Shite in Miniature II

[Spottedlaurel]

3 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

I was quite surprised to see that it was indeed a gen-yew-wine Britains toy - at first glance, I thought it was some cheapie far-Eastern no-name job, as it's so poorly done and cheaply made. I remember the Britains stuff I had as being really, really heavy and well-made.

The tractors and machinery went the same way, when I was buying farm stuff for my son a few years ago I'd get Siku whenever possible.

[Spottedlaurel]

Stumbled across this when searching for something else:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Matchbox-Dragon-Racing-Team-Nissan-300-ZX-Turbo-YEAR-OF-THE-MONKEY-MIB/233196920311

Presumably that means there are another 11 in the series. Does anyone here have any of them?

[warch]

1 hour ago, Spottedlaurel said:

The tractors and machinery went the same way, when I was buying farm stuff for my son a few years ago I'd get Siku whenever possible.

I've got a fair sized collection of Britains Farm toys, which I'll present on here if anyone can bear looking at tractors and stuff.  In general Britains vehicles were always a bit delicate, there is a thriving market for repro cabs and other bits liable to suffer getting trodden on. The newest stuff is actually really nice and does bridge the gap between toys and models quite well, although I agree that most modern Siku stuff is beautifully made and somewhat more robust. 

All the Discovery's I've come across had that horrible mangled bonnet edge casting, although I expect some of the people on here could sort that quite easily. I can't remember without looking whether I binned mine because it looked shit (I only paid a quid or so for it). I don't think it is necessarily representative of the late 90s when it was released, most model tractors made in that era were still pretty good. I have the Freelander from the same era which iirc was a nice looking model.

My favourite models were the 70s and early 80s ones I remember from when I was a kid. 

[Spottedlaurel]

5 minutes ago, warch said:

My favourite models were the 70s and early 80s ones I remember from when I was a kid. 

Ditto. The funky bright orange Fiat tractor I had around 1980/81 has survived the years well and still looks good. Goes nicely with a trailed Chafer sprayer.

[sierraman]

I had a Britain’s Renault Tractor when I was a kid in orange. They did quite a diverse range Britains, IIRC they did a NATO range and best of all the Autoway construction models. I reckon the best was the Deutz/Fiat/Iveco rigid lorry.

[eddyramrod]

I had Britains all through my childhood, and indeed still have some odds and ends, but not vehicles (I've sold off most of them).  One I do have is the Iveco Cargo box van, which is awaiting painting green to match my first HGV; the first one I drove regularly after passing my test in 98.  It's the 90s model, so the generation after the Deutz.

[Amishtat]

 Subsequent to the arrival of the postman about fifteen minutes ago, here in not very sunny East Anglia it's Taturday! Thanks once again DC, pictures will be posted when Morris and I aren't hiding in the shed whilst the estate agent shows some more people who won't buy it round our house. 

[Split_Pin]

I still have my old Britain's 'Leyland' Milk Marketing Board Tanker which has the same Iveco cab as all the other lorries. As well as the correct Iveco,  they badged it as a Ford, Magirus Deutz and even a Mercedes.

What I liked about the model as a boy though was it's realism as an actual truck. As a lad I thought the wheels,  chassis and bodywork were just like the real ones.

I used to love leafing through the Britain's Catalogue. I had a few tractors but what I was really interested in were the road works series, particularly the 'Mercedes' tipper truck, again it looked just like the ones I saw on real roadworks .

They were pretty dear though.

[flat4alfa]

12 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

I don't have a caliper gauge handy, but a cursory going-over with a tape measure indicates a length of 136mm from bumper to bumper, and a breadth of roughly 54mm

That Speedy Power job looks pretty good - they even managed to make a decent fist of the Marina door handles, which Britains singularly fails to manage...

Will pop it to one side for you!

Cheers

Don't worry about calipers, it's only a bit of approximate fun to stop me twitching.  I only use a rule anyhow and the calculation is basic - don't even bother with height as suspensions are all over the place, brand to brand

So, the Britains Land Rover Discovery is nearer 1:33 scale.  Cheap gits!  All those [wealthy] children cheated.  Shocker.

[flat4alfa]

5 hours ago, warch said:

All the Discovery's I've come across had that horrible mangled bonnet edge casting, although I expect some of the people on here could sort that quite easily

It certainly needs attacking with a file!

How about a resurrection as a HONDA CROSSROAD?   Bet that's not been done before.

  

And why?  Because the first V8 Honda.

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

I still have my old Britain's 'Leyland' Milk Marketing Board Tanker which has the same Iveco cab as all the other lorries. As well as the correct Iveco,  they badged it as a Ford, Magirus Deutz and even a Mercedes.

What I liked about the model as a boy though was it's realism as an actual truck. As a lad I thought the wheels,  chassis and bodywork were just like the real ones.

I used to love leafing through the Britain's Catalogue. I had a few tractors but what I was really interested in were the road works series, particularly the 'Mercedes' tipper truck, again it looked just like the ones I saw on real roadworks .

They were pretty dear though.

I had a few but they’re all long since broken due to keeping them in my bedroom window as a kid. Had the big MF combine harvester, don’t know how but my dad had come by them cheap in the Makro. Otherwise as you say they were impossibly expensive. Probably those rural rich kids! 

Gone down a right rabbit hole now looking at old Britains catalogues, I’ll be setting a model farm up in the garden at this rate!

[warch]

Right, I'm ready to present some Britains shite, and hopefully not alienate the regulars by posting loads of pictures of toy tractors.

First off is this super FIAT 90-90 DT, an excellent model of this stylish tractor. Built from 1984-1991, as part of the 90 series, the real tractor had a sweet sounding 4.9L 5pot engine making 90hp. 

The Britains model is based on the earlier FIAT 880DT which  in reality was fairly similar looking and which came out in model form in 1979 My example dates from 1989, which is when I would have bought it (aged 11 or 12). The version I have came with removeable half tracks which look awesome and bulk out the rather narrow rear tyres to match the fronts. It also has the connecting slot that many tractors in this period had to fit a front loader (not fitted for these photographs). The bonnet on this version raises and lowers to show the engine detail. Like many Britains tractors the grille and lights are just a sticker attached to the front panel. This tractor didn't have cab glazing, but would have had a driver although he is currently out of his cab. 

Half tracks were used in things like forestry work, but also enjoyed a brief vogue for agricultural fieldwork, as they cause much less soil compaction. They were the forerunners of the now increasingly ubiquitous rubber tracked tractors used for cultivation and top work.    

[flat4alfa]

37 minutes ago, warch said:

First off is this super FIAT 90-90 DT

I'd get that insured!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-Britains-Fiat-90-90-Orange-Halftrack-Tractor/264777836871

[flat4alfa]

This farm tractor party is going to be tough.  This is all I have here, a Corgi MF50B.

 I was going to take it apart, keep the driver - good old farmer Tom with his flat cap - and toss the rest

If anyone wants it, just shout.

[flat4alfa]

Hows about a tongue-in-cheek game of WHO DID IT BEST?   ?

The Farm Trailer

In the left corner: Corgi.

In the right corner: Matchbox

 

Can you tell I didn't go to the pub after all ?

[MarvinsMom]

Corgi - and going to the pub is over-rated. 

you cannot play with toy cars etc at the pub.

well you can..... but you will get funny looks. 

[Richard_FM]

One of my school friend's had a Wigwam van, which was possibly a hand me down from his older brother.

It looks like it was supposed to be an airport bus from the days before most terminals had those tunnels for passengers to walk onto the planes.

I think there were some Leyland Nationals with a loading door next to the driver's cab, I wonder if anyone made a model of them.

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

Can you tell I didn't go to the pub after all ?

 

I had that MB trailer, had stake sides and plastic hay bales with it

[bunglebus]

I've had some arrivals. I really like the Impy Road Masters, here's the Jag MK X

As one of the later versions (not actually marked as an Impy), it's screwed together, so a new coat of beige is made a bit easier

This however is an Impy, in unusual 1:50 scale. Almost every FX4 model I've seen has an opening passenger door but this gets nothing

Among a few others that are far to awful to show you, was this 1:36ish Yatming 944

[DoctorRetro]

Tat / projects arrived from @Datsuncog. Watch this space...

Also got this Alpine off eBay. 

 

Bloody thing was filthy and smelled of smoke so bad that if you touched it, you had to scrub your hands. 2 hours of dismantling, disinfectant bath and scrubbing later and it is cleaner, but still has a faint smell of smoke. I have a feeling the glazing isn't meant to be tinted. ? Would it be petty to leave negative feedback because of this? 

 

[Spottedlaurel]

It's an attractive thing that A310.

In modern Matchbox news, I've finally managed to get myself the '76 Honda CVCC, in yellow.  They had at least one other, I didn't spend too long rummaging through the box. I may be going back there tomorrow, let me know if anyone wants me to pop in and get the other one, or keep my eye out for anything else.

[flat4alfa]

I’d leave nicotine feedback myself

[bunglebus]

14 minutes ago, TheDoctor said:

Would it be petty to leave negative feedback because of this? 

Probably - I've had a few arrive that absolutely stink, they probably don't even know as their house no doubt smells the same.

[Mr Laurence]

^^ I had the same problem with a model too. No matter what I did, I could never completely get rid of the smell. I haven’t bought any other diecasts off eBay since.

 

I’ve also been working on a Tamiya R32 Skyline. Nearly finished with the body, but still a little work to do. Finished the engine, exhaust and wheels though

[flat4alfa]

4 minutes ago, Spottedlaurel said:

 I may be going back there tomorrow, let me know if anyone wants me to pop in and get the other one, or keep my eye out for anything else.

Yes please

Are you after the Golf?  I appear to have a surplus of that and the brown hot rod

[Spottedlaurel]

3 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Yes please

Are you after the Golf?  I appear to have a surplus of that and the brown hot rod

I'll endeavour to remember. Not so worried about the Golf.

[flat4alfa]

A while back, I won and collected a car that stank of dog.  Never did get rid of the smell despite two bottles of Febreeze.  Didn't neg though, I saw it that it was a used car and couldn’t really complain as it was cheap

Was the Alpine cheap?

 

[DoctorRetro]

5 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

A while back, I won and collected a car that stank of dog.  Never did get rid of the smell despite two bottles of Febreeze.  Didn't neg though, I saw it that it was a used car and couldn’t really complain as it was cheap

Was the Alpine cheap?

 

£l. 50, so probably not worth whinging 

[flat4alfa]

Any Solido for less than a pint of beer is cheap!

I found this  https://www.diecastxchange.com/forum1/topic/67531-removing-cigarette-smell-from-a-diecast/

 

[Amishtat]

I had an arrival from Cog Towers today as well. A few more gaps in the collection filled up, A1 cellar, wood wreck amend.  Corsair is a repaint but I don't really care, it's nicer than any I've seen for the price, the Triumph 2000 is the colour I wanted all along but the Bentley is just lovely, I haven't been able to stop admiring it. I have been to the pub though.