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eBay is a terrible thing. The random lightbulb moment was seeing a Matchbox Superkings Dodge van. "Ping!" - looks a bit like the Cannonball Run ambulance. Turns out it's as close as it can be, the toy being a B100, the real thing a B200. Same face, different elsewhere. £4 later it's mine. Better than anticipated. The pic above shows some lunch break skills on MS Paint having a dabble at creating the side windows - seems legit. Still has the door mirrors and bonnet aerial, axles straight. So I took it apart. Some niggles. 1) I've never successfully modded a diecast. 2) I am ham-fisted at best. 3) No equipment to do it. 4) More lacking of skills etc will come later no doubt. Fount a guy on eBay selling Code 3 light bars for trucks and stuff, but nothing big enough for the van. I contacted him and he's sorted me out with some pre-painted red bars and some plain ones I can have a mess with. 3D printed I presume and will do the job nicely. So here's where I'm up to so far. Stripped shell, bogged up bonnet holes and a red light bar placed to see how one looks. Updates whenever I find time to move this along.
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Last Edit: Feb 28, 2020 8:37:49 GMT by iain1970
eBay Rare
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Had a go at spraying the van up over the last week or so. Halfords white primer and VW Candy White and VW Orange were selected at random. Cocked up with primer choice. After masking and doing the orangey bits, the tape (low tack) lifted all the white so I was left with bare metal. So I got some etch primer - much better. Here's where I got to. Broke out the chrome pen and had a go on the grille/bumper, it needs some more chrome dawbing in. Had a quick mock up with the grille and the beacons placed on the body. Need a bit of tickling up here and there, but overall I'm happy with it so far. After that, next job is to paint the interior tan (it's currently red).
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Last Edit: Mar 16, 2020 8:36:05 GMT by iain1970
eBay Rare
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Ritchie
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 764
Club RR Member Number: 12
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It looks great, good effort!
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Mar 16, 2020 22:44:47 GMT
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Nice bit of paint on that, masking looks really sharp too. Good work.
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skinnylew
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,546
Club RR Member Number: 11
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Mar 29, 2020 14:00:33 GMT
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excellent stuff. I have the yellow Michelin van and there is also a white and orange Ambulance which i ordered with exactly the same idea as you
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markbognor
South East
Posts: 9,968
Club RR Member Number: 56
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Mar 29, 2020 20:24:29 GMT
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Supercool! You can't stop here though, now you need to find a Ferrari, Contach rocket propelled Subaru etc.
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Mar 30, 2020 11:38:14 GMT
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I'm finding this one a challenge. I suppose any more will be easier. I have a Superkings 911 Turbo (a 930?) stripped down that I was thinking of doing in an Urban Outlaw style and also a crappy flatbed car transporter (not the one with the gullwing doors) that might get a simple look about it.
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Nothing can stop us now J.J... Nothing!
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Rubbish update.
Thought I'd tackle the red interior moulding at the weekend, the real ambulance is beige.
With minimal enamel paint to hand, I had to make an "essential" shopping trip to my local hardware store and see what they had. Some unsuitable colours from Humbrol, but they had some Plasti-Kote fast drying enamel in Nut Brown and Crème de la Crème. £8.70 later, I had a tub of each, hoping to mix up a nice '70s beige.
DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS MUCK. Skimmed milk would have better opacity and sticking power. My word, what a mess. Even four coats later, it's rank.
Time to get the paint stripper out...
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Last Edit: Apr 6, 2020 12:48:20 GMT by iain1970
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Apr 14, 2020 10:23:54 GMT
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Well, I melted the interior moulding. Time to order another van....
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markbognor
South East
Posts: 9,968
Club RR Member Number: 56
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Oh curse word. That's a shame. Looking forward to seeing it come together. I thought for a moment that I could help you out with an interior, but what I have is the similar Corgi Mystery Machine/ Circus van.
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Thanks for the thought. I'm expecting £1.99's worth of Polizei van anytime now.
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Apr 20, 2020 14:16:24 GMT
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The donor van has turned up. Interior is fine and will be left in glorious red even though the real van is beige. The rear suspension isn't as saggy either, so I'll swap the base plates over.
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eBay Rare
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Apr 27, 2020 11:03:00 GMT
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Here's a couple of the ambulance mocked up with the replacement interior and base off the donor van. I'm going to order some laser printer waterslide paper and have a go at making the side windows etc. I've read mixed reviews about the products, so it'll be interesting. The donor van fell into the caustic soda over the weekend. The rear door window frames are a dogs dinner. Not quite sure what I'll do with it. Another subject of the soda onslaught was the 1970's futuristic transporter. This went in with the wheels and ramps in place because I couldn't think of how to replace the axles if I cut them off. Worked out alright. I broke the roof mounted triple air horns trying to straighten them out. I'm not too fussed, as I have a clear roof bar that I might tint up amber. The Porsche is in primer awaiting a colour scheme idea.
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Last Edit: Apr 27, 2020 11:06:50 GMT by iain1970
eBay Rare
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retrotoe
Posted a lot
anything rusty
Posts: 1,361
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Apr 27, 2020 11:31:06 GMT
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love it am on with another van sad i know,
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Apr 27, 2020 12:06:39 GMT
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I like the bigger scale, even though they seem clumsier somehow.
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Last Edit: Apr 27, 2020 12:06:58 GMT by iain1970
eBay Rare
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Ray Singh
Posted a lot
More German exotica in my garage now
Posts: 1,984
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Apr 28, 2020 13:29:15 GMT
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Great work. This reminds me of how i spent most of my time whilst i should have been studying for my GCSEs. I used to buy Matchbox cars and vans and mod them. So much fun!!
Now i modify my daughters car!!
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Apr 28, 2020 14:12:48 GMT
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Hmm, 34 years on from my O-levels, I'm still suffering from "finding something better to do" than revision.
Stay Home and do your schoolwork kids!!!
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May 12, 2020 12:36:23 GMT
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Spare Dodge van ended up thus:
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Last Edit: May 12, 2020 12:38:16 GMT by iain1970
eBay Rare
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I loved watching all the stories on Vinwiki about the Transcon Medi-vac ambulance. Can't believe it was a real thing
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