Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, Jon said:

That looks like a pair of Zylmex to me. They're not bad things really, no worse than Corgi of the same era.

D81:

20200215_115034 by RS, on Flickr

I think the Supra was actually sold under the MotorMax name, 6012

 

[flat4alfa]

New one through from Post Lady the other day

Hot Wheels Mean Machine, a variation of the '77 Pontiac Firebird and one of the Super California Custom series solely for 1991. 

When the rear axle is lowered, the engine pops up.  Hilarious.

Decoration has worn away, but never seen another.  Wonky axles help it drive a complete circle.

[flat4alfa]

A red Hot Wheels Datsun Skyline 'Ken-Mari'  Keisatsu arrived and met with its white cousin for the first time in these lock-down times

It popped along to a meet for other Datsuns.

[bunglebus]

29 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

When the rear axle is lowered, the engine pops up.  Hilarious.

So the driveline all stays in alignment, obviously...

[flat4alfa]

More Corgi Land Rovers in a job lot or two.

The hubs will be more than useful at the very least.  Why?  Because I melted a few by being careless with the NaOH solution !

Piggy was right at home.  I think it could smell the previous tenant.

[flat4alfa]

From same batches:

Lesney Ford Zodiac IV, complete with the typically missing bonnet...

..and Ferrari Berlinetta, with the separate tyre hubs

also a Lone Star 'Impy' Corvette labelled only as Gran Turismo, complete and with the 'steering' chassis my later 'Flyers' one does not have. 

Oh, the excitement.

[flat4alfa]

Any knowledge of these?  I paid them no mind when a child. 

The same job-lots provided this Corgi 'Made in Singapore' Allis-Chalmers ACP 60.  Is it rare?  I've no idea, but it's near 1/32 scale and has a lifting mechanism for the forks operated by a wheels on the lower nearside.  One fork is missing on this but Piggy was none the wiser.

[flat4alfa]

Amongst that tat was this. 

It stood out, tucked in the corner of a photo, forlorn.  From the poor photos I could see it was near 1/28 scale and had heat damage.  Except I couldn't figure out what/how it melted on opposing corners....

It was only moulded like that !!!   Well I never.

And the base is stamped Buddy-L for good measure.  Bonus!  

The comedy proportions are forgiven and I have plans for this one

[Jon]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

Amongst that tat was this. 

It stood out, tucked in the corner of a photo, forlorn.  From the poor photos I could see it was near 1/32 scale and had heat damage.  Except I couldn't figure out what/how it melted on the opposing corners....

It was only moulded like that !!!   Well I never.

And the base is stamped Buddy-L for good measure.  Bonus!  

 

This Buddy Caddy reminds me of an Oldsmobile that featured in one of the books that needlessly fills my too-small book shelf:

First heard of this in a very early issue of Top Gear magazine (back when it was good - yes, that early). Finally read it circa 1998 in a library, then picked this issue up in a swankily-priced Oxfam (say no more) in that there London, about 15 years ago.

 

See the resemblance (ish)?

 

Close-ups, due to phone:

 

I dig how he got the car repainted but I imagine that infilled rear 'screen he's masking probably lets the whole deal down. Still, great effort!

 

EDIT: It seems that the man above was the creator of Burning Man (I'm not sure if that's a positive or not!) and this was apparently the first 'feature car' to attend, starting off a craze. Looks like it still survives, albeit with a much darker paint job:

https://boingboing.net/2017/10/17/the-story-behind-504-pm-the.html

 

[Jon]

Now, without trying to make this the great Autoshite Bookobilia Reading Club, I should just let you know that, courtesy of a Jalopnik article (I'm putting off boring jobs, here...), I've just been made aware of this quite excellent looking tome:

 

Yes, a photo book dedicated to Micro Machines! 

 

 

 

Looks like there's some interesting blurb, too:

 

I wonder if the ULTRA RARE!! bit relates to the Micro Machine itself? I do have one of these in my UK-based newsagent's sweet jar filled with Micro Machines!

 

Anyway, it's £30, so not cheap but it does look like an incredible book and one I think I'm going to ask for as a birthday present, should it still be available next year. I've no wish whatsoever to add to my MM collection but I am happy to take an interest in the ones I still have and I do like a nice picture book, as you may well have recognised.

 

In fact, I have been doing a little bit of macro photography myself, recently. I'll update some other time..

[Volksy]

You know that your local library can order you any book in for loan for a small fee, there fore you can check out whether it's worth the outlay of £30

Just remembered that you're in NZ, not sure if this applies there... ?

[eddyramrod]

On 6/10/2020 at 6:58 PM, bunglebus said:

So, Tesco obviously didn't put all the Matchbox out the other day

 

20200610_150929 by Rich Secker, on Flickr

20200610_150840 by Rich Secker, on Flickr

20200610_150907 by Rich Secker, on Flickr

 

Still no Golf though

Golf Schmolf!  If Tesco has that Dodge Coronet, I'm in!

[Spottedlaurel]

7 hours ago, Volksy said:

And we're pretty much done! 

Pretty chuffed with the results, back on with the Renault 4 next.

Nice one, they make for good companions. Some sort of diorama next?

[Volksy]

10 minutes ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Nice one, they make for good companions. Some sort of diorama next?

Read my mind, I've a sand/beach scene in mind for the Mehari, a mate has a 3D printer, so a tiny Li-lo and a few other bits would go well with it! 

There is another 1/24 kit just arrived to go with the Renault, more on that later.. 

[Spottedlaurel]

10 minutes ago, Volksy said:

Read my mind, I've a sand/beach scene in mind for the Mehari, a mate has a 3D printer, so a tiny Li-lo and a few other bits would go well with it! 

There is another 1/24 kit just arrived to go with the Renault, more on that later.. 

Nice one, the French do like a Mehari at the beach. Fujimi do a surfboard accessory set (although I suppose that wouldn't be too difficult to make).

Pity there isn't a 1:24 Renault Rodeo.....

[Split_Pin]

4 hours ago, Jon said:

Now, without trying to make this the great Autoshite Bookobilia Reading Club, I should just let you know that, courtesy of a Jalopnik article (I'm putting off boring jobs, here...), I've just been made aware of this quite excellent looking tome:

 

Yes, a photo book dedicated to Micro Machines! 

 

 

 

Looks like there's some interesting blurb, too:

 

I wonder if the ULTRA RARE!! bit relates to the Micro Machine itself? I do have one of these in my UK-based newsagent's sweet jar filled with Micro Machines!

 

Anyway, it's £30, so not cheap but it does look like an incredible book and one I think I'm going to ask for as a birthday present, should it still be available next year. I've no wish whatsoever to add to my MM collection but I am happy to take an interest in the ones I still have and I do like a nice picture book, as you may well have recognised.

 

In fact, I have been doing a little bit of macro photography myself, recently. I'll update some other time..

I'm getting this book for Father's day later this month, I can't wait!

I recall someone at school got the original Rally Racers collection and I relentlessly pursued the Renault 5 turbo for swaps all throughout primary 5!

I have the Mercedes that was part of the same collection. About 5 years a go I managed to get from eBay an unopened Deluxe collection as well, that is nirvana for me!

[sierraman]

The mahoosive queues are putting me off venturing near any Tesco at the moment. 

[bunglebus]

8 hours ago, Volksy said:

 

Slightly off-topic, but Citroen had the Mehari, VW had the Trekker, Austin had the Moke - any others? Especially if they're available in miniature obviously

[Richard_FM]

1 minute ago, bunglebus said:

 

Slightly off-topic, but Citroen had the Mehari, VW had the Trekker, Austin had the Moke - any others? Especially if they're available in miniature obviously

Renault Rodeo comes to mind.

[bunglebus]

7 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Oh, the excitement.

I've got three of those Impy Corvettes with the steering - a very crude affair compared to the Matchbox system. It's a beautifully detailed casting though, going to be a challenge restoring it well enough to do it justice. 

20200321_161600 by RS, on Flickr

I have the Zephyr, but I'd like to find a decent MK2 to go with the dead one I dug up in the park

20190604_122648 by RS, on Flickr

[Volksy]

1 hour ago, Richard_FM said:

Renault Rodeo comes to mind.

I seem to remember that Airfix did a kit of the moke? Or am I imagining it?

There were the Fiat 'Jolly' series, based on the 500/600/Multipla. Which were beach/resort cruisers rather than bare bones utilitarian. 

 

Seat did one based on the early Panda. 

 

 

[Datsuncog]

9 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Amongst that tat was this. 

It stood out, tucked in the corner of a photo, forlorn.  From the poor photos I could see it was near 1/28 scale and had heat damage.  Except I couldn't figure out what/how it melted on opposing corners....

It was only moulded like that !!!   Well I never.

And the base is stamped Buddy-L for good measure.  Bonus!  

The comedy proportions are forgiven and I have plans for this one

Heh, I had one of those too - bought c.1990 at a holiday park outside Dublin.

Somehow the tailpipes got lost from mine, and I touched up the worn chrome with the inevitable silver Tamiya paint pen.

I seem to recall it had a more complex than usual friction drive mechanism, whereby it would drive forward until it hit something, then back up while swinging round to the left, and when the tailpipes then touched another obstruction, it would shoot off forwards again.

I also recall having a choice between this red one and another in white - may or may not have been the same moulding. I think the box said 'Demolition Derby' or something like that.

I sold this one on in 2010 or so during my first big model clear-out, but nice to see one again!

[Datsuncog]

7 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Slightly off-topic, but Citroen had the Mehari, VW had the Trekker, Austin had the Moke - any others? Especially if they're available in miniature obviously

I'm afraid I offloaded my 1/43 Rodeo a few years back, but they're probably not too hard to track down.

This one was picked up in TK Maxx for £3.99, if memory serves.

Nicely done, mind.

[EDIT:] Mind you, while this was a light utility truck based on the Renault 4 platform (for those who found the R4 too luxurious), don't forget there's also the R4 Plein Air, built by Sinpar...

Exactly like the Moke, this started life as a lightweight offroad conversion designed at the behest of the military - then, after the armed forces declined to purchase it, an attempt was made to recoup development costs by selling it as a 'fun' vehicle, albeit with a conventional FWD layout instead of Sinpar's 4x4 setup.

Unfortunately the R4 Plein Air bombed in France, with only 500-odd finding a home. The Mehari was cheaper and more capable, so it's not really surprising that it did rather better with the Riviera hipsters.

However, in the 1980s Renault-SOFASA, a Columbian concern who built Renaults under licence, took the Plein Air concept and came up with the R4 Brisa, as a beach-buggy type vehicle for use in the region's touristy Carribean Coast.

Oh, hello...

[flat4alfa]

8 hours ago, Jon said:

That's the sort of look and stance my wife does when I walk around a museum !

[flat4alfa]

6 hours ago, Volksy said:

I seem to remember that Airfix did a kit of the moke? Or am I imagining it?

Wondered too, but can't find one...  Came to conclusion the nearest would be to do a rebuild of a diecast Dinky (plenty of those about) also decals available to re-do the Prisoner Taxi one

Had eye out for this Japanese kit as it is larger, not bothered now I have kits coming out of my ears 

[flat4alfa]

This 3D print works out (if the dimensions are correct) to 1:22

https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-mini-moke-kit-car-6792

[MarvinsMom]

19 hours ago, bunglebus said:

So, Tesco obviously didn't put all the Matchbox out the other day

 

20200610_150929 by Rich Secker, on Flickr

20200610_150840 by Rich Secker, on Flickr

20200610_150907 by Rich Secker, on Flickr

 

Still no Golf though

like mr Ramrod i too like the Dodge,even though i don't do modern that is a proper nice looking toy,model,whatever.

 

[eddyramrod]

On 6/11/2020 at 12:00 PM, Volksy said:

I seem to remember that Airfix did a kit of the moke? Or am I imagining it?

There were the Fiat 'Jolly' series, based on the 500/600/Multipla. Which were beach/resort cruisers rather than bare bones utilitarian. 

 

Seat did one based on the early Panda. 

 

 

You're imagining it.  Dinky did a Moke for many years, as military, civilian, Prisoner and possibly one or two other versions.  Corgi did a Fiat Jolly, which I think was the 600 type (and I would love to find!).

[Volksy]

53 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

This 3D print works out (if the dimensions are correct) to 1:22

https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-mini-moke-kit-car-6792

Brill! I've asked my mate to build me one on his 3D printer!

[Datsuncog]

Whenever this whole working from home business started, I took to beginning each morning by pulling a 1/43 model at random from the display cabinets in the hall, as something to please my eye while slumped at the dining room table waiting for the laptop to boot up and the coffee to kick in.

I'd intended to photograph each model, give a little bio etc, maybe throw it up here, or on Instagram, as some sorta 'model of the day', but hey, I'm a master of self-defeat and so I didn't.

Then the longer I didn't do it, the harder and more pointless it felt to start doing it, and so... well, you can see where I am.

But! In an effort to overcome inertia, have a squizz at Datsuncog's Model Of The Day.

Yup, it's Starline's version of the big Fiat 130 Berlina, everyone's favourite mafioso-flavoured V6 saloon.

The real thing was always something of a rarity, with only 15,000 or so examples built between 1969 and 1977 - partly due to Italy's punitive tax rates on anything bigger than two litres.

Replacing the old Pininfarina-styled 2300 straight six as Fiat's flagship model, the 130's styling followed similar lines to the 124 and 125, but beefed up somewhat; to modern eyes, it looks a bit like a MegaLada.

Aurelio Lampredi's 2.9 litre V6 engine pushed out 140bhp and, coupled with fully independent suspension, delivered a car that was roomy, airy and by all accounts handled extremely well - but was still considered too heavy and slow off the mark to be considered a true European performance saloon, in the vein of Mercedes or BMW's output.

Fiat immediately tried to remedy this by raising the engine's compression ratio, tweaking the carb setup and modifying the outlet manifolds to wring another 20bhp out of the unit, but quickly realised that they would be better off slinging in the enlarged 3.2 litre V6 unit devised for the Pininfarina-built 130 Coupé - and which appeared in 1971  as the 130 B.

Fiat also took the opportunity to transfer snazzier interior componentry from the Coupé into the Berlina, to counter criticism of its unappealing, plasticky dashboard and console - now boasting fibre-optic dash lighting, which was pretty far out.

Although the Type B was a greatly improved car it was sadly still no world-beater, and the engine was still criticised as noisy and thirsty, as well as difficult to start on occasion - fuel injection was fast becoming the norm, but Fiat continued to rely on a mildly temperamental carb set-up.

When production of the Berlina ceased in 1976, there was no successor lined up - Fiat was in the midst of significant financial turmoil (eventually bailed out by the Libyan government, of all things), and the last thing they needed was yet another thirsty, low-volume large saloon to try to flog in between oil crises.

Instead, a decision seems to have been made for Lancia to carry forward the luxury end of things after their acquisition by Fiat in 1969 - so the Farina-designed Lancia Gamma, launched the same year, became the Fiat Group's executive model.

 

This model may have been made in China, but did at least arrive via Italy, c.2007 - it was a holiday gift my folks brought back for me from Lake Garda. I can't remember what the price tag was, but it seemed extremely expensive, as nearly all diecast seems to be in Europe - for some reason, €34 sticks in my mind. Maybe just tourist prices?

Still, it is quite nicely done. The Cromadora alloys are fairly well rendered, and the paintwork has a pleasing gloss to it. Decals are crisp and brightwork is mostly neat.

The grille suffers from a bit of flashing, sprayed-on indicators on the bumpers are a tad approximate and the headlights are curiously dark; but the central Fiat badge has a good stab at detail despite the small size. There's a bit of silver overspray peppering the leading edge of the bonnet and right-hand wing, but I can pretend that's just good ol' Italian tinworm doing its thing.

Interior is pretty good too, with transfer instrument cluster and separately moulded controls. The 'clap-hands' windscreen wipers are maybe a tad clunky, but otherwise it's a very pleasing model.

Underside detailing is fairly rudimentary, though the V6 exhaust system gets a highlight.

It's the only Starline model I have, but I'd not be averse to any more - especially as it's a model of something quite unusual.

I've only seen one Fiat 130 in real life - a silver one, and surprisingly rust-free - but tragically it was spotted in Bobby Shaw's scrapyard in 1996, having just been relieved of that Lampredi V6 via some angle grinders and a forklift... yeah, it wasn't a pretty sight.

On a happier note, wonder if anyone's modelled the coachbuilt 130 Familiale?

More Diecast Of The Day fun at some point... hopefully!