Shite in Miniature II

[Amishtat]

That'd be about right, got my first ones in late 1987 from the newly built Debenhams in Colchester. The European collection I think it was called, there was a gold Rolls Royce, black XJS and a red MG TF but I can't remember the other two. I was nuts about them for around the next couple of years and must have had quite a few but God knows where they are now. 

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

I looked at the two rivets and the cog and thought straight away it was holding a motor in.  Then the centre catches look as if the body is clipped-home.  But you’ve already discovered that no less...

Inside should be a bay for an AAA cell to run the motor?

Whee!

 

[flat4alfa]

Weeeeeeee SOLD!

😄

[Split_Pin]

1 hour ago, Amishtat said:

That'd be about right, got my first ones in late 1987 from the newly built Debenhams in Colchester. The European collection I think it was called, there was a gold Rolls Royce, black XJS and a red MG TF but I can't remember the other two. I was nuts about them for around the next couple of years and must have had quite a few but God knows where they are now. 

Would have been a Lamborghini Countach and a Mercedes SL. There were a few European Collections, the early ones had the black XJS and later ones had a burgundy one, however other cars varied. Some didn't have the MG or Rolls Royce and had a Porsche 911 added instead. I think American and British issues were different.

[sierraman]

Didn’t Micro Machines come in sets of 3? I had those sets that were like a folding box that had the bits inside to make a garage or a shop or whatever. 

[Split_Pin]

Set of 3 for Deluxe(opening doors)  set of 5 for regulars.

[Split_Pin]

Here is my Deluxe II set from 1988. 1988 to 90 (Primary 5 to Primary 6) were my halcyon Micro Machine Collecting days!

I have also photographed the packaging to show the range at the time too.

This is a US issue however from memory the Collections shown here look the same as I recall.

 

 

[bunglebus]

30 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I never got into Micro Machines, but that set of hot rods/dragsters is pretty cool

[flat4alfa]

I was too old by the time these came out..  still don’t quite understand the appeal.  Was there a massive marketing campaign that ‘caught on’ ?  They do look (to my eyes) small and gawky, like a Kinder toy

[sierraman]

I had the super van city, the toolbox city, car wash and some of the folding sets. I must have really been into them but I can hardly remember playing with them. 

[Amishtat]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Here is my Deluxe II set from 1988. 1988 to 90 (Primary 5 to Primary 6) were my halcyon Micro Machine Collecting days!

I have also photographed the packaging to show the range at the time too.

This is a US issue however from memory the Collections shown here look the same as I recall.

 

 

Christ that's stirred up a few memories.. Strange how terrible they look to me now though

[andrew e]

Had a delivery from China - £12 to my door, got lucky with the paint finish (which isn’t always the case with these Atlas Dinky’s). It’s a very crisp model and is proportioned very well - I take it the original  French Dinky was very good too? Boot and bonnet open.

[flat4alfa]

No sting on import duty then?  I avoid after being stung on Matchbox from the US. A box of a few was stamped  with £12 duty 

[Amishtat]

That's lovely 

[Split_Pin]

2 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

I was too old by the time these came out..  still don’t quite understand the appeal.  Was there a massive marketing campaign that ‘caught on’ ?  They do look (to my eyes) small and gawky, like a Kinder toy

Remember these were ostensibly toys not model cars and they were designed as caricatures. 

Regarding the marketing campaign, yes it was catchy, John Moschitto Junior was the 'Fast Talking Man' who said 'If it doesn't say Micro Machines it's not the real thing!'.

Anyway, I'm wasting my time on this thread with Micro Machines.

 

[flat4alfa]

John Mosc.....  who?

There may lie the problem!

By 1988/9 I was on my second car and third ‘proper’ girlfriend

[Datsuncog]

Wow, those Micro Machines bring back some memories, including that Deluxe Collection II... Plus at least five playsets depicted there that I totally forgot I'd owned. They were indeed heavily advertised, even though my first set (the #1 Hot Rod Collection) was a birthday gift before I'd ever heard of them.

I think they were perfectly marketed to appeal to seven year olds, so I can see why they maybe didn't appeal if you happened to be much above that age. Some of the very caricatured ones annoyed me, but largely I adored them... the only problem was that most of my favourites got lost, as they were so small.

Unfortunately MrsDC has a massive antipathy to Micro Machines thanks to a younger brother who tended to leave them lying in the deep pile carpet, so I punted all mine off to Bren of this parish for his little 'un to enjoy.

Hey ho.

Anyway... Just a heads-up that, in the event of tomorrow's market being a bit of a washout again, fear not - as there may be some Shed Sale action happening...

Just sorting through them all now.

[Tenmil Socket]

19 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Wow, those Micro Machines bring back some memories, including that Deluxe Collection II... Plus at least five playsets depicted there that I totally forgot I'd owned. They were indeed heavily advertised, even though my first set (the #1 Hot Rod Collection) was a birthday gift before I'd ever heard of them.

I think they were perfectly marketed to appeal to seven year olds, so I can see why they maybe didn't appeal if you happened to be much above that age. Some of the very caricatured ones annoyed me, but largely I adored them... the only problem was that most of my favourites got lost, as they were so small.

Unfortunately MrsDC has a massive antipathy to Micro Machines thanks to a younger brother who tended to leave them lying in the deep pile carpet, so I punted all mine off to Bren of this parish for his little 'un to enjoy.

Hey ho.

Anyway... Just a heads-up that, in the event of tomorrow's market being a bit of a washout again, fear not - as there may be some Shed Sale action happening...

Just sorting through them all now.

The red car in the middle next to the Mercedes... who was after a windshield recently? Looks like it might fit? 

[bunglebus]

When you think "monster truck", is the first thing that pops into your head "90s Seat Ibiza"? Well according to Guisval it should be 

Somehow up until now the Speed Kings Mercedes C.111 had escaped my attention. Pop-up headlights are on a lever underneath 

I'm making up for the black 944 going missing by collecting other versions

[DoctorRetro]

More work on the bburago Land Rover. 

Door needs a few mods to make it open properly... 

 

[DoctorRetro]

That's a bit better. Still some finishing to do... 

 

[bunglebus]

Good stuff. I've not done much lately as the weather prevents me painting and also makes me want to hibernate.

I did remove the paint from the Lone Star gasser though

Finding suitably skinny front wheels for drag cars is quite hard as everything's phat with rubber band tyres. Early Superfast fit the bill though, with rolling stock from a Pixar Cars vehicle on the back. Both ends required new axles with the holes in the wheels enlarged to suit, and tubes under the chassis. Think I need to make some sort of front inner wings, and I'd really like fenderwell headers too.

Wanted to cut the engine bay out and mount the engine lower, but the post and the mounting for the door spring are under there. Unlike Matchbox etc, if you remove the spring the doors just fall off. Had to settle for grinding the engine casting away until the area was flat, I'll matt black it once the paint is done before gluing the engine in

[Datsuncog]

2 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

The red car in the middle next to the Mercedes... who was after a windshield recently? Looks like it might fit? 

It's a late-Lesney era Matchbox Thunderbird, that one... First release from 1982, I think, but only in so-so shape... can't remember who needed a windshield, but it's available...

[DoctorRetro]

3 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Good stuff. I've not done much lately as the weather prevents me painting and also makes me want to hibernate.

I did remove the paint from the Lone Star gasser though

Finding suitably skinny front wheels for drag cars is quite hard as everything's phat with rubber band tyres. Early Superfast fit the bill though, with rolling stock from a Pixar Cars vehicle on the back. Both ends required new axles with the holes in the wheels enlarged to suit, and tubes under the chassis. Think I need to make some sort of front inner wings, and I'd really like fenderwell headers too.

Wanted to cut the engine bay out and mount the engine lower, but the post and the mounting for the door spring are under there. Unlike Matchbox etc, if you remove the spring the doors just fall off. Had to settle for grinding the engine casting away until the area was flat, I'll matt black it once the paint is done before gluing the engine in

Showed Dominic those pics and he said, 'those wheels are off Chick Hicks!' without me mentioning them... 

[flat4alfa]

On 10/20/2020 at 1:41 AM, flat4alfa said:

Surprisingly, this little Lone Star 'Roadmaster' Silver Cloud MkIII [MPW] was won for 99p.  Yes, missing its screen, but.... TADTS!  Go on, take a look what is available....   so many screens!  Missing.  Lost.  Oh dear.

Thankfully it does still have its has opening boot, bonnet and doors.  And being Lone Star, the base unscrews for restoration purposes.  

This 

[bunglebus]

Quote

Showed Dominic those pics and he said, 'those wheels are off Chick Hicks!' without me mentioning them... 

 

I use Pixar wheels on customs quite often - the rest of the car goes straight in the bin

 

 

[bunglebus]

38 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

It's a late-Lesney era Matchbox Thunderbird, that one... First release from 1982, I think, but only in so-so shape... can't remember who needed a windshield, but it's available...

Might be a bit too curved

 

MB one looks good but they're all tinted I think. Need to get a measurement of the width, got loads of spare bits of glazing

 

[flat4alfa]

That’s ok I have found out the ex-@eddyramrod Shadow that had been dipped.  The screen might be ideal, just need to cut it back nicely.  Shame to hurt a good pre-Superfast but it is missing the grille/lights

[andrew e]

I fell into the @flat4alfa trap. One buy specific Corgi when you can buy another 3 😲 I just don’t know what happened 😂

[flat4alfa]

THE SLIPPERY SLOPE hits home. 😙