Shite in Miniature II

[Junkman]

Apart from this, there has been an avalanche of 1/24 scale chod I've hitherto neither had the time, nor the energy to sift through.

I will keep you updated as I can be arsed.

[Split_Pin]

I had no idea that the Dinky Merryweather had a working water hose. Brilliant.

[mercrocker]

Some lovely stuff, there, JM.....Politoys is something I am trying to keep away from because I remember how delightfully fragile they were.....I take it that the newspaper kiosk is the piece we caused you to buy recently by talking about Wardies?!

[rainagain]

^ i guess it gets pulled off of ebay cos it pays no attention what so ever to trade marks, interlectual property and copy rights at all.

 

how many times does that knock off lego 007 aston martin ignore things like copyright?

 

lots and lots......

 

i want one badly now!

Just go to AliExpress

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/m.aliexpress.com/item/32899386453.html

 

Lepin quality to me is just as good as lego, I got this clay face for my son

[Junkman]

I take it that the newspaper kiosk is the piece we caused you to buy recently by talking about Wardies?!

 

That would be correct, sir.

As you may know, they aren't cheap.

[rainagain]

Do any of you guys ever find Seaking ships whilst going round the fairs?

[sierraman]

Yeah I’ve got a few of them, despite being only made for 18 months they don’t have a great value, unless you can find the Port set which is quite scarce.

[rainagain]

How much does the sub normally go for?

[sierraman]

The sub was never released, I’d say expect to pay a couple of quid for any of them. There was a submarine chaser but not an actual sub.

 

There were plans to release an oil tanker that never got past the preproduction mock up stage.

[egg]

A red renner 10 has arrived, and as few chaps in history have ever said 'I need two Renault 10's' the grey one is for sale for £5 + postage...

 

[mercrocker]

Yes please!  PM sent!

[egg]

Yes please!  PM sent!

 

Noted and replied!

[rainagain]

The sub was never released, I’d say expect to pay a couple of quid for any of them. There was a submarine chaser but not an actual sub.

 

There were plans to release an oil tanker that never got past the preproduction mock up stage.

Thanks for the reply, have you seen any Triang Mimic ships, if so what sort of prices do they go for?

 

I meant this sort of sub:

https://www.vectis.co.uk/matchbox-seakings-k309-submarine-dark-blue-fuselage-and-black-superstructure-no_109682

[Junkman]

Some weird plastic has been obtained.

 

 

 

 

[Junkman]

Was this ever a thing in the UK?

 

 

 

They made it into a telly series in the late 60s, which was broadcast in Germany, so I watched it as a wee lad.

The two main protagonists drove this ex French army Sinpar R4:

 

 

 

It was popular enough for Dinky France to make a tie in, which I now own an example of.

 

 

[mercrocker]

I don't recall that making it over here, JM but it does explain that Sinpar which I have seen references to before.

[Bren]

The marquis is glorious - the ERF tender was another good 'un.

 

Look at the difference in quality between the marquis and the plymouth taxi - dinky were dying a slow death.

[vulgalour]

 

 

I think it's a Wardie Master Toys "Wee World".

There was another one, which was similar, but more old fashioned and came in green with yellow plastic grids at the ends, which was much more common. This one is very rare indeed.

 

You can see both of them in this shit pic, the only one I found on the www.

 

wardie.jpg

On trying to dig anything else up about this range there really isn't a lot out there at all. I did find a site over in Australia who is looking to expand his collection: http://toys.thowden.com.au/tonys-toy-collection/other-diecast-tinplate-plastic-toys/other-british-diecast/wardie-master-models-toys/nggallery/all-about-toys

 

I didn't expect it to be particularly rare, I don't expect any of the diecast I pick up to be rare or even valuable to be honest.

[vulgalour]

Fiat 1500.  Originally in the factory green-blue with a thick overpaint of similar green-blue and no roof accessory.  I didn't get a before picture proper, just this during shot after I'd filed off the roofrack casting and filled it all smooth, vastly improving the look of the thing.

 

Some detail work later and it's a smart little thing.  Left the hubs dull, it suits the car well enough I don't feel chroming them would improve it.

 

Farina bodied Austin Cambridge, another historic repaint in a lot of green over the original green.

 

I didn't have the colours I really wanted to do this in so went with the closest match of scarlet and pale grey (which the camera has made slightly green, strangely)  A very nice model with extremely fine detail in the casting.

 

Lotus Europa.  The body for these was changed during the Superfast run to accomodate the larger wheels, so the pink one has big round wheelarches while the blue one is more accurate.  I used the best bits of both to make one good one and then repainted it in the Gold Leaf colour scheme sans the gold side stripe which I found too difficult to do at this scale.

 

 

 

Maserati Bora.  Originally candy magenta with a lime green base, then vigorously overpainted in various hues.  The plastics cleaned up really well and the body was in surprisingly good shape underneath.  Took inspiration from the base colour to repaint.  Not my best work, but the lurid colour makes up for it.

 

 

Skip Truck.  No arm or skip, as usual, so decided to redo it as a funky tractor unit.  Metallic purple for this one and minimal detailing since it doesn't really need much.

 

 

Boss Mustang.  My second repaint of one of these.  The glass was restored using 400 grit wet and dry followed by Autosol metal polish and a polishing wheel on my rotary tool.  Whatever it was that had melted the plastic was removed bar a couple of smudges so I'm very happy with that result.  Same metallic purple for the repaint as the Skip Truck.  Really pleased with how this one turned out, I hadn't expected such a good result.

 

 

BMW 3.0 CSL.  I don't like this model.  I'm not that keen on the real thing.  My challenge here was to take this very uninspiring orange blob and make something of it.  Dark silver paint, chrome arches to 'explain' the massive arch flares (flat black and body colour actually looked worse), along with some detailing really helped turn it around.  It's earned a place in the collection now  even though it's not a model I like.

 

 

Fandango.  One of my favourite Rolamatic cars.  Even though this has a cracked windscreen I'm still very fond of this repaint and really like the metallic blue.  There's not a great deal of items to detail on this one and I like it for its shape more than any sort of graphics.  Definitely a favourite.

 

 

That's it until next time.  I've got a few more in the works so when I've a new batch I'll be sure to share them.

[mercrocker]

Fiat and Cambridge are particularly nice.  All good jobs, though and shows what can be achieved with cruddy examples.

[junkyarddog]

Very nice,

 

That little Fiat looks great with the detailing.

[vulgalour]

The older stuff is much more rewarding, it's much easier to get a nice end result because the castings are that much finer and more accurate.  Even the really old stuff isn't that bad if you've the patience to remove flashing and bad moulding, like the ridge along the roof a lot of the vans have.

 

Has anyone else encountered the folks that get upset at this sort of work?  I've had a few comments elsewhere on how I'm 'ruining' the vehicles and that they're now 'worthless'.  Personally I don't see the problem, they weren't worth anything to begin with and now they're part of a cherished collection, making them more valuable to at least one person, right?  If I come across something that does seem rare, I do due dilligence and check first, if I were to be unfortunate enough to get hold of something valuable I'd immediately trade it in on a joblot of overpainted old rammle, naturally.

[mercrocker]

Can't see how re-finishing a common casting that was already overpainted can in any way be construed as ruining it.   I repaint a few items but usually ones I had as a kid and won't get rid of.   I prefer to leave stuff I buy the way it is but that's just a personal choice - not a rule anybody else has imposed on me.   It's much better to see something re-imagined than just slavishly restored to an approximation of the original finish.   As you were, Vulgalour.....

[Junkman]

The inimitable GGG founder, Mr Conelrad, paid me a visit today and played a bit with my new toys.

He created this ca. 1973 petrol station diorama.

 

 

 

[Junkman]

The marquis is glorious - the ERF tender was another good 'un.

 

Look at the difference in quality between the marquis and the plymouth taxi - dinky were dying a slow death.

 

If you saw the underside of that Plymouth, you'd say they were dying a very quick death.

To say it's half arsed would be flattering, it's maybe quarter arsed, if that much.

 

Making fire engines tipping the scale at over half a kilo, with working water pump, just wasn't sustainable.

[rainagain]

Inspired by this thread I purchased this from eBay last night, annoyingly I bid on two ships hoping the seller would combine the £3 postage he was asking. However someone sniped the other one. So I ended up paying £5.50 for a cruise ship missing it’s masts and funnel. I’m after some more Triang Mimic ships if anyone would be interested in picking some up for me at their usual die cast haunts please let me know. I’m planning on giving it a strip and full repaint.

[mercrocker]

I got some masts and funnel mouldings from Steve Flowers.  He does the proper tripod foremast for Caronia....

[rainagain]

I got some masts and funnel mouldings from Steve Flowers. He does the proper tripod foremast for Caronia....

How do I buy from him?

[egg]

@Vulg- superb restos. Thanks for sharing, the Fiat is my favourite.

[mercrocker]

How do I buy from him?

 

Easiest way...(and quickest)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triang-Minic-Ships-M701-RMS-Caronia-Reproduction-Brown-Plastic-Tripod-Mast/263164883723?hash=item3d45d9730b:g:2K8AAOSweNNZntOH:rk:1:pf:0

 

 

Cheapest way...

 

http://www.model-supplies.co.uk/