Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

Fairly warm morning, so we braved the boot sale

[eddyramrod]

Sopping this morning, so no booting at all here!

Nice little haul there, Rich.

[junkyarddog]

Is that a Lone Star 404?

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Fairly warm morning, so we braved the boot sale

What’s the little blue chassis-less saloon bottom left?

[bunglebus]

Nothing mega rare or exciting to be found today, but I rarely leave empty handed.

Boxed XJ6 is a little unusual, clear plastic on the box appears to be an additional by a previous owner

A little sun faded, but looks ok now I've washed the giffer grime off.

Boxed XR4I is rather nice

Big Transit (and two small ones going Dan's way)

Picked up this Radio Rentals Escort van thinking @andrew e might like it, then bumped into him and completely forgot!

Budgie Roller is very tidy

But how is the base secured?

QUACK 

Today's oddball is this friction motored plastic delight. Google Lens is as stumped as I am as to who made it

Picked up a trio of ERTLs

A Husky camper in the more unusual blue, different wheels to my current example too

Went bat sh!t for Bat Boats today

I do like a Cougar

Caravette will either donate or gain a door, depending what else turns up

Oldest Matchbox today is this Personnel Carrier

Don't ask...

Lone Star is just the body, nothing else to be found - but all the opening bits are there so may be useful if a broken one shows up

[bunglebus]

A quick visit to the shops netted me a Fat and Fabulous Chevelle - there are a couple of interesting ones in this set but we're gone already

Sainsbury's had a new batch of Pull-back Speeders, with the Beetle I wanted

Needs some detail adding to each end really, the sides look good in the box!

[matt79]

4 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Just spotted this on YouTube. How cool is that!?!

 

I like that, looks like a fair amount of work has gone into that.

 

[matt79]

@bunglebus I reckon the key to removing the base of the budgie roller is connected to the tab type thing by the front bumper?

[matt79]

Managed to get some diecast modelling time this weekend - I started this little rat rod wrecker project at the end of last year, and had hoped to have this finished by now, its currently around 95% there, I've still got some small parts to finish, however this is how it looks currently - 

Was going to add some faded livery, / sign writing but I might just leave it as is. I'm just happy it's one less Lledo in the world 😁

[FakeConcern]

On 22/01/2026 at 21:32, dan95x said:

I am after advice from you seasoned miniature motor fiddlers - it should probably be in ask a shiter, but its pretty specific, so I suspect makes more sense in here.

My father in law used to race hot rods bsck in the day at Hednesford etc, and i recently found a model on ebay that someone had made into one of his mates escorts, which got me thinking it would be nice to make him some, of his two main and most successful cars for his birthday.  I have the 2 1:43 scale base models in question....

Now disassembled,  paint stripped and ready to go largely.  I have 2 main problems - wheels and a racing seat for both of them.

Wheels wise, he used to band his standard steels - the actual design doesn't matter too much, as he also handily painted them black, but is there anywhere I can buy 1:43 scale Wheels and tyres that will give me proportions similar to the below?....

Apologies for the picture of a picture - i had to sneak it while he wasnt in the room to copy the design!

As i don't regularly mess with models, I dont have a stash to try different wheels from, so im hoping somewhere sells them for modellers?

Similar with a racing seat for each - i can make something looking vaguely like a roll cage, use the existing dash etc, but the standard seats just look stupid - anywhere that sells such things? 

I picked up a few 1/43 wheels at a toy fair this morning and wonder if any of them might be good for the Firenza?

Two fat odd wheels may be the rears?

Then a packet which may work if the wheels are used back to front

And another set that could work the wrong way round

Here next to 1/43 Astras to get an idea of the size

If you @dan95x are interested I can measure them properly.

[bunglebus]

Tagged Dan in my previous post about seats as you remembered better than me who wanted them!

[neil72]

Some recent charity/junk shop finds

[Tenmil Socket]

4 minutes ago, neil72 said:

Some recent charity/junk shop finds

I wish the charity shops I go in had stuff like that! 

[matt79]

@eddyramrod are you still looking for a corgi range rover for your conversion? I have one that I'm going to use the wheels from, but the bodyshell, base & glazing is available if you want?

Looks like this -

[Tenmil Socket]

Did Matchbox really sell this Samurai with the rear canopy missing or has this been out the box and lost? 

Mine is missing its spare wheel ☹️

 

[Datsuncog]

33 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Did Matchbox really sell this Samurai with the rear canopy missing or has this been out the box and lost? 

The only boxed Superkings Suzuki I've encountered didn't have a rear canopy either:

The illustration on the back of the box doesn't show one, mind.

Maybe only the police version came with the canopy?

It's hard to tell if something's gone missing after thirty-odd years, but I'd guess since the one in your pic has the doors closed rather than held open by the blue vac-form moulding, it's likely been opened at some stage.

EDIT: the reference pic for K-179 in the big Charlie Mack book doesn't show a canopy on the red civvie version either.

[Tenmil Socket]

1 minute ago, Datsuncog said:

The only boxed Superkings Suzuki I've encountered didn't have a rear canopy either:

The illustration on the back of the box doesn't show one, mind.

It's hard to tell if something's gone missing after thirty-odd years, but the one in your pic has the doors closed rather than held open by the blue vac-form moulding so it's likely been opened at some stage.

How bizarre that Matchbox decided to do this!?

Mine’s actually the white one but well spotted on the doors!

[Tenmil Socket]

[bunglebus]

I've not don't much work on my projects lately, but a simple Graffic Traffic repaint shouldn't be too difficult? 

Unfortunately I'm still having problems with white primers, bought another can of the previously excellent Paint Factory stuff but once again it's giving a finish like sandpaper. Tried a can from One Beyond, lovely smooth finish, top coated the base and it came out very well. Unfortunately on the body it looked a bit mottled, and the top coat has the same effect now unfortunately. I'll try wet sanding and repainting as this was the second attempt anyway, but I'm getting quite frustrated with it now

[danthecapriman]

6 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

I've not don't much work on my projects lately, but a simple Graffic Traffic repaint shouldn't be too difficult? 

Unfortunately I'm still having problems with white primers, bought another can of the previously excellent Paint Factory stuff but once again it's giving a finish like sandpaper. Tried a can from One Beyond, lovely smooth finish, top coated the base and it came out very well. Unfortunately on the body it looked a bit mottled, and the top coat has the same effect now unfortunately. I'll try wet sanding and repainting as this was the second attempt anyway, but I'm getting quite frustrated with it now

Weird. It’s almost like the primer hasn’t mixed properly?

Im using Hycote primer in both grey and white and not had any problems with it.

[bunglebus]

Chucked that into the corner for now while I unpack some new arrivals. Found a seller with some unusual versions of the Matchbox Jeep Cherokee 

And some tidy Super GTs, I didn't have the white police livery

The oddball is this plastic Payva remote controlled Beetle that looks suspiciously like the smaller Joustra one

 

[bunglebus]

Why does nowhere sell Collectors etc now, I want the Porsche but it's loads of money on AliExpress already 

 

[Tenmil Socket]

53 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Chucked that into the corner for now while I unpack some new arrivals. Found a seller with some unusual versions of the Matchbox Jeep Cherokee 

And some tidy Super GTs, I didn't have the white police livery

The oddball is this plastic Payva remote controlled Beetle that looks suspiciously like the smaller Joustra one

 

Want!

 

 

[eddyramrod]

@matt79 Yes please!  Excellent, thank you for thinking of me.  I'll PM.

[eddyramrod]

@neil72 What a great haul!  Well done!

[FakeConcern]

The toy fair yesterday was the busiest I've ever seen one and the stalls looked super interesting, but despite this I didn't come away with all that much.

I did get some interesting stuff though'

This plastic Lucky Toys Mk2 Cortina in around 1/36 or 1/32 scale for instance

It is a bit broken and the bonnet is home made.

I'm not sure what I'll do with it

Cheap Norev Stratos

Cheap and immaculate Super Kings XR4i in a colour I don't have

Corgi Consul in kit form for Eddy

£2 Corgi Safari Beetle in need of Tyres

And probably the most interesting, certainly my favourite a Politoys Innocenti Morris 1100 for £2

Missing the boot lid, steering wheel and seat backs

Four branch exhaust fanimold apparently

Also all the wheels I said about earlier and a cheap Cararama Saab

[dan95x]

On 31/01/2026 at 13:30, bunglebus said:

Found some spare seats @dan95x - Matchbox buggy for scale.

Let me know if any are useful for the roundy racer projects 

Thanks for thinking of me,  but @danthecapriman sent me a couple which I think will be spot on

[dan95x]

On 01/02/2026 at 20:07, FakeConcern said:

I picked up a few 1/43 wheels at a toy fair this morning and wonder if any of them might be good for the Firenza?

Two fat odd wheels may be the rears?

Then a packet which may work if the wheels are used back to front

And another set that could work the wrong way round

Here next to 1/43 Astras to get an idea of the size

If you @dan95x are interested I can measure them properly.

If you picked them up only with me in mind, I am happy to pay you for all of them with whatever you laid out, and Ill stick whatever I dont use back up for grabs on here. 

If you are happy to keep/use any of the others for yourself, then I think the second set (the 'flat faced' ones, behind the white astra in the last pic) are probably spot on, and happy to have just those.

I'm happy either way, and thanks for keeping me in mind

    

[FakeConcern]

2 minutes ago, dan95x said:

If you picked them up only with me in mind, I am happy to pay you for all of them with whatever you laid out, and Ill stick whatever I dont use back up for grabs on here. 

If you are happy to keep/use any of the others for yourself, then I think the second set (the 'flat faced' ones, behind the white astra in the last pic) are probably spot on, and happy to have just those.

I'm happy either way, and thanks for keeping me in mind

    

I'm happy for you to have only the set you mention as I can find a use for any of the wheels. I'll get better photos and measurements for you tomorrow and we can go from there in PMs if you prefer.

[dan95x]

On 30/01/2026 at 16:01, bunglebus said:

Rockets Jag, I've got a tatty one to modify in a box somewhere but don't know if I'm skilled enough to fill that boot area in. Maybe ...

 

Ironically, given I am trying to make Bob his 2 stock cars from his racing days, there is a picture of him on the real version of the above - Quite literally, given Hednesford is a Spedeworth track (although I dont know if t was in the '70s to be fair) after winning a race, here, albeit with the frame setup on the front at the time, rather than in the boot