An American Muscle Car - The Oldsmobile Toronado

This autumn I got this Oldsmobile Toronado made by SIKU. I have never seen this version before, because it is a rarer one with wide wheels, made in 1974-75 in the V-series. The real car was a big one, but not as big as this model car to the other SIKU V-series models. The general V-sereis cars are in scale of 1:60, but this Oldsmobile seems to be in scale of 1:50. The American car models made by SIKU that times are much bigger than the Europen ones. But why? And then its name: 'Toronado'. Why not 'Tornado'? 

Nevertheless it was a very good base to restore and customize it, the casting by SIKU is very nice and accurate.

Let alone the fact, the windscreen is cracked a bit, the car is okay. I thought, i'd swap the wheels, but they were in quite good condition, so I didn't. It is not so easy to get out the axles fron SIKU models, so I skipped it.

Although I liked the orginal yellow colour, I wanted a new, cool metallic blue, I saw somewhere on the internet. 

The interior became light sand colour and then I painted the details on the chassis, too:

Another Volkswagen Polo

The Italian producer, the Polistil also made a Volkswagen Polo, but it is smaller, than the Corgi juniors model. The Corgi is about 1:55, the Polistil-made Polo is about 1:62 - 1:64. The Polistil produces the Polo in 1:43, too and if we compare them we will see soon, that the 1:43 model is more realistic and exact, the small brother is a bit inaccurate.

Nevertheless, I was glad to get a Polistil-made Polo and I started to restore it immediately.

I gave it a new color - a vivid yellow - and new, wider wheels, too.

The Smallest Volkswagen by Audi - The Polo

The first Volkswagen Polo was actually the cheaper version of Audi 50. Not so many toy car maker produced it, rather the more popular Golf. It was a must for many manufacturer, but the Polo - wasn't. Why? Who knows? Anyway the Corgi was so kind and produced for us a fairly good looking model with opening doors and a towing hook, in scale of (approx.) 1:55. 

The model I bought was in quite good condition, only the towing hook was missing (but never mind). Although its original colour was alright, I wanted a quite new colour, which fits better to the '70 era. 

Here with the new skin without the details:

And of course, I painted the details, too, and at the end came the varnish.

Its own, custom box is still missing... Maybe the next year I will make one...

A Five-Door Renault 5

It's funny that Majorette made two Renault 5: the 3-door and the 5-door model. The 5-door is a bit more precisely done and it is a rarer kind. I prefer it much better, than the 3-door version.

What I could get it was a played toy car. Not only shabby, but the front bumper with the grille was pushed in. (Why and how could have it done?) After disassembling, I had to pull it out carefully.

And then came the painting with a new metallic green colour, a bit more elegant, than the original was. The interior also has got a new colour, it's not yellow anymore!

And I made a custom box, too!

The Mercedes-Benz 280 hardtop - By SIKU

I totally forgot about this model, that 40 years ago I had one SIKU Mercedes 280, it occured to me, when I restored a cabrio by Lesney. I used to have one! So when I found it at a flea market, I bought it at once and I restored with the Matchbox cabrio. It's funny to analyse how differently made the two producers the same Mercedes. I like both of them.

The chassis was very shabby and the gears had to be changed for nicer wheels (made by Welly).

I painted it nice red - just like I did with the Matcbox model - and then came the details. The interior got a light blue colour.

The Yellow Angel - A Trabant 601 As A Rescue Car Of The Hungarian Automobile Club

This is a Trabant 601 Universal as a Rescue service car of the Hungarian Automobile Club in the 1970-s. I still remember these Trabants, cruising the Hungarian highways in those times helping the drivers got in trouble. Me and my father were also members of the Club and we also got their help on the road when we needed.

So when I got a Trabant 601 Universal model, I thought, I would make this Rescue car from it. The original model was a German GRELL-made one and its colour was a terrible metallic green which I had never seen on real Trabants, so I repainted the model with pleasure.

The new colour is a vivid yellow, got the authentic stickers of the Hungarian Automobile Club (Magyar Autóklub) and I painted the details, too.

The roof light came from the Matchbox Toe Joe.