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| Bert Finds the Matchbox; A Nostalgia Trip | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 22 2015, 10:00 PM (23,074 Views) | |
| Douglas | Nov 27 2015, 06:14 PM Post #76 |
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Nobody is going to see what those wheels look like after Bert goes out mudding. Cool Custom!
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| guy64 | Nov 28 2015, 04:30 PM Post #77 |
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Thanks, Doug. I sometimes wonder about real "monster" trucks, how much water or mud they could actually ford before they began to float. Lotta buoyancy in those tires. |
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| guy64 | Nov 28 2015, 04:45 PM Post #78 |
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Another of my personal favorites...![]() ... which is derived from yet another personal favorite that we don't yet have. If this "Ruff Trek" had been part of my childhood, it would show a lot more play wear. But by the time it was first issued I was well into adulthood and working on my career in sound engineering. I was glad enough to find this one when I did; even more glad now. I have a "beater" (white) that I intend to repaint, lower and re-wheel. Haven't decided exactly how I'll lower that rear end, but it's gonna be lower than this. MB made quite a few changes to turn the Ute into the Ruff Trek besides jacking up the rear: Enlarged front wheel arches for the bigger tires, roll/light bar, front grill/bumper/push bars, bed load, etc. Sadly, the body tooling was showing its age with that ragged ridge meandering from front to rear along the upper edges. "Kid, where's the one with the motorcycles in the back?" That's the one I'm searching for, Officer. Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 05:35 PM.
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| guy64 | Nov 30 2015, 10:05 PM Post #79 |
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A $1 version of that Premier Edition from a while back...![]() In some ways these generic wheels--a very realistic design--look more appropriate on this car than those on the PE. The tire circumference is smaller, and the tires are narrower. These wheels/tires seem to fit under the car better. But, the decorated bumpers, trim and headlights of the PE add so much. And, on a car, I do like red more than green. "When do I get to see a blue one?" Possibly when you get in front of a camera again.
Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 05:42 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 1 2015, 08:37 PM Post #80 |
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Another early purchase...![]() ... although, by the time we got this Jeep Cherokee, our purposes had shifted from "slot track props" to "train layout props". At the time 1/58 was the top of our scale tolerance window, so this very useful service business vehicle squeaked in. I'm not sure how accurate the scale figure of 1/58 is for this SUV. Seems like it could actually be smaller than that. (Maybe one of you real Jeep owners could tell us.) Though the top of our window has dropped to 1/60, we've still gotten other versions of this casting given the scale ambiguity. "You mean this thing isn't supposed to be this big?" Maybe not, or not quite, Officer. Btw, does anyone know if there's a hidden message in that phone number? Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 05:44 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 2 2015, 09:03 PM Post #81 |
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Let's see if Bert likes this one...![]() ...(even though it is 1/69.) I think cars like this are why Bert misses the 8-Dot era so much. "Now this makes me nostalgic. But kid, yer killin' me with that blue glass." Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 05:47 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 3 2015, 10:28 PM Post #82 |
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The base says it's 1/64...![]() ... which is believable if it's viewed from the side. But it may be that the "Matchbox Stretch" has influenced the width of this casting. This is--I think--the earliest MB casting we have with these wheels. Apparently they were meant to mimic the crosshatch faux wire wheel alloy wheels that were popular during this era. MB's design is almost there, but the wheels stick out from the tire walls, making an awkward look. We don't think they quite do justice to the casting. "Ahem..." Yes, Officer? "Doors: They open. Keys: I no got 'em." We've been over this before, haven't we Officer? "Well, I just thought I'd try..."
Edited by guy64, Sep 22 2017, 01:16 AM.
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| guy64 | Dec 4 2015, 09:44 PM Post #83 |
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Another high point of the 8-Dot era..![]() And, at 1/60, another miss, scale-wise. Other than that, it's tough to fault this rendering, especially given the clever way the casting is divided up; making the plastic belt trim part of the interior along with the tail lights, the windshield and head lights all in one piece, multiple body pieces... "That's a lotta pieces for a buck." Just what I was thinking, Officer. Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 05:53 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 5 2015, 07:24 PM Post #84 |
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Silver Beemers... Silver Beemers... It's Christmas tiiiiiiiiiiiiime in the city... ![]() ... wait, what? Sorry, just taking a break from Christmas decorating, so we're kind of in that mood. No, der Bingle wasn't singing about BMWs, but about silver bells. At 1/59, this silver BMW isn't exactly something to sing about, scale-wise. Nevertheless, it is nicely proportioned; done quite well. "So, yer not complaining too much." No, Officer, just enough.
Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 05:55 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 7 2015, 08:43 PM Post #85 |
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My very favorite Matchbox BMW...![]() ... and it's not even 1/64. Ok, 1/62 isn't that far off. MB went all out for this Premier Edition. Did it get any better for MB? I don't think so. "It's so nice, I'm dead sure nobody will let me drive it." You've cracked the code, Officer. Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 05:57 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 8 2015, 08:30 PM Post #86 |
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From the pinnacle to the basement...![]() Remember when Chrysler introduced the PT Cruiser? Seemed like half the world wanted one, dinnit? Here in SoCal they were going for way over MSRP, and were back-ordered for eons. When they finally did begin to appear on the road, they always turned heads. That was then. Nowadays, the "retro" thing has begun to wear thin; especially retro-ugly. I mean, evoking a '67 Camaro is one thing, but the PT went all the way back to the '30s! Many, many ugly cars were produced during that decade, and the Cruiser "evokes" them perfectly. So why did I buy this thing? No, I don't have to have everything MB makes. Not by a long shot. But there's that train layout thing, and I occasionally need road vehicles for the layout (Bert's world, actually) that I don't necessarily like. And, when MB offered this casting the novelty factor of the PT still had some force. (JL would later bring out a better model that is smaller; probably much closer to 1/64. We have that, and that's the last PT Cruiser I plan to buy.) MB did pretty well with the proportions of the body. Then they garnished the ugly casting with their ugliest wheels. Appropriate, in a sad sort of way. There's no scale figure on this casting as I recall, but I'm pretty sure it's bigger than 1/64. (Doesn't disappoint me all that much.) "Wait, what do you mean my world? Are you saying you bought this thing for me?" Just trying to make you feel real, Officer. "Kid, please don't do me any more favors. And you're awful opinionated today, aren't you?" What do you mean, "today", Officer?
Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 06:00 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 9 2015, 09:27 PM Post #87 |
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Now here's an interesting concept...![]() Did a production version of this VW ever happen? I don't remember. There's no scale figure given on the base of this casting, but we have the impression it's bigger than 1/64. With a name like "Microbus", there's the presumption the real one would be pretty small. Gotta keep reminding myself that this is a VW. These wheels--which look good--do look a bit BMW-ish. "You sure it's not a Beemer?" Come around and look at the front end, Officer. "Oh, yeah..."
Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 06:03 PM.
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| Hobie-wan | Dec 9 2015, 11:32 PM Post #88 |
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It was only ever a concept vehicle unfortunately. |
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| Douglas | Dec 10 2015, 05:22 PM Post #89 |
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Below are some specs for an 87 Cherokee, I'm not sure what year the Mbx represents, but it was first issued in 1986, so probably the same. I don't have one of my Mbx Cherokee's handy to measure, so you'll have to do the math.
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| guy64 | Dec 10 2015, 08:35 PM Post #90 |
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Thanks, Douglas. We don't have our MB Cherokee handy either! But thanks for the 1/1 info.It may not be the time of year for it, but... ![]() ... this version of MB's Firebird makes us feel all "summer-y". It's those colors. They're like a sunny day at the beach. "Don't worry, kid. There's bound to be MB people in the Southern Hemisphere who can identify..." Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 06:05 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 12 2015, 12:44 AM Post #91 |
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The SSR was a very cool concept, in theory at least. When the Chevy SSR was announced, I and many of my fellow El Camino fans thought, "AT LAST!!!" The long-awaited return of a car/truck to the Chevrolet line-up was welcomed, and much anticipated. Given the "retro" trend at the time, I think most of us expected that shtick would be applied to the SSR, but we were still optimistic. "It's gonna be retro? Well, that's not bad (necessarily)." I think many hoped the "retro" would be "retro 1970". That worked out pretty well for concepts like the Dodge Challenger. As the concept was revealed, the "shine" began to dull little by little. For one thing, the car/truck would be more of a truck/car. When I found that out, my expectations turned from early '70s retro to mid '50s retro. "Still could be good. Kinda like a Cameo, or Apache." But no, the retro would be retro early '50s. "Yick. Didn't like the early '50s trucks that much." Things went downhill from there. It wasn't just the look of the thing, the SSR would fall victim to "cool" features which would make it... well... almost useless by past car/truck standards. It would be given a retractable top. Sounds cool at first; who doesn't like a convertible hard-top? But that top has to go somewhere, and that somewhere turned out to be the truck/car's bed. Scratch a chunk of bed space. And of course, we can't have the aero-drag of an open bed, so on goes a permanently attached hard cover. Scratch any tall loads. "Well, bet the thing is fast!" Well, turns out, not so fast. According to reviews I've read, the SSR's performance is not all that great. Certainly not what was expected given the preliminary hype. As for myself, I wasn't hoping for a hot-rod anyway, but for a drivable sporty-but-useful car/truck that would carry things; you now, tall things, big things. What we got was a retro-ugly two-seater truck/convertible that carries much less than an El Camino but compensates by being significantly slower than a Corvette. Is it any wonder these things are rarely seen on the street? Rarely seen, even in SoCal. Even in the summer! In fact, should I cruise PCH and venture into the "up-scale" regions of the coastal cities--say Newport Beach or Laguna--I'm more likely to see a Lamborghini than a Chevy SSR. (Lambos aren't cheap, btw.) The thing is much easier to find in 1/64-ish diecast... ![]() Matchbox did well with it; at 1/62 scale it's not far off. Premier Edition features help, with the wheels looking pretty close to the real ones. "Well, the color sure is cool." Yes, Officer, Cobalt Blue is the very definition of "cool". Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 06:23 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 12 2015, 05:38 PM Post #92 |
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Wonder if Bert will like this one...![]() "It's... it's... it's beautiful! (sniff)"
Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 06:25 PM.
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| Douglas | Dec 12 2015, 06:25 PM Post #93 |
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Bert is right, that is beautiful..... wish they'd dust off the mold and use it in another premium series, but it was probably lost with the China factory. |
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| revwheels | Dec 13 2015, 10:20 AM Post #94 |
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Watch it, Officer! My first driver happened to be a farm-fresh 1950 Chevy Pick-up. |
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| guy64 | Dec 14 2015, 09:58 PM Post #95 |
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More blue for Bert...![]() ... this time on a Mustang. MB did alright on this casting as well, except for a recurring practice: Aiming a little too high with the scale. At 1/60 the size is off just enough to make it hard to compare with 1/63 Camaros (let alone 1/64 Camaros). "Kid, I wonder if 'Stang fans really care." I'll bet some do, officer. (I know of a certain Camaro fan who does.) Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 06:28 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 15 2015, 09:19 PM Post #96 |
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This is the reason I haven't removed the tampoes from that other aqua '57 Chevy rag top...![]() This Premier Edition made it unnecessary. Seems like MB went all-out for this one. The grill alone has four colors, not even counting the chrome. "They were definitely trying to push a Chevy guy's buttons." That they were. How'd they do, Officer? "Just fine, kid. Just fine." Edited by guy64, Jul 18 2017, 01:16 AM.
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| microbuss | Dec 15 2015, 09:34 PM Post #97 |
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Matchbox made a Trans Am race car with Duracell on it I always felt it was weird seeing them monster tires, which are from Matchbox obviously, looked odd on a Hot Wheels
Edited by microbuss, Dec 15 2015, 09:35 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 16 2015, 10:25 PM Post #98 |
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Matchbox did the old "new Beetle" pretty well...![]() At 1/61 it was considerably closer to our ideal scale (1/64) than their rendering of the Concept. The Concept is also stated to be 1/61 on the base, but it has to be bigger than that, maybe 1/58 or more. Given the wife-unit's VW Bug bug, this Coca Cola version was not quite safe to pass up. If it weren't for the flower wheels, well... "Those wheels really bug you, don't they?" Don't tell me you like them, Officer. "Did I say that? Why would I say that? I never said that!" Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 06:34 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 17 2015, 09:40 PM Post #99 |
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Something to tow with that tow hook...![]() The file name I stuck on this image says it's 1/64, but I don't remember seeing that figure on it. I've been known to miss listing a scale figure when there is one on the model, but not vice-versa. So, it must be true! "Kid, I need to do a more thorough inspection of this vehicle." Sure, Officer...
Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 09:02 PM.
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| guy64 | Dec 18 2015, 10:41 PM Post #100 |
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One of Pontiac's last efforts to survive...![]() ... documented by Matchbox. At 1/63 (assuming that's accurate), this Pontiac Vibe is well within a +5% error margin to 1/64. So, we're within 5% of the "happy ratio". I'm not very familiar with the real one at all. Never saw it around here much, mostly in pictures. But overall MB's rendering appears to be a very faithful representation. If you like the real one and want a MB replica in "1/64", the Premier Edition (or whatever it was called) is the one to have. This casting is one of those that really loses a lot without front/rear detail tampoes, as the $1 version shows... ![]() "Kid, I'm quite certain the 2nd one will fail a safety check." Again? Edited by guy64, Jul 18 2017, 01:17 AM.
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2:17 PM Jul 11
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5490MBPickUp.jpg (69.23 KB)










The long-awaited return of a car/truck to the Chevrolet line-up was welcomed, and much anticipated.
Given the "retro" trend at the time, I think most of us expected that shtick would be applied to the SSR, but we were still optimistic. "It's gonna be retro? Well, that's not bad (necessarily)." I think many hoped the "retro" would be "retro 1970". That worked out pretty well for concepts like the Dodge Challenger.









2:17 PM Jul 11