fodenway Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 On 04/01/2024 at 17:51, fodenway said: A couple of 4mm scale models you'd be hard pressed to find today - which is just what I did at the Newark Toy Fair last week. These two were made by someone in the early post-war days using "Modelcraft" plans and instructions. They are made from card and wood, with the little Morris 8 Series E being made from a series of thin card profiles, carefully cut to shape, glued together, shellac'd and sanded to shape. The Fordson 7V is simpler, construction-wise, but none the less detailed. To think in those days, kits as we know them today were non-existent, a kit in those days consisted of a set of drawings, instructions and the raw materials (pre-printed and possibly pre-cut wood and card), but you would probably have to mix and boil up your glue (Cascamite was my grandad's choice), and maybe even mix your own paint from linseed oil and pigments. It is incredible that these have survived so long, and show just what can be achieved using only very basic materials - and a whole lot of patience and skill. On 03/01/2024 at 20:52, fodenway said: A fairly recent Matchbox introduction in the 'Retro Series' is this 1975 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, and it works out to exactly 1/76 scale. Full-size dimensions are:- Wheelbase 126.3 inches, width 80 inches, overall length 225 inches. The blue one seems to be quite common, I picked this up, still carded, at Newark Toy Fair a couple of days ago for £2, and the same dealer had four or five left. There is also a creamy-yellow version, and a metallic coppery-red (with red interior) that looks really good, but these last two seem to be fetching higher prices on ebay. With the addition of a driver figure, mirrors, some better wheels and some detail painting this will be a welcome addition to my collection. With a change of wheels (Classix Ford Zodiac Mk1), a colour change for the interior and a bit of detail painting, plus the addition of mirrors and a driver, the toy Cadillac becomes an acceptable scale model. 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold phil_sutters Posted January 19 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 19 I have just started to upload photos to a new album - Highbridge Wharf - Road vehicles. The first few photos will show two new purchases from a wargames and military model 3D printing supplier - Paint and Glue Miniatures - as they arrived or were initially put together and when they are painted. As with other 3D printers he offers his models in a number of scales. There are very few items in the range which are civilian types. The Liberty B truck, supplied by the US Army towards the end of WW1, apparently didn't make it to England. Most returned to the US after the war with a few remaining in France and Belgium. I found this after having ordered one! So I shall have to apply rule 1. Perhaps someone bought one from a French haulier. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 One vehicle I've not seen referred-to on this thread (I may well have missed it) is the Lesney Vauxhall Victor FA (No.45) which I'd long harboured and finally got round to measuring yesterday. It scales at 1:76 pretty much exactly. Note Husky Citroën Safari at the back! 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 I had one of the Midget versions of that which was just a little too long. Being whitemetal it wasn't too hard to cut and shut with a razor saw. 1957-9 Victor F dimensions (inches) w.b. 98, length 167, width 62¼, height unladen 58¼. Divide by 3 for 4mm scale millimetres. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 My Speke to Bathgate cartrain has a payload of Minix FCs, given that it's running in 1967-68. The FAs will be on-street! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 23 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 23 6 hours ago, 'CHARD said: One vehicle I've not seen referred-to on this thread (I may well have missed it) is the Lesney Vauxhall Victor FA (No.45) which I'd long harboured and finally got round to measuring yesterday. It scales at 1:76 pretty much exactly. Note Husky Citroën Safari at the back! Matchbox claim their F type Victor is 1/72, but Matchbox scales are not very reliable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 (edited) Just measured my original Matchbox (45A) at 57.75mm long. 167" is about 4242mm, so the scale is about 1:73.45. Perhaps someone in Vauxhall's management realised FA perhaps wasn't the best of codenames, so these were always referred to as F, series I and II (though the final 1960-'61 model had some significant revisions, including a completely new, higher rear window and roofline but wasn't called series III). I still need to build an FE to complete the line-up. Edited February 23 by BernardTPM 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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