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| Bert Finds the Matchbox; A Nostalgia Trip | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 22 2015, 10:00 PM (23,059 Views) | |
| guy64 | Jul 23 2016, 04:10 PM Post #451 |
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Station Wagon
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The first time Bert saw the '75 Chevy Stepside...![]() .. he had a tough time believing it's really 1/62 scale. He still does. For some reason, it looks a bit smaller than 1/64, let alone 1/62. It was about this time (2008) that we began to question MB's scale specs on some models. Another sign of things to come is the moon roof, a way of reducing weight by reducing metal content. Other than all that, it's a very nice model with good colors, great tamps, even an open bed! "Kid, you could really reduce the confusion in my life by taking some measurements and doing some research." Sure, Officer! Suppose we begin that with the next photo shoot?
Edited by guy64, Jul 17 2017, 12:35 AM.
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| guy64 | Jul 25 2016, 07:18 PM Post #452 |
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Station Wagon
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Another '71 Chevelle...![]() ... this time with the invisible windshield treatment. Oh well, the rest of this 1/64 rag top is done well. The color (teal?) is a bit unusual for an American car of the early '70s, but very nice. The white hood tamp is very '70s, and black for the interior color is usually a safe choice. It would have been nice to have some turn indicator tamps, but... "You gotta pay Superfast prices to get those on this casting, kid. Remember the red one?" Yeah, I remember, Officer. But this one cost less and has much better wheels than that Superfast edition, so, there's that. Now, where did I put that silver Sharpie... Edited by guy64, Jul 17 2017, 12:38 AM.
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| guy64 | Jul 26 2016, 09:43 PM Post #453 |
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Station Wagon
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A well-loved toy from a nephew...![]() A different nephew than the one who "modified" that Ford camper from a while ago. This nephew didn't chew on things so much; certainly not on metal toys. And this earlier version of MB's '57 T-bird has a metal base instead of plastic. I must admit, the chrome plated plastic base of the later version looks better, but this one feels better. Must be twice the weight of the red one from the Burger Zone 5-Pack seen above. Then there's the... ahem, wheel issue. These late Superfast wheels aren't my favorite, but I still prefer them way more than the hideous FW. "Well, you know what they say, kid." What do "they" say, Officer? "Your mileage may vary." Edited by guy64, Jul 17 2017, 08:38 PM.
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| guy64 | Jul 27 2016, 07:56 PM Post #454 |
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Station Wagon
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MB does the Ford Transit again...![]() ... as one of several "Transit" types seen over the decades. We missed this 1990 edition of Ford's mid-'80s Transit during its first run, but found it (two, actually) at a swap meet for 50 cents each. Not bad for a branded utility vehicle that could appear in multiples on a train layout. Matchbox overshot the scale mark slightly at 1/63, but it's a van, so a dash of excess bigness isn't so noticeable. (Is it?) Besides, 1/63 is much better than the '07 Transit (the Bilstein seen earlier) done at 1/69. "Kid, what happened to the tires on this thing?" Not sure Officer. I'm wondering if the original owner was like a certain nephew of mine. "Uh-huh. See what happens when you buy a used vehicle?" But Officer, the price was too good to pass up! Edited by guy64, Jul 17 2017, 08:41 PM.
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| guy64 | Jul 28 2016, 07:17 PM Post #455 |
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Station Wagon
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Occasionally, swap meets and train shows help us fill old gaps in our collection...![]() ... which is particularly helpful where the Concept-1 or other VW Bugs are concerned. Any guy married to a Bug-loving wife-unit will understand. This was another unexpected find which I never thought we'd come across, but there it was. Some casting flaws are evident around the wheel arches, but we've seen worse. "So kid, uh, last Bug?" Don't bet on it, Officer. Edited by guy64, Jul 17 2017, 08:43 PM.
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| guy64 | Jul 29 2016, 08:28 PM Post #456 |
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Station Wagon
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I don't remember how I did it, but somehow I found two of these...![]() This one will stay "original", the other will be a custom/wheel donor. The casting lines left by the well-worn tooling will be removed during alterations, of course. Not often do we find a plentiful version of a favorite casting worth customizing which also has wheels that can be used for another custom. It kinda sorta partially helps make up for the stuff we never find at all. (Still looking for the Transit Connect, the Dodge A-100, etc.) "Hey kid, will that custom be blue?" Probably not, Officer. But you'll have this one to enjoy. Edited by guy64, Jul 17 2017, 08:45 PM.
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| guy64 | Jul 30 2016, 05:37 PM Post #457 |
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Station Wagon
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A very pleasant Matchbox surprise...![]() We found this Citroen CX at a train meet, jangling around in a box full of other well-used diecast cars. I'd heard of the MB model before, and upon seeing it "in the metal" I assumed it was way under 1/64 scale, probably 1/70 or so. Because it's a wagon I grabbed it anyway, supposing I'd restore it and put it in the background of our big layout. A couple of years later I happened to come across it on the BAMCA database while researching another model, and wouldn't you know they list it as... 1/62 scale! That was totally unexpected. I'd hoped my estimation of the car's scale was too pessimistic, but I was sure I was on the right side of 1/64. The model had to be smaller than 1/64 (so I though). And yet it turns out to be too big? So the real one must be quite a bit smaller than I imagined. In my defense, I must point out that Citroens--especially of this vintage--aren't something one sees on the streets of SoCal; not very often, anyway. After cleaning it up (it was stuffed full of dirt) it "displays" better than I anticipated, but I'll probably still try a resto and re-wheel if I ever find some wheels that suit this semi-exotic wagon. "Kid, I do appreciate you cleaning the dirt out of it before bringing it to my lot." It was the least I could do, Officer. Edited by guy64, Jul 17 2017, 08:47 PM.
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| Mark F. | Jul 30 2016, 06:37 PM Post #458 |
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Minivan
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Great find. Later, they actually increased the metal content of that model by making it into a sedan delivery:
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| microbuss | Jul 30 2016, 08:42 PM Post #459 |
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SUV
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oh maaaan I been looking for that Ryder Pretty cool on both Citreon models
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| guy64 | Aug 1 2016, 07:30 PM Post #460 |
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Station Wagon
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It was great in two different blues...![]() ... it's still great in red. Glass, wheels, interior color, tampoes... Matchbox did everything right on this Audi wagon that they did on the blue ones. And since the scale is 1/64, none of it is wasted. It's been issued in several other colors (which we don't have). Occasionally it rides on "Prius wheels". Sorry this isn't another shade of Blue, Officer. "Hey kid, I never said I didn't like red. I just don't want to wear it, is all." Edited by guy64, Jul 17 2017, 08:50 PM.
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| juantoo3 | Aug 1 2016, 08:00 PM Post #461 |
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In my defense... ... I do recall the previous iteration of Citroen on the streets of SoCal back in the day...not often, and certainly not common, but they were around if you looked. They stood out to me, I thought they were hideous at the time. (Time wounds all heels)PS, your nephew with the Tbird has great taste in diecast. |
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| Ripa | Aug 2 2016, 01:35 AM Post #462 |
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Minivan
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By European standards, the CX is a large car, and the design doesn't make it look any smaller. But that is nothing when it is compared to the American full-size sedans and wagons that are extra-extra-large when compared to European large cars. So 1/62 might be true, but my guess would have been on the other side of 1/64 too - for example the MBX Lincoln Town Car is 1/76. |
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| guy64 | Aug 2 2016, 08:42 PM Post #463 |
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Station Wagon
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Y'see, Officer? I told you not to bet there'd be no more Bugs...![]() This train meet find appears to be an ordinary red Concept-1, but if you look closely, you can see tiny specs of white (or is it silver?) sprinkled lightly all over the car. I can't tell if it's a mistake. Was it supposed to be a plain solid red color or a sparkly red color that passed by the sparkle applicator just as it went empty? All I can say for sure is, the car is red. And a Bug, so it came home. This casting is pretty clean. No deformation or mold wear is evident. "You didn't mention that other thing, kid." I know, that other thing about the round things thing. I'm trying to not think of what might have been, round thing-wise. I'm just grateful for the Camaro wheels on this one. Edited by guy64, Jul 17 2017, 08:53 PM.
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| guy64 | Aug 3 2016, 07:10 PM Post #464 |
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Station Wagon
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"Metallic Mud" is not a color that I can find at any car-care center...![]() ... but it infiltrated the world of Matchbox, somehow. I've seen it on real cars, and always wondered if the owner ordered that color from the factory, or if he got a really good deal for taking the car off the dealer's hands. I certainly don't like the color for itself, but I'm glad it appeared on a MB Prius since the color is so realistic. Combined with the interior, glass and perfect tamps, the model is almost perfect. If it had been made 1/64 instead of 1/62... oh my. Also realistic are the generic wheels. They are hyper-appropriate for this model. It's amazing how good MB designers have gotten at coming up with generic wheel designs that capture and distill the "spirit" of real-world design trends. "Well kid, about that color... uh, all I can say is... it ain't blue." No, Officer, not in any way under any light would it ever be mistaken for blue. "So, if you come across any paint label that says 'sumpm-sumpm blue' it ain't this, right?" As Earl Scheib used to say, "Riiiiiiiiight!" Edited by guy64, Jul 17 2017, 08:56 PM.
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| juantoo3 | Aug 3 2016, 07:16 PM Post #465 |
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I'll paint any car any color for only $19.95! Which commercial was immediately followed by Cal Worthington and his "dog" Spot. |
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| LittleTommy | Aug 4 2016, 07:19 AM Post #466 |
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Microcar
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You wrote "I've seen it on real cars, and always wondered if the owner ordered that color from the factory, or if he got a really good deal for taking the car off the dealer's hands" Well, here in beautiful Western New York, where, for 5 months out of the year, the road salt, slush and mud cover your car in grime about 5 minutes after you pull out of the car wash, that color is much in demand. The car actually looks "clean" compared to every other color on the road (with the possible exception of silver). LittleTommy |
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| guy64 | Aug 4 2016, 07:03 PM Post #467 |
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Station Wagon
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So you're telling me, many people in the Northeast like a car to look as bad when it's clean as it does when it's dirty? I guess my calling the color "metallic mud" isn't so far-fetched! Bert will find this very interesting, I'm sure. |
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| Mark F. | Aug 4 2016, 07:18 PM Post #468 |
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Minivan
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I don't wash my car in the winter. You also risk freezing your doors shut. I've seen it happen. At a birthday party in the winter, I had to help "rescue" a lady out through the window of her own car because the doors wouldn't open. She said she washed the car before driving to the party. We all had a good laugh over that one. |
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| guy64 | Aug 4 2016, 07:22 PM Post #469 |
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Station Wagon
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Enough of deliberate mud...![]() Luuuuuuuuuuuuv this flirting-with-orange shade of yellow. And while I'm not a Mustang fan, I must admit this 1/64 rendering is a great model. It's one more glaring illustration of how well Matchbox can do $1 diecast when they decide to. It's also an illustration of how MB can sell me a casting that I might not have bought if it weren't 1/64. "So kid, what yer telling me is this color alone didn't sell you?" As pretty as this yellow is, scale is always the first issue with me, Officer. "Me too, kid. But this yellow is kind of cancelling some of my blue, so if we could move on..." Edited by guy64, Jul 17 2017, 08:58 PM.
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| guy64 | Aug 4 2016, 07:35 PM Post #470 |
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Station Wagon
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You know Mark, I lived in central Indiana during the late '50s/early '60s. It snowed heavily in the winter, once got down to -11 degrees F. Now that you mention it, I never saw anybody there wash their car during the Fall/Winter months. I think they were depending on the dirt sticking to the snow they had to dig their cars out of. |
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| Dean-o-mite | Aug 5 2016, 02:18 AM Post #471 |
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Muscle Car
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Your red Concept 1 Beetle was a promotional issue, and the weird sparkles exist on all them. It was a Black Friday giveaway at Target back in 2000, for the first X number of customers through the doors at each store on Black Friday morning. The back of the package was a $5 coupon for the store, good only that day, as I recall. I was living in the northern San Diego area when this was new, and had to work my mall job on Black Friday morning, but I stopped by a Target on the way home, and found three of the giveaway Beetles randomly left in different areas within the store - apparently not everyone was thrilled with their door prize, and abandoned them within the store. There were two wheel variations (chrome 5-spoke star and the flattened silver 5-spoke star) which seemed to be pretty equal in distribution quantity, and I was lucky enough to find both variations among the three examples I found in the store. Here's a less than ideal image I found through Google of a packaged example: ![]() |
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| Mark F. | Aug 5 2016, 03:40 AM Post #472 |
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Minivan
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I have one of those with the different wheels:
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| microbuss | Aug 5 2016, 11:14 AM Post #473 |
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SUV
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a few of those VW New Beetles have logos on front & back quite alot had the VW logo printed on upside down!
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| juantoo3 | Aug 5 2016, 07:55 PM Post #474 |
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But officer....I always heard orange was the *compliment* of blue. Surely you've heard of the University of Florida Gators? You know...orange and blue. Can't we all just get along?
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| guy64 | Aug 6 2016, 08:54 PM Post #475 |
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Station Wagon
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Some blue to undo the previous yellow...![]() The base says this model is "1:64". Bert was skeptical, so I dug out the model, blew 10 or 15 minutes trying to find my caliper (unsuccessful), measured the length with a ruler (2.75"), looked up the car's length on Automobile Catalog, and crunched some #s. The real car's length is 157.25" (1972 Lotus Europa Special). The model's length x64 is 176". That means the model is actually about... 1/57 scale. Quite an error, and a big disappointment, since most else--tamps, color, glass--are done well. (We won't talk about the chrome interior.) But this is an example of MB's waning credibility where their scale claims are concerned. On the plus side, it's a vindication of our scale perception. "Well kid, I gotta hand it to you for getting out of that chair and doing some research. I'm taking your name off the Slacker List." Um, I appreciate that, Officer. Edited by guy64, Jul 17 2017, 09:02 PM.
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2:17 PM Jul 11
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... I do recall the previous iteration of Citroen on the streets of SoCal back in the day...not often, and certainly not common, but they were around if you looked. They stood out to me, I thought they were hideous at the time. (Time wounds all heels)







2:17 PM Jul 11