Shite in Miniature II

10,165 · October 3, 2020

On 8/18/2020 at 11:27 AM, Jon said:

Hey @antony denman, that's a very nostalgic arrangement of Micro Machines you've got there, which just makes me more eager to get back to the UK one day and rifle through the ones I've got there - I must have over 100, when I look at how many I remember having!

Note that the red Testarossa and the white De Tomaso Pantera are FAKE Micro Machines, which were common to have swilling about the place, as they were obviously much cheaper than the genuine articles and from memory, you got more vehicles per box, too. I'm not dismissing them by the way, as in many instances, I preferred them. I had a Chevy van and a Chevy Blazer which were copies and remembering that with tow bars deleted and spoked, dished wheels, I actually preferred them...

And @sheffcortinacentre - congratulations on a photo montage! I understand you'd had issues uploading images to this forum in the past, so glad to see you've overcome that. I'll also award bonus points for the home built road way.

Anyway, further details of my time travelling trip. Last time, after laundering my smalls (though everything is small at 1/42, of course), I noticed that I'd parked next to something rather interesting:

Yes, a Buick Riviera! One of many cars on my ever-changing/expanding wish list is one of these, so what better way to snag one than in a fictitional 1970's environment, when they were both still numerous(ish) and affordable?

Had a quick sniff about during the customary pez shot, though it was rather hampered by a bonnet that didn't want to stay fully open. I'm pleased to report that all 8 mock cylinders are present and correct and that it's performance along the wet 'n dry is commensurate with its capacity.

By this time, I was yearning for some good ol' hearty USofA vegan scran and this place I drew up to sufficed. Seitan fried 'chicken' - YUM! So progressive.

Would be rude not to visit this place and buy all the 240Z dustbin lids they had. As you can see, I'm a very polite person, so I obliged.

Then as usual, I found a place for the night to bed down and watch some all color T. In previous places, I'd watched M*A*S*H in black and white, so it was great to see it in all in its beigeness. Not much happened in it though, so I turned over and watched CHIPS instead but that wasn't much better.

Sorry to waffle on so much.

Hi everyone, it's me again! Long time no hear on these pages, as I'm currently very busy with work and will be for the foreseeable. But that's not to say I haven't had time to indulge in a couple of activities; namely buying more needless miniature tat and fictionally travelling back in time on holiday. Above is a reminder of my road trip weapon of choice.

So, an update:

Breakfast saw me snaffling into a nice big plate of tofegg on rye, with bottomless coffee and oat milk - when in Rome and all that.

I call this scene 'Fuel Crisis'.

That's better! Though it is sad to see fizzy beverages being served in such small quantities; my twenty-first century self had been accustomed to Big Gulps. Alas, accommodating cup holders weren't a thing back then, so it's a moot point, although it made me question which came first? The absurdly sized drink, or the requisite cup holder?

Then since I was driving a Riviera, I thought it fitting to drive it to the closest comparable place in the US. In the end, I spent much of the time driving around, looking for somewhere to park. So a lot like the Riviera, really. Nice work!

Got to the motel I'd written to, to arrange a booking and thought that although its outside décor aligned with the condition of the Buick, I thought its high model status demanded something a little more chic.

So off I went to Grossinger's!

However, the parking attendant wasn't able to see the classy elegance and prestige beyond the knackered paint job, so parked me round the back, with the worker's bus.

Then I buckled and ate a rabbit for tea.

Turns out the place isn't doing so well these days...

2,989 · October 3, 2020

1 hour ago, Spottedlaurel said:

I was just a bit too young to watch it, my only knowledge of the programme came from seeing the cars in the Dinky catalogue.

Same here, I saw it when it was repeated in the 1990s.

The production company had a few issues with the BL reliability issues, and this also effected the first series of The Professionals, which shared facilities, including the same pool of cars. A few cars were used in both, especially Cowley's SD1 which had the number plate changed from MOC...P to MOO...R.

7,971 · October 3, 2020

1 hour ago, Richard_FM said:

Same here, I saw it when it was repeated in the 1990s.

The production company had a few issues with the BL reliability issues, and this also effected the first series of The Professionals, which shared facilities, including the same pool of cars. A few cars were used in both, especially Cowley's SD1 which had the number plate changed from MOC...P to MOO...R.

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that Joanna Lumley had no end of trouble finding reverse on the TR7. Many attempts later it was found to have a Princess gearknob on it with reverse the other end of the box

15,149 · October 3, 2020

Started working on the Glitterchevy™️ today...

Watch this space...

56,342 · October 3, 2020

I don't know what's more exciting, Entertainer re-stocking

Or coming home to these two

Don't know why the police version of the Zylmex Transit usually commands such a premium, but I grabbed this when it came up cheap

15,149 · October 3, 2020

That'll do. Doctor style...

Busty Black Cat lady has been relegated to driving a taxi. I've seen where these videos go...

56,342 · October 3, 2020

Can't believe you took it on. Think I'd have taken great pleasure in modifying it with my club hammer

15,149 · October 3, 2020

15 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Can't believe you took it on. Think I'd have taken great pleasure in modifying it with my club hammer

5,124 · October 3, 2020

Delivery!

Another one I've been hunting for a while, but never got round to buying. There was a guy on eBay thinning out his collection, with an absolute shitload of Minichamps Fords, all in as new condition with a tenner start bid, which is what I got this for. It really is as new too, even the fragile cardboard outer box is unmarked.

One of the most controversial Fords made (a spiritual successor to the MK4 Zephyr/Zodiac perhaps?), I've always had a soft spot for the last gen Scorpio. Beneath the frog face was a really quite capable and comfortable barge.

(That frog face is well represented on this model. Minichamps really were at the top of the tree in the mid '90s.)

I've wanted a model Scorp for a while. Back in the early 2000s, my brother had one. Pete has always been a bit of a shiter, in his way. (His first car was a sandglow Allegro 1500 Special...) The Scorp was a 2.5 turbodiesel in Executive trim, which was a bit of a misnomer because Executive was the bottom of the range, with cloth trim, keep fit rear windows and steel wheels with trims. It was a nice thing to travel in though, and despite being a bit 1990s-turbo-laggy, could sure pick up it's skirt and move for a big barge. It stayed for a while, before being replaced with a Rover 75.

Unfortunately, I've not been able to find this model in Aubergine purple to replicate N479 CJN, so I've gone for Tourmaline green instead, my other favourite Ford colour from the period. The beige interior is a further bonus. (I love Tourmaline with beige, back in my minicabbing days, I once drove a Mondeo in the same colour combo.)

I just love the arse end on these, and the rear lights are done really well on this.

Again, being a Minichamps model, the interior detail is fab, even has wood and brightwork on the rear door fittings (though I'm not sure why a Ghia has got keep fit rear windows...)

The dashboard is great, green characters and orange needles on the clocks, the correct design '90s Ford radio and just the right shade of orange I-cant-believe-its-real-wood that Ford plastered over its Ghia models at the time.

5,124 · October 3, 2020

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

I don't know what's more exciting, Entertainer re-stocking

Or coming home to these two

Don't know why the police version of the Zylmex Transit usually commands such a premium, but I grabbed this when it came up cheap

Lucky sod, I'm still on the hunt for the black Datsun wagon and Impala SS...

56,342 · October 3, 2020

I like that shape Scorp, well from the back anyway. I always wondered if a mk3 front could be persuaded to fit

56,342 · October 3, 2020

Just now, AndyW201 said:

Lucky sod, I'm still on the hunt for the black Datsun wagon and Impala SS...

They had two of the SS but it didn't fit with the 3 for two offer unfortunately

9,025 · October 3, 2020

I have the (rather boring by comparison) black estate version of the Scorp, and had forgotten that I really need the saloon to go with it.

Operation eBay commences. Again.

5,124 · October 3, 2020

Second delivery of today,

I was a bit gutted when the big display of Atlas police cars captured by Monsieur Cog on a recent Tat Friday lacked a MK3 Cortina. It seems these are quite hard to get hold of compared to the rest of the Atlas police collection. A mate with a model shop reckons these and the MK1 Granada are popular with the banger boys for banger conversions without paying the high prices of the pukka Vanguards versions.

I had seen pics of this version before and though it looked like a cheap, not very well finished version, but in the flesh, it's pretty good. The GT four headlamp grille is done well, and the shell is as crisp and well finished as the blue Vanguards 1600L version I have

This one was fairly cheap, as just like the Atlas police cars in Market Blokey's stall, it came with the plinth only, and with bits missing (searchlights), which is fine for what I want it for, they'd be going anyway! At least important stuff like mirrors, bumpers, lights etc are intact.

Neat GT badging at the rear. This is one of the reasons I've been hunting this particular model...

...along with this. Tombstone seats!!! The MK3 2000GT has so far only been made in police form. All the Vanguards GT police cars have so far been made with base spec seats and wheels, quite rightly so, because that's how the various forces ordered them. For some reason though, this Atlas version has had the civilian GT spec high back seats made.

Nice to see the higher spec centre console too, with extra gauges and the sporty spec steering wheel with the faux-drilled spokes (which Corgi fit in all the mk 3s regardless of spec, facelift or pre facelift....)

So I'm going to (hopefully) modify this to civilian GT spec and make this the MK3 version I've been waiting for Corgi to make for years. I've seen somebody do one of these and apparently all the police Tampos can be removed with nail varnish remover. I'll try this first, if not I'll have to bite the bullet and paint it. (I do think a GT in Daytona yellow, Vista orange or Le Mans green would be cool). K&R replicas do a nice set of 1/43 white metal slotmags too, I think a set of those will find their way on this, to replace the base spec steels.

7,971 · October 3, 2020

Yes! Orange with slotmags is going to look amazing.. Deviating from the thread but not long after I passed my test (1998) there were two Mk. 3 GTs for sale locally, one orange, one yellow. The orange one was on the Heybridge road into Maldon and was ambitiously priced at £325ono..It sat there for the thick end of a year, the handwritten For Sale tag yellowing and drooping lower on the screen each time I passed. Still wonder what happened in the end but I'd imagine it involved a paint job, no windows and a hiab, they weren't worth shit back then.

56,342 · October 3, 2020

12 minutes ago, AndyW201 said:

K&R replicas do a nice set of 1/43 white metal slotmags too, I think a set of those will find their way on this, to replace the base spec steels.

I've seen them on eBay. The finish looks bloody awful, which is a shame

$1-43rd-scale-Wolfrace-wheels-by-K-amp-R-Replicas$

Can't zoom in on the slot mags but they make these too

5,124 · October 3, 2020

12 minutes ago, Amishtat said:

Yes! Orange with slotmags is going to look amazing.. Deviating from the thread but not long after I passed my test (1998) there were two Mk. 3 GTs for sale locally, one orange, one yellow. The orange one was on the Heybridge road into Maldon and was ambitiously priced at £325ono..It sat there for the thick end of a year, the handwritten For Sale tag yellowing and drooping lower on the screen each time I passed. Still wonder what happened in the end but I'd imagine it involved a paint job, no windows and a hiab, they weren't worth shit back then.

I still can't believe that in 1995 I bought a Daytona yellow MK1 Escort. Rock solid, recent wings and doors, Ziebarted from new, 1600 Ghia MK2 engine and interior, 4-2-1 manifold with Swift big bore, RS 4 spokes. Needed a brake servo and a weekend's fettling to get it MOT'd. Price - £250. Reason, it had four doors...

5,124 · October 3, 2020

11 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

I've seen them on eBay. The finish looks bloody awful, which is a shame

$1-43rd-scale-Wolfrace-wheels-by-K-amp-R-Replicas$

Can't zoom in on the slot mags but they make these too

Aye, mind you the rubbish photos they use on eBay doesn't help. The RS Turbo rims may be of some use with a little package I've been advised could be arriving this month...

27,920 · October 3, 2020

In 1985 I bought a mk3 Cortina for £40.

It was a 1972 four-door 2000GT.

In Daytona Yellow, on dartboards.

Ex Lancashire Constabulary!

(The Vanguards Lancashire Jam Butty car is UTF 382L, mine was 367.)

If only we could have seen forward.................

Naturally I have the Lancashire model; bought, appropriately, in a model shop in Morecambe some years ago.

5,124 · October 3, 2020

2 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

In 1985 I bought a mk3 Cortina for £40.

It was a 1972 four-door 2000GT.

In Daytona Yellow, on dartboards.

Ex Lancashire Constabulary!

(The Vanguards Lancashire Jam Butty car is UTF 382L, mine was 367.)

If only we could have seen forward.................

Naturally I have the Lancashire model; bought, appropriately, in a model shop in Morecambe some years ago.

I liked how on the Vanguards Lancs Constabulary models, they feature the deleted markings on the rear wing, as on the real cars, under the fuel filler, allegedly to avoid the markings getting damaged by fuel spillages...

9,478 · October 4, 2020

Any idea on the price of the very incomplete Eagle?

Ta

40,653 · October 4, 2020

4 hours ago, andy18s said:

Any idea on the price of the very incomplete Eagle?

Ta

Not sure exactly, but Charity Stall Bloke does seem (mostly) more realistic in his pricing, so I'd like to think not much more than a coupla quid...

It's a sloppy repaint too, but does seem to be the white version rather than the metallic green or metallic blue versions.

If it's still there next week, I'll see what I can do - have had a few more requests from other denizens of this page for his fine wares (plus I really ought to get the Corgi Raygo Rascal roadroller), so with a bit of luck I may be able to pick it up for not very much... watch this space, as they say!