mikeharvey22 Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Might find a few 1/76 alternatives here:- https://www.a2models.nl/index.php?item=1_76-dublo-models&action=page&group_id=22&lang=nl Pre-colouring is a plus, solid windows a minus, and the sugary texture decidedly odd. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 (edited) Might find a few 1/76 alternatives here:-https://www.a2models.nl/index.php?item=1_76-dublo-models&action=page&group_id=22&lang=nlPre-colouring is a plus, solid windows a minus, and the sugary texture decidedly odd. Some left field choices there for 1:76. Also some strange choices given the ready availability of others; Mk1 transit anyone? For this thread I’d say the Rover 2000 (as opposed to the 3500) P6, Daf 66 (I remember those) and Opel Manta may fit. I would venture someone has been taking a laser scanner and 3D printer to existing Oxford die cast and Wiking etc models Edited June 19, 2018 by ianmacc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Started a new thread for the Dutch link; hope ok.. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 The Tomytec range is of particular interest to me - many thanks - as I need to find a range of Toyota vans that were imported through Sheerness in the early 1980's (as well as have a few Datsuns dotted about on the layout). But I have spent some time since your post trying to find a website that lists their products (in English!) in HO. I have found many, as well as e-bay, that mention them, but once you get in, they are nowhere to be found! Just other scales. Can you recommend a website at all please? Thanks Just thought I would put my money where my mouth is and take a punt with one of these. Had to pay a fair bit to order one on eBay. I’ll post photos when it arrives from the Far East. Will take a few weeks to arrive I reckon. A 1970s HiAce minibus. Makes a change from the usual Pxfords! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 (edited) Just thought I would put my money where my mouth is and take a punt with one of these. Had to pay a fair bit to order one on eBay. I’ll post photos when it arrives from the Far East. Will take a few weeks to arrive I reckon. A 1970s HiAce minibus. Makes a change from the usual Pxfords! Haven’t got the Toyota HiAce yet but just ordered three more tomytecs from online. A Toyota Crown 1971-74 MY. I remember these; really unusual-looking in the flesh. Also a couple of 1980s Datsun Skylines. Hopefully 1:80 won’t be too noticeable for 00. Got to be worth a shot for the opportunity to deviate from the usual choices. Edited to show a real Toyota Crown barn find. Almost nil left in the UK now Edited June 26, 2018 by ianmacc 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Has anyone mentioned the Mercedes 207D van? I had one of those in 1984 for my mobile disco business. Somebody done a model of it in HO. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Somebody done a model of it in HO. What, your mobile disco or the van? ;-) G. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 (edited) Has anyone mentioned the Mercedes 207D van? I had one of those in 1984 for my mobile disco business. Somebody done a model of it in HO.[/quote Wiking did it in panel van minibus and camper. Edited June 27, 2018 by ianmacc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted June 27, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 27, 2018 Has anyone mentioned the Mercedes 207D van? I had one of those in 1984 for my mobile disco business. Somebody done a model of it in HO. Matchbox produced one with a TV camera on the roof. The scale is 1/75 which is pretty well close to 00. The downside is it is a toy and the glazing and wheels will have to be replaced. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 (edited) Having looked it up it actually looks quite well proportioned; too often these kind of models end up looking either too wide or too low (or even both). Edited June 27, 2018 by BernardTPM 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Having looked it up it actually looks quite well proportioned; too often these kind of models end up looking either too wide or too low (or even both). Some of those liveries are brilliant! Redo the glazing and wheels and add indicators and registration plates and leave it at that! Spongebob squarepants anyone? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
quicksilvercoaches Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Matchbox produced one with a TV camera on the roof. The scale is 1/75 which is pretty well close to 00. The downside is it is a toy and the glazing and wheels will have to be replaced. I converted one of those into a minibus a long time ago, hard work but I think it looks good Real-X models are also worth looking at as they did some seventies and eighties Japanese cars that were sold in the UK like the Nissan/Datsun Skyline - they're 1/72 but the size difference isn't really noticeable. Oxford Diecast's BL cars (Allegro, Marina, Princess and the forthcoming Maxi) are perfect for 1984 as there were still loads of them about in the eighties. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 (edited) The corgi juniors Mercedes school bus is also 00 scale. I’ve seen a conversion into a panel van previously. Edited June 27, 2018 by ianmacc 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 The Tomytec range is of particular interest to me - many thanks - as I need to find a range of Toyota vans that were imported through Sheerness in the early 1980's (as well as have a few Datsuns dotted about on the layout). But I have spent some time since your post trying to find a website that lists their products (in English!) in HO. I have found many, as well as e-bay, that mention them, but once you get in, they are nowhere to be found! Just other scales. Can you recommend a website at all please? Thanks Just thought I would put my money where my mouth is and take a punt with one of these. Had to pay a fair bit to order one on eBay. I’ll post photos when it arrives from the Far East. Will take a few weeks to arrive I reckon. A 1970s HiAce minibus. Makes a change from the usual Pxfords! So the HiAce arrived today. A quick place in various locations around the layout to show it’s size in relation to 00. As stated it is actually 1:80 (perfect for Trix lol) not 1:87 H0. I don’t think it unusable by any means. The HiAce is only a mid sized van anyway ie smaller than a transit etc. Happy with it. Something different to the usual offerings. Looking forward to the next three deliveries 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ianLMS Posted June 29, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 29, 2018 Sending me back in time to when I was a young spotty yoof, all of 13 yrs old in 1984. I was 20 when I got my first "car" and it was several years old then. It was an ex British Telecom Yellow Morris Ital Van. Someone simply sprayed the sides over with a can of Halfords Yelllow and you could still see the outline of British Telecom on the side. Not sure if one is available in model form though. When I was 18, my first love was actually a 1984 Yamaha RD350YPVS LCII. Now, I know you would struggle to get one of them in model form!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Sending me back in time to when I was a young spotty yoof, all of 13 yrs old in 1984. I was 20 when I got my first "car" and it was several years old then. It was an ex British Telecom Yellow Morris Ital Van. Someone simply sprayed the sides over with a can of Halfords Yelllow and you could still see the outline of British Telecom on the side. Not sure if one is available in model form though. When I was 18, my first love was actually a 1984 Yamaha RD350YPVS LCII. Now, I know you would struggle to get one of them in model form!!! Nope neither available. You could do a 1:12 scale layout if you want a model of an RD350 on it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 I converted one of those into a minibus a long time ago, hard work but I think it looks good bnz1567.jpg Real-X models are also worth looking at as they did some seventies and eighties Japanese cars that were sold in the UK like the Nissan/Datsun Skyline - they're 1/72 but the size difference isn't really noticeable. Oxford Diecast's BL cars (Allegro, Marina, Princess and the forthcoming Maxi) are perfect for 1984 as there were still loads of them about in the eighties. Nice job there. Thanks for the tip on the real-x cars. I seem to be on a Japanese trip now. Just bought this 1/72 Datsun Skyline GT. I’ll see how it scales up in a week or so. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Sending me back in time to when I was a young spotty yoof, all of 13 yrs old in 1984. I was 20 when I got my first "car" and it was several years old then. It was an ex British Telecom Yellow Morris Ital Van. Someone simply sprayed the sides over with a can of Halfords Yelllow and you could still see the outline of British Telecom on the side. Not sure if one is available in model form though. When I was 18, my first love was actually a 1984 Yamaha RD350YPVS LCII. Now, I know you would struggle to get one of them in model form!!! Nope neither available. There was a Marina van kit originally made by a firm called Fleetmaster based in Seven Kings, Ilford, later part of the ABS range however it wasn't really right. Even after a lot of modifications this was about the best I could make out of it: The front screen is too raked and the van part isn't really tall enough. These days I'd suggest converting the ODC Marina - all Marinas had the same front doors and wheelbase. Perhaps break out the styrene sheet and filler! 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ianLMS Posted June 29, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 29, 2018 Looks pretty close - definately brings back some memories!!!! None that I will share here mind!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 (edited) There was a Marina van kit originally made by a firm called Fleetmaster based in Seven Kings, Ilford, later part of the ABS range however it wasn't really right. Even after a lot of modifications this was about the best I could make out of it: Modified Marina Van.jpg The front screen is too raked and the van part isn't really tall enough. These days I'd suggest converting the ODC Marina - all Marinas had the same front doors and wheelbase. Perhaps break out the styrene sheet and filler! I remember that kit as a spotty teenager. It was the old split grille version wasn’t it? I painted it badly in British Gas livery. Put a few cars in SRA models in Stockport on a commission selling basis but he shut up shop still with them... Edited June 30, 2018 by ianmacc 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 (edited) Yes, it was, but I was trying to update it when I built it. Effectively that's the last Marina van before the Ital grille was finally slapped on the front (note the Ital style door handles rather than the classic Marina ones). It could really do with a little more reworking in this fashion to get the top half the right height (which will improve the proportions of the rear doors no end) and the screen angle nearer to correct: Edited June 29, 2018 by BernardTPM 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcb 3c Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Nit picking- The Tomy-tec Hi-Ace appears to be a very long version , much longer than the 70's 80's UK imports I remember. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted June 29, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 29, 2018 Nit picking- The Tomy-tec Hi-Ace appears to be a very long version , much longer than the 70's 80's UK imports I remember. The extra length is behind the back axle. It should be a simple task to remove a few millimetres. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 If anybody is after one to butcher into the shorter variant there’s a few on eBay in Japanese liveries. Guess they’d be fine in that situation as they’d need painting anyway. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ianLMS Posted July 2, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 2, 2018 (edited) The Ital van I got had a metal mesh behind the front seats seperating the cargo area. This was where my 1980's Phillips Twin Tape Deck stereo was strapped to (even found a pic of the one I had)- no car radio fitted as standard so had to improvise!!! Cost me a fortune in batteries - If I was a bit more savvy back then, I could have saved up enough to buy an old radio and fitted it, but I was more interested in girls, fags and beer!! I was a scout leader at the time, and the van was excellent for lugging all the old army tents and camping gear! Ahhhh, I can still remember smelling of old campfires for days afterwards!!!!! Edited July 2, 2018 by ianLMS 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now