaps worst of all, if I put a car with rubber tyres in my display cabinet that I spray painted silver, they melt into the paint. Plastic tyres are fine however

I've managed to remove the tyres okay thankfully. Although some silver paint remains stuck inside them.

I've raided the bathroom cabinet for something to try on them. Probably should have waited until I had something that's known to be safe on plastic, but I was feeling impatient.

So tried some tee tree oil and that's shifted most of the paint off. Just the centres of each wheel that won't budge. I've washed them afterwards in soap and water. Hopefully I don't regret that descion later.

68,150 · January 19

I wash all the parts I'm going to paint with normal hand soap and hot water, that'll be fine - maybe pinch the wife's toothbrush to give them a going over to make sure all that oil's gone.

For future reference, oven cleaner gets paint off plastic without harming it - it'll try and eat you though, so gloves and good ventilation are a must

36,917 · January 19

Partwork 405 looks great!

I have 3 of those Meganes, 2 burgundy hatches when I had mine and a blue Classic saloon. Great models, love the seats.

29,824 · January 19

9 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Can you remove the tyres from the originals and repaint? I've seen some odd reactions over the years, plastic wheels melting where they contact the tyres, original paint on the body going sticky, and perhaps worst of all, if I put a car with rubber tyres in my display cabinet that I spray painted silver, they melt into the paint. Plastic tyres are fine however

Quite a few of the partwork type models that come with the little plastic plinth have the tyres react with the plinth. Lots of mine have little footprints of the tyres almost melted into the plinth. Weird how it does it.
Some of the tyres do have a greasy substance on or inside them though. I think it’s mould release agent or something so maybe it’s that causing it?

8 hours ago, Burnside said:

Tbh I wasn't expecting the alloy wheels to look alright. They seam to fill the arches nicely I thought as well.

I was originally thinking of painting the steels Matt black. Make it look like it's missing a set of wheel trims, but I'm quite liking them in silver.

Agree it's a decent looking casting by Norev overall. I've seen the postal estate version too. Was tempted as it's cheaper, although I'd prefer the more expensive civilian spec. Maybe that's one I could respray myself though. 🤔

Was looking at getting that Argentine version, being the facelift to go with it.

Be interested to see what colour you go with, on the extra one.

I've always liked the 405, they were everywhere as a kid. Usually in Red like this one!

The postal estate version would make a great repaint subject. Maybe into a taxi as so many of the 405’s seemed to be at the time!
Someone had an L reg saloon down the end of my road where I used to live. He still used it as an everyday car. His was plain white and a diesel. Maybe I’ll do my second one in the spirit of that.

14,953 · January 19

11 hours ago, Burnside said:

So it's either the rural French farmer or Inner City youth look.

Which we reckon?

Gooo on! The steelie wheels look fine. Where were the originals from?

I really need some 1/43 spare wheels myself. I have a 1/43 mid 00s E-Class with chavvy wheels on it which I'd like to turn back to original.

January 19

One for the AMX Javelin collection.

Acquired as an error. I'm going with it as it's very clean. If it was beat on, then I'd suspect someone has been tinkering to remove the bits.

January 19

Been looking for this at a reasonable price for some time now.

From the JB 007 set and I got it really cheap. It's a good place holder and just needs the load put on it, which I have in a sales box. All the other models will go towards recouping the minor cost by padding out some group sales. The bad condition models I just give away.

29,824 · January 19

Did some bits this morning. The International bus has been mostly reassembled.
It actually looks pretty good with the accidental weathering look.
Still bits to do, like some extra weathering, touching in the grill slats with black, colour on the lights etc etc. The front bumper was made from a spare length of brass C channel as the donor International truck didn’t have a bumper and the GMC bus original wasn’t the right type.

Ages back I made an artic trailer for a Fine Fare supermarket truck. More recently I found the transfers I had made for it so fitted them and did a few extra bits. Now I’m doing the tractor unit for it.
It’s a 3D printed Leyland Lynx cab, with a shortened spare partwork chassis. Rear axle was in my spares box along with rear mud guards and 5th wheel coupling, air tanks and battery box. Fuel tank was made from plastic tube and some thin flexible wire.
I found a nice old Leyland trucks brochure which had lengths and wheelbase measurements for the 1:1 scale trucks so I could scale them down to 1:43.

A long termer on the bench is being reassembled now.
My old Fiesta mk2 1.3 Ghia. This started as the recent Vanguard’s base model Fiesta. It’s been resprayed into Paris blue, sunroof added, extra trims for the sides added, front bumper modified to have the over rider style bumper plus various other bits. Interior is currently being painted 2 tone blue to match my old car and the holes in the headrests filled as Ghia’s had padded head rests. I also went around the edges of all the windows with a chrome pen as Ghia’s had chrome trim not black.
Still needs another coat of grey on the lower sides and rear bumper. I also need some replacement wheels as these are the basic model steels, Ghia’s had a special wheel trim which mine still had - I doubt I’ll find any though.

6,988 · January 19

7 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I wash all the parts I'm going to paint with normal hand soap and hot water, that'll be fine - maybe pinch the wife's toothbrush to give them a going over to make sure all that oil's gone.

For future reference, oven cleaner gets paint off plastic without harming it - it'll try and eat you though, so gloves and good ventilation are a must

I remember years ago the Mrs sprayed a load of oven cleaner foam in the oven. The smell was unbearable and you couldn’t breathe and it hurt your eyes. All humans and animals had to be evacuated to the garden until it died down!

68,150 · January 19

1 hour ago, MVX11V said:

One for the AMX Javelin collection.

Acquired as an error. I'm going with it as it's very clean. If it was beat on, then I'd suspect someone has been tinkering to remove the bits.

1 hour ago, MVX11V said:

Been looking for this at a reasonable price for some time now.

From the JB 007 set and I got it really cheap. It's a good place holder and just needs the load put on it, which I have in a sales box. All the other models will go towards recouping the minor cost by padding out some group sales. The bad condition models I just give away.

I saw that Javelin on eBay but must have missed the end of the auction. Posted the full JB set on the mini eBay tat thread recently, seller has all sorts of very nice 007 tie ins such as the orange Juniors Beetle, Aerocar and the Cougar with skis, but not at pocket money prices

68,150 · January 19

37 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

I remember years ago the Mrs sprayed a load of oven cleaner foam in the oven. The smell was unbearable and you couldn’t breathe and it hurt your eyes. All humans and animals had to be evacuated to the garden until it died down!

Yeah it's evil stuff, think caustic soda is the main agent but even with good ventilation it makes me cough if I get the slightest whiff, and wants to eat your fingertips if you touch it. Does a fine job removing paint but use with caution

January 19

Had my eye out for this too. Paid the money for this one though... You win some, you lose some.

Ze German saab issue.

A very welcome addition to the German collection section.

68,150 · January 19

Someone on FB found Hot Wheels XL in Smyths, so I went to investigate - only the fantasy ones left in my store but another had two full boxes in stock - manager said I could only buy three though! Luckily I had the Mrs with me so I could get all the ones I wanted.

Porsche is the nicest to my way of thinking

I can't explain why these are so pleasing, there's just something very funky about a giant sized regular Hot Wheels

Liveries are all ones previously used on mainline castings, but rather than being 2026 releases they're from various different years

Even the bases are facsimiles of the regular versions, as are the wheels - although they're fixed solidly to the axles rather than spinning independently apparently

El Segundo is the only non-licenced casting I bought, as I have the small one already, going to be fun finding the originals for comparison

Here's the back of the card

Even them being on a "short" card just like our UK mainlines is pleasing, not sure how long Mattel will continue with this line but there should be 24 this year according to the numbering

43,612 · January 19

2 hours ago, MVX11V said:

One for the AMX Javelin collection.

Acquired as an error. I'm going with it as it's very clean. If it was beat on, then I'd suspect someone has been tinkering to remove the bits.

I have a few like that, immaculate otherwise but mad stuff like the glazing missing. Quite a few stories on the FB posts about employees having access to rejects etc so it’s possible.

6,988 · January 19

1 hour ago, MVX11V said:

Had my eye out for this too. Paid the money for this one though... You win some, you lose some.

Ze German saab issue.

A very welcome addition to the German collection section.

I thought that was a repaint at first!

29,824 · January 19

2 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

I remember years ago the Mrs sprayed a load of oven cleaner foam in the oven. The smell was unbearable and you couldn’t breathe and it hurt your eyes. All humans and animals had to be evacuated to the garden until it died down!

Here’s an awful cautionary tale about oven cleaner.

One of the cable jointers I used to work with went to the pub one Friday night, later that night he staggered home pissed as a fart.

In his drunken state he picked up a bottle of what he thought was milk shake that was left on the kitchen counter and necked the lot. Very quickly however he found out it was oven cleaner!
He went to hospital where they pumped his stomach out but unfortunately it had basically dissolved his oesophagus! The only thing they could do was to essentially cut it all away then stretch his stomach up to replace the damaged tissue. This made his stomach tiny so he couldn’t eat very much. It wasn’t an easy or risk free procedure either.

Horrible dangerous stuff! Use with caution.

January 19

25 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

I thought that was a repaint at first!

I think a few people did! It's a known variation though. Compliments the green cavalier.

1,652 · January 19

On 16/01/2026 at 15:32, bunglebus said:

Coming toon to a TK Maxx/Asda near you..?

who makes this please?

6,988 · January 19

55 minutes ago, MVX11V said:

I think a few people did! It's a known variation though. Compliments the green cavalier.

It was just the dull paint and the paint on the rivet 👍🏻

However, I’m no expert!

68,150 · January 19

30 minutes ago, MAF260 said:

who makes this please?

Majorette, it's up there with hen's teeth trying to find them though

2,309 · January 19

10 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Partwork 405 looks great!

I have 3 of those Meganes, 2 burgundy hatches when I had mine and a blue Classic saloon. Great models, love the seats.

@Split_Pin thanks I'm really pleased to get it, bar them pesky wheels!

Should go nicely with my Altaya 309 and Minichamps 205 though, once I've sorted it.

Agree it's a really nice touch, adding the actual vehicles seat fabric. Don't know of any other manufacturer that did it back then?

9 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

The postal estate version would make a great repaint subject. Maybe into a taxi as so many of the 405’s seemed to be at the time!
Someone had an L reg saloon down the end of my road where I used to live. He still used it as an everyday car. His was plain white and a diesel. Maybe I’ll do my second one in the spirit of that.

@danthecapriman that's a great idea for a 405, making it into a Taxi. As you say 405's, along with Cavaliers & Sierras were everywhere when I was a kid.

Maybe that's another idea for some taxi models!!

8 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Gooo on! The steelie wheels look fine. Where were the originals from?

I really need some 1/43 spare wheels myself. I have a 1/43 mid 00s E-Class with chavvy wheels on it which I'd like to turn back to original.

@Lord Sterling the wheels were from a Universal Hobbies MK1 Citroen Berlingo Van.

I don't think I have anything suitable at present for your E-Class. Maybe one of the Schuco Mercs, like the early CLK might be suitable?

If anyone wants the remains of the Berlingo btw, they can have it for the price of whatever Royal Fail charges.

Also the wheels fit the Vitesse Megane, just for reference.

11 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I wash all the parts I'm going to paint with normal hand soap and hot water, that'll be fine - maybe pinch the wife's toothbrush to give them a going over to make sure all that oil's gone.

For future reference, oven cleaner gets paint off plastic without harming it - it'll try and eat you though, so gloves and good ventilation are a must

Appreciate the advice, as you say it's evil stuff.

If needed again, I'll definitely have to try that method. Only when nobody home though!

January 19

1 hour ago, Tenmil Socket said:

It was just the dull paint and the paint on the rivet 👍🏻

However, I’m no expert!

The cavalier is in equally as bad 'green'. 🤢

6,016 · January 19

Was there a yellow Rover sterling or am I imagining that?

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