I mentioned the other day that I would like a blue FAB1.
Shigeru Komatsuzaki back in the day offered us a glorious illustration of one on the Imai box art.
I wonder if there's a collective noun for a bunch of FAB1's?
Or Rolls Royce's?
Unusually at this mornings outdoor sale I saw no less than four different loose pink Rollers, the signature ride of one Lady Penelope.
Yep, just The JR21 and the modern film version missing ... Or?
Here's a gallery of the brands I saw, these pictures being from the net.
Old Dinky classic we all adored
My cracked FAB1 canopy is sure perplexing.
Rob's idea of Kitsugi is appealing, the uniqueness of the crack. I like it!
I consulted keen modeller Paul A and he agreed toothpaste might remove scratches. Teeth fixative powder too and complete with clear varnish. I did try toothpaste but I just couldn't get it to work. Maybe it was too smooth.
I've read on Richard's, a previous reader's resto effort, that T-Cut does the job too, on both body and dome.
Bill Ev had another useful tip: replace it entirely with one from from the Imai Amerang FAB1 model kit. Good call! Typical, I sold a loose Imai FAB1 last year ( a lockdown donation from Wotan), but if I recall it didn't have a dome, so I don't feel too bad!
Another way forward, if any at all, is the paper method. Simply cover the split with a parcel tape band, as it would have come packaged in its box back in '65!
Here's one, for sale, like that, courtesy of online dealer Modellers' Loft.
Here's my copy! The cracks gone!
Another more technical solution comes via a modeller I just discovered online today, Marc Brassé.
Marc's method is to create a whole new canopy from a plastic bottle. Yes! I can relate to that, as I've done it before myself, albeit on a smaller scale with my Matchbox Draguar.
Marc used a Reddy fritturollie bottle, which, with his obvious skill, gave this amazing result, completed with beautiful pink stripes.
You can see more of Marc's fabulous work on his website:
https://www.brassee.com/scalemodeling.html
Attempting to emulate Marc I found some old water and pop bottles in the greenhouse and using the FAB1 canopy as a template, drew the shape and cut it out.
I repeated this four times but none of them fitted well enough to be deemed an ersatz. The bottle shape has to be spot-on I reckon, which is a feat in itself!
Anyways, here's my less than satisfactory efforts. I've realized I can't cut curved plastic for toffee!
I may just leave it up to Lady P!
Have you made your own domes readers?
I love this short video from Scalextric. Makes me want to get their FAB1.
Almost!
Do you like it?
They just need a Zero-X flying overhead now.
Check this marvel out, the Sugar Smacks FAB1 on a great cereals premium site, Cereal Offers.
I'm not sure I've seen this FAB1 before.
What do you think?
There are more Gerry Anderson premiums on the site too:
https://cerealoffers.com/Kelloggs/Sugar_Smacks/sugar_smacks.html
Remember this Pizza Hut cup lid from the early 90's. I had them all back then. Our daughter was 9 back then so we ate a lot of Pizza and Ice Cream from the Factory!
This FAB lid is from an old auction. Anyone got any more?
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I saw this shocking pink Bentley Continental and thought .....
Can you think of any others?
Junior gave me his small Matchbox FAB1 to fettle.
This is just great! When I saw this I thought it was the JR21 FAB1 I had as a kid... but on a track!
Scalextric has done it again!
Waddaya reckon readers? FAB?
Years ago a single hit on Google was called a Googlewack. The name stuck with me and now and then I find one.
Here's another; contained within this superb Fab1 article on the ever-informative Dinky Toys TV and Space site is mention of a rare FAB1 custom model car made in 1982.
https://dinkytvspace.com/100-lady-penelopes-fab-1/
Its about two thirds down in the rarities and oddities section talking about two gold hand-made FAB1's. One is shown and another non-gold normal model is also shown on the company box. It looks amazing and a bit like a JR21 toy FAB1 but more detailed.
Anyways I wont say the name of the company, S, or the model maker, DM* and FAB1 in the same sentence as that would explode the Googlewack!
* I have read separately that DM was previously the Marketing Director at Dinky Meccano before setting up his own model company, S.
I stumbled across this whilst looking for something for the sidebar but its just too cool so here it is on the blog proper.
FAB1 in the Blue Peter studios back in summer 1968.
Its HUGE! They're all in it! Noaksy, Peter and Valerie! Maybe Shep as well!
What do you think? Do you remember this on TV?
This 2000 AD Annual 1980 was part of a large lot of books that came my way last month.
I was never a 2000 AD reader but I now appreciate the effort and following of the comic that emerged in the decaying end of the Seventies.
Browsing through I was attracted to the reds of Dan Dare.
My query yesterday about the size of the Thunderbird front-end 2 prop used by Century 21 got me thinking about the size of FAB1's used in Thunderbirds.
Specifically I've been wondering if they ever used the toy versions of FAB1 in the show? - For distance shots maybe and namely the Dinky and JR21 FAB1's, both available from 1966 onwards I think.
There's no mention of them in Marc J. Fratassio's resume of the models used in Thunderbirds
http://www.lestersdomain.org/superm/tech/sfx/tbirds/models2.html
or his gallery of die-casts used in the show
http://www.lestersdomain.org/superm/tbirds/diecasts-gallery.html and http://www.lestersdomain.org/superm/tbirds/diecasts.html
so its probably a non-starter.
image: ewbank auctions
Seeing the size of FAB1 against Thunderbird 2 on Thunderbirds Wiki it struck me that FAB1 could have easily driven into the TB2 pod.
This is the Maks toy Royal Car, a version of which we have all seen recently on the TV during the sad rituals of the Queen's passing.
Have you got a royal car?
Have you ever seen the real thing, maybe, sadly, this past week?
Looking at this famous shot of Derek Meddings and the Fireflash [courtesy of lester demon nl] I can see various die-cast toy vehicles just below the control tower [what can you see?]
