All Ashore!

 The Missus picked this up for two squid at a charity shop for the Grandkids. 

All Ashore by Waddingtons.

A cute game involving pull-string people and boats. 

The little people were missing two members. 

Say no more! I finagled a couple from beads and caps.

Can you tell which?

Get Out A Dodge!

 I picked up this shift-weary Polistil Dodge ambulance last week. I tend not to buy die-casts now as I went overboard the last few years -I've hundreds! - but this still had its plastic stretcher and for a squid I had a punt.

Missing a red siren, two small lamps, side lights and some orange trim, along with a few scratches, I set to and had a go at fixing it up.

With several bits from the bits box and a roll of site tape it came together quite well, ready for another big emergency in the city.

See what you think.

Let's Face It

 I've had fun with this car boot cheapo.

His plastic face was damaged.  On the nose, mouth and ears. A right scalpel job!

Initially trying PVA glue, which didn't work, I then deployed FIMO into the holes.

A little colouring later with a paint pen and voila!

All this fella needs now is some feet!

Batteries and Coffee

 This morning I've been attempting to repair some old toys. 

Yep, coffee and screwdrivers. 

First up was this front truck cab motor. It took six brand new batteries but nada. The wheels won't turn. And then I saw the problem, the drive cog is split and not gripping the driveshaft.

I couldn't get it off so I placed a drop of super glue in the split and left it to dry.

Watch this space.

The cab is from a nice big Radio Shack remote control boxed container truck courtesy of a Holmfirth charity shop. For some reason it reminds me of Gerry Anderson TV shows.

There's a sort of Johnny Speed vibe to the cab and the truck too.

Next in line was Snuggles.

An animatronic pet, Snuggles, like most battery toys, had been discarded with batteries left in.

A little elbow grease, some contact cleaning and Snuggles lives again!

Ernie - or Bert?  - had the same trouble. 

The bane of collectors.

Leaking batteries.

Thankfully, despite the grisly condition, after a little tinkering, Ernie was singing Old McDonald Had a Farm once more. 

Not so Elmo. 

Another old kids character - Sesame Street too? - the leakage was so severe that vinegar, WD 40 and Baco-foil just couldn't revive this silent critter's voice box.

Right, now to store them properly. I must remember to take all the batteries out! 

How do you handle leakage?

Bill's Ford Consul - The Final Restoration

So here we are, the final update on the Corgi Ford Consul restoration.

To recap, I bought the car in 1965/1966 from a small toyshop in Bridgend Town.

As a child, I didn't like the original colour scheme, [a cream body with a red roof, which I still don't like] It had got significantly toy-box chipped, so in 1967, I decided to remove the remainder of the paint by literally scraping the rest off down to the bare metal! Unfortunately, I didn't like the end result either, it then languished in with a box of old toys for 58 years until I rediscovered my Dinky Interceptor which was restored in 2023.

As per the earlier photos, there was some further detailing, together with a replacement window unit needed to complete the project, the original has some very bad cracks in it. I also ordered a reproduction box to display it on, because the car is quite small in comparison to the other die-cast's in the cabinet.

Two things I did decide to leave as they were, was the base. You can see how bad the original condition of the paintwork was before 1967. And, as a small reminder of how the car looked prior to the restoration, I left the inside of the Bonnet unpainted.

The chrome areas of the car were carefully masked around and gently dusted with the spray can of 151 Chrome. Some areas were touched up with a brush. The red tail lights were painted on and then it was left to sit on its box in the display cabinet. Lastly, a quick wash of my precious supply of Johnsons Klear to seal the silver sections and the jobs done.

So here we are, the final result... I'm generally happy with it. Although the position in the cabinet where it currently is displayed means you can't see too much of the car, as it's a few inches above eye level. So as everything will require a re-arranging when the Dinky FAB1 is restored it'll be moved to a lower shelf.

The next restoration will be the Corgi 437 Superior Ambulance on a Cadillac Chassis.

Bill Everatt

UK

DUCK and DIVE

 A recent purchase at the boot sale, this plastic duck car by Nacoral was quackin' fun to fix up.

The seller had bought a huge cardboard crate of them somewhere - presumably Spain - and hoped for big things at the sale, but I bet I was one of the few brave souls who rummaged enough to find an almost complete toy and box amongst the wrecks.

In the end, after a darn good dive, I found all the parts except the bill, which I'm convinced wasn't in the crate. They were all bill-less! 

The box and separate box lid were crumpled and weak so I ironed them with a steam iron and both look a lot better for it. I think the two boxes, one being just a lid, represent two ways this toy was packaged in Spain.

For convenience I've slipped the colour lid over the much plainer but complete box. 

The instruction leaflet got a quick ironing too.

The toy itself needed a little glue on the windscreen, the hands re-wheeling and a good clean. 

Oh, and that missing bill I replaced with a party whistle. 

Googley eyes were added too.

The toy itself is pull-along, the duck going up and down as it's pulled. Very cute.

See what you think.

Have you any ducks?

DUCK!

I've been fixing up a Spanish Nacoral toy duck car.

It was missing it's bill.

This orange duck whistle might do the trick.

Watch this whistle!

Ford Consul Project Update .

Hi All,

Re. My Corgi Consul, the chrome finish has come out very well! I think if I'd used a chrome pen, the paint may have clumped. Whereas the spray applied perfectly, as it just gently dusted on.

So I'm just waiting for a replacement window module and I can reattach the base. Then, other than a little red light detailing and a touch-up here and there and it'll be done.

It has come out a lot better than I expected.

Next up it'll be the Cadillac Ambulance!

Bill Everatt

UK

Bill's Corgi Consul Project

Woodsy,

Attached are some photos of the partly completed project.

So I'm at the detailing stages of the Corgi. It's not riveted in on the base at the moment because the BIG problem is that I'm unable to find a replacement window unit for this Corgi Ford Consul Classic 315.

Research of the number 315 shows a different car entirely. Additionally I was going to use some chrome paint on the silver parts. Sadly the only chrome paint I could find was way too expensive to warrant buying it. Also there was so much I'd never use it all as the spray can was huge.

So I resorted to trying some silver touch up paint for a car. I may well do some further detailing on the silver to remove the rather lacklustre finish.

There is a reproduction box on the way for it to be displayed on.

Finally, does the registration number look familiar?

Hopefully more to come.

SIG.

Bill Everatt

UK

Bill's Corgi Consul Project

Woodsy

I've started work on my Corgi Ford Consul.

 I've not bothered to take photos of before and after, as essentially everyone knows how bad a state these toys are in.

When I was a kid, I didn't particularly like the colour scheme on the toy. So, as soon as it was toyboy chipped I proceeded to remove all of the enamel down to the metal. This made cleaning it down very easy.

So, not being sure what sort of colour scheme I was going to settle on, I had a look at an actual Ford Consul. A beautiful sky blue with a cream roof. So this is what I decided on.

Still some work to do. But I have decided to use a high chrome finish on the bumpers and front and back ends. We shall see how it turns out.

From memory, there are still some police vehicles to restore, a Cadillac ambulance with flashing light, some matchbox toys... AND my Dinky FAB1. - That will document its sorry state to completed restoration.

I've got the Corgi FAB1, and although it's an absolutely beautiful piece of work. The Dinky one has it for me, because it's a lot more streamlined. You can just imagine it thundering (sic) along at 200mph.

So we shall see....

Bill Everatt

UK

Chitty Chitty Bang Up

 A Spring visit with the Missus to the always-great Huddersfield Second Hand Market garnered three little nifty trinkets this morning.

For the grand total of £2.50, I picked up a fab Peggy Nesbit Mountie, a neat 007 badge (a particular film?) and a banged-up Corgi Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which was one whole pound!

There were many beat-up but neat die-casts from our childhoods on offer: SHADO3, SPC, Lunar Battle Chariot, Lunar Bug and Astro 1 to name a few, but with a price tag of a tenner each I gave them short schrift.

At £1, Truly Scrumptious made my day as I was desperate for a new and cheap DIY project.

Old Chitty's condition was pretty sh*tty tho, but it still had its fold-our plastic wings, snake horn and lever. The steering wheel too!

Ian Fleming's 'other' famous car may just work out yet!

(Where did the original movie car end up?)

So, Saturday afternoon was spent in die-cast heaven, jazzing up a toy I adored as a kid. 

I couldn't recall the plastic front and back wing attachments from my childhood, so I've not bothered making any.

Here's what I did come up with. Not perfect but hope you approve.

For fun here it is with the plastic Marx version I found at Doncaster car boot a few years back ( incomplete but I did get the inflatable wing rug!) and blogged at the time.

They're more or less the same size. Which do you prefer? Corgi or Marx?

Gran Fury Lives!

A couple of Sundays back I bagged a beaten up Dinky Plymouth Gran Fury for 50p.

It's the black and white one below the fire tender.

With a basic all-black respray, some new Green Hornet style green headlights and some rear light reddening it's ready for gran to get furious again!

Hope you like it.

Is it one you had?