Workbench

The first of a new regular monthly section highlighting Rick Wilson's latest projects, with an occasional nod to those in the past, to offer you techniques and ideas to bring playworn diecasts back to life as well as document a rather exciting new build.

A new regular feature, with hints, tips and projects.

I’ve been playing around with restoring old diecasts since my early teens and some of my projects have occasionally appeared in the magazine since I first got involved editorially in 2013. I’ve just started a huge project from Ixo Collections and it gave me this idea for this new section to bring you updates and tips as I focus on other projects too.

CORGI TOYS NO 267 BATMOBILE RESTORATION

This is one that I’ve been wanting to get started on for some time, but have only just got around to acquiring a suitable donor vehicle.As mint condition examples fetch rather a tidy sum these days (tidy for the sellers that is, definitely not the purchaser!), I have picked up a rather ratty original that has clearly seen some action on somebody’s carpet-based Gotham City. I will keep as much of the original as possible, but will be using replica parts where needed.These will be procured from Steve Flowers’ Model Supplies in due course.

At first glance, a replacement canopy and two figures are the most obvious to go on the list first. I then noticed that both of the metal rear fin points had been broken off, so have already managed to seek out an intact original body from another scrapper – I should have really zoomed in on those ebay listing photos before bidding (lesson learnt).

FORMULA 1 AUTO COLLECTION BRM P160B PARTWORK UPGRADE

The long-running Formula 1 Auto Collection magazine partwork has thrown up some real vintage F1 gems throughout the series, my two favourites being the Martini Brabham BT44B and the last GPwinning BRM, the P160B that Jean-Pierre Beltoise drove to victory in the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix.Well, I say “drove”, but it was more like “aquaplaned” – it was so wet! Diecast Collector is produced in Bourne, Lincolnshire, where BRM was based, so there is a big connection there.

The model is an excellent replica by Ixo, especially for the price of £10.99. Distributed in the UK by Panini as Formula 1:The Car Collection, the P160B came with issue 40. My only two gripes are the inevitable missing tobacco-sponsorship decals and the lack of a driver figure – easily rectifiable with a little online digging. I found the correct decals and a suitable driver on ebay. Ebay user ‘grandprixdecals’ has been producing the necessary custom decal sets for this series since the beginning and they are excellent. By the next issue, I aim to show you the finished version.

DINKY TOYS NO 164 FORD MK.4 ZODIAC RESTORATION AND CUSTOMISATION

This is a recent restoration I have completed for a close friend.Without going into detail, his treasured childhood example was destroyed in a ‘family

incident’ in the early 1970s. I promised to replace it quite some time ago and finally got around to completing the challenge earlier this year.

Mint examples are a pretty penny, so he agreed to a restored version. Simple enough I thought, so procured a couple of scrappers that, together, could be made as one. But there are two versions, one with a screwed on baseplate, one riveted – and I had one of each.The problem is that the baseplate differs between versions, so is not interchangeable, so please be warned if you attempt this yourself.

Having sourced enough parts, there was some rejigging and ‘cross-pollination’ of components, but everything used is original. Stripped and resprayed, it was an easy project, the only real glitch was that both of the interiors had broken in the usual pace where the rear doors fit into the B-pillar. I had a good unit from the No 255 Police version, which came with a driver, so in it went. For the finishing touch, I made a personalised registration plate, rather than replicate one of the originals (which changed every year to keep the suffix current). My friend was very pleased indeed – so that’s my good deed for the year done! DC

▲ Corgi's first-issue No 267 Batmobile has long been on my list of challenges to restore. ▲ The Ixo-made partwork of BRM's last ever GP-winning P160B is a very attractive model indeed. ▲ But it needs the correct aftermarket tobacco sponsor decals adding to be correct and, in my mind, it will look better with a driver figure too.

▲ Components of Dinky's No 164 Zodiac Mk.4 after its caustic soda strip, ready for painting.

▲ To replicate the original, I loosely masked around the spare tyre under the bonnet to produce a tiny amount of overspray - just as the factory-produced models were.

▲ Resprayed and reassembled, complete with personalised custom registration plate.