Shite in Miniature II

[flat4alfa]

How did I miss that Bentley !!

[flat4alfa]

I am, sorry to say, in the pub.  Sitting alone in the corner though, like an old soak...

Wife is still on the 12 week isolation, so it’s a bit unnerving.  To some, it’s like nothing ever happened

Went to the usual charity shops today. Nothing. Asked manager of Cancer Research shop (it’s a massive retail park unit) only to be told “toy cars go on eBay, mate”.  Gits.
 

[MarvinsMom]

i have mostly been playing with old spot-ons again.  this time an NSU Prinz, and a Daimler SP250.

these too were courtesy of Mr Ramrod. 

starting with the NSU. this came to bits,

and then the paint fell off.

it got a new coat of paint, and the windows got a vigorous rubbing on some very fine wet n' dry. they were painty, but instead of trying to get a new one i have elected to resurrect the old one.

i have ordered a new front bumper/headlamp bit cos the old one broke when i took it off, but since i am retaining the original back one, i have instead decided to keep the original front bumper and just liven it up with some fresh paint. and now of course the front and back bumpers match.

with some new tyres, this little gem is now ready for a new life in a display case. 

and what a sweet little thing it is. i like the Prinz in real life, and this is a proper nice little car in miniature too.

a nice touch i thought is the addition of a driver, and having his window wound down a bit too.

next the Daimler.

this too fell apart,and the paint fell off.

i have chosen a nice dark green for it, and this is where it has kinda gone to pot.

it seems i have gotten some sort of paint reaction going on. plus i have ordered a new steering wheel and wind screen for it. but i have been advised that it could be 4 weeks for it to arrive. so at least i have got plenty of time to strip it back and have another go.......

ah bollocks..... still no matter,i have at least found a new home for  the NSU, its sat behind the Armstrong Siddeley, that oddly enough also came from Mr Ramrod!

[bunglebus]

Spot-Ons are...well spot on! Out of my price range on eBay now so I'll be keeping them peeled at the boot sale tomorrow 

[Datsuncog]

2 hours ago, TheDoctor said:

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

 

1 hour ago, Amishtat said:

I had an arrival from Cog Towers today as well.

Glad they all showed up ok, folks - talk about the slow boat from Ireland, that was a week in transit!

[sierraman]

2 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

I am, sorry to say, in the pub.  Sitting alone in the corner though, like an old soak...

Wife is still on the 12 week isolation, so it’s a bit unnerving.  To some, it’s like nothing ever happened

Went to the usual charity shops today. Nothing. Asked manager of Cancer Research shop (it’s a massive retail park unit) only to be told “toy cars go on eBay, mate”.  Gits.
 

Annoying about the charity shop. Charity shops were great until they were infested with the middle class brandishing a Millers Antiques Guide and those godforesaken cardboard tags on strings. 

[DoctorRetro]

Can someone give me a bit of an insight into the world of replacement tyres for Corgi / Dinky models please? Is it as much of a minefield as it seems? I see 12,15,17 mm etc listed. 

[MarvinsMom]

18 minutes ago, TheDoctor said:

Can someone give me a bit of an insight into the world of replacement tyres for Corgi / Dinky models please? Is it as much of a minefield as it seems? I see 12,15,17 mm etc listed. 

those dimensions refer to the outside diameter of the tyre, just like on a real car.

sometimes if  you are really lucky then the catalogue or ebay description will mention what the tyre is intended to fit.

i have also found that i can ask for the tyres to suit such and such a model when telephoning in an order  to Steve Flowers, though that is not an option,sadly at the minute.

[Noel Tidybeard]

i bought a brittains disco 1 some years ago and was amazed how average it was but then they were going through a period of identity crisises with the leylandfordiveco truck and the leaf sprung land rover 90

things got better with disco 2 & freeloader

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, TheDoctor said:

Can someone give me a bit of an insight into the world of replacement tyres for Corgi / Dinky models please? Is it as much of a minefield as it seems? I see 12,15,17 mm etc listed. 

I usually just find a seller with various sizes and ask them what fits. I probably need some myself for some of my three wheelin' cars

[bunglebus]

RIGHT. Up far too early for a Sunday, about to mix with the great unwashed at the boot sale. Pics to follow if I survive.

[Sudsprint]

Three new purchases off Ebay..

The Adams Probe 16's only claim to fame is that it is featured in "A Clockwork Orange" - perfect subject for a kid's toy car.

[155V6]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

RIGHT. Up far too early for a Sunday, about to mix with the great unwashed at the boot sale. Pics to follow if I survive.

Good luck!,going to my 1st one since lockdown at 10.30?

[warch]

21 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

things got better with disco 2 & freeloader

Funny you should mention that because today's Britain's presentation is their model of the much maligned Hungry Hippo, the Mk 1 Freelander. I don't know when this came out, probably during the mid- 90s from the box design. They also did a 5 door version with better wheels and the facelift front end.

This the three door model, with soft top, in what I think was a prototypical purple paint scheme and rather garish chrome but otherwise realistic wheels. The front wheels don't turn but the car does have working suspension. Interestingly the tyre widths aren't too wide and the track width looks correct which is something toy car makers often manage to bugger up.

I've never been underneath a Freelander but I imagine this is what they look like, no where near as detailed as the old Iveco truck (which even had a separate propshaft) but a decent stab at the suspension, zorst and drivetrain. The words Copyright Britains and Made in China are printed on the base. 

Shiny side up it's a really good looking model, I'd forgotten what a cool looking car this was back in the day. It even has wing mirrors and a slightly simplistic representation of a towbar. The interior is pale blue and has a realistic interpretation of the dashboard and steering wheel.

Freelanders got a lot of stick when they came out from tedious men in cable knit sweaters because they weren't proper Land Rovers. Luckily the buying public didn't listen to them and the green oval shifted over half a million in 9 years, making them a best seller. I was rather pleased to see an elderly Welsh sheep farmer the other day squiring a Mk 1 Freelander around his upland fields whilst in the process of inspecting his flock. Presumably it must be much easier to get in and out of than a conventional 4x4 and probably a bit more comfy over bumpy ground.  

[sierraman]

Bburago made the best stab at a Freelander by far. 

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, Sudsprint said:

The Adams Probe 16's only claim to fame is that it is featured in "A Clockwork Orange"

Not true! It was also once officially the world's lowest car.

Anyway I survived the boot sale, but if you're expecting Amishtat levels of £5 Dinkys you'll be disappointed. 

There were only a few sellers with cars, one guy had hundreds but mostly cheap modern stuff, and I've become a bit choosier lately. I'll do a proper report later, but for now here's possibly the worst SD1 ever - Playart?

[flat4alfa]

2 hours ago, warch said:

Freelanders got a lot of stick when they came out from tedious men in cable knit sweaters because they weren't proper Land Rovers.

They were the best Maestro EVER though  ?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

WHOLE LOT SOLD TO DATSUNCOG ?

 

Small clear out. 

All £1 each:

Hot Wheels Mx5 

2x Corgi Porsche 

Matchbox Superfast Renault 17TL 

Mint/boxed Corgi Cameo AEC van

 

£4.50

Mint/boxed Corgi 425 FX4 London taxi (box has some wear) original 1981 issue

Alternatively, I'll do the whole lot for £6.50

[barrett]

5 hours ago, Sudsprint said:

The Adams Probe 16's only claim to fame is that it is featured in "A Clockwork Orange" - perfect subject for a kid's toy car.

As I think I've mentioned previously, Dennis Adams was employed by Corgi as a toy designer, and he managed to 'sneak' several of his own designs into production - that's why Corgi made the Marcos 1800, Adams Probe, Marcos Mantis etc, all of which would seem to be odd subjects. The Mini Marcos wasn't an Adams design but I guess he was also responsible for the toy version of that, to give some promotion to his other employer

[155V6]

Not much at the car boot,but I did get these

Called in at Sainsburys on the way home,they've got a Mattel promotion on & Hotwheels are £1.38 so I got this

[bunglebus]

Treasure Hunt, nice

[155V6]

3 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Treasure Hunt, nice

I used to be obsessed with Treasure Hunts,even if they were horrible ?.Now I'm really fussy about what I buy.

[bunglebus]

Right here's some of this morning's haul. I was good and didn't come home with carrier bags full of orphans, despite seeing lots of Zylmex - their more modern stuff doesn't really float my boat. I grabbed a couple of engine/wheel donors too, might go back next week and have another rummage but there really weren't very many oldies available.

Here's one of the Zylmex I did get, Lancia Stratos

Hot Wheels Hemi Cuda is going in the customising box

I was pleased to find a couple of Huskys in the 50p box

This was my best find, in a huge box of Chinese 50p tat - Lone Star buggy

Also 50p was this Superkings Golf - missing its tailgate window. I have one but couldn't resist

I bought one of these no-name Corvettes last year and made a Hot Wheels replica from it. Thought I should have a before and after

Making up the 3 for £1 numbers was the first Zylmex I've found branded as Zyll - D114 Lexus. When I got home I found my mrs's grandson had a near mint one in pink without the brand name on the base

Blackwall Hot Wheels for the display case

Another Husky, and with the often missing load of coal. Both are Guy Warriors but the milk tanker is a COE

There were some surprises in the 50p boxes, as well as a couple of Norevs that had bits missing were two of the Atlas Dinkys - couldn't leave them behind, especially the CA Bedford 

Hot Wheels/Mebetoys 635

Another Zylmex- MK1 Golf. I have one but they seem to sell quite well, pineapple tax probably 

Only other blackwall I found was this fox body Mustang 

Finally, the other 50p Atlas Dinky, a Packard - not my cup of tea and missing two tyres but needed rescuing 

[bunglebus]

Oops missed a couple; two more for the custom box

Superkings Audi Quattro 

Lastly this sad looking Superkings Plymouth Trail Buster was a 3 for £1 find

[flat4alfa]

Just got back from a big car boot sale

Wandering about whilst nursing a hangover, I seem to have bought up half the field ?

[bunglebus]

While we're waiting for pics - I found the HW Jag XJ220 at last 

 

[flat4alfa]

I won’t be getting the spoils of tat out the bags for a while. Tucked in the garage hidden from the wife who will hit the roof 

[Amishtat]

The boot of my Volvo contains several illicit diecast purchases, I tend to sneak them into the house when the coast is clear.. 

[Datsuncog]

22 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

How did I miss that Bentley !!

It's a stunner, isn't it? Procured from the wee antique shop in Whitehead back in February, it wasn't tat-stall cheap but not a bad price overall.

I took the liberty of taking a few snaps of this one before I packaged it up for @Amishtat

Plus Insta-blurb.

Couldn't help myself.

Diecast Of The Day: Corgi Toys Bentley Continental Sports Saloon

The Bentley company spent the their first decade of operation in a heady blur of headline-grabbing motorsport victories, with larger-than-life racing drivers and a reputation for building fast, technically advanced cars such as the supercharged 'Blower Bentleys'. But the stock market crash of 1929 devastated their customer base, and by 1931 the company found itself in receivership.

After some peculiar subterfuge involving fake companies, Bentley found themselves bought out by Rolls-Royce - the truth of which only came to light after the deal was done. Founder W.O. Bentley took this stoically, opining that there were worse companies to be taken over by. Although all future Bentleys would be based on R-R designs, they still retained their aura as "the silent sportscar".

The new Bentley S-series replaced the R-series in 1955, and was essentially the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud with a different radiator grille. However, as with its predecessor, it could also be supplied in Continental specification - which was something rather special.

A rolling chassis was fitted with an uprated version of the 4.9 litre straight-6 engine, with a special 4-speed automatic gearbox with ratios optimised for high-speed cruising across Europe's emerging motorway network.

Only four coachbuilders, including HJ Mulliner and Park Ward, were supplied with these chassis to fit with bespoke lightweight aluminium bodywork, usually in two-door coupe or drophead form, to customer specifications. The lightened body and uprated mechanicals saw a huge increase in performance - although, as ever, R-R declined to disclose such vulgarities as top speed and power output. Prospective customers could rest assured that these were 'adequate' for whatever their needs may demand.

In 1959, the S2 added the new 6.2 litre V8 engine and power steering as standard, while the S3 from 1962 gained a lower bonnet line and quad headlights. The Continental S was always a rarity, with prices around 50% more than the standard steel-bodied saloon - costing around £243,000 in today's money.

 

Corgi introduced their miniature version of a Mulliner-bodied Continental S2 in April 1961, as No.224, and were determined to recreate some of the real car's 'wow factor'. Accordingly, this was the first Corgi car to feature jewelled lights front and rear; a self-centring steering system, and an opening boot with removable spare wheel. It also featured chrome-effect plated grille and bumpers, rather than silver paint.

With two-tone paint and Corgi's usual flexomatic suspension, glazing and interior, this was a very handsome model. So proud were Corgi of this one that Mettoy's managing director, Arthur Katz, used them as his 'visiting card' at business meetings worldwide - handing them out to wholesalers, importers and owners of department stores, allowing the quality and craftsmanship of this exquisite miniature to do the selling for him.

By the time the model was phased out in 1965, Corgi had sold nearly a million of them - whereas total production of the real Continental S totalled only 1,143 for all versions.

[Datsuncog]

5 hours ago, Dick Van Diesel said:

Small clear out. 

All £1 each:

Hot Wheels Mx5 

2x Corgi Porsche 

Matchbox Superfast Renault 17TL 

Mint/boxed Corgi Cameo AEC van

 

£4.50

Mint/boxed Corgi 425 FX4 London taxi (box has some wear) original 1981 issue

Alternatively, I'll do the whole lot for £6.50

Y'know what... I'd take all of those. Principally interested in the taxi, but I'd like the R17 too and it seems only fair not to leave you with the others... hit me up with your preferred payment details and I'll send some monies over!!