Dark Blue 33 Ford Zodiac.

[Idris]

When you are taking the photographs, in addition to the body colour shots can you please take some macro shots of the base to capture rivets and inside wheel arch.
Also if possible under the same light a shot through windows to capture any body colour inside.
Look forward to seeing these.

My thoughts too. If we are to prove the existence of this variation beyond reasonable doubt, we need comprehensive, detailed photographs.

[EarlyWheels]

All,

I tried to get some images of the one Zodiac available to me in the local area today but I do not have macro capability on my I-Phone 4s and that's all that I have. If one of the administrators is willing to provide me an email I can send photos as resized attachments but they won't have the same high resolution quality as the other contributors. Also, if any of the board persons who are interested in seeing the model in person and are traveling to Hershey. PA for the Matchbox show at the end of September I can coordinate a viewing with my friends Stephen Allen and Warren Burdick who have Blue Zodiacs. Keep in mind as well that nearly all of these models have greenish aspects to the paint that show when photographed but it is impossible to uniformly fade any other color to the blue finish such has been suggested in other posts. Thank you.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Hello Earlywheels, if it is the 4s iphone you have, it has a perfectly adequate Macro facility through the 'HDR' function, but even without using Macro, it should be possible to get respectable pictures if you use natural Daylight and rest the iphone on something solid unless you really can hold your breath to keep it steady...

Do not get too close to the model, this is a common mistake, looking at the iphone's screen, mentally divide it into 9 segments, by imagining a grid of streight lines to do this and position the model so it mostly fills the centre segment but not really penetrating the outer segments. My diagram below will give you some idea of what I mean.

9 segments.jpg (15.76 KiB) Viewed 845 times

It is also easy to forget that with Digital pictures, if they are not right the first time, do them again, no film is being wasted, just the time in doing it and with practice and some fine adjustments with the positioning of the model, you will get good results.

As long as the final pictures are sharply focused (hence keeping the iphone vey still or putting it on a stand of some sort), I can add brightness, contrast and re-compose them for you and repost them onto the forum.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[Idris]

...it is impossible to uniformly fade any other color to the blue finish such has been suggested in other posts.

The whole point of this and the two other threads is that there is a lingering suspicion that it is possible to uniform ally fade the dark green to the dark blue.

[EarlyWheels]

If someone can still PM me their email contact I will forward as resized what I was able to capture yesterday. My PC is balking at uploading those newer photos but I can still forward. I do not have the blue model at present as it was loaned to me for a day. I understand the reticence to accept based on digital or other images. and also the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. But again, having the piece in hand would dispel most (i hope) doubt. It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, a Blue 33A in the flesh is worth a like number of pictures and forum traffic.

[yellowfoden]

The following 4 images are from EarlyWheels and are posted on his behalf.


EarlyWheels wrote.....
Here are two views to kick things off. Taken yesterday the car to the left is the first Dark Green (code 1 model) with no center ejector ring over the rear view mirror position, and the car to the right is the Blue one.

More to follow. This is for color comparison; indoor shot in AM light.

Blue car in foreground, Sea Green in the middle, and Turquoise Bluish Green at the rear. Not a great focused shot but shows the colors, including undersides fairly well. The turquoise bluish green car has the rare GPW and crimped axles.

...........

I hope I have the text correct, I am sure EarlyWheels will confirm. I have added details to file name.

Regards
Bert

[EarlyWheels]

Thanks so much Yellow Foden for the posting assist & fellowship. This is correct information per the captions. Regards!

[Idris]

The new photographs are certainly a step in the right direction, but I would suggest that we need a full set of high-definition close-ups taken in natural light in order to be able to make any credible judgement.

[kwakers]

You are a very tough Bloke to convince Hugh! I do think the phrase you should be using is that YOU may need much fancier close-ups and high definition photos. EarlyWheels' personal (And VERY Expert) testimony, along with his new pictures of a borrowed original, as well as George's model he has shown are the proof positive as far as I am concerned on this dark Blue variations' validity. I am quite satisfied that George's rivet is blue, NOT (A non-sunfaded??) standard dark green as you may see it. ANY Credible Judgement? Surely there are veteran collectors in the U.K. that have blue examples hidden that you may be able to view Hugh. Seeing and holding one as EarlyWheels has done at your request may then become credible. Perhaps Phillip may still have one if you are able to contact him through other collectors?
When this blue Zodiac is being sold for 500+ U.S. on the very few occasions a Minty example has sold publicly, I am sure their new owners look to be satisfied with all of their wheelwells, insides and partially hidden areas. Otherwise, the market would have many examples of your (Near-Perfect??) "Blue Sunfades" being re-sold and passed around all the time Hugh. In my own experience, I could never find a blue one in our stores or for sale at early Toy Shows here in America. I did eventually buy my own mint example from Nigel on one of his U.S. excursions 15? years ago, only to have it become hidden somewhere in our house. It was put safely away from any other Lesneys, so still has not been re-discovered.........Yet......Kwakers

[Idris]

I would agree that I am difficult to convince on this one, so fair comment, Dick.
What may be the case is that there are actually two versions of the dark blue 33a Zodiac: one which left the factory that way and one which is the result of a sunfade. (Is that a line of thought worth pursuing?) At the moment, rightly or wrongly, I am unconvinced and, realistically, will probably remain so until such time as I am able to examine a convincing example "in the hand".
There was a dark blue example listed on Ebay recently. This was actually a relisting and my assumption is that the original purchaser was not convinced by it. Certainly, when I look at the baseplate shot (see below), I don't like the colour of the inside of the sills towards the baseplate and I therefore think that this one was (probably) a sunfade.