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Bert Finds the Matchbox; A Nostalgia Trip
Topic Started: Oct 22 2015, 10:00 PM (23,067 Views)
guy64
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A nicely colored Bug...

Posted Image

... which is still obviously too big for Bert.

No matter what color it shows up in, MB's 1/58 VW Bug still doesn't look any smaller.

I really like this deco, though I think full disc wheels better suit the '60s Bug. These wheels are cool, but they look like they belong on a Camaro. Bert wonders about the lettering right in the center of the windshield.

"That's a safety violation, kid. No way around it."

I suppose the driver isn't going anywhere until that is removed, huh, Officer?

"You're learning, kid. Finally."
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Attachments: 8587MBVWBeetle_58c.jpg (33.44 KB)
Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 08:16 PM.
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guy64
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The base says it's 1/64...

Posted Image

... and we hope that's accurate. MB did a nice job with this H3. Absolutely no nonsense with wheels, paint, glass or tampoes.

But even though the H3 isn't the biggest of Humvees, MB's rendering still seems a bit small next to Bert.

"Ahem, well kid, 6'4" is not exactly average height, y'know. Ahem-hem."

Oh, yeah. I was still trying to "imagine" you being 5'9", Officer.
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Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 08:18 PM.
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guy64
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Just the kind of thing I like to see after a weird day at work...

Posted Image

A '57 Chevy in a weird color. :wub:

Well, not a weird color, exactly. But I bet no one who saw the real '57 Chevy debut ever thought they'd see it in this color. (Maybe some of them hoped for it.) This is one of the "Superfast" editions of course, with the MB-retro SF wheels. They seem a bit big for the casting, which wouldn't be quite so apparent if the casting was made 1/64 instead of 1/66. As such, it's another puzzling avoidance of the perfect scale by MB.

Probably said it already, but these wheels don't jazz me. Then again, I'm very grateful that they're not... not...

"Go ahead and say it, kid. They're not what?"

Do I hafta say it, Officer?

Again?
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Attachments: 8643MBSF57Chevy_66c.jpg (35.05 KB)
Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 08:20 PM.
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guy64
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Another $1 edition of the BMW 850i

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... and still the opening doors survive! :bangles:

The color is great, if tampo-spoiled. Interior color works, as does the lightly tinted glass. These wheels persist in reminding me of a Camaro, though. Y-spokes would have been better, but I'm not sure those had been introduced this early in the Mattel era. Oh well, these do look better than the saw-tooth wheels on the black one seen earlier (which weren't bad.)

"Don't forget what could have happened, wheel-wise, kid."

Yes, Officer. We can always be grateful when that evil fails to manifest.
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Attachments: 8654MBBmw850i_62c.jpg (38.21 KB)
Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 08:22 PM.
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b2young
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Sad firefighter
Quote:
 
The color is great, if tampo-spoiled. Interior color works, as does the lightly tinted glass. These wheels persist in reminding me of a Camaro, though. Y-spokes would have been better, but I'm not sure those had been introduced this early in the Mattel era. Oh well, these do look better than the saw-tooth wheels on the black one seen earlier (which weren't bad.)

"Don't forget what could have happened, wheel-wise, kid."

Yes, Officer. We can always be grateful when that evil fails to manifest.


What, you got something against flowers?
Edited by b2young, Mar 30 2016, 02:21 PM.
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guy64
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b2young
Mar 30 2016, 02:19 PM

What, you got something against flowers?
Flowers are great, but flower wheels are an insult to flowers!

Btw, I found that edition of the 850i on BAMCA's website. Their photo shows it with flower wheels!

"Looks like we dodged a bullet with that one, kid."
Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 08:23 PM.
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guy64
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No, this isn't Hot Wheels...

Posted Image

But every time I see this photo in my pb album, I have to remind myself this 1/58 Nissan 300ZX is Matchbox. With those wheels it looks like something HW would do, or at least it does to me. According to the BAMCA database, this casting ran from 1990 thru 1997. (I wasn't able to find this version there.)

What was the point of chroming the glass, then half-covering that chrome with black saw blade tamps?

"I think that's to go with the lightning bolt wheels, kid."

As good a theory as any, Officer. Now, if you have a theory as to why I bought this...
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Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 08:25 PM.
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guy64
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This one was definitely a prop for the slot car track...

Posted Image

... but though we don't have a slot car track set up permanently anymore, this 1/65 Buick Le Sabre won't be leaving our stable anytime soon. (You never know if a race track might pop up around here.)

The tamps aren't kidding; this is a racing Buick. Window net, stripped interior, spoiler, braced glass, all the NASCAR elements we'd expect. Interestingly, the generic 8-dot wheels are well-suited to a left-turning stocker like this.

"All I know is, it made a heckuvalotta noise when it rolled up here, kid. I want it trailered outta here."

I have a feeling the owner won't argue with that at all, Officer.
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Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 08:27 PM.
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guy64
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Another race track prop from the same Matchbox era...

Posted Image

...1985 to 1996, according to the BAMCA database.

At 1/64, this "Pontiac Firebird Racer" (as MB calls it) sorta has the look of an IROC race car. It seems kind of generic, race-wise speaking.

"Well, whatever kind of racer it is, I better not see this guy racing on my streets."

I'm sure you won't find this being driven on the streets at all, Officer. With that extra width, it would be sure to get door dimples wherever it was parked.
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Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 08:30 PM.
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guy64
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Peugeot gets a nod from Matchbox...

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A big nod. A TOO big nod, at 1/57 scale.

Why MB didn't make the Quasar concept smaller--like, oh, I dunno... 1/64 scale?--is a mystery, but there it is. Otherwise, it's a good, well-proportioned model. And since we've never seen the real one, I have no feel for it's size.

"Well kid, best as I can 'splain it to you, this should be smaller."

Yes, yes, Officer. I thought as much.
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Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 11:44 PM.
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juantoo3
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

guy64
Apr 2 2016, 06:26 PM


A big nod. A TOO big nod, at 1/57 scale.

Why MB didn't make the Quasar concept smaller--like, oh, I dunno... 1/64 scale?--is a mystery, but there it is. Otherwise, it's a good, well-proportioned model. And since we've never seen the real one, I have no feel for it's size.

"Well kid, best as I can 'splain it to you, this should be smaller."

Yes, yes, Officer. I thought as much.
I dunno...as small as that is now, at 1/64 it might disappear... :D


(btw....I *like* the pink 57 Chevy. I wouldn't be caught dead in a real one, but I like it anyway!)
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guy64
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juantoo3
Apr 2 2016, 09:32 PM
(btw....I *like* the pink 57 Chevy. I wouldn't be caught dead in a real one, but I like it anyway!)
You know, juantoo3, I feel the same way.

But actually, it isn't exactly pink. It sorta flirts with lavender. Or no! "Lilac" is it. Should that make us less uncomfortable about it? :blush:

"Kid, I'm just glad my uniform isn't that color."

Yes, you might be taken less seriously, Officer.

"Less seriously? People would think I was selling ice cream."
Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 11:45 PM.
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daniel60
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Personal Luxury Car
Happy Birthday! ;)
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guy64
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Many thanx, daniel60!

"Tell him how old you are, kid." ^_^

Trying not to think about that, Officer.
Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 11:46 PM.
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guy64
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We were glad to find this one...

Posted Image

... but not as glad as we might have been if not for... for...

"You're having trouble expressing yourself again, kid."

That's not all I'm having trouble with Officer. I'm also having trouble fighting the urge to rip the... um, wheels off this thing and give it something more fitting. Just need to determine the as-it-is collectability factor.

Lessee, what's worse; losing the "C" factor, or enduring the FW factor... :duh:
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Attachments: 8767MBVWDelVan_58c.jpg (34.66 KB)
Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 11:48 PM.
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Hobie-wan
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Never seen that version before. Definitely cool, but would be served better with different wheels.
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Douglas
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guy64
Mar 30 2016, 10:27 PM
No, this isn't Hot Wheels...

Posted Image

But every time I see this photo in my pb album, I have to remind myself this 1/58 Nissan 300ZX is Matchbox. With those wheels it looks like something HW would do, or at least it does to me. According to the BAMCA database, this casting ran from 1990 thru 1997. (I wasn't able to find this version there.)

What was the point of chroming the glass, then half-covering that chrome with black saw blade tamps?

"I think that's to go with the lightning bolt wheels, kid."

As good a theory as any, Officer. Now, if you have a theory as to why I bought this...
It or one very similar appears to be there in the BAMCA listings, it could be variation #18, or #19 in their variation thumbnails, although the grayish looking part of your wheels appears to be more white, or possibly chrome in their photo, so I'm not sure if it is just lighting differences.

Here is a link to the variation page...... http://www.bamca.org/cgi-bin/vars.cgi?mod=MB219

Guess it was from the Matchbox Lightning Series, so it could explain all the lightning bolts. :D
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guy64
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#18 is it, Doug, thanks. The grayish/white parts of the wheels are reflective, chromed essentially.
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guy64
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Another '95 Camaro unit for Bert's approval...

Posted Image

Smooth, high-profile tires with Y-spoke wheels, un-chromed. Very serious, very business-like, in fact, very CHP. The officer assigned to this unit will have no trouble being recognized as "official law enforcement".

But whenever I see this example, I do have the urge to "treat" the rims with a silver Sharpie. You know, make it be stylin'. Just a little.

"Kid, this one's got all the style I need just like it is."
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Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 11:50 PM.
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guy64
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Whenever I see this police Bug...

Posted Image

... a certain song runs through my head:

Lovely Rita, meter maid!
May I inquire discretely...
When are you free to take some tea with me?


"So, this Beetle reminds you of the Beatles?"

Well, in a roundabout way I guess so, yeah...

yeah, yeah. :blush:
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Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 11:52 PM.
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guy64
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Bert's especially frustrated by this one...

Posted Image

A classic police ride, but it's way too small for Bert.

Bert, you see, is 1/64 scale, and kinda tall. The car is 1/70. That's right; one-SEVENTIETH!!

"Kid, I'd hurt myself just trying to get into that thing."

Your neck would never survive, Officer, that's for sure. The car is also too small for its (very nice) wheels, which mightn't be the case if it had been made 1/64. Why so small, MB? It would still fit on the card at 1/64. Y U doodeez tings 2 us?

"Rats. I thought I'd finally get to patrol in a Crown Vicky."

Well Officer, you'll just have to be happy with your Camaro.

"Yeah... oh! Yeah! So tell me again, why'd you buy this thing?"

It came in a 5-pack with these others, Officer.

"I bet Matchbox sells a lot of 'too small' cars that way."

And "too small" trucks, as well, Officer. :(
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Edited by guy64, Jul 12 2017, 11:58 PM.
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juantoo3
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

guy64
Apr 4 2016, 09:45 PM
We were glad to find this one...


... but not as glad as we might have been if not for... for...

"You're having trouble expressing yourself again, kid."

That's not all I'm having trouble with Officer. I'm also having trouble fighting the urge to rip the... um, wheels off this thing and give it something more fitting. Just need to determine the as-it-is collectability factor.

Lessee, what's worse; losing the "C" factor, or enduring the FW factor... :duh:
Cheer up. It could be worse...it could have Hot Wheels Ultra Hots...or 3 spokes...or *gag* *cough* sawblades *cough* eeeewwwwww. :P
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juantoo3
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

guy64
Apr 6 2016, 05:17 PM
Whenever I see this police Bug...

Posted Image

... a certain song runs through my head:

Lovely Rita, meter maid!
May I inquire discretely...
When are you free to take some tea with me?


"So, this Beetle reminds you of the Beatles?"

Well, in a roundabout way I guess so, yeah...

yeah, yeah. :blush:
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

And you know that can't be bad!
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guy64
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juantoo3
Apr 7 2016, 07:46 PM
Cheer up. It could be worse...it could have Hot Wheels Ultra Hots...or 3 spokes...or *gag* *cough* sawblades *cough* eeeewwwwww. :P
You mean the '80s Ultra Hots? Those were so ay-teez, weren't they? But I liked them!

The three-spokes... you mean Viper wheels? Vipers look weird without those. I like them--on Vipers.

Sawblades? You mean the three-bladed swirl pattern? Those are modelled after a real design which was seen a lot here in SoCal (especially near the coast for some reason). I like those, too. (Well, once in a while, anyway.)

I agree that none of those would look right on a VW T1. But otoh, none of those ruin a car in the peculiar, unique, "is-this-a-knock-off-or-what" way that flower wheels do so reliably. Flower wheels make any car look bad.
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guy64
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A decent generic seen before in blue...

Posted Image

... comes this time in classic B+W.

Still has the opening trunk, and once again the color of the plastic deck lid is well-matched to the body paint. No, black isn't that hard to match, but still...

The higher-profile Y-spokes are chromed on this one, making it look a bit less intimidating than the Camaro seen above. These tires are made for pavement, so Bert should have no trouble conducting high-speed chases unless he gets on I-5 again, but that's not the tires' fault is it?

"Well kid, I see the glass isn't red this time."

Uh, no, the glass isn't... red.

"Sigh. Never mind, I'll just try wearing two pairs of UV shades."
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Edited by guy64, Jul 13 2017, 12:02 AM.
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