Shite in Miniature II

[155V6]

58 minutes ago, Jon said:

Here's an update to my time spent on my own in a decent hotel in the centre of Auckland. No questionable TV choices or visits to massage parlours for me. Let's take photos of pocket money toy cars, instead!

 

Here's a nice little SL Merc, from that 1/76 manufacturer that I can't now remember the name of but that was receiving positive chat coverage on here at the time of buying last week, which was the catalyst for buying. That and it was 50p. Note the material setting, which is a nod to the checked seat pattern these racing Mercedes often had. Nicely considered, Jon.

 

This is a Fun Ho! Mercedes, a casting made in NZ, so quite nice to have an example of. Really not bothered about having a good one when the whole sum is this basic but fair play to 'em, it's still got charm and some of the casting is really quite nice.

 

Oooh, very arty! Have a mild flex as to my 14th floor hotel room with view of the Sky Tower. Don't think I've wasted that view whatsoever, eh?!

 

I'm not quite sure what my interest was with putting things in glasses that evening but hey, here's a 50p Siku Audi in one. Obviously, this is waaay too late a casting for my highbrow collecting tastes. But it was 50p, so my inner Trebus relented. Credit where it's due though, it's a good effort, just a bit of a boring subject.

 

This is the kind of thing that aged 10 I would've not been interested in. But 3 decades on, scrabbling round a 50p tub on my knees, somehow the nostalgia of 80's Matchboxes proved too much. Seen here transporting some depressingly ubiquitous hotel fridge cargo.

 

Watch out!!

 

See reasons above re: 80's Matchbox Dodge and apply to this 80's Matchbox Dodge. Except, I actually had one of these and enjoyed its presence in my toy stash.

 

 

Whilst it's true that my original version had plenty of carpet time, this didn't stop me wishing it were a Hilux instead, as then at least I'd have some reference to it and it would look a little more accurate in my play time scenes (which was seemingly an important aspect of childhood whimsy and explains a lot, in hindsight). None of this however outweighed my confusion (and thus mental negativity towards it) as to why Dodge had named their pickup Dakota Street. Or was it Dakota Saint? I must've been an adult, by the time I encountered another example of this casting and the penny dropped...

I got a similar Merc SL to that in a lot last week,it's made by Schuco  

It came with these,the Puma was the reason I bought them

[AndyW201]

Some fresh Hot Wheels appeared at the local Morrisons. Not the latest case, but at least we're into 2021 stuff at last!

Was chuffed to find the Civic, I've always been fond of this generation of the coupe. The body kit is a bit JDM Yo! but it's still a lovely little thing and nicely detailed.

 

[eddyramrod]

Some new arrivals, yesterday and today...

Yesterday: a lovely 1/18 scale 1960 Chrysler 300F, from the bay of E.  A bit expensive by my standards, but it seems to be the way prices are going.

And today: a bunch of Russian partwork models, from the lovely Mr Barrett of this very parish.  I have duplicates of most from when they appeared in Poundland, but I couldn't turn them down, could I?

I'm delighted.  MrsR, somewhat less so!

[Datsuncog]

12 hours ago, Jon said:

See reasons above re: 80's Matchbox Dodge and apply to this 80's Matchbox Dodge. Except, I actually had one of these and enjoyed its presence in my toy stash.

Whilst it's true that my original version had plenty of carpet time, this didn't stop me wishing it were a Hilux instead, as then at least I'd have some reference to it and it would look a little more accurate in my play time scenes (which was seemingly an important aspect of childhood whimsy and explains a lot, in hindsight). None of this however outweighed my confusion (and thus mental negativity towards it) as to why Dodge had named their pickup Dakota Street. Or was it Dakota Saint? I must've been an adult, by the time I encountered another example of this casting and the penny dropped...

The MB50 Dodge Dakota was one of my absolute favourites as a kid - my version came from a general store in Donegal c.1990 while we were away in the caravan one Easter, and I can recall playing with it in a shallow stream that ran behind the site.

Unfortunately, the round spotlights on the rollbar were chewed off by another kid we were on holiday with, to my horror. This is why I didn't like other children.

It got well played-with, and was carried round in my pocket a lot, so it soon looked in very similar condition to yours - rust round the axles, chipping to the leading edges, silverwork rubbed through a little. I've since found a tidier example, but to me this was part of that late-80s/early 90s 'sweet spot' of Matchbox toys which used realistic castings and colours, and just looked 'right'.  Even though I mentally referred to it as 'Dakota Street' too - took me a while to twig that ST was a specific model designation...

The casting lasted in the mainline range for seven catalogue years, between 1987 and 1993, and unusually had no colour variations produced in that time - just the same dark red with white tampo print.

After its withdrawal from the core range, it appeared for a further decade in various multipacks and the Intercom City range, often wearing police, fire or construction decoration.

It's a bit of an icon for me, this one - glad you managed to find yours, and that's an excellent haul in general (especially the Fun Ho! Mercedes - would be interested in a comparison between that and Husky's version). Good shootin'!

[bunglebus]

They always seem to be a bit tatty

 

[Split_Pin]

I had one of those Dakotas for years, it used to belong to my brother who didn't really play with toy cars.

I liked it but my Baja Bouncer with the boingy  suspension always had max play value for me.

[Datsuncog]

11 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

And today: a bunch of Russian partwork models, from the lovely Mr Barrett of this very parish.  I have duplicates of most from when they appeared in Poundland, but I couldn't turn them down, could I?

Snowplough could come in handy on Monday, I understand...

[bunglebus]

Found my Matchbox/Dinky 59 Cadillac. Had since I was a kid so hadn't thought to take pics before

It has its share of chips and dirt, because I played with my toys

[Datsuncog]

Dug out my Dakota over lunchtime.

This isn't my somewhat rusty (and chewed) original, which I believe I may have sold on - in fact, I'm not even sure where this replacement came from, or how long I've had it.

I'd thought that this was a 50p box refugee from the market, but it's slightly muddy and there's also been some silver paint added - which immediately makes me suspicious that I've owned it since my pre-teens. Maybe I liked it so much that I'd bought a replacement while they were still current?

It's also been made in China, this one - I'd be interested to know if the scrattier examples were earlier Macau-made toys, as I have a half-baked theory that the paint used at the Macau factory was somewhat inferior. Most of my Matchbox stuff that was bought new but looked very scruffy without much in the way of hard use are from Macau:

As well as the Dakota, I had an abiding fondness for the Ford F150 Flareside...

I received one of these one Christmas along with a Matchbox Motor City playset and I was very fond of it, but then it unaccountably went missing not long after. I liked the chunky wheels, and the suspension travel.

This one is a recent tat box discovery, though.

I think this was introduced as an update to the older F150 casting, which had been kicking around in various forms since the Regular Wheels era of the 1960s.

Quite a size differential, mind, between the big-wheel variants and a standard Superfast (well, Rolamatics).

But yeah. Some real gems from this mid-late 80s era; Universal seemed to be hitting their stride in making nicely balanced vehicles in realistic colours, with appropriate wheels.

Just a pity it went a bit weird once Tyco took over in '92...

[bunglebus]

2 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

As well as the Dakota, I had an abiding fondness for the Ford F150 Flareside...

I received one of these one Christmas along with a Matchbox Motor City playset and I was very fond of it, but then it unaccountably went missing not long after. I liked the chunky wheels, and the suspension travel.

This one is a recent tat box discovery, though.

I think this was introduced as an update to the older F150 casting, which had been kicking around in various forms since the Regular Wheels era of the 1960s.

Quite a size differential, mind, between the big-wheel variants and a standard Superfast (well, Rolamatics).

That yellow one is one of my childhood favourites, I loved the wheels and boingy suspension

This one is a replacement as my original is long gone

If that is a development of the 1960's casting, it did have a long life, as a regular wheels release as the Ford Pickup

...then regular wheels Kennel Truck...

...skinny Superfast...

...big Superfast...

...and it's very similar to the Wild Life Truck, although these have the grille cast into the base....

...and Mini Pickup

Also looks remarkably similar to the Open Back Truck

BTW both my Dakota Streets are Chinese made

[bunglebus]

Rear views. They did at least change the number plate

 

 

[flat4alfa]

Tat Good Friday !

The only Flareside F-150 back here is the smaller-shod one in blue 'BajaBouncer' livery for 1982 only

[flat4alfa]

It was rolled-out to play with the F-100 brothers just now

It's a shame I let the tampo scuff away but I have had it since new

Big one is a Lucky, direct from Market Blokey a year ago last week

[RoadworkUK]

Of the Matchbox Ford Pickup I only have "Mountain Man"; in fairly diabolical condition and still complete with honest-to-goodness Frinton-on-Sea school playing field mud in the tyres and grille. Here joined by the Majorette Cherokee (sans tailgate) that I alternated it with in school play.

[bunglebus]

13 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

It was rolled-out to play with the F-100 brothers just now

It's a shame I let the tampo scuff away but I have had it since new

 

4 minutes ago, RoadworkUK said:

Of the Matchbox Ford Pickup I only have "Mountain Man"; in fairly diabolical condition and still complete with honest-to-goodness Frinton-on-Sea school playing field mud in the tyres and grille. Here joined by the Majorette Cherokee (sans tailgate) that I alternated it with in school play.

You blighters, I haven't got either of those! (and that Lucky is damn cool)

[junkyarddog]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

That yellow one is one of my childhood favourites, I loved the wheels and boingy suspension

This one is a replacement as my original is long gone

If that is a development of the 1960's casting, it did have a long life, as a regular wheels release as the Ford Pickup

...then regular wheels Kennel Truck...

...skinny Superfast...

...big Superfast...

...and it's very similar to the Wild Life Truck, although these have the grille cast into the base....

...and Mini Pickup

Also looks remarkably similar to the Open Back Truck

BTW both my Dakota Streets are Chinese made

The last one is supposed to be a Toyota,and was originally a camper,only available in red afaik.

 

[flat4alfa]

56 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

You blighters, I haven't got either of those! 

Well we can't have that, can we

I mean, we wouldn't want to let you know about the TWO DIFFERENT GRILLES TO COLLECT on the Majorette Cherokees 😁

Not only that, this later (black one) had the gas cap, rear deck 'Chief' badge, turn-signals and door shut lines removed, along with a roof that was no longer ribbed for your pleasure.  Those are present on RoadworkUK's Big Chief Cherokee with the jacked-up base.  Likely recast for a run of roof and flank decoration variants to milk the life out of the casting

Gee-whizz, pard'ner!  Tailgates are intact

DAG omission on the latter, but strange they left its feet and bed moulded-in...

The real thang.  Ok, this is an S and not a Chief but ahh well, I liked the photo  

[sierraman]

Here’s my Dakota Custom. A bit rough but that’s red necks for you. 

[bunglebus]

43 minutes ago, junkyarddog said:

The last one is supposed to be a Toyota,and was originally a camper,only available in red afaik.

 

Ah this one

So it did have a new lease of life after being the Camper

[Spottedlaurel]

47 minutes ago, junkyarddog said:

The last one is supposed to be a Toyota,and was originally a camper,only available in red afaik.

Isn't it a Ford Courier? American Ford version of the Mazda B1800.

I didn't realise that until relatively recently, I thought it was just a generic pickup.

When it was in my carrycase and now on a display shelf it always seems to sit alongside the Baja Bouncer I've had since they were new. Both survived well as they came along when my playing with toy cars days were over (temporarily at least).

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

TWO DIFFERENT GRILLES TO COLLECT on the Majorette Cherokees

I only have the smooth-roof, poochless ones with the raised suspension 

But i think it also got converted into an ambulance 

No dogs in there either

My yellow ones seem to have no swage lines down the sides. The black one ^ seems to be filled too but not as much 

[155V6]

Some of mine,no dogs to be seen.The green one did have a dog,but I cut it out about 40 years ago🤣.I've got a raised one with a dog somewhere too.I always wanted to make a Monster Truck Ambulance,or a Monster Truck with a dog in the back 🤔

[bunglebus]

I took the Tat Friday Kojak Buick apart today to fit the donor's glass. I wondered why the front had a bit of obvious corrosion

Inside has all the signs of our old friend battery leakage

Scrubbed all that out, and as it was apart the bumpers have had the chrome re-done etc. I'll put it all back together tomorrow, it's quite interesting seeing how the clicky gun noise mechanism works, and how the later police version is modified to remove that and the gunman in the back seat

[Spottedlaurel]

I fell behind on my target completion rate of two kits per month in March. I'm doing well with this pair however, so maybe I can catch up with three in April?

 

[junkyarddog]

1 hour ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Isn't it a Ford Courier? American Ford version of the Mazda B1800.

I didn't realise that until relatively recently, I thought it was just a generic pickup.

When it was in my carrycase and now on a display shelf it always seems to sit alongside the Baja Bouncer I've had since they were new. Both survived well as they came along when my playing with toy cars days were over (temporarily at least).

Yes,of course it's based on a Mazda not a Toyota.🤪

[Spottedlaurel]

3 minutes ago, junkyarddog said:

Yes,of course it's based on a Mazda not a Toyota.🤪

It also carries the plate COU 113

[eddyramrod]

22 hours ago, bunglebus said:

 the gunman in the back seat

Ah, you mean Detective Bobby Crocker, as played by Kevin Dobson?  Yes of course.

[bunglebus]

Before my time!

[sierraman]

Any sign of the Matchbox Ford Crapi in the Tesco?

[bunglebus]

No. Watching Lamley's videos, he suggests that rather than each casting appearing over 2-3 cases, they're only in 1. Also when he opened the case with the Capri in, there was only one example in there - so if your Tesco doesn't get that case, or it does but they only get one Capri in the box, you ain't gonna find it. Can't say I'm too happy, Mattel must know people are going to want that one.