Shite in Miniature II

[eddyramrod]

MB Capri is almost done...

Now what's fresh here?  The Commer prison van, that's what.  Paint came out a bit matt, but since it would be the oldest vehicle in that fleet, I don't really mind.

And I reached a decision!  These are the next batch to go under the drill.  I decided the blue ambulance was worth doing, as it does need a tailgate anyway.  Both ambulances are screw-together, to my surprise!  Those who advocated the Mangusta: you're right, it looks pretty dire in that green.  I've added-in the Dodge Monaco station wagon too, it was looking shabby.

[Lord Sterling]

Right! Since I got my prized 1.24th Rover Sterling back home.  I decided to open it up to see what makes it so heavy. Now I know this is sacrilege given the rarity and value.

To my surprise, everything, including the interior, dash and door cards are made of metal! No wonder its so heavy. 

But something else slightly annoyed me, although the interior is very well detailed, the passenger side tea-shelf was missing its wood and black-detail to dash mat.

I had to do something about it. Firstly, I applied some permanent black marker onto the dash "mat" carefully filling in the details and having some masking tape on area where the "wood" would go so no over-marks on surfaces where there shouldn't be marks.

For the "wood" I found some old job agency business cards where the back of the card colour matched the colour of the "wood" of the side of the door cards. I cut out a very small strip and eventually got it down to a good fitting size. A dab of locktite and I fitted.

Fitting was almost exactly the same as fitting the real one (which I've done several times)

Now the interior looks better and more in-keeping with how it should be. However, I won't be doing this again anytime soon. Getting the car back together was a real balancing act having to use precision and careful positioning. I also found before I took it apart that a front screw was missing. Of course, I don't have one that fits 😒

At least the interior is more in keeping with the rest of the nice neat little finishes on the car.

[antony denman]

7 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Is the Charger a YatMing? Don't often see opening doors on 1:64 Chargers

yes its yatming doors do open yet am going down dukes off hazzards so doors shouldent open lol,it was jut over £1 so no worries 

[Split_Pin]

5 minutes ago, Lord Sterling said:

Right! Since I got my prized 1.24th Rover Sterling back home.  I decided to open it up to see what makes it so heavy. Now I know this is sacrilege given the rarity and value.

To my surprise, everything, including the interior, dash and door cards are made of metal! No wonder its so heavy. 

But something else slightly annoyed me, although the interior is very well detailed, the passenger side tea-shelf was missing its wood and black-detail to dash mat.

I had to do something about it. Firstly, I applied some permanent black marker onto the dash "mat" carefully filling in the details and having some maskong tape on area where the "wood" would go.

For the "wood" I found some old job agency business cards where the back of the card matched the colour of the "wood" of the side of the door cards. I cut out a very small strip and eventually got it down to a good fitting size. A dab of locktite and I fitted.

Fitting was almost exactly the same as fitting the real one (which I've done several times)

Now the interior looks more real. However, I won't be doing this again. Getting the car back together was a real precision and careful job. I also found before I took it apart that a front screw was missing. Of course, I don't have one that fits 😒

At least the interior is more in keeping with the rest of the nice neat little finishes on the car.

Crikey I forgot you had that, any more pics LS?

[antony denman]

yes i done it again pound bucket had rachet,it be rude not to ,bought these 5 beauties why i dont know ,jag i was going to do equalizer but paint to good so i will leave it,more tat why oh why i cant pass boot fair buying tat oh well only fiver,

[AndyW201]

Flipping 'eck LS, that Sterling really is stunning. For its age, I don't think it shows up too badly against modern models either.

There's something about the interior detail of premium models from 20+ years ago, the instrumentation, faux wood trim etc, it may not look 100% realistic nowadays, but you can see the effort the manufacturer's took over it. It's why I love the Minichamps stuff from that time.

I love the plaid trim on the Minichamps Capri S, complete with actual netted headrests!

It's nice to finally get hold of a model you've been after for a long time, especially if it's of a car that means something to you. I've just finally scooped a model I've been chasing for years since my brother owned the real thing years ago.

[Lord Sterling]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

Crikey I forgot you had that, any more pics LS?

Do you mean the model?

I literally bought it today.

Or do you mean the real one?

[Split_Pin]

3 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Do you mean the model?

I literally bought it today.

Or do you mean the real one?

I originally meant the model but I always enjoy pictures of your 1/1 800s aswell!

[RoadworkUK]

7 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

12 years ago, I learnt the existance of a 1.24 scale model Mk1 Rover Sterling.....

......I guess this is what it feels like for a collector of paintings to get his hands on a priceless masterpiece.

I only just became aware of this model after reading a post on Twitter the other day.

It really is a lovely thing - especially the detail on the centre console - and certainly not wanting for fidelity against the standards of other 1:24ish models of the era. These certainly weren't of the mass-produced Bburago step of the heirarchy. Very definitely a luxury product.

I reckon the little innacuracies (that dash trim, the headlights etc) are excusable; I wouldn't mind betting that the model was being developed before the actual production car hit the road. Perhaps Western Models was comissioned to supply models for a big launch-time publicity drive, and were furnished with whatever information was available at the time. They possibly had to make a guess at how the headlamps were set up.

Either way, what a fab thing. And being an actual Rover exclusive product, a really nice historical artifact. Well done.

[Datsuncog]

7 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Today, I am a fairly happy man.

12 years ago, I learnt the existance of a 1.24 scale model Mk1 Rover Sterling. They were sold through the 1986 Rover Elegance brochure. Details were sketchy, I understood that only 100 were produced and all I could find were grainy images. The car looked fairly detailed.

A year later I found one on eBay, knowing its rarity, I bid, what was then a whole weeks wages. £250, I really thought it was mine, the seller was even local, in Birmingham. Sadly, on the day and hour that the bidding was due to end, I was sent out by Mother to buy some oh-so important bread or gravy sauce for dinner. I knew going out would see me miss following the bidding. Stuck between a rock and hard place I went out, reluctantly. These were the days when mobile internet was still in its infancy so I literally did not have veru good access to the internet, I mean why? When I've got net at home/college.

Sadly my bidding was overtaken by someone who had far money than me, I think bidding ended at £275+. I never knew who won it, I kept pictures of the model. That was literally all I was left with (aswell as my £250 and dinner). And that was that. I really never thought I'd find another one ever again....

Until last week, when a chap on Facebook appeared and posted up a picture. I quickly made an offer (much less than my original bid) and the chap accepted, again, even better, it was local in Birmingham! I set out today in my squeaky Peugeot, money in pocket and picked up this magnificent model.

(Front of roof looks caved in but it isn't, its just the way it was positioned)

Unfortunately no doors open, but the interior detail is second to none. The wood door cappings, the big trip computer, the auto T-handled gear selector are all faithful to the real thing.

The weight of this car is around the same as this 1 Kg barbell. It is a very heavy vehicle indeed.

To give an idea of scale. I have beside it a Burago Mercedes 190 and my recent purchase Polistil Jaguar XJ 4.2. Both 1.25.  The Rover is slightly larger.

So there you have it. 11 years of searching, waiting, losing, crude images and almost no detail. I guess this is what it feels like for a collector of paintings to get his hands on a priceless masterpiece.

Now I just need to save my own real Rover Mk1 Sterling.

Mo, that's an absolute stunner, dude. I'd no idea these even existed - I was being mildly facetious last week when I suggested you had a model 800 incoming. What a rarity, and even better that you got it for less than you might have paid all those years ago... Cheers for sharing this pics, and enjoy!

Actually, in a weird case of synchronicity I missed out on a cracking bit of prime Rover goodness only this evening, as the eBay auction ended while I was struggling to put up some blinds...

Someone got a bargain. Daaah...

[hennabm]

On 9/26/2020 at 4:20 PM, ETCHY said:

How cool is that !

You still got it ?

Unfortunately not.

I sold off all my meccano back in 2000 at Ingliston toy swap meet. There was a set 10 as well with the multikits.

There are something sin life you regret doing - yep this is one of mine.....

[ETCHY]

1 hour ago, hennabm said:

Unfortunately not.

I sold off all my meccano back in 2000 at Ingliston toy swap meet. There was a set 10 as well with the multikits.

There are something sin life you regret doing - yep this is one of mine.....

Sorry to hear that. Yep plenty of regrets for me on that front too  !

[ETCHY]

12 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Mo, that's an absolute stunner, dude. I'd no idea these even existed - I was being mildly facetious last week when I suggested you had a model 800 incoming. What a rarity, and even better that you got it for less than you might have paid all those years ago... Cheers for sharing this pics, and enjoy!

Actually, in a weird case of synchronicity I missed out on a cracking bit of prime Rover goodness only this evening, as the eBay auction ended while I was struggling to put up some blinds...

Someone got a bargain. Daaah...

I had the gold version of the 3500 with brown top as a boy. Another one i stupidly got rid of when i "grew up" but now wish I'd kept !

[bunglebus]

No Hot Wheels ID in TK Maxx, this Fiat 131 looks OK I suppose 

 

[Split_Pin]

It's a Datsun 510.

[155V6]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

No Hot Wheels ID in TK Maxx, this Fiat 131 looks OK I suppose 

 

3 ID cars in the one nearest to me,all fantasy cars though 😐

[bunglebus]

On 9/24/2020 at 3:28 PM, bunglebus said:

I have found a picture on wiki that doesn't tie in with my catalogues;

Problem solved

The arrival of this

completes another set that I noticed in my 1979-80 catalogue

I had a care package arrive from the tat cave, you've seen them before but I absolutely love this

also included was this Matchbox Ferrari 

which goes nicely with the Kidco one that also arrived today

a game of swapsies with Amishtat saw me take home the lovely Lone Star Caddy

lastly, the Zodiac that Datsuncog picked up for me is missing the one part I really needed for my restored one; the NSR door card. Got to laugh...

[Datsuncog]

5 hours ago, ETCHY said:

I had the gold version of the 3500 with brown top as a boy. Another one i stupidly got rid of when i "grew up" but now wish I'd kept !

Heh, the blue Rover I was bidding on is an intended replacement for an identical childhood one I sold in 2010... on the grounds that I oughtn't be interested in silly kids' toys anymore, only proper 1/43 adult models like Vanguards and Minichamps... well, fast forward ten years and guess what all my saved eBay searches are for... those bloody Corgis I sold for thruppence ha'penny!

[Frogchod]

The second indulgent purchase has arrived

Another Buick Electra, this one is made by Neo.

This brings Electra count up to four.

I'd really like a 1/43 version of the red Husky and the missing three generations of Electra.

Anyone got any for sale ?

[Datsuncog]

Just checked the postbox, and arrivals from Scotland have occurred...

All thanks to @Split_Pin
for these (though what Royal Mail's been doing with them for the past week is anyone's guess)

Cheers dude! Will enjoy opening those later!

[bunglebus]

50 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

 

You trying to muscle in on my B1600 collection?

 

25 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Just checked the postbox, and arrivals from Scotland have occurred...

All thanks to @Split_Pin
for these (though what Royal Mail's been doing with them for the past week is anyone's guess)

Cheers dude! Will enjoy opening those later!

 

I've got those two stripped and ready for paint right now, just need to decide on colours and wheels

[bunglebus]

 

Corgi Rockets buggy arrived from Datsuncog without wheels - these are just eBay cheapies but look right

 

[Split_Pin]

3 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Just checked the postbox, and arrivals from Scotland have occurred...

All thanks to @Split_Pin
for these (though what Royal Mail's been doing with them for the past week is anyone's guess)

Cheers dude! Will enjoy opening those later!

Glad they arrived, I was getting worried. Flip only knows what would have happened if I had posted them 2nd class!

[Amishtat]

This morning's swapsies (already mentioned upthread) with Bunglebus netted me this presentable enough little Dinky 1100. It'll get a clean but probably not a repaint. 

[flat4alfa]

On 9/27/2020 at 4:23 PM, bunglebus said:

Flat4alfa sent me a donor which donated its glass

Pretty sure the donor I sent you originally came from @eddyramrod!

[bunglebus]

I'm sure that one will have a new life too, just haven't decided what to do with it yet!

 

[flat4alfa]

6 hours ago, bunglebus said:

lastly, the Zodiac that Datsuncog picked up for me is missing the one part I really needed for my restored one; the NSR door card. Got to laugh...

I am missing the Zodiac from the collection back here.... up for swaps?    

I have a spare Corgi Ferrari 250 LM

[Datsuncog]

5 hours ago, bunglebus said:

You trying to muscle in on my B1600 collection?

Sure am... the regret from selling quite a clean red camper version (even though it lacked the camper body) has become quite unbearable over the weekend... Hoping to undo my regrettable errors before long!

[Datsuncog]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

Glad they arrived, I was getting worried. Flip only knows what would have happened if I had posted them 2nd class!

Well indeed! Dunno whether there was some kinda Covid-related sorting office mishap, as we had no post at all during the latter half of last week - but jolly pleased they showed up! Now liberated from their plastic prisons to live free...

Thanks so much!

[bunglebus]

8 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

I am missing the Zodiac from the collection back here.... up for swaps?    

I have a spare Corgi Ferrari 250 LM

I don't know. It's the police version, with the driver which I didn't have, but it missing the bonnet. Heard bad things about white metal parts being fairly crap, if such a replacement part even exists.

As for Ferraris, not a massive fan although there are a few that I like.

Think it's just going to go into storage for now, maybe a battered one with a bonnet will emerge from somewhere