Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]

Announcements (Updated: July 11, 2018)

Welcome to Swifty's Garage!


Thanks to all of you for making this board what it is today!


Attention new members: We would like to welcome you personally, so please introduce yourself. Click here: INTRODUCTIONS


For all the latest news and announcements, please click here: PA System



Thank you - The Swifty's Garage Team




This board is best viewed at 1024 x 768 Resolution

Car of the Week:


Matchbox 1968 Ford F-100


Click Here: Matchbox '68 Ford F-100
Welcome to Swifty's Garage. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

Thank You,
The Swifty's Garage Team


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features.

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Car of the Day: January 21, 2016; Mini Dinky '64 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
Topic Started: Jan 21 2016, 05:23 AM (1,067 Views)
Dean-o-mite
Member Avatar
Muscle Car
Posted Image


Today's car of the day is Mini Dinky's 1964 Cadillac Coupe DeVille.


Posted Image


Wikipedia
 
The Cadillac de Ville was originally a trim level and later a separate model produced by Cadillac. The first car to bear the name was the 1949 Coupe de Ville, a prestige trim level of the Series 62 luxury coupe. The last model to be formally known as a De Ville was the 2005 Cadillac DeVille, a full-size sedan, the largest car in the Cadillac model range at the time. The name "De Ville" is derived from the French de la ville or de ville meaning "of the town". In French coach building parlance, a coupe de ville, from the French couper (to cut) i.e. shorten or reduce, was a short four-wheeled closed carriage with an inside seat for two and an outside seat for the driver and this smaller vehicle was intended for use in the town or city (de ville).



Posted Image


For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Cadillac DeVille


Posted Image


Posted Image


The Mini-Dinky Cadillac Coupe DeVille was at one time, a car I didn't think I'd ever find within my price range. I actually can't remember where or how I got this one finally, but it was a good balance of condition and affordability. I'd still really like to add the white one to my collection someday, but in the meantime, I am happy just to have one at all. I thought the red "tail lights" and black license plates were custom additions by a previous owner, but in researching, I'm finding that all of them I've seen online have it. They are original to the model, even though the real cars did not have red lenses in those locations.


Posted Image


Posted Image


Wikipedia
 
The Cadillac De Ville received another minor facelift in 1964. New up front was a bi-angular grille that formed a V-shape along both its vertical and horizontal planes. The main horizontal grille bar was now carried around the body sides. Outer grille extension panels again housed the parking and cornering lamps. It was the 17th consecutive year for the Cadillac tailfins with a new fine-blade design carrying on the tradition. Performance improvements including a larger V-8 were the dominant changes for the model run. Equipment features were same as in 1963 for the most part. Comfort Control, a completely automatic heating and air conditioning system controlled by a dial thermostat on the instrument panel, was introduced as an industry first. The engine was bumped to 429 cu in (7 l), with 340 hp available. Performance gains from the new engine showed best in the lower range, at 20 to 50 mph traffic driving speeds. A new technical feature was the Turbo-Hydramatic transmission, also used in the Eldorado and the Sixty Special. A De Ville script above the lower belt molding was continued as an identifier. This was the first year for the De Ville convertible. De Ville sales reached 110,379 units, accounting for nearly two thirds of all Cadillacs sold.



Posted Image


Posted Image


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
zzziippyyy
Member Avatar
Drive it like you stole it!
I love the play wear on this fantastic model, thanks for sharing
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
JBH6666
Member Avatar
Fullsize
I ended up having to get 3 of these cars to get one intact. The first 2 suffered from metal fatigue. You could see the spiderwebs coming, followed by the inability of the hood and trunk to open. Eventually the hood and trunk just crumbled. It's a great casting- well scaled but plagued by bad metal. I'm noticing the same thing happening on several Racing Champions Mint Edition cars I bought in the late 90's/ early 2000's.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Hobie-wan
Member Avatar
SUV
The proportions on that just look right for it to look like the big beast it is.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ivantt
Member Avatar
New casting? Quick! Take it apart!
The shape and lines look very correct. Pity that these are hard to find and save, The finish reminds me of the way some ACTUAL old Caddies look driving around out here, without wheel covers, of course.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dean-o-mite
Member Avatar
Muscle Car
JBH6666
Jan 21 2016, 09:54 AM
I ended up having to get 3 of these cars to get one intact. The first 2 suffered from metal fatigue. You could see the spiderwebs coming, followed by the inability of the hood and trunk to open. Eventually the hood and trunk just crumbled. It's a great casting- well scaled but plagued by bad metal. I'm noticing the same thing happening on several Racing Champions Mint Edition cars I bought in the late 90's/ early 2000's.
Metal fatigue has been notorious in Mini-Dinky models, Racing Champions & Guisval, but I have a couple of crumbling Ertl American Muscle cars, and even a couple of my older Greenlight models are starting to show signs that a catastrophic failure is inevitable. Metal fatigue stinks!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
pjedsel
Member Avatar
Muscle Car
:thumbup: Nice one Dean. I have the white version - bought way back when as a brand new toy! :) Sadly in my most recent inspection of it, I am seeing signs of fatigue along the driver's side and hood. Most of my Mini Dinky models have held up over the years - years ago I got two Chevy II's in the mail in a pile of pieces - I see I have a couple of my Racing Champions police cars showing signs as well -


Posted Image

Posted Image
Edited by pjedsel, Jan 21 2016, 06:36 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
JeepXJLover
Member Avatar
Minivan
Very nice model. Has diecast metal fatigue been discussed in depth elsewhere here on the garage? I've seen it mentioned here and there. I was wondering what signs were. I have about a dozen Racing Champions and I don't know what to look for.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dean-o-mite
Member Avatar
Muscle Car
The signs of metal fatigue are cracking of the metal and paint, and gradual separation of the body from the base as the bad metal starts to expand and deform. Many will start to look bloated like they've been overinflated, with the sides expanding, leaving gaps between the bottom of the doorsills, and the base. I'd say only 2% or less of Racing Champions have the syndrome (for every car with metal fatigue, there are 50-100 others that are fine (but with the 'disease,' there's no way to know if a model will show signs later in life, such as a Mini Dinky that looks to be fine for 40 to 50 fifty years, and then starts to show signs of failure). Once cracked and weakened, they are susceptible to breaking apart into pieces if dropped or handled roughly. The only brand I have had actually fall apart from metal fatigue, all by itself without any dropping / touching / bumping, etc, has been Guisval of Spain, and although I'd say their rate of occurrence exceeds Racing Champions, I'd still estimate less than 5%.

Here are pictures of a Greenlight starting to develop metal fatigue. I took these pictures prior to you asking, or else I'd have included a shot of the base, to show the expansion gaps that have developed between the sides of the body and the base. Note the cracks in the fenders, both inside and outside the engine compartment, and fine cracks along both sides and along the grille. Totally sucks knowing it will only get worse from here.

Posted Image

Posted Image

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Hobie-wan
Member Avatar
SUV
Here's a Racing Champions Bel Aire that I ended up with in a lot. These are probably the 2 most dramatic pictures I took before I just put it out of its misery and put the plastic bits and wheels in the parts bins for later use. Sucks that it was disintegrating, but at least I haden't bought the lot specifically for this car or anything.

The hood snapped free while the car was on the way to me.
Posted Image

That's a 1.5 mm or so gap between the base and the edge of the car. You could see all the way through like that. The cracks aren't too bad on the door yet, but the base was toast.
Posted Image

So yeah, once the problem starts, you'll be able to tell pretty easily.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
JeepXJLover
Member Avatar
Minivan
Thank you both for the detailed photos and additional information. I do not think I have ever had a car do anything close to those unless it was exposed to water.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
cody6268
Member Avatar
Minivan
Zinc Pest is what's scaring me from owning a Mini Dinky. I really want the International Crawler with the 5-in-1 loader bucket. Given the fact it isn't as common as I thought, and since I've never seen a piece of Mini Dinky construction equipment have it, guess I might as well get it.


I really like this Cadillac! One to add to my list.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
pjedsel
Member Avatar
Muscle Car
cody6268
Jan 25 2016, 04:47 PM
Zinc Pest is what's scaring me from owning a Mini Dinky. I really want the International Crawler with the 5-in-1 loader bucket. Given the fact it isn't as common as I thought, and since I've never seen a piece of Mini Dinky construction equipment have it, guess I might as well get it.


I really like this Cadillac! One to add to my list.
It does seem to affect the cars more than the construction pieces. I am thinking since the construction pieces came a little later they might have used a different metal compound not as prone to crumbling. I just sold my Ford Corsair to a collector in Germany and it made the trip with no problem. At one time I had thought about selling my white Cadillac but now hesitant to do so since it has developed the "fatigue bug". :D
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
jurcpa
Fullsize
mini dinky are beauty,rare and mega nice,amazing,many thanks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Free Forums with no limits on posts or members.
Learn More · Register Now
« Previous Topic · Car Of The Day · Next Topic »
Add Reply



March's Picture of The Month Contest



Congratulations DinoMom for winning March's contest!



April's Picture of The Month Contest



Congratulations carsdownunder for winning April's contest!






Powered By

This board is best viewed at 1024 x 768 Resolution


eXTReMe Tracker