Shite in Miniature II

[eddyramrod]

Anybody got one of these lying around, preferably a bit worn?

It's "Christine" I'm referring to: the Hot Wheels Plymouth.  It was, of course, never issued as a Christine but that isn't important.  I want one to dress up as this:

...to go with my California Kid Ford coupe.

 

By the way: I know one or two of you are holding models for me.  I'm afraid I've forgotten who and what, so could you PM me please with the details?

[Bear]

I  have an Avengers version - but it may be a cruder casting.

[bunglebus]

Pop to your local supermarket/toy shop and buy the current one, it's the same casting

 

I have the "Christine" one, boxed, but I made this

 

 

From this

 

 

Only downside is coloured windows, next release is blue with yellow glass.

Last one released with clear windows was this

 

 

 

[flat4alfa]

4 hours ago, bunglebus said:

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.

Quote

164 Ford Zodiac bonnet £0.95

95 of the Queen's pence isn't a biggie though?  Bargain really

Quote

164 Ford Zodiac rear door interior panels LH or RH red plastic Each £1.05

164 red rear light jewel Each £0.35  ; 164 orange rear indicator jewel Each £0.35

Likewise.  I tend to equate most things against the price of a pint of beer.  Beer doesn't last as long and is more expensive.   😌

[junkyarddog]

It's a case of life influencing art at Smoll Eddy's this week,he's picked himself up a brown Caddy.

"Just needs a splash off red oxide now M8"

You're one badass mofo smoll Eddy. 

"Gangsta M8"

[junkyarddog]

He must be making decent coin as he's also picked up this Mint Majorette Caddillac still in the pack!!!

"I like big ones M8"

I got these 3 on Sunday,

Another Hot wheels redline,Mustang boss hoss, Ford Escort XR3,and a Peugeot 505!!

[sierraman]

I’ve seen The California Kid film, we had it on tape years ago, it’s one of those bizarre seventies films that’s never on tv. We had it taped off the telly from the ITV Nightshift when they used to play really odd imports like this. It’s full of fifties American chod and some laughable storylines. Almost as good as 1977’s ‘The Car’ with James Brolin.  

[flat4alfa]

Had a skip through and don't think I have ever seen it

 

 

That's set then:  tonight's living room now booked out for the big telly screen 720p squint watch. The wife will find it rivetting.

[sierraman]

As films go it’s fairly shit. 

Another good one from years ago I saw on the ITV Nighshift, was a film with Lee Van Cleef and Richard Jaeckel called ‘The Killing Machine’ full of 1980’s Volvos and Spanish chod. 

[bunglebus]

Saw this on eBay local to me with a few frankly terrible pictures. Turns out the guy works at the local antiques place and has a box full of old cars to get rid of. 

Scene of the crime pic, I'll get it home for a clean and decide whether it needs as resto as planned or just live with the patina. It's a cool piece anyway with with the side hinged bonnet and tipping seats, and is complete

 

[junkyarddog]

Never seen that one in yellow before,blue is the norm.

[bunglebus]

Gave it a quick clean. It's pretty worn but most importantly, complete 

 

[flat4alfa]

On 7/20/2019 at 2:53 PM, bunglebus said:

Here's the 1978 Dinky Catalogue;

Been meaning to ask..  has the whole of the 1978 Trade Catalogue been posted up on this thread?

[flat4alfa]

Will post it anyway.  Can always delete it if I get hundreds of Ofcom complaints.

[flat4alfa]

Dinky 1979 Trade Catalogue

 

[flat4alfa]

Dinky 1980 Trade Catalogue

Oh what a difference.  The end was beyond nigh.

Sorry for making your scrolling finger tired.

[sierraman]

So for the last year they weren’t even planning to make any diecasts beyond those crappy space toys and sand pit toys?

[bunglebus]

Fapping awesome, thanks - lots of stuff in those catalogues was either never made, or at least only in sample batches - those Champs, for example, the legendary Granada (a couple exist as unassembled cars) and of course the Steed Jag, as well as the Avengers gift set.

If you look at the Steed Jags closely, there are several different castings used, probably wooden or resin mockups. The arches are different, and as I mentioned the other day, the Big Cat has no rear spoiler and the boot design seen in the 1977 catalogue in Leyland livery. 

I don't think the 390 customised MK2 Transit was ever released - also a mock-up, front end looks like a modified MK1 and different to production versions

206 customised Corvette I'm pretty sure never saw the light of day

Pretty sure the SD1 never came out in red

[bunglebus]

4 minutes ago, sierraman said:

So for the last year they weren’t even planning to make any diecasts beyond those crappy space toys and sand pit toys?

The factory closed in 1979, production had been outsourced overseas (and not paid for) and the end was in sight...

[sierraman]

Was it just a case of the closure announced suddenly? Events like this and Lesney folding in ‘82 fascinate me. What would have happened to all the prototypes or unmade models? Presumably chucked in a skip.

On 28 days later there is a visit to the old Lesney Factory at Hackney Wick, no trace there whatsoever of its diecast heritage, looked like it had been a factory making anything but model cars. From my research the factory was used for a few years until the early 90’s for the surviving diecasting part of the business, for whatever reason they passed the Rochford site on the Universal but kept back the Hackney site which makes sense. Production of the Superkings and the Super GT’s continued until around 85/86 then the lot went to Macau. 

[155V6]

This is my Vanpire Transit which I've had since new 

The chassis ended up here

For some reason,I also ended up with the chassis from my mate's Vanpire & I made this after I'd seen van banger racing on TV 😁

The head on the roof is from a Hotwheels Zowie

[bunglebus]

As I understand it, the factory closed with very little warning to the workforce, who then had a sit-in (and probably liberated some stuff), but they'd already started outsourcing production to Hong Kong and Italy (?). The company carried on for a few more years but various projects never came to fruition, and eventually they went into receivership. I'm sure someone else will know more, I just spent a few hours on a die cast forum the other night finding out about the Steed Jag/Big Cat

[bunglebus]

2 minutes ago, 155V6 said:

This is my Vanpire Transit which I've had since new 

The chassis ended up here

A Vanpire is very much on my wishlist - two boxed ones on eBay now but rather too champagne for my lemonade budget

[155V6]

I had loads of Dinky Transits,still got a few.I couldn't leave them standard though,too many Surrey Street Rodders shows & Custom Car magazines 😂

[andrew e]

So what colour should any Steed Jag homage be? Lots of different shades!

[bunglebus]

Well I suppose green the same as the real thing - who knows why Dinky changed it to blue.

My problem is what wheels to use, got nothing the right size or style at the moment 

[Bren]

3 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Will post it anyway.  Can always delete it if I get hundreds of Ofcom complaints.

 

I have a few dinky cars - however it's the sci fi stuff - especially Gerry Anderson - that I really like.

 

[Split_Pin]

Until tonight I never knew that the plastic beams, nuts and bolts that I owned as a very young boy was Mecanno. I played with that a lot, mostly making cars, tractors and once my dad and I built a really big electricity pylon with a woollen 'wire' powering our television.

Mixed in with the Mecanno was another set which had slightly bigger pieces and bolts but the 2 fitted together.

I'm not allowed to visit my parents any more due to local lockdown restrictions in place so I can't check the loft. As they're both in their 70s I'm not going to send them up to crawl around and look for it but I can't imagine it would be something worth selling and I wonder if it's still there!

[eddyramrod]

I might still have some of that too, and some of the metal variety.

[bunglebus]

I sold mine on eBay years ago, and then had to post a stupidly heavy box...to Australia.