372 replies to this topic

[Tony Lethbridge]

I have enjoyed reading the various model car threads here, especially Barry's wonderful 'Load of old rubbish' etc. and wondered, without stepping on anyone's toes, whether we could start a general model thread? Does your collection have a particular theme such as a particular team or make, or do you just buy models that take your fancy? I collect Ferrari GP cars and sports racers up to 1973, as well as cars I have owned, cars I have actually seen race, and various driver collections namely Hawthorn, Moss, plus Graham and Damon Hill. I should add I don't necessarily stick to those limits so have recently branched out into transporters.

Latest additions to the collection are the new Spark 1970 Matra MS120 and the 2008 F1 Ferrari from Hot Wheels. Demand is so high that the Massa version has already sold out and I was lucky to get the Kimi model.

What have you bought or built recently?

[Jones Foyer]

I'm sticking to my theme...unfortunately it looks like I have a large gap in the front row that won't fill up as quickly as I planned.

My RA108 is shipping at the moment.

Flickr image of my collection.

That's five scales of the RA272 represented, by the way.

[JacnGille]

I have kits and die casts of mostly F1, Le Mans/IMSA and Can Am.

[helioseism]

I'm just resuming the building of plastic scale models of race cars after a 15-year break. The first one is the 1/24 Monogram model of the Oldsmobile Aerotech that AJ Foyt drove to the closed course speed record of ~257 mph in 1987 at the Fort Stockton test track in Texas. I believe that the record still stands, perhaps someone else can confirm or disprove this.

Two other projects were in progress at the time of the hiatus -- a 1/20 Alfa Romeo 159 and a 1/16 Ford GT-40. I may very well take those up next.

I always thought Barry's thread was for slot cars mainly.

I have a fairly large collection of unbuilt race car models of all scales and racing classes. Probably the most unusual is the Bandai 1/12 STP Turbine car that Parnelii Jones drove at Indianapolis in 1967.

It takes about 30 seconds to buy one kit, and at least 3 months for me to build it. Thus, I can never catch up.

[Jager]

Tony, without wishing to pour water on your idea, there are already many well established forums specifically devoted to models car with a strong motorsport content. You could try some of these :

Autobarn Scale43 Diecast Forum (the name says it all) :

http://autobarnmotor...iecastclub.html


Diecast Exchange (discussion mainly around 1:18 models but lots of 1:43 pictures in the "Photo Themes" section :

http://www.diecastxc...orum1/index.php?


Biante (mostly devoted to 1:18 Australian V8's, but also some F1, Rallying, Le Mans etc in all scales) :

http://forums.biante...display.php?f=3


French Auto-Forum (covers all scales and themes) :

http://www.forum-aut...duits/debut.htm


NB : Edited to add that my interest in model cars lead me to Barry's website and it was through discussions with him that I was introduced to TNF.

[slowpoke]

http://www.f1m.com/main/

As the name imples, mostly F1 kits, but also some Sports and others. A great site!


George

[dbw]

how 'bout bugatti t35 in;

1/87

1/43

1/32

1/24

1/18

1/8

1/1

i did it!

[Tony Matthews]

Originally posted by Jones Foyer


That's five scales of the RA272 represented, by the way.

Very nice, JF!

[David Lawson]

Stirling Moss is interviewed about his collection of model cars in the February issue of Diecast Collector magazine.

David

[Mal9444]

"Tony, without wishing to pour water on your idea, there are already many well established forums specifically devoted to models car with a strong motorsport content. You could try some of these : ..."

Quite so - but, perhaps like Tony, my interest in models is prompted by my interest in sports cars of the '50s and especially those driven by the aforementioned Stirling Crauford Moss, rather than being a model maker or even collector per se. Indeed, it was Barry's marvelous collection of 1/43rds that started me going (http://62.149.36.46/...n/diecasts.html ). So, if no one objects, I'd very much welcome a model thread here, where the participants are likely to be happier reminiscing (and will more likely be more knowledgable than 'mere' model collectors) about the cars and drivers. There is of course Barry's thread, but that is very much slot-car oriented.

Oddly, I had just posted on Barry's thread when I came across this thread. I tried copying the post across but while the text made the pictures, which were the point of the post, did not.

So I for one am very happy to see this thread started, and hope it continues.

This should be the link to my rather feeble little post (not to say collection) on Barry's thread: it's at the bottom of the page, #800
http://forums.autosp...=&pagenumber=20

and these might be the links to my pictures via Imageshack.

[D-Type]

Malcolm & Tony,
That's a bit like my collection. I am trying to collect 1:43 models of every World Drivers' and Manufacturers' Championship winner. These are a mixture of Brumm, Minichamps, Vitesse, Onyx and other diecasts plus white metal and plastic kits. I have 70 so far and need another 10 or so. I also have about 40 others comprising "significant" cars from other forms of motor sport - Pekin-Paris Itala, Le Mans Bentley, Mille Miglia Alfa Romeo, "722", Safari-winning Volvo, Can Am McLaren, Indianapolis roadster, etc down to a Giannini Fiat 500 which is a neat foil to a NASCAR Chevrolet Impala. These were mainly going at a reasonable price at a swapmeet or even in a £1 shop - I found a model of the Maserati 450S that Fangio didn't race in Cuba in 1958 in one. Unfortunately I can't take or post digital photos, but one day ...

Jager,
Those are interesting sites for the serious modeller rather than a motor racing enthusiast collecting models reflecting his interest in the sport. I will certainly go through the AUTOBARN discussions for tips on how to build the white metal kits better and improve the accuracy of some of my collection.

Edited by D-Type, 03 May 2010 - 15:17.

[teegeefla]

Barry Boor introduced me to TNF through our admiration of Dan Gurney. I have a collection of cars he has raced in all scales; currently around 75 models with another 20 or more waiting to be built.

[Mal9444]

Originally posted by teegeefla
Barry Boor introduced me to TNF through our admiration of Dan Gurney. I have a collection of cars he has raced in all scales; currently around 75 models with another 20 or more waiting to be built.

tgf: Top picture, centre rear of the bottom shelf, Ferrari #69. What is it please?

I have one - and cannot remeber why I have it? I think I bought it evry cheaply on eBay thinking to do a re-paint to a dundrod car, then realised it was the wrong sort of Ferrari and would never have been at any of the Dundrod TTs.

Cheers

[Martin Roessler]

Originally posted by teegeefla
Barry Boor introduced me to TNF through our admiration of Dan Gurney. I have a collection of cars he has raced in all scales; currently around 75 models with another 20 or more waiting to be built.

very nice collection!
i never had just one theme going.when i started i bought everything i could get my hands on,roadcars,racing...all scales...plastic,diecast,slot,whatever was available and affordable at the time.
when it got too much started to look for specific themes ,i collected f1 for a while (pre 1990)
,sportscars,australian touringcars,nuerburgring etc. so over the years i have a bit of everything.
didn't buy a model for quite some time because i got carried away a bit and spend a lot of money.
i discovered papermodels which are available for download on the net...a lot of them are free and when i got "cold modelcar turkey" i started downloading/building them. lots of fun with my son
cheers marty

[teegeefla]

Malcolm-

the #69 car is the Arciero Ferrari that Dan drove in numerous races from 1957-59. It is chassis # 0478 and here is a link to a pic of Barry's model:

http://62.149.36.46/...69parravano.JPG

This is a link to a not-completely-accurate recap of the car's history:

http://www.barchetta...8AM.375Plus.htm

There is more on this car and its previous owner, Tony Parravano, at:

http://forums.autosp...light=parravano

http://www.ferrarich...&highlight=0478

Since that photo was taken, I have added another Arciero Ferrari, also #69, of chassis # 0362.

http://www.marshmode...e... 3 site.jpg

As for a similar car at Dundrod...I canot really help.

Glad you enjoyed the collection.

Tom

[Mal9444]

Many thanks, Tom.

Clearly this particular car never raced at Dundrod - but now you have reminded me what it is I can look back and see if any other 375 Spyders were there. I suspect not: the only Ferraris that I can find listed as having raced at Dundrod at that time were no fewer than 5 x 3000s in 1955 and 3 x 3000s in 1954. None entered in '53 (which would in any case be before this car's time).

Not being either a Ferrari fan or a Gurney collector, I shall probably eventually try to swap it for something more in my line.

It remains mint, boxed, as they say, should anyone here be interested.

[Barry Boor]

I'd have it if I hadn't already got it, Malcolm.

My own collection, very kindly linked on this thread by Mal 9444, is very specifically set within the years 1950-1966.

There is also a single-seater collection, 1950-1965.

Why the one year discrepancy? Originally the sports cars were up to 1965 too (a convenient cut-off point in F.1 due to the change of regs for 1966) but I extended it to 1966 so that I would be able to have each of the GT.40s from Le Mans, in their super livery variations.

Single seater models are not so well covered. By and large, most of my collection is Brumm and Quartzo, with bits and pieces from Corgi and Dinky, and one Jolly Model!

There are several kits in there too with two other kits waiting to be completed; a Bugatti and the 1962 Cooper.

I do have this habit of repainting models to represent something that is either not made or hard to come by - hence I have a dark green Mike Hawthorn Ferrari from Argentina 1953 and a light blue Louis Rosier Ferrari 500 too.

And let's not forget the Harry Schell front row Cooper from Sebring!

[Chocmonster]

My collection has a theme, to reflect the fact that my favourite driver is Stefan Johansson. Models range from his McLaren F1 car and Indycars through to the various sportscars he's driven.

As well as me purchasing them the collection has been added to by a certain person, namely Pete Fenelon. The latest additions (HPi Diecast Mazda & Porsche Le Mans cars) are bittersweet, Pete bought them on his last trip to London but I didn't actually receive them until after he'd died. :

This link shows most of the cars, must get round to updating it!

http://chocmonsterla...com/Model Cars/

[David Beard]

Smashing website, Emma

[Mal9444]

Originally posted by David Beard
Smashing website, Emma

David: how do you know he's called Emma?

[Barry Boor]

;)

[Mal9444]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
;)

Not more funny dream sequences, surely...?

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Mal9444


Not more funny dream sequences, surely...?

I think we have had enough of that. As for Emma, that's easy: she is a friend.

[Rob Miller]

Can anyone tell me more about this 1/100 Aston Martin DB4 Zagato. The dealer who sold it to me at Goodwood over ten years ago said it was made by a dentist using tooth filling compound.

Thanks
Rob

[Barry Boor]

Somehow, I doubt the wisdom of that statement.

[Obster]

With so many kits and diecasts out there, it really helps to have a theme. Makes the hunt more fun, too.
In 1/43, here are mine:

Orange McLarens
Blue Penskes
Porsche Racing(esp Martini)
F1 Ferrari(what else)

The biggest problem, even in this scale, is maintaining enough display space(cabinets and/or entire rooms).
Without display space, one tends to stop buying/building.

It seems to be a big part of human nature to collect things-wonder why?

[Chocmonster]

Originally posted by Mal9444

David: how do you know he's called Emma?

There are so many ways I could answer that question but I see David has gone for the straightforward (if somewhat boring) one!


I really need to get my collection sorted out and displayed properly. They used to be in my office at work but since we moved premises they've been in the back room at home. Shelves need to be built!

[D-Type]

Today I bought Massa's 2008 Ferrari as the Manufacturers' Championship winner. I find it's a metallic pinky red rather than the orangey red of the last few years. Is this Mattel being creative or did the Scuderia change the colour last year?

Colonel, I'm talking about last year so it is 'History' albeit only just.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Rob Miller : Bellini Models Ltd. (Tony Bellm) of UK offered a series of record models but also racecar models , in fact made by R.A.E.Models UK , the racecars line being called Piccolino. They were supposed to be made in 1/76 .(But I remember in 1/100 too ?)

The UK Model Aeronautical Press Ltd. made a Model Magazine with slot cars , scale models and drawings I remember , I believe the mag . was called Model "something".

And the connection ? Well not quite sure , but I remember bying 3 or 4 1/100 models made of clay and nicely painted with many details. No rolling wheels , and about 100 diff. they had .I think I found them through that mag, and that they were Bellinis too!

And by the way , I have had some models made by a dentist from "plastic filling" .

[T54]

I do not particularly collect model racing cars because I also like road cars, especially big American iron, but I have a few, mostly signed by their drivers. The important thing to me is to collect models or toys made when the cars represented were new. Now I have an accumulation that is getting out of control. Someone stop me please!

[Jager]

Originally posted by D-Type
Jager,
Those are interesting sites for the serious modeller rather than a motor racing enthusiast collecting models reflecting his interest in the sport. I will certainly go through the AUTOBARN discussions for tips on how to build the white metal kits better and improve the accuracy of some of my collection.

D-Type, I think you'll find when it comes to collectors of racing car models, those "serious collectors" are also "serious motor racing enthusiasts". One of the collectors of Le Mans models at the Autobarn Forum hasn't missed a Le Mans event since 1982 and we have a small gathering at Le Mans with 5 or 6 of us each year. In the US some collectors also get together at the ALMS races, while in Australia many of the members of the Biante Forum get together at Bathurst each year.

In many cases, much of the discussion on model car forums revolves around the accuracy of models relative to the real thing. One of the first things I do when I bring a new model home is immediately consult my reference books, websites and google images to find out more details of the real thing. To me and many others, model collecting is just an extension of being a racing enthusiast and accurate models are just a reference similar to books or magazines.

I have a variety of different collecting themes (Le Mans and Bathurst two name a few), but also have a weakness for Jagermeister liveried race cars :

[Barry Boor]

Cor, Jager, I never realised you had all those!

[Jager]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
Cor, Jager, I never realised you had all those!

Unfortunately there's nothing from pre-1966 so i didn't both mentioning them previously ;)

[Bjorn Kjer]

I did last year add some 1/43 to my collection , but somehow got stuck as I still miss some Maseratis , however my 1500 peace 1/87 does it so far.

[Mal9444]

Originally posted by Obster
The biggest problem, even in this scale, is maintaining enough display space(cabinets and/or entire rooms).
Without display space, one tends to stop buying/building.

At the risk of being seen to be indulging no more than personal vanity, I have another go at posting the Christmas project pictures that should have gone with my earlier post, above, and which for some reason I am unable to fathom Imageshack spent last weekend resisting. (Perhaps the pictures themselves speak to that.)

As I remarked elsewhere, the cheapest quote I could get for a professionally-made small display case to house even this modest collection was £300. I would have paid it, too (notwithstanding that the case would have been worth – or at least cost – rather more than the models) except that delivery was 16 weeks! I made this one over the Christmas holiday and it cost me about £20 for the wood and £90 for the glass shelves and doors.

‘As much as that?’ I hear you ask.





Mid you, for anyone who hasn't seen it, this
http://autobarnmotor...play-Cases.html (post 1335) has to be the ultimate display, surely. Jager, that's fantastic.

I can see I have some way to go...

[Jager]

Originally posted by Mal9444

Mid you, for anyone who hasn't seen it, this
http://autobarnmotor...play-Cases.html (post 1335) has to be the ultimate display, surely. Jager, that's fantastic.

I can see I have some way to go...

Yes, that's mine. The cabinets may be eye-catching, but they are actually just 4 relatively inexpensive IKEA "Billy" cabinets, with the MDF shelves replaced by glass and joined together and finished off with some decorative capping on the top. Each shelf represents a a specific year of Le Mans, arrange chronologically from left to right, top to bottom, with the cars from each year arranged in their finishing order. There are also a similar number of cabinets on the other side of the room with other themes (like the Jagermeister cars above) and motor racing books.




I generally limit myself to about 8 - 10 cars from every year of Le Mans, but another collector on the Autobarn Forum is trying to collect every Le Mans car from every year of the race of the which he displays at his business premises with a unique rack system with all his cars being displayed in Spark's acrylic display cases. I show this to my wife when she complains when the postman delivers another model .

[Mal9444]

In the absence of a smiley that goes 'gulp!':

[Barry Boor]

I imagine you would need to be very seriously 'well-heeled' to even begin to amass a collection that large.

[gio66]

My collection is named "Formula 1 Novecento" and consists (for the moment) of about 150 models (kits and die-cast 1/43) since 1950 until 1999.

Now I'm building a new showcase (the old is full). I hope to go through in 2 or 3 weeks, and then display it to you.

Some model.

[T54]

I also ran out of space a while ago... and no more space to put more showcases either!
Time to upgrade some and let go of others I guess... but not these:



I am particularly fond of large old tinplate Indy cars. This one is 18" in size:



These are about 16":



Of course all are period toys, a bit tough to find un-played with. :

[Tony Matthews]

Originally posted by Mal9444



As I remarked elsewhere, the cheapest quote I could get for a professionally-made small display case to house even this modest collection was £300. I would have paid it, too (notwithstanding that the case would have been worth – or at least cost – rather more than the models) except that delivery was 16 weeks! I made this one over the Christmas holiday and it cost me about £20 for the wood and £90 for the glass shelves and doors.

‘As much as that?’ I hear you ask.

And very nice,too, Malcome, and I note that you were ready to pay the cabinet maker his asking price, but as it cost you £110 in materials there is only £190 for labour - at a minimum of £20/hour that's less than ten hours, so he wasn't overcharging you. this is the sort of small job I am occasionally asked to take on, and believe me, unless you throw your standards out of the window ten hours is not enough, especially if there is paint involved - unless you are spraying cellulose or acrylic. However, the lead-time is the give-away, quoting 16 weeks means he's reasonably, possibly very, busy, and the high-sounding quote means whether you accept or not doesn't make a big difference.

Jager's use of Ikea cabinets is often the way to go for economy with reasonable finish, but I always use adhesive along with the supplied fasteners, unless I know the units are going to be dismantled in the very near future. On a personal note I would halve the vertical shelf spacing, as the models look a little lost, but judging by what Jager has shown us that may well be Phase 2!

Having had to move several times in the past few years my modest collection is in boxes in the loft, apart from my Ikea glass cabinet of 'memorabilia', so seeing other collectors displays is very interesting.

PS, glass shelving does give you the advantage of being able to top and/or bottom-light the display.

[Mal9444]

You are absolutely right - and with the enginners at the boatyard charging £50 an hour and the authorised dealer's garage rate somewhere nearer £80, the cabinet maker was by no means overcharging. It wasn't paying £300 that was the worrying bit - it was telling you-know-who. (In fairness to the lady in question, she already said 'go ahead'.) And in fairness to the cabinet maker, his cabinet would have been a deal more refined than my somewhat crude effort: but in that regard with this experience behind me, my next effort will be so much better (there's 70-odd Dinky toys from mint to very play-worn indeed to come out of various drawers). My math was awry, too, when I said the case would have cost more than the models. Not counting the Dinkys, I see there is over £600-worth of models. It doesn't bear thinking about...

There is also, it has to be said, a certain satisfaction with looking at it and thinking 'I made that', albeit the satisfaction is leavened with irritation and even embarrassment that I did not make it very well. Rather the same feeling one gets when looking at the white-metal kits one has completed alongside the professionally-made models.

I must say, I'm very glad Tony L started this thread. I hope we shall see many more photos of folks' collections, favourite models and latest additions.

[Barry Boor]

I'm afraid that given the plummeting value of sterling against all other currencies, there aren't going to be many new additions.

[Mal9444]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
I'm afraid that given the plummeting value of sterling against all other currencies, there aren't going to be many new additions.

'favourite models and latest editions.'

Has anyone else noticed that no matter how carefully one reads one's post before hitting the button one only notices the spelling mustakes when the bally thing appears in the thread?

Unless, of course, someone else gets there first... BJB

[Stephen W]

Sat in front of me as I type are four 'models' :-

1) A Brumm Vanwall; 2) A Minichamps Lotus 72; 3) A Minichamps Brabham; and 4) An Onyx crash helmet.

The Vanwall is a model of the Moss/Brooks British GP winner; the Lotus 72 one of Jochen Rindt; the Brabham a BT60 with Damon Hill driving and the helmet of Ayrton Senna.

I will have to look into creating a nice display cabinet to have next to my PC as that is where I am spending more and more time!

[D-Type]

I've treated myself to "Picture Pride" cabinets with sloping shelves. The sloping shelves show off the models far better than flat ones. But, and it's a big but as I found to my cost, you must use 'blue-tack' or fuse wire to stop the models sliding off the shelves!

[Frank S]

Originally posted by Obster
With so many kits and diecasts out there, it really helps to have a theme. Makes the hunt more fun, too.
In 1/43, here are mine:

Orange McLarens
Blue Penskes
Porsche Racing(esp Martini)
F1 Ferrari(what else)

The biggest problem, even in this scale, is maintaining enough display space(cabinets and/or entire rooms).
Without display space, one tends to stop buying/building.

It seems to be a big part of human nature to collect things-wonder why?

That's been a question in my mind, too. For years I shook my head in wonder and skepticism as my father pored over his coin collections, time after time, month after month ...

Then I started looking for 1:43 models of "my" cars. First it was ones I'd owned, and ones I'd had a vested interest in (cars in the family before I could drive); then there were some that I had only driven, and a few of my ideal cars; cars I'd seen racing; cars I'd wanted to see racing; cars I lusted after; cars that rang a bell or plucked a heart-string.

Two thousand (or so) examples later, I got a lusted-after car in 1:1 scale and pretty much stopped model buying. I have bought another 1:1 car, but do not foresee a larger collection at that scale

My Model Quest Pages offer quite a few photos and perhaps TMI (too much information). The cabinets were about $40 in 2002, off eBaY, and are screwed to the walls of our living room. The missus hopes for an earthquake; she will make a stand when it comes to putting them back up, I'm certain.

[raceannouncer2003]

My collection started with the Dinky race cars and Merit kits I had as a kid and went from there. I now have all the Merit Kits and most of the Dinky race cars. From there, I have collected the following, while trying to keep the cost of each “within budget”:

- significant Chaparral, Ferrari, Lotus, and Mercedes (mostly race winners)
- many winners of the Carrera Pan Americana, Indy 500, Le Mans, Mille Miglia, and World Driving Championship
- cars of Louis Rosier
- slot cars for the various categories we race locally

I now have over 300 models.

Here is part of my Louis Rosier collection:



Vince H.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Looks great Vince .

Now are some of us a bit exited as to what the coming toy fair will bring ?

[Mal9444]

I have a 1:32 Maisto of the 1955 British GP-winning Moss W196. The race numbers (#12) are red (with black outlines). I have just bought on eBay a Brumm 1:43rd scale of the same car but on which the numbers are black. Which is correct, please?

I've done a fairly lengthy internet check but cannot find a contemporary colour photo of the car - and at least one each of post-event paintings. A Michael Turner painting called (I think) The Train shows Moss and Fangio in eponymous formation and with black numbers. Another painting I found show the Moss car in 'Maisto' colour scheme. The Turner painting is (untypically) wrong in detail anyway since in it the Moss car lacks the little Union flag on the headrest that Mercedes allowed Moss to use from time-to-time, but which can be clearly seen in all the black-and-white contemporary images available.

Could it be that the Brumm model was based on the apparently inaccurate Michael Turner painting? I know Brumm are not the most detailed or accurate of 1/43rds available - but I would have thought them to get such a basic element correct. The Maisto is of course much more detailed - although it like virtually all MB models (until the advent of the current CMC #722 300slr) based not on contemporary pictures but rather on the museum specimens has the standard four-spoke steering wheel instead of the contemporary Moss three-spoker. So it could quite easily be the Maisto that is wrong.