ianmacc Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 This is my mild upgrade of the stuff of legend that is the Minix Vauxhall Cresta PB Friary estate. Replaced the wheels with those from the Oxford Humber Super Snipe as their track and diameter are almost identical. Painted the chrome below the front and rear bumpers a darker version of body colour to tone down and bring closer to the prototype. I haven’t touched the front indicators as they’re colourless on the photos of real ones online, which surprised me as I expected to need to do them orange. I touched in the rear lights red. Didn’t do the chrome surround in case I ruined it! The ones online showed the indicators on the inner face of the light clusters - looks wrong so I’ve left it all red. The seats and glazing are welded to the body so the interior and body will not receive any painting. I will add number plates at some point. Not as in depth or drastic as my usual upgrades but there aren’t the huge backups like with the ubiquitous Anglo etc! The body is unfastened from the base hence the gap at the front where I didn’t push it down fully for the photo. It was a delicate affair separating them! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 With recent talk of Minix models I felt it was opportune to show some of my own efforts to bring some of these up to modern standards, albeit nowhere near the scale of 'CHARD's incredible undertaking. I still think the body mouldings are superb but were really let down by the terrible wheels, particularly on the later ones with black wheels and bases, but the availability of cheap diecasts makes it easy to sort that out The Anglia and 1100 were the first two I acquired about 15 years ago as painted shells with no glazing or wheels. These both have parts from Cararama Minis, back when they were commonplace. They're showing their age a bit now. GOP726E.jpg APJ840B.jpg My next attempt was a Triumph 2000 into a Mark 1 2.5 PI using bits from the Oxford Mark 2. Painted Ford Purple Velvet so not authentic but I like it. GJH490G.jpg GJH490G1.jpg GJH490G_MYK165P.jpg This Victor is my favourite. Transformed from one of the horrible black-wheeled models with Oxford FB Victor wheels. MinixVictor.jpg HDA451D.jpg HDA451D1.jpg LHD Simca. An unusual choice for a UK company. Again this has Cararama Mini wheels. YTA194E.jpg YTA194E1.jpg Landcrab. This still has the original wheels but spaced out to the correct width and painted. DOX239C.jpg DOX239C1.jpg Corsair with Cortina wheels and interior. I slipped up here as it's supposed to be a 2000E but I realised too late that version doesn't have the chrome side strip (odd that the posh one has less chrome than lesser models). THP200H.jpg My most ambitious conversion so far. I used to own a Triumph Dolomite and always wanted a model of it, then one day I was looking at a Minix Triumph 2000 and realised with a bit of chopping and changing I might be able to make a passable Dolomite. MWL737W2.jpg MWL737W1.jpg MWL737W.jpg As the current owner of an Austin Maxi, for my next trick I intend to try converting a Landcrab into a Maxi using the front end of a Mark 2 Cortina. Nice conversions! Putting a thin wash of black over those silver grilles would give them a bit of depth. steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Black chassis Victors are rare; At an exhibition in Kent I was told by someone who said they'd worked for Hornby, that when it was obvious the Triumph 2000 tool wouldn't last much longer (this would have been the early 1980s) the factory re-ran the other tools to see which would be the best short-term replacement while the Ford Sierra (a terrible model who's only redeeming feature was that it screwed together) was tooled up. In the end they chose the Sunbeam Alpine (Hattons still have them at £1 each). Anyway, here's just a few I've detailed/repainted/mucked about with: Ironically a Triumph Mk.I converted to a Mk.II, but I did do it over 30 years ago, long before the Oxford model was even dreamed of. Might finish it one day... Hattons Sunbeam Alpine now down to 50p a throw......... I have/had one, with a silver chassis..... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 That BL 1300 GT looks just right. Wondered why the Minx is bigger than the Corsair though as I'm pretty sure they weren't in real life. steve 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted June 22, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 22, 2018 That BL 1300 GT looks just right. Wondered why the Minx is bigger than the Corsair though as I'm pretty sure they weren't in real life. steve The models are very accurate, the Minx looking larger is just the effect of the camera lens. In fact the Minx is a bit shorter than the Corsair but a tad taller, as per prototype. (I have both models and compared them side by side.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 That BL 1300 GT looks just right. Thanks, Steve. It's right at the back too, having the revised, cut-back tailfins whereas Oxford modelled the Mk.I tailfins at the back and the GT Mk.II/III size grille at the front. The MINIX model comes, of course, with Mk.I tailfins since there were no Mk.II or III versions when it was tooled, but it's plastic and easy to alter. The revised tail lights lived on for many years on the back of FX4 taxis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fodenway Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Here's one of those cheap Alpines after conversion to a Tiger convertible. The solid black "glass" had to go, and I decided to go the topless route and fitted a trimmed-down Cararama Morgan interior and alloy wheels from their Capri (or was it the Lotus Europa?). It may not be 100% correct, but still an improvement on the Hornby/Minix offering. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Makes a nice change from an MGB too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Here's one of those cheap Alpines after conversion to a Tiger convertible. The solid black "glass" had to go, and I decided to go the topless route and fitted a trimmed-down Cararama Morgan interior and alloy wheels from their Capri (or was it the Lotus Europa?). It may not be 100% correct, but still an improvement on the Hornby/Minix offering. Great conversion. The wheels are the Capri ones. Is it based on a real example? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 (edited) Don't like to be hyper critical of such a fine conversion but Tigers had a chrome strip along the side... https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Sunbeam_Tiger%283%29.jpg/1200px-Sunbeam_Tiger%283%29.jpg steve Edited June 23, 2018 by steve1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 (edited) The chrome strip was standard on the Mk.I version which most Tigers are, but the MK.II version didn't have the strip, but it did have a different front grille. I suspect the model is based on a real car and often owners do make changes from original spec. Edited June 23, 2018 by BernardTPM Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwich station Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Don't like to be hyper critical of such a fine conversion but Tigers had a chrome strip along the side... https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Sunbeam_Tiger(3).jpg/1200px-Sunbeam_Tiger(3).jpg steve Your picture appears to show a Mk1 and a Mk11 side by side. With and without the chrome strip, different grill and lights etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fodenway Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Don't like to be hyper critical of such a fine conversion but Tigers had a chrome strip along the side... https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Sunbeam_Tiger%283%29.jpg/1200px-Sunbeam_Tiger%283%29.jpg steve Hi Steve (and others) - you're right about the trims, and to be honest, I was going to alter the grille to the mesh type, but never got around to it. Maybe some day.....! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fodenway Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 And here are a few more, based on the Thames 400E van:- 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 And here are a few more, based on the Thames 400E van:-[/quot Excellent; particularly the pickups Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcb 3c Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 Yes I particularly like the pick ups specially the GPO compressor truck , probably the only MID ENGINED van as the Fordson diesel in the back powered the van also. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmacc Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 That would explain the blanked off front grille. Wondered why... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fodenway Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 Yes I particularly like the pick ups specially the GPO compressor truck , probably the only MID ENGINED van as the Fordson diesel in the back powered the van also. Quite correct, this arrangement also allowed the Powertruc to seat three abreast in the cab. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
quicksilvercoaches Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 I finally managed to get my hands on one of the elusive Lima Fiat 131s, all the way from Barcelona. First impressions: better than the Capri as it has glazing and interior but suffers from the same issues with the wheels/axles, and it reminds me a lot of the later black base Minix. With a bit of paint and some attention to the wheels it should scrub up well. A lot of people quote this as being HO scale but it's about the same size as the Oxford Marina and looks OO to me. 4 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 I finally managed to get my hands on one of the elusive Lima Fiat 131s, all the way from Barcelona. First impressions: better than the Capri as it has glazing and interior but suffers from the same issues with the wheels/axles, and it reminds me a lot of the later black base Minix. With a bit of paint and some attention to the wheels it should scrub up well. A lot of people quote this as being HO scale but it's about the same size as the Oxford Marina and looks OO to me. Fiat_131.jpg Fiat_131_1.jpg I've just spotted a brace of these on E-bay with a 7.50 Euro start price and only 14 hours to go. So far I'm the only bidder so fingers crossed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 The interior moulding is actually the same one as used in the Capri. I cut the front and rear seats apart and shortened the parcel shelf to get the correct spacing. There were several changes to these over the years; the Lima model represents the earliest front, but later models had large, rectangular headlights. Back in the '80s I took several photos of the different fronts and rears with the aim of detailing the Lima models. I'll try to find them. The rear lights are a mould compromise, but are easily altered to the 'T' shape. to match the early front. I painted mine in Fiat Pippin Red which is a sort of maroonish colour. Like the Capri it comes as a 'low rider'! Lifting it to the proper height makes a big improvement even if you reuse the original wheels. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 Well, perhaps it was an intention! I could only find a photo of the rear of the third variant of tail-lights as shown here: This had a front like this. In between the first twin headlight type as modelled by Lima* was the second (and probably the most common) series with a front headlight/grille like this combined with tail-lights like these. * though with errors on the rear lights as noted in my previous post. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted June 30, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 30, 2018 I've just spotted a brace of these on E-bay with a 7.50 Euro start price and only 14 hours to go. So far I'm the only bidder so fingers crossed. I've won them but note to self. >> Check the postage before you bid! 13 Euros, almost twice what I paid for them. About £18 in all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crompton 33 Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 I've won them but note to self. >> Check the postage before you bid! 13 Euros, almost twice what I paid for them. About £18 in all. Just as well you you did not see these . Look at the postage https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-LIMA-HO-OO-Scale-Model-Railway-lot-of-4x-Plastic-Cars-Accessories/282837623438?hash=item41da6fa28e:g:T84AAOSwXtNaeZQp Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwich station Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Just as well you you did not see these . Look at the postage https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-LIMA-HO-OO-Scale-Model-Railway-lot-of-4x-Plastic-Cars-Accessories/282837623438?hash=item41da6fa28e:g:T84AAOSwXtNaeZQp It's free to me. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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