Shite in Miniature II

[DoctorRetro]

13 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Decent, yes please - less the Shitroen if Mr Alfa wants to play with it. I have a Bburago Tipo here for you, and a found a Majorette one today too with a broken tailgate

OK, you and @flat4alfadecide who's getting it.

You could always take it and mail across any goodies he wants I guess 

[Datsuncog]

6 hours ago, TheDoctor said:

Hello all you miniature shite fans. I'm sorry I've been missing from this thread recently, I've really lost my mojo for diecast. 

Hey, good to see you back on the thread, dude - and yeah, I know the feeling all too well.

Sometimes a deck-clearing exercise is the only way forward; it's happened to me a few times. Enthusiasm can ebb and flow, so best to just go with it and do what feels right. I'm sure good homes will be found for any waifs and strays offered.

Take care!

[flat4alfa]

50 minutes ago, TheDoctor said:

You could always take it and mail across any goodies he wants I guess 

Yes happy to do that

An almost 4 kilo parcel might annoy my friendly post lady 

 

[andrew e]

Anyone up for a swap meet? WILL NEED TIME MACHINE 😆

 

[bunglebus]

I was 14 so probably too busy imagining what girls looked like under their clothes to be interested in toy cars, although I still had the majority of my childhood ones squirreled away

[flat4alfa]

The organiser got about a bit...  it's a Horsham number

[Split_Pin]

Surprisingly  my interest in Toy cars did not wane through my teenage years and I went to my local swapmeet every month without fail.

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

Surprisingly  my interest in Toy cars did not wane through my teenage years and I went to my local swapmeet every month without fail.

I just ended up getting distracted by the usual things at 13-14, I never got rid of them I just drifted off for 10 years. When I had my eldest much to my surprise you could get Matchbox at the Poundland, she loved them and I sort of fell back into it like you do when you get nostalgic in your thirties. Probably sped up by my parents moving house and the loft being full of my old cars I bought the Charlie Mack book and got back into it more than ever. I quite like Matchbox cars, unlike the real thing they never ask for anything from you or drop massive fucking bills on the door mat. 

[flat4alfa]

The lot went into the loft at my Mum's when I was about 14.  At least I thought they did, as quite a lot seems to have gone missing...

Discovered ladies at 14 ; passed driving test at 17

Fleet of cars and a fleet of ladies until married at 40.  One of those fleets was easier to manage than the other.

 

[eddyramrod]

The little cars have never left me!  When I first moved in with Sue in 1987 and became stepdad to her son (then six) I tried to get him interested; he already had a bit of a collection, mostly Matchbox size.  He didn't pick them up like I had, and I left in 93 so I can safely assume he dropped them.  I didn't, however, and carried on building up the collection to this day. 

My collection has been with me all my life and sustained me through the bad times.  I even have some that date back as far as I can remember, and next month I will be 62.  They are as much a part of me as my hands.

[sierraman]

I think that’s it Eddie, it’s escapism in a sense, it takes you back to a world of sat on the rug as a kid eating blue ribbon biscuits lining up that weekends haul from the jumble sale. 

 

This is what I like to find. You can see it’s been played with and enjoyed, it’s a bit like me, careworn and sagging a bit on the back end but I like it. 

[flat4alfa]

6 hours ago, sierraman said:

sagging a bit on the back end

TADTS !  😁

Matchbox SuperKings Dodge Van

[flat4alfa]

On 3/7/2021 at 4:13 PM, bunglebus said:

Also found the Matchbox Unimog to photograph with the Majorette, of course they're different models to start with

This made me find two more I'd forgotten I had...   it's all such a blur

Blue/green one came in a job lot in recent times.  I think!

Military one definitely had since a boy.  Did the US Army ever really use Unimogs I wonder?

Base plate variation through the series

[sierraman]

So I’ve read the Matchbox Unimog was originally designed as a colour trial to test new colours on then was put into production 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

20 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

TADTS !  😁

Love that. After seeing them on here at some point, I reminded my brother of his old superkings model from when he was a young lad, but he couldn't even slightly remember it. Lovely model.

[bunglebus]

I had that Team Porsche van, lost when I had to exit my house at short notice a few years ago. I do of course have the supremely ugly Porsche that goes with it, so it's not all bad 

[sierraman]

I remember a kid when I was at school having one of those Dodge Vans that had Center Parcs on it, must have been a freebie for the staff or booking a holiday there or whatnot. 

[bunglebus]

Slow but steady progress on the Mini Ha Ha. doesn't help that the engine, windscreen and interior all needed chopping about to fit. V8 out of the spares box fits nicely in the hole left by the radial engine though

 

[sierraman]

What did you fill the roof in with?

[bunglebus]

JB Weld, then a skim of filler. Masking tape inside the roof to form the shape first. It's good stuff but takes some sanding!

[bunglebus]

Scored this Corgi Rockets Porsche Carerra 6 cheaply

Came with an MC Toys Roller 

Not quite sure about amber warning lights on top of a Hot Rod, but I like this Matchbox casting otherwise 

[sierraman]

28 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

JB Weld, then a skim of filler. Masking tape inside the roof to form the shape first. It's good stuff but takes some sanding!

In true style of the original mini... filler. 🤣

[andrew e]

3 hours ago, sierraman said:

I remember a kid when I was at school having one of those Dodge Vans that had Center Parcs on it, must have been a freebie for the staff or booking a holiday there or whatnot. 

You could buy them at huge cost when they opened Centre Parcs in the UK - I remember the old man quite firmly telling me (I think we had got past the NO stage 😆 ) my bike hire for the weekend cost less that the tempo printed van 😂

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Slow but steady progress on the Mini Ha Ha. doesn't help that the engine, windscreen and interior all needed chopping about to fit. V8 out of the spares box fits nicely in the hole left by the radial engine though

You're succeeding where I faltered.  Got hold of a handful of Mini HaHas to do a set in a few more liveries with mad engines including a jet off a scale aircraft.  Even some decals chosen too.  But all ended up in a box.  Somewhere.

[flat4alfa]

4 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I had that Team Porsche van, lost when I had to exit my house at short notice a few years ago. I do of course have the supremely ugly Porsche that goes with it, so it's not all bad 

Extremely Ugly Porsche was smashed to pieces by a Leyland National, one afternoon on Benfleet High Street.   I did not realise until now that it had Essex Oil sponsorship, as Lotus had on their F1 cars for 1980/81.

Anyhow, a suitable and less ugly Porsche replaced it shortly after.  Here it is before the paint booth visit.

Five minutes after this photo was taken, Farmer Tom was taken to Basildon Hospital after doing his back in.  

Well, he shouldn't play on ladders should he.

Can we think of any more models with LADDERS ?  (No, not rescue vehicles)

[flat4alfa]

6 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Lovely model.

Earlier that afternoon, the Michelin supplies arrived 

That van is plainer but still featured the CB whip aerial as a standard fitting.  Although sadly, it was snapped clean off while parked in Billericay.

The eye-searing red seating carries through the dash, carpeting and even the rear compartment ! 

Plenty of room though.

[andrew e]

There’s no aerial snapping round here young man 😉 are you sure it wasn’t over the border in Brentwood?

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

You're succeeding where I faltered.  Got hold of a handful of Mini HaHas to do a set in a few more liveries with mad engines including a jet off a scale aircraft.  Even some decals chosen too.  But all ended up in a box.  Somewhere.

Definitely some potential in this and the "Red Baron" Flying Bug

24 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Extremely Ugly Porsche was smashed to pieces by a Leyland National, one afternoon on Benfleet High Street

I didn't realise you were once a fellow Essex geezer. Funny enough I did a stint up your way when I was married, just over the border in Northamptonshire.

I think my first ugly 911 was a Datsuncog Tat Friday find

Later replaced by a nicer one

 

[bunglebus]

1 minute ago, andrew e said:

There’s no aerial snapping round here young man 😉 are you sure it wasn’t over the border in Brentwood?

OI! That's my original stomping ground you're slagging off

[Dick Cheeseburger]

31 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

 

 

Wow. That green 911. I had forgotten about the existence of them. I'd love to know what happened to my childhood model.

I really, really need to stop looking at this thread!