Ok appreciate your thoughts. I messaged the seller on ebay for his response. He says you got it all wrong. His response below.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256141789926
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Good Morning.
Thank you for your message my apologies for the delay in replying to you.
Where do I start!
A good example of someone showing they don't know what they are talking about without saying they don't know what they are talking about.
He's wrong on practically every single count.
The cab on the left is the one that has been modified. It has been cut using a particularly expensive laser guided professional bit of kit, at worst there is a maximum of 0.2mm drift on the cut, basically you wouldn't notice it. The exaggerated red line he's drawn is on a picture that is not true or level and distorted by the angle the picture was taken at.
The "slope" he claims to see on the cab also doesn't exist.
To allow couplings to be fitted the original lower fairing of the HST had to be trimmed. This was done at a rakish angle to ensure that the end of the cab would cover the chassis but permit enough room for the couplings to move freely. As a consequence the lip at the bottom of the cab is ever so slightly deeper over the couplings than below the cab door. It is the same at both ends and is intended to be that way.
As for the other "cut marks", he claims to see...
The body of the Hornby HST of this era is made up of a two piece molding comprising of the bulk of the body and a separate cab piece. The main body piece has a lip to which the cab is attached to. The "cut line" he refers to on the right of the picture just doesn't exist. That is the original cab as stuck on by Hornby and has not been cut or altered. It is exactly as it was when it came out of the factory.
Regarding his comment about the "cut line" across the roof, well there isn't one and there is no need for one. The roof is exactly as Hornby made it. The cut line he claims to see is down to the camera angle on the roof grill. Again he is talking nonsense.
As it states in the ebay listing, the body is attached to a modified Blue Pullman chassis, which it fits perfectly over, with a serviced Pullman motor with the later wheels that are happy on more modern track. There's a picture on the listing showing this and the work done to the motor screw to accommodate it in the HST body shell.
This is the 38th model made in this style and have requests for more to be made. There's been a number of repeat buyers so must be doing something right then!
I hope this has answered your questions and hopefully alleviates any concerns you may have.
Regards,
Derrick