Shite in Miniature II

[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 Longbridge]

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!

[andrew e]

Working door locks too FTW. 

[155V6]

58 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

 

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

How about this no-name car transporter?

[bunglebus]

29 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge 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!

I'll find the pics in a bit but I've had a few. You can see where they modified the casting over the years to get rid of the working locks. I don't think I have a nice original one, both were tatty and were combined to make a custom version

[DoctorRetro]

Can any of you Essex boys/ex-essex boys tell where this photo was taken then? 

[flat4alfa]

Matchbox also did a casting variation of the van, making it a reference to a customised Dodge Sportsman - complete with the extra windows in the side doors, a roof skylight and porthole windows each side.  It had side exhaust pipes too, for burning your bare feet on, when camping at Canvey

But check out what this fella has also done: padded walls, a double bed, a TV on one side for watching Debbie Does Romford....

...and on the other side: bottles of Babysham and Blue Nun on a sideboard 'bar' for a cosy night in.

'Vanning' was great !

 

I think @bunglebus has a version of this one with a girly bed spread fitted.

[bunglebus]

Indeed I do. Can't remember who it was but came from another shiter

 

Here's that green 911, someone had painted it black with green Turbo decals

I had a windscreen disaster so @TheDoctor kindly donated this one

Which suited me perfectly as I wanted a red interior for my custom, to match the Superfast I'd already done

I also obtained this one which doesn't have the working handles, but you can see where they were

Even the modified Carerra 4 casting has the ghosts of the original handles

 

[flat4alfa]

Matchbox also sold bare versions of the standard Dodge Van, for Code-2 publicity campaigns.

Doris was working as a driver back then.  One time, she found the side window smashed after delivering to the Peter Jones department store at Raleigh.

It was only for a cheap Pye radio/cassette player too.  It did mean she had to sing to herself, driving back up the 127.

[bunglebus]

They were probably after the often missing side mirror

[flat4alfa]

Code-3 efforts?  We need to see more of those.

Some fella did a 'Red Bull' number on this one.

Saw it on eBay for a fiver.  Had to have it, chips and all.  Decals are ok still, so ought to just touch those chips in, sometime.

Seems to have had some front and rear arch chopping too

Wheels have been changed and don't turn too well.  Doris isn't keen on them.  Can anyone recognise them?

[155V6]

38 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Indeed I do. Can't remember who it was but came from another shiter

 

Here's that green 911, someone had painted it black with green Turbo decals

I had a windscreen disaster so @TheDoctor kindly donated this one

Which suited me perfectly as I wanted a red interior for my custom, to match the Superfast I'd already done

I also obtained this one which doesn't have the working handles, but you can see where they were

Even the modified Carerra 4 casting has the ghosts of the original handles

 

I had a version of the 911 in pearl white,with rubber tyres & a more detailed interior,similar to the smaller World Class cars.Also had a green Jag XJ 40 in the same style.

[bunglebus]

57 minutes ago, TheDoctor said:

Can any of you Essex boys/ex-essex boys tell where this photo was taken then? 

No. Presumably Sarfend somewhere, only bits I'm familiar with are the seafront from driving up and down it in various Fords, and a bit of Leigh that I explored on my bike when I worked there

[bunglebus]

13 minutes ago, 155V6 said:

I had a version of the 911 in pearl white,with rubber tyres & a more detailed interior,similar to the smaller World Class cars.Also had a green Jag XJ 40 in the same style.

[DoctorRetro]

4 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

No. Presumably Sarfend somewhere, only bits I'm familiar with are the seafront from driving up and down it in various Fords, and a bit of Leigh that I explored on my bike when I worked there

Rayleigh town centre 😁

[bunglebus]

Cor. Pre-pro with no door handles

[andrew e]

Cor it looks awful on those wheels!

[Datsuncog]

 

16 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

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

Early versions of the Corgi Land Rover station wagon came with a ladder...

Looked a bit heavy, to be fair - and surely played merry hell with ground clearance.

I was quite pleased to find a first release in plain orange with the roof rack intact but the ladder AWOL.

That Dodge rocks, though. My Michelin version sadly fell to bits, but it's one I'd quite like to find again.

[eddyramrod]

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Indeed I do. Can't remember who it was but came from another shiter

 

Here's that green 911, someone had painted it black with green Turbo decals

I had a windscreen disaster so @TheDoctor kindly donated this one

Which suited me perfectly as I wanted a red interior for my custom, to match the Superfast I'd already done

I also obtained this one which doesn't have the working handles, but you can see where they were

Even the modified Carerra 4 casting has the ghosts of the original handles

 

That might have come from me.  I know I had one and sent it to someone here.

[Amishtat]

All the recent Essex love on here is almost making me homesick.. Almost. Meanwhile in Dumfries-shire our furniture and shit arrived yesterday and I was delighted to see this again. Not likely to be unpacked in the near future until some decorating has been done but I certainly have missed them.. 

 

[Jon]

Hey, check out this nifty little number:

 

Rear engined and RWD are a nice combo to get Mr. Magoo about the place in this intrepid weather.

 

Here he is obliviously meandering towards several people, who can't run away effectively. Marvellous.

 

Of course, I jest; it's another Spot On. But this one has a box, too!! And is in very nice condition. I bought it from the original owner, who was selling it on Trademe. Sadly, he decided to dump all of his 20 or so Spot Ons on there at the same time at temptingly low prices, which very much saturated the market (there's usually only 1 or 2 for sale on there at any given time), very likely gained him less money in the process, though also meant that I only gained one, due to budgetary constraints. But what a corker! It certainly takes pride of place in my collection, as you can no doubt see. Just wish I'd managed to get the boxed A60 in red, with roof rack and skis...

[Jon]

On 3/8/2021 at 3:23 AM, RoadworkUK said:

Your pics really are effective, Jon; especially the last one!

Thanks! I'd love to say I just pop off these shots in a matter of minutes but that's not the case. I'm still honing my skills, practising with different mediums of ground and also mixing printed backgrounds with digital images. I'm also enjoying the challenge of playing about with the lighting, to emulate shading in the backgrounds, too. I'm no powerfully built businessman in a high stress job but all the same, I find the process (mostly) therapeutic.

Anyway, have a couple of randoms:

 

This Majorette K70 came in my bargainous £2.50 or whatever it was random tat haul. A nice subject in a nice shade, though the wheels are perhaps a smidge too big. Think I still have one of these in metallic green with the earlier 2 part wheels, in my UK stash.

 

This Gama Rekord was bought off @alcyonecorporation many a moon ago, as it's vaguely reminiscent of my Commodore wagon (except for the shorter front, shade of paint - and it not being a wagon). It's a nice bit of kit yet is somewhat of an orphan. I've got loads of BMWs and VWs in my 1/43 hoard but only 2 Opels.

 

Took me years to get my mits on one of these Granadas and now I've got two! The other is a fire service one, seen on these pages before but I couldn't resist the civvy version. Did we have these mentioned in the recent estate car castings chat? Either way, I know @NorfolkNWeigh bloody loves these for their pinpoint accurate dimensions, so I'll tag him here, in case he misses out on seeing those wheel arches and front door windows.

 

There's a nice story behind this @Skizzer spec Audi 80 - for me, at least. I'd seen this for sale on Trademe for months, at $30(£15)+postage - perhaps not too bad for a mint/boxed one, which it is but still a bit rich for my low level tastes.

Then one day, the start price was reduced to $10, so I bid and won! After postage, I had it sitting on the doorstep for £7.50. Can't argue with that! Good things come to those who wait, eh shiters?!

[andrew e]

Cracking as ever Jon 👍 A few days ago I stumbled on a box in the loft whilst looking for something completely different - who wants some badly photographed Micro Machines? 

You do? Your all in luck!

Now what do I do with them all 😁

Do you think this kind of thing might work? 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B015MXF752/ref=psdcmw_197340031_t1_B07TKRTNR3

[alcyonecorporation]

Don't have much to add to this; glad the Rekord is safe and sound, mind. 

My favourite model of the moment is a 1:12 remote control Dome Zero by Moritani. Came with the box and everything; got it from Yahoo Auctions. 
I am mildly obsessed with the Zero: I interviewed Minoru Hayashi years ago but lost the transcript. Although the Zero/P-2 never made it to production, the licensing deals brokered brought in nearly a billion yen - enough to take Dome to Le Mans, his stated goal. 

Many, (many) many models were made of the Zero and P-2, from 1:64 upwards. Fujimi, Hirobo, Moritani and Tomy were among dozens of others who got in on the act, immortalising it in everything from kits to RC cars to ride on trundle cars. The Zero RL, built for Le Mans, barely resembled the roadgoing Zero, but also did remarkably well on the scale model circuit. 

It runs, too - which is remarkable considering it's more than 40 years old:

 

I have a few Dinkys and Corgis that I keep on my office desk - they carry film rolls and batteries as scale 'heavy loads'.  The Fujifilm Experia is on a 3 for £15 deal at Jessops currently (gr9 times). 

And yes, I have a slight obsession with Jeep FC-100s; the maize yellow example in the last pic is carrying one of the rechargeable D cells that came in the Dome's box. Erm, through customs. From Japan. Still doesn't beat the Volvo emergency fuel can I bought from the US that still had a fair bit of fuel in it, inside a box full of UNWANTED MYSTERY SEEDS (not sensimilla). Never went back to box; suppose it's taken over the world now and we can expect some sort of Lovecraftian end of days scenario after one's Halfords wheels are finally paid off. 

Fuck me, this got bleak for a gentle model car post of whimsy, didn't it? 

 

[Jon]

Ahem, these below are NOT Micro Machines, @andrew e!

 

No idea who made them but they're knock-offs. And of course, I had plenty of these, too! Copying aside, I quite liked the Blazer as it deleted the tow bar of the original one, so was much cleaner. And if it's not too controversial a statement, I actually prefer the imitation van casting above to the officially sanctioned ones.

 

Having passed a milestone age last week, what better way to celebrate the inevitable tumbling into middle age, than to request this, which I duly received:

A nice little tome, though actually, I did think it would be a little larger than it actually is. But then it's covering a tiny medium, so what did I expect?

 

Here's an example of the images within (these aren't my photos). I think it's fair to say that you've done well to photograph something so small, Andrew!

If I can release my inner Barry Norman, I would say that, much as I like the book, I thought the spiel beside the photos would be about the casting, not just some words about the real life subject the Micros are emulating. I know about those already, talk about the lumps of plastic instead! That said, I've only glanced at the photos so far and I think the other text in the book will be more relevant.

But those are not Land Rover Defenders, as the book states...

[Jon]

11 minutes ago, alcyonecorporation said:

Don't have much to add to this; glad the Rekord is safe and sound, mind. 

My favourite model of the moment is a 1:12 remote control Dome Zero by Moritani. Came with the box and everything; got it from Yahoo Auctions. 

It runs, too - which is remarkable considering it's more than 40 years old:

 

I have a few Dinkys and Corgis that I keep on my office desk - they carry film rolls and batteries as scale 'heavy loads'.  The Fujifilm Experia is on a 3 for £15 deal at Jessops currently (gr9 times). 

And yes, I have a slight obsession with Jeep FC-100s

 

Welcome back into the fold! That Dome Zero is a bit of alright, though I won't ask how much the shipping was. Lucky it made it through, though! And I think that steering that works when the car is static would've been quite advanced for an off the shelf RC car of the day.

 

I too am a fan of the FC-100 casting. Here's mine I picked up cheap:

 

 

 

Seen here with the boxed Matchbox Beetle I picked up for less than a fiver, posted. 

[Skizzer]

2 hours ago, Jon said:

 

There's a nice story behind this @Skizzer spec Audi 80 - for me, at least. I'd seen this for sale on Trademe for months, at $30(£15)+postage - perhaps not too bad for a mint/boxed one, which it is but still a bit rich for my low level tastes.

Then one day, the start price was reduced to $10, so I bid and won! After postage, I had it sitting on the doorstep for £7.50. Can't argue with that! Good things come to those who wait, eh shiters?!

Oo, I didn’t know Gama did a B3 Audi 80! Schabak skipped from the B2 to the B4. Now a saved search on eBay — there are two blue civilian ones up at the moment but one is a bit broken and the other is silly money.

 I love your photos Jon, and the whimsical road trip stories that often go with them 😊

[Skizzer]

25 minutes ago, alcyonecorporation said:

My favourite model of the moment is a 1:12 remote control Dome Zero by Moritani. Came with the box and everything; got it from Yahoo Auctions. 

 

Love the Dome Zero. It was going to be THE FUTURE once upon a time:

[alcyonecorporation]

That piece in CAR has a few inaccuracies but it's great to see some other shots of the P-2. 
It talks about the P-2 using a box section chassis rather than a spaceframe and claims the Zero concept car was made from steel - it wasn't, it used an FRP body over tubes.