my diecast scale 1/43 collection (uk car park in 1985!)

Hello all, new member here. I collect diecast scale 1/43 motors from yesteryear. My theme is UK car park in 1985 - all my models have UK number plates and are right hand drives. I do not go past B-reg (1984/85). I'm currently in the process of painting two new ford sierras mk1 in navy blue and silver colours. Ford sierra mk1 with the smooth nose is my favourite car of all time!

I do customise my models where necessary, for example the red escort was a left hand drive and had European number plates, and the cosworth had a smooth nose attached, replacing the grilled nose it originally came with. My next purchase is likely to be a ford fiesta mk1 in gold colour, as it's a left hand drive I'll have to convert it into a right hand drive and add UK nuber plates!

Below are pictures of all 17 motors I have so far:

















[IMG]https://2img.net/h/i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j339/orky3/9.jpg[/IMG

and this picture aswell! Don't know how to edit the original post.

Blimey, at a glance they look like real cars!
How long are these models? Do you own a full size car? I guess it would bean MG

Hi and welcome to the forum - great collection of models, they do look like the real thing - I quite like the Sierra myself

I drive a ford mondeo mk1, still running well.

These 1/43 scale models are approximately 9 to 10 centimetres in length and 3 to 4 centimetres in width. Quite economical as anything larger would take up too much space and be too expensive, and anything smaller would be too small.

I love the attention to detail on these models, that's what make them look so real.

If the painting goes well on the sierras then I will paint more in different colours for sure. I'm pretty much done with painting the blue and silver versions and have put all the bits and pieces back on; I'm just waiting for the decals to arrive so I can slide on the ford badges at the front and back.

I'll put the pictures up when I've slid the badges on and the motors are completely finished.

Next colours are likely to be yellow and brown versions, can never get enough of a smooth-nosed mk1 sierra!

If I had an old english car I would ask you to make me a 1/43 replica, number plate and all!

omg wow i love the rover sd1 , at 1st i thought it waz a photo from outside mine but how cool are those models ,ive got the mk4 tina ,, welcome to the fourm by the way , as you may find out ime a bit into fords

Updated pictures - I've took pictures of all the models again as some have had new number plates and look better. I had quite a few waterslide plates done really cheaply so thought might as well replace the ones I did via microsoft word. The only additions are the silver sierra and the gold fiesta.























I've put new alloys on the painted sierra to make it slightly different from the original red sierra:




Next motor will be a light-blue coloured sierra I'm currently painting, it will be a slightly darker shade than the talbot sunbeam.

If you want accuracy A772 HLU is a number for a red SRI mk2 cavalier my dad owned from 89-03

Thanks but that's alright. They're done now, they made about 12 waterslide numberplates as requested and it'll be silly to request one more. Thanks all the same.

Hopefully by the weekend I'll have pictures of three more ford sierras joining the car park, obviously I've painted one in vision blue colour (or light blue) which is still awaiting the decals to be slid on - they haven't arrived yet.

I've painted two more, one in chestnut brown and the other in sunshine yellow. These two I've used spray paint and it actually works quite well. Tomorrow evening when they're totally dry I'll put the bits and pieces back on again.

All being well pictures will be up by the weekend.

Unfortunately the ford decals haven't arrived yet even though they were sent out to me first class last Thursday... it appears royal mail have lost the letter.

The person who's supplying these decals said he can make some more and send them out on Tuesday, that is if the others haven't arrived by then.

Therefore you're gonna have to wait folks... bit frustrating as I have three new sierras just awaiting the ford decals to be slid on and they'll be totally complete and can join the rest of the cars on set.

On a side note, I've thought of a way where I can take one shot of all 20+ cars... three rows of eight bays, semi aerial view. I've taken trial pictures with just the empty bays and the background wall and it's definitely manageable in one shot, you actually get to see all the motors quite close-up.

Then I'll take three more shots so you get to see each individual row close-up of the same car park.

Pictures will be up subject to delivery of the ford decals!

New pictures up with new diorama, new additions from last time are the blue, brown and yellow ford sierras and white morris marina.


























painted sierra in vision-blue colour, a brush was used and the original paint stripped off:



resprayed sierra in chestnut brown colour, original paint was stripped off but a primer wasn't used:



resprayed ford sierra in sunshine yellow, original paint was stripped off and a primer was used:


Tomorrow I will post pictures of all 23 cars in one shot lined up in a different car park.

Here's all the cars in one shot:




front row:




middle row (on left):




back row:



Don't know when the next addition will be, there are a few more models due out in the future that I want. Repainting/spraying the mk1 ford sierra is an ongoing work in progress, next one's going to be in velvet-blue colour, probably some time in November.

I think they look great, could pass for the real thing

They are wicked, u gotta look twice cos they look so real. Have to show the model at car shows, would create great interest!!

Thanks, in the meantime more resprayed sierras on the way, in beige, metallic green and navy blue colours. Will also buy the black XR4i from vanguards due out on 1st December.

Also brought the black XR3i ford escort mk3, beige coloured Austin 1300 estate and have replaced the red cavalier with a white one, and white morris marina with an orange one.

Will put new pictures up in early December.

Here's a picture of a resprayed escort and sierra along with an original cortina:







I'll try to update the big car park within the next week or so as there's been a few changes since last time.

how on earth do you respray one of these! Do you mask or dismantle?

They defo got to be dismantled, the Sierra's easy to do I've done so many of them as you'll see when I put all the cars up in one go again.

The Escort was a bit tricky because of the way the window panel's glued on, I almost broke it! Tried glue remover, drillling and evrything, eventually got there.

A brown resprayed Cavalier with a black/grey grill and red Vauxhall badge on the way, followed by a red Capri if I can dismantle the Capri without breaking it.

How many hours would a typical rebuild take on one of these cars?

As the cars are 43 scale they're approximately 10cm long so they're not as big as other scales sizes...

I would say in terms of actual labour around a couple of hours, you gotta first strip the model down, that can take up to 20-30 minutes, then leave the shell in a tub of break fluid oil, l leave it for a couple of days.

Then strip the paint off which takes about 10-20 minutes, the longer you leave it in break fluid oil the easier it is, sand it and respray. I respray outdoors and the actual respraying doesn't take too long, priming and everything with the main coat takes about 10 minutes.

Then let the shell dry for about three days before slowly putting the bits and pieces back on which can take an hour or even more. I don't do it in one go, I like to do bit by bit as it's really delicate and requires concentration.

Once all the bits and pieces are back on, the last bit are the decals, ie the waterslide emblems/ number plates etc and painting the side indicator lights orange such as on the sierra and cavalier, I poke these with a paperclip!

still want to do one more cavalier in yellow before I put the main pictures up in a big car park!

a few more repsrayed models aside from the granada which is original, I will put the main car park picture up hopefully this weekend!












ford sierras, six have been resprayed:

that granada is loverly