Minix (and other) car improvements

[sandwich station]

The biggest mistake by a long chalk was the bus not being 1:76.

That was so it fitted in the same size boxes. I don't reckon they would be far out for N guage.

[PhilJ W]

That was so it fitted in the same size boxes. I don't reckon they would be far out for N guage.

Unfortunately it was about 1/125 scale, so that it could use the stamped metal wheels of the car.

[BernardTPM]

Assuming it was the legal maximum length for a single decker at that time, 36 foot, then at 81.4mm long it is 1:134.8 scale - too small for Continental/US TT (1:120) and too big for British N (1:148), but a really nice model in its own right.

[Invicta]

Interesting that you plumped for the rambler but no doubt glad you did I’m sure. Unless they were selected randomly by the seller. Not much call for a 1:76 USA car.

 

 

Unless you're modelling somewhere in Oxfordshire or Suffolk in the Cold War period..

 

Certainly unusual, but not totally unknown elsewhere- I definitely remember as a kid growing up in N.W. Leicestershire in the early 70's, a near-ish neighbour having a mid/late 60's Rambler estate/station wagon. I don't recall them having any US military connections, but they ran a small nursery/garden centre so maybe the usefulness of a big estate car outweighed the complications in terms of service/parts availability of running an American car in the UK at that time.

 

It certainly stood out amongst the assortment of late 60's/early 70's Ford/BL/Vauxhall products that occupied most driveways locally!

Edited July 8, 2018 by Invicta

[alastairq]

I recall too, back in the early-ish 1960's, one or two Rambler estates around where I lived..

I also seem to think there was a bit of a sales drive ..Was it AMC who owned Rambler? Didn't they have a sales drive in the UK around the 1960's?

Edited July 8, 2018 by alastairq

[fodenway]

I recall too, back in the early-ish 1960's, one or two Rambler estates around where I lived..

I also seem to think there was a bit of a sales drive ..Was it AMC who owned Rambler? Didn't they have a sales drive in the UK around the 1960's?

AMC was indeed the parent company of Rambler, formed in the 1950's from the Hudson and Nash-Kelvinator merger. Nash had originally used 'Rambler' as a model name, becoming a brand in its own right after the demise of Hudson and Nash. There were at least two serious sales drives in the UK, once around 1963-66 and again in the early 1970s after the aquisition of Kaiser-Jeep. Ramblers were seen quite often around my area in the mid-sixties, in fact there were at least three of them in my small village - two estates owned by shopkeepers, and a saloon owned by a coalminer. Some of the 1970s imports (particularly Jeeps) had obviously been built with LHD and converted before sale here. Some had a very Heath-Robinson arrangement whereby the steering column was on the right, but the steering box was still on the left, operated by a sprocket and chain drive system across the bulkhead. It seems that the UK import operation was closed after Renault's 1979 46% stakeholding, being re-established under Chrysler ownership from 1987. A steady trickle of private and specialist imports had continued throughout.

[BernardTPM]

And Nash had a connection to Austin with the Metropolitan.

[divibandit]

AMC was indeed the parent company of Rambler, formed in the 1950's from the Hudson and Nash-Kelvinator merger. Nash had originally used 'Rambler' as a model name, becoming a brand in its own right after the demise of Hudson and Nash. There were at least two serious sales drives in the UK, once around 1963-66 and again in the early 1970s after the aquisition of Kaiser-Jeep. Ramblers were seen quite often around my area in the mid-sixties, in fact there were at least three of them in my small village - two estates owned by shopkeepers, and a saloon owned by a coalminer. Some of the 1970s imports (particularly Jeeps) had obviously been built with LHD and converted before sale here. Some had a very Heath-Robinson arrangement whereby the steering column was on the right, but the steering box was still on the left, operated by a sprocket and chain drive system across the bulkhead. It seems that the UK import operation was closed after Renault's 1979 46% stakeholding, being re-established under Chrysler ownership from 1987. A steady trickle of private and specialist imports had continued throughout.

Hi,

I seem to remember some connection between Renault and Mack Trucks in the late 70s, was there a tie-up between AMC and Mack or was it just coincidence? 

Either way, it would give Renault a foothold in the American truck market.

Steve

[SRman]

Hi,

I seem to remember some connection between Renault and Mack Trucks in the late 70s, was there a tie-up between AMC and Mack or was it just coincidence? 

Either way, it would give Renault a foothold in the American truck market.

Steve

 

There was certainly some sort of tie up. Canberra bought a whole heap of Renault PR100 buses for their public transport system: all were badged as Macks.

[BernardTPM]

Renault bought a large stake in AMC in 1979 and there were several Renault derived models introduced so such badge engineering is not surprising.

[PhilJ W]

Just collected from the sorting office earlier this evening a pair of Lima Fiat 131's which are 00 scale rather than H0. Very similar to Minix models.

[quicksilvercoaches]

And here's some inspiration, a real 131 of the same spec as the model seen at the brilliant Festival of the Unexceptional yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

And there were two other later ones there too. Not bad for such a rare car!

 

 

 

[ianmacc]

I would be very interested to see more images from the day. A great idea. A car show of the cars we all drove rather than exotica.

[quicksilvercoaches]

Here you go then, my Flickr album should give a good flavour of the event. It's a bit depressing to think how few of these once common cars are available as OO or N scale models.

[ianmacc]

Here you go then, my Flickr album should give a good flavour of the event. It's a bit depressing to think how few of these once common cars are available as OO or N scale models.

Very much appreciated. Some well known classics and some I had forgotten even existed. Particularly surprising how some cars even as recent as the nineties have left our streets without so much as a ripple!

[Enterprisingwestern]

A very interesting set of pics, thanks.

The Lancia being a great survivor in every sense of the word!

 

Mike.

[RANGERS]

Thanks for posting those, unexceptional they maybe once were but all exceptional now. The Audi 200 Avant looks like the one which was for sale at the Deena Park Audi show last summer, bought by a lady from Peterborough who arrived in a very tidy and extremely rare 2 door Audi 80.

['CHARD]

Here you go then, my Flickr album should give a good flavour of the event. It's a bit depressing to think how few of these once common cars are available as OO or N scale models.

 

Thanks for sharing your exceptional gallery, incredible memories it brings back.

[steve1]

Here you go then, my Flickr album should give a good flavour of the event. It's a bit depressing to think how few of these once common cars are available as OO or N scale models.

Some rare beasts there!

 

Also, 6 lovely Saabs and, um, a 9000*. Never been quite so sold on those...

 

steve

 

* Yes, I know it's a Fiat/Lancia/Alfa

[divibandit]

Brilliant pics, Quicksilver!

I love that Lancia Beta Montecarlo, I know they had their faults but I think they're great!

Where was this event, please?

 

Steve

[quicksilvercoaches]

Time to revive my old thread as I've just completed a restoration I'm very pleased with. This poor old Dinky Dublo Singer had seen better days.

 

It took four applications of Nitromors and much scraping to get all that paint off. Still red as most of the photos I found online are of red ones and I didn't think the original yellow suited it, but a much better finish. The wheels and screen are from an Oxford Diecast Morris 8.

[quicksilvercoaches]

Earlier in this thread I mentioned my idea of trying to convert a Minix Landcrab into a Maxi. That got knocked on the head when Oxford announced their Maxi and now inevitably I've repainted one to match my real car. Yes the Oxford Maxi has its faults but I think it's better than anything I could have made and replacing the oversized wheels has really helped. My car is a standard 1750 rather than the posh HLS so I had to grind off the bumper underriders too.

 

 

 

 

 

Incidentally, I don't know if anyone here follows Ian Seabrook aka HubNut on YouTube, but you'll find a video of him road testing this very car on his channel.

[RLWP]

My Father-in-law had a twin carb Maxi HLS. A much underrated car.

 

Despite it's dowdy looks it had an excellent turn of speed and pretty good handling. You could also carry an eight foot plank inside with the tailgate shut

 

Richard

[Enterprisingwestern]

58 minutes ago, RLWP said:

My Father-in-law had a twin carb Maxi HLS. A much underrated car.

 

Despite it's dowdy looks it had an excellent turn of speed and pretty good handling. You could also carry an eight foot plank inside with the tailgate shut

 

Richard

 

That's not a nice thing to say about your Mother in Law!

 

Mike.

[Les Bird]

Sorry to be pedantic but can I point out that the Singer is a Dublo Dinky not a Dinky Dublo.