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Being known for "being into toy cars" does occasionally result in leads on cheap bits or free stuff, this week has netted a couple of freebies

First up is a Tri-Ang Minic clockwork tinplate Vauxhall Roadster in bits & in need of some fettling cleaning/de-rusting/repainting etc; design is from the mid 1930's I think, but this one is more likely to date from around 1952.

Overall length (assembled) will be approx. 120mm (4 3/4"). It's missing the rear bench seat, front bumper, original tyres, steering wheel & column; the windscreen top & side rails have been broken off at some point but the previous owner has started hammering out a new one from thin stainless sheet.

Initial plans for this are just to clean/derust to stop it getting any worse.

2nd was an NIB unbuilt, still in sealed bags Revell 1:16 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II Continental kit dating from around 1978, apparently this builds up into a car 13 1/2" long despite the small scale.

TBH I don't like the boxart colours so will have a long think about that before I start on it

Cool keycar, anxious to see what gem you make of that.

WhenI was 10 in 1996 I got that same Rolls Royce from an aunt for my birthday. Welll I was too young and ruined it A shame really

Did a bit of work on the Tri-Ang Vauxhall ... I did mean to just clean it to stop it deteriorating, but almost inevitably I went a bit further...


Body ultrasonically cleaned & tickled up with a fibreglass pen...




... & coatred with Bilt Hamber rust killer...




Original broken screen & part finished work by PO...




... trimmed & (poorly) panel beaten, car held together by luck & elastic...




PO had created a length of the correct profile for the missing seat - I just chopped & stained a new pair ...




steering wheel - using a transfer is a bit of cheat, but I messed up the first two attempts ...




Motor cleaned & lubricated, doesn't look great but is at least 10x as powerful as it was ... by my poor maths, I reckon it should do 6 metres on a full wind before the cam brakes it

Just about finished the tinplate; winding key is too short so I've ordered a new watch winding key. I left my homemade front bumper off as I think it looked better without it.

Repro box turned out to be very poor value, plus it's nicotine stained on one end and smells like it's been stored in 2" deep Benson & Hedges ash

Try and store the box in a plastic container and add a handfull of coffee(beans) or bicarbonate that might get rid of the smell.

or try one of these

The bicarbonate TOP MOUMOUTE!!!!!!!

Nice little rescue/resto JR

I did try the Bicarb over a few days, it did help a bit, maybe longer (and changing the Bicarb) would have cleared it out better. Now I have a load of stinky Bicarb (which I don't mind throwing out) and a stinky Tupperware box