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Bert Finds the Matchbox; A Nostalgia Trip
Topic Started: Oct 22 2015, 10:00 PM (23,073 Views)
guy64
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Station Wagon
It was more confirmation that the SUV was not a passing fad when BMW plunged into the SUV market...

Posted Image

Matchbox did a nice job with this BMW X5, as they did with the Mercedes-Benz ML430. But for some reason they were non-committal about the scale. None is listed on the base. It could be pretty close to 1/64.

"Looks like you'll have to Google the X5 and get out your caliper."

Don't you have a 1/64 tape measure, Officer?

"Sorry, I only pose for these things. I don't bring tools."
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Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 11:32 PM.
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Douglas
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I know one thing Bert likely doesn't like on this one though, that would be that ugly Matchbox logo on it that Mattel once thought was some sort of exciting improvement to Lesney's original (and more desirable) design.
Edited by Douglas, Dec 19 2015, 06:40 PM.
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guy64
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Agreed, Doug. If I knew of some type of solvent that would remove the tampo without ruining the paint, the silver logo on that X5 would have disappeared long ago. That particular blue paint is pretty, but fragile, not like the paint normally used on these things.

The solid red paint on this...

Posted Image

... would survive easily. But tampo removal is unnecessary for this 1/63 Camaro.

This is a $1 version of the Premier Edition that began this thread. The tire circumference is smaller than on the PE, and seems to suit the casting better. There's a little more room for the suspension to work.

"But, but, you aren't getting rid of the PE, are you?"

No worries, Officer, no worries.
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Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 11:34 PM.
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guy64
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We're really glad Matchbox decided to reissue this...

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So few trailers in the MB world, and we missed the first issue. No scale figure appears on the casting, but it appears to be in the 1/64 ball park. Close enough for any 1/64-ish car with a tow hook to haul around.

And happily, MB chose to retain the opening door. That works out well for Bert.

"I don't know. I'll have to hunker down all the time I'm in there."

But at least you won't need to climb in through a window, Officer.
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Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 11:36 PM.
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guy64
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One of the few Ford Expeditions in our collection...

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Most of the others we have are also emergency vehicles.

Not a bad model at 1/68, but it could have been made 1/64 and still fit on the card.

"Yer doin' it again, kid."

I know, I know... :beatit: :beatit: :beatit: :beatit: :beatit: :beatit: :beatit:
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Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 11:39 PM.
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guy64
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MB meets the WB on this 1/62 Jeep Liberty...

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Kind of a strange color to put under a cartoon tampo. I'm not sure what it has to do with Taz, Bugs and Daffy, but there it is. Besides that, looks like MB was using WB to get rid of some flower wheels. Too bad about those; the Liberty is a nice casting that merits better wheels.

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Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 11:42 PM.
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guy64
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Yet another decent casting that merits better wheels...

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This 1/63 Chevy panel truck (1939?) is the only example of the casting we have. It may undergo redemption as a custom eventually, provided there's no undiscovered "collectable" factor. Not sure what these colors have to do with Daffy, either.

We also wonder why this casting hasn't been used more in the regular $1 line.

"It sure has me scratching my head, kid."
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Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 11:45 PM.
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guy64
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One of MB's better generic castings escapes flower wheels...

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... but only because they aren't big enough for this Volvo-ish SUV, I'll bet.

"What's up with all the cartoon characters, kid?"

We must've gotten these in a WB 5-Pack or something, Officer. At least the spacey colors on this one make some sense with the character.

"The red glass must be for Marvin's sake, huh?"

Yeah, probly to make him feel at home on a non-red planet.

"Know what my favorite Marvin Martian line is?"

What?

"'There'll be no more mutiny!'"
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Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 11:50 PM.
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b2young
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Sad firefighter
Oooh, I like the light bar on the roof.....overall, even the paen to Marvin the Martian is a nice touch (how I miss those cartoons--tried watching some on the Cartoon Network a Saturday morning a year ago or so and wasn't as entertained as I hoped I would be....but they were more "recent" iterations than the old classics I grew up with).
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guy64
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b2young
Dec 29 2015, 09:39 AM
how I miss those cartoons--tried watching some on the Cartoon Network a Saturday morning a year ago or so and wasn't as entertained as I hoped I would be....but they were more "recent" iterations than the old classics I grew up with.
Yeah, the 1990s version of Marvin is a vague shadow of the Chuck Jones original, that's for sure.

On the other hand, Pinky and the Brain are '90s classics in their own right!

"Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"

"I think so, Brain. But, me and Pippi Longstocking... I mean, what would the children look like?"
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guy64
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Finding this Nissan Prairie was totally unexpected...

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... given that I was unaware of either the MB model or the prototype when I found it. It came at a time when we were really scrounging for ordinary, realistic vehicles for our 1/64 mrr layout, and the selection wasn't nearly what it is nowadays.

Even at 1/59, it's hard to tell that this minivan/bus is bigger than 1/64. That's probably because I don't have a feel for the size of the real thing.

"Kid, I have a great feel for 1/64 things, and my scale sense is reading a bit on the plus side for this one."

Iow, Officer, you peeked at the base?

"Let's show some respect, huh kid?"



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Edited by guy64, Jul 10 2017, 11:59 PM.
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guy64
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Another favorite MB casting from the 8-Dot era...

Posted Image

It would be a favorite van if it hadn't turned out to be a race car with a box on top. I used to wonder how much the thing would carry, but since finding out it's a race car under the skin, well, fuggeddaboudat!

Just my opinion, but if the idea is to go fast on the ground, I say get a race car. Vans are for carrying things! :02:

"There you go again, kid."

Well, what good is a big box on wheels that doesn't carry anything? What good does it do to get there fast if nothing gets there in it?

"Maybe there should be a designated 'racing load' for race vans to carry. I got it! A half ton of donuts! And they gotta be delivered intact!"

Sounds good to me! :thumbup:

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Edited by guy64, Jul 11 2017, 12:03 AM.
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Mark F.
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A racing van is probably more of a head-turner than yet another racing car.
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poorvanner
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*In Memory Of*
Mark F.
Dec 30 2015, 08:11 PM
A racing van is probably more of a head-turner than yet another racing car.
Turns my head!
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guy64
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Another 8-Dot wonder...

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... and the Stirling is another car I don't recall ever seeing on SoCal streets.

"So basically, the 1/60 scale oversize doesn't register on you?"

Basically, yeah.

"Well, it registers on me, kid."

That's to be expected, I guess. Still a nice model, though.
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Edited by guy64, Jul 11 2017, 12:07 AM.
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guy64
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MB does MB again...

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... this time in 1/59 scale. It's another gem from the 8-Dot era, but still...

"You know, I wouldn't have minded at all if Matchbox had done this Benz 1/64."

Me neither, Officer.

"I mean, it'd be a tetch smaller, but that wouldn'ta been bad."

I know, I know, Officer. But it looks like we're both... :beatit: :beatit:
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Edited by guy64, Jul 18 2017, 01:22 AM.
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guy64
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That other version we have of MB's 1/60 Cadillac Allante...

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There's no "Mary Kay" tampo on it, but pink is pink. The gray interior works ok with the body color, but not with the tail light color. (The tail lights are part of the interior piece.)

"Time to break out the red sharpie, kid."

But officer, the collectible value...

"It's either that, or I'll have to cite this guy for a safety violation."

Wait, Officer! Maybe they'll turn red when the brake pedal is pushed... :unsure:
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Edited by guy64, Jul 11 2017, 12:14 AM.
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Mark F.
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The taillights are mainly white on the real cars anyway:

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Posted Image
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guy64
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There's quite a few of these in our collection...

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... even though the casting is 1/58 (per the base), and may be even bigger than that.

It's a wife-unit thing. She's a big VW Bug fan, especially of the pre-Super Beetle Bug. So, anybody makes a Bug that's close enough to 1/64, it's coming home.

Big as it is, MB's rendering captures the car well. It looks especially good with more complete tamps and the right wheels...

Posted Image

"It may look better, kid, but it doesn't look any smaller."

Well Officer, I guess you'll just have to take comfort in the blue-ness of them both.

"I can do that, kid!" B)
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Attachments: 6915MB62VWBeetle_58.jpg (49.85 KB)
Edited by guy64, Jul 11 2017, 12:19 AM.
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guy64
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For our Matchbox friends down under...

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... who are in the throes of summer right now (he wrote, while giving thanks for the first significant rain of the SoCal winter).

This 1/66 Chevy Impala is from the 2000 Olympics 5-Pack. I don't usually go in for 5-Packs, but the colors got me, and there were more than the usual 1 or 2 good castings in the group. Would'a been nice if MB had done this one 1/64, but it's close.

"Would'a also been nice if they'd tamped some front and rear details on it."

Yup, it's one of those castings that really needs end tamping, but I'm pretty sure they used up the tampo budget on the Olympics signage.

"And they did that blue glass thing again, too."

I know how you hate that, yes.
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Edited by guy64, Jul 11 2017, 12:23 AM.
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guy64
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This is a bit different for Matchbox...

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I believe they were called "Burnin' Key Cars". They came with a notched key that compressed a spring inside the car when inserted into the car's rear. Put the car on a hard floor, squeeze the key and SPROING! Away went the car. The car has a plastic body on a metal base, with a cushy front end (to protect furniture, we suppose).

"How many miles is that 'SPROING' good for?"

Not many, Officer.
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Edited by guy64, Jul 11 2017, 12:27 AM.
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guy64
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No doubt who made this one...

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"Now don't expect me to believe you don't have the key for that."

I have it, Officer. But you could never use it.
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Edited by guy64, Jul 11 2017, 12:30 AM.
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guy64
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Something a bit more useful...

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Don't know what scale the Sambron Jacklift is, and I can't get Bert to climb into the cab to see if he'll fit.

It's probably a little smaller than 1/64 (or not), but MB did a nice job with it mechanically. The boom works well, keeping the fork tangs at just the right angle whether raised or lowered. It can also be operated with one hand, and without picking up the vehicle. Try doing that with a regular fork lift! (A toy one, I mean.)

"Kid, you know nobody will let me into these things. Besides, there's a union issue with this one."

Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.

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Edited by guy64, Jul 11 2017, 12:34 AM.
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guy64
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One of MB's better generics...

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... suffering the indignity of flower wheels. :angry:

Even though the word "TAXI" is cast into the roof light, this car has been seen as a pizza delivery car, and... anything else?

Anybody? :wave:
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Edited by guy64, Jul 11 2017, 12:36 AM.
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Mark F.
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I don't know about pizza but mine delivers hamburgers:

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