When you select the section of parts you're looking for go for 'Tyres and Tracks' rather than 'Matchbox Large Scale Parts' - the King Size ones are quite far down the list but he does have quite a selection.kbean63 wrote:I'm wondering if Steve does any custom parts. I have a couple of king size Allis Chalmers scrapers that could use new springs.
I'd also like to stock up on some various tires for king size models but didn't see any listed.
p.s. - yes, I was quite impressed with his prices.
Restoring cars with missing tires.
Re: Restoring cars with missing tires.
Re: Restoring cars with missing tires.
Most of the tires one might need are reproduced and available. They are located in different places on the different supplier's web sites. The springs you seek are not sold by any of the parts guys, but you can find them at a good hardware store. If they don't have them in stock they can order the right size springs for you. It's a common loop end spring and I'm sure Lesney simply bought them from a vendor back in the day.kbean63 wrote:I'm wondering if Steve does any custom parts. I have a couple of king size Allis Chalmers scrapers that could use new springs.
I'd also like to stock up on some various tires for king size models but didn't see any listed.
p.s. - yes, I was quite impressed with his prices.
It might be time to start my "Bucket List."
Re: Restoring cars with missing tires.
This article is about ten years old now, but it still has some useful information (and some updates):
When it comes to reproduction replacement parts and decals, there are now more options than ever before. I’m sitting here at my desk which is currently covered over with hundreds of dollars worth of Reproduction parts for vintage 1-75s, Majors & Kings. All these parts have started me thinking about the whole reproduction parts business. In the beginning there were two, then three and now there are five sources with substantial inventories. You can make that six sources if you’re just looking for reproduction decals.
Here are the questions I always hear, “who makes the best stuff” and “which guy has the best prices?” In some ways it’s like comparing oranges to apples, in other ways they compare item for item. The sources are:
Modelcarparts.com (Netherlands): http://www.modelcarparts.com/
Model-Supplies Co. UK (England): http://www.model-supplies.co.uk/
Recovertoy.com/ (Australia): http://www.recovertoy.com/index.php
RegularWheels.com (USA): http://www.regularwheels.com/index.htm (now defunct)
Bill Zimmerman (Canada): It is with a heavy heart that I must post notice that Bill passed away on 4-28-2011. His business is now closed and his wife has asked that people stop sending orders.
And for decals only: Toydecals.com. (USA): http://toydecals.com/
All have a website with an online catalog (and some have online ordering) except Bill Zimmerman (Bill is paper catalog only). Ease of online ordering ranges from simple email to a built in check out system. Many of the parts available are made by Modelcarparts.com and/or Model-Supplies. So, the quality will not vary too much (however, see notes below about casting quality). RecoverToy also makes custom decals and they make the finest reproduction boxes I’ve ever seen. Recovertoy's boxes blow away most of the competition.
I want to talk about decals first and then move on to talking about parts next. Toydecals.com (AKA. Ricks Toy Box: http://toydecals.com/ ) only does decals. They began with a small Matchbox inventory and have been adding more and more all the time. They first caught my eye by doing some decals that others didn’t make.
Rick's Toy Box has made several improvements to his decals, since I last reported about them. He continues to expand the Matchbox decal selection and has improved his quality in several ways. The film he is using is superior to the previous material which caused me to all but stop using his products. Even better yet, he's switching from computer generated graphics to silk screened decals on die cut film. A huge improvement all the way around and I once again recommend him as a source. He accepts Paypal and even seems to be shipping faster than before. His website is easy to use and you can go from point-n-click to having the decal on your model in as little as three days. Shipping is usually free and he accepts Paypal (two more reason to like this site).
Dec 2013 Update: Rick's Toy Box has dropped some of their Matchbox decals which were slow sellers and has converted many decals to a peel and stick vinyl plastic label. I find the peel and stick labels to be difficult to place and attempting to reposition them can even damage the new paint on your restored model. I also find them less authentic and I personally try to avoid them. He still provides some silk screened die cut decals but the list is shrinking.
The decals I’ve used from both ModelCarParts.com and Model-Supplies have been excellent. They are all die cut to fit their exact location and the quality of the film seems to be strong enough to allow placement without any problems. It takes longer to get decals from these last two, but you can combine them with a reproduction parts order. Their decals are silk screened and do not suffer from a dot matrix problems like home made decals.
Let’s move on to parts; treads, tires, plastic and metal cast parts. Remember, the big two (Model-Supplies & ModelCarParts) often supply others with parts which they make on site. When it comes to parts that are out sourced, most everyone is still obtaining parts from the same suppliers. When it comes to cast metal parts, ModelCarParts seems to have an advantage. Their parts have far less “flash.” A good example is the wrecker boom for the 13A & B. My last order from Model-Supplies included six booms. Four had so much flash in the webbing, they had to be discarded. MCP’s were much better; this could be due to better quality control or just the culling of unsatisfactory castings prior to sale.
The other cast parts were about the same between the two. However, it seems that MCP must cull out more flawed casting than M-S does. Item vs. item, M-S seemed to have more small imperfections than MCP parts. That can make a difference if you only order one of a specific part and it turns out to be usable or not.
Tires, treads and plastic parts. In this category, the quality seems nearly identical. The treads just seem to get better and better with each new order. The last batch of tires I ordered was sweet! They are made just a tad smaller on the inside diameter resulting in a nice tight fit on the old shrunken hubs. How great it is to have tires that fit like they did when the toy was new! Before I forget, MCP still has a little bit of NOS for Corgi.
If you do a bunch of resto work, MCP offers a discount on larger purchases (some specific items are discounted). I don’t know if M-S offers bulk discounts and I may ask on my next order (MCP advertises on their site about bulk discounts).
Here’s my bottom line opinion, and I’ll put it into categories:
Decals: The playing field is about level with minor differences in some decals depending from whom you purchase. Prices vary for the same decal, so price shoppers might want to compare each site for the best deal.
Cast metal parts: M-S seems to have less quality control on what gets selected and goes into your order. MCP and Zimerman seem tied (and have slighter better QC) while RegularWheels.Com makes an effort cull out the unusable parts.
Plastic Parts: Molded plastic parts, plastic wheels, tires and treads, etc.: You can shop for price or convenience as they all seem about equal in quality. Prices vary and all offer nearly identical parts.
Reproduction Boxes: RecoverToy is the undisputed leader and way ahead of all the rest.
7-19-2008 This update is loaded with new and useful information:
Some new things are out there in the way of restoration parts and I thought that some of you may want to know what & where to find it. The decal options are expanding more everyday
If you are considering purchasing cast metal parts for the first time. These items don’t exactly come ready to roll, so to speak. They need to be filed and or sanded and often specific areas need to be fine tuned in order to work. Unless you have experience in modeling, you will likely find them resting in the original shipping box a year from now.
My apologies to Tony Howden of Recovertoy. Due to the higher cost of shipping (from OZ to the USA) I have not used any of his reproduction parts or decals. Thus the omission of Recovertoy in comparisons. I do love Tony's reproduction boxes and they are the finest I've seen.
If you buy your tracks/treads via auction sites, you are paying a huge mark-up in price. Model Car Parts will give any buyer a discount for any tire or tread bought in large quantities (bulk discount). You need to check with the other sites as they may be able to offer bulk discounts on some items.
08-26-2009 Update:
Good news for those who need replacement windows for their vintage restoration projects. Steve Flowers ( http://www.model-supplies.co.uk/ ) has added eleven more windows (plastic window inserts) to his list of 1-75 replacement parts. The additions are as follows:
7B Ford Anglia green tinted plastic window unit
22B Vauxhall Cresta PA transparent blue plastic window unit
25B VW Saloon transparent blue plastic window unit
27D Mercedes Benz 230SL clear plastic screen
29B Austin Cambridge green tinted plastic window unit
34B VW green version, camper green tinted plastic window unit
41C Ford GT clear plastic window unit
44A Vauxhall Victor green tinted plastic window unit
57B Chevy Impala transparent blue plastic window unit
70B Atkinson grit spreader green tinted plastic window unit
75A Ford Thunderbird transparent blue plastic window unit
J.P.
When it comes to reproduction replacement parts and decals, there are now more options than ever before. I’m sitting here at my desk which is currently covered over with hundreds of dollars worth of Reproduction parts for vintage 1-75s, Majors & Kings. All these parts have started me thinking about the whole reproduction parts business. In the beginning there were two, then three and now there are five sources with substantial inventories. You can make that six sources if you’re just looking for reproduction decals.
Here are the questions I always hear, “who makes the best stuff” and “which guy has the best prices?” In some ways it’s like comparing oranges to apples, in other ways they compare item for item. The sources are:
Modelcarparts.com (Netherlands): http://www.modelcarparts.com/
Model-Supplies Co. UK (England): http://www.model-supplies.co.uk/
Recovertoy.com/ (Australia): http://www.recovertoy.com/index.php
RegularWheels.com (USA): http://www.regularwheels.com/index.htm (now defunct)
Bill Zimmerman (Canada): It is with a heavy heart that I must post notice that Bill passed away on 4-28-2011. His business is now closed and his wife has asked that people stop sending orders.
And for decals only: Toydecals.com. (USA): http://toydecals.com/
All have a website with an online catalog (and some have online ordering) except Bill Zimmerman (Bill is paper catalog only). Ease of online ordering ranges from simple email to a built in check out system. Many of the parts available are made by Modelcarparts.com and/or Model-Supplies. So, the quality will not vary too much (however, see notes below about casting quality). RecoverToy also makes custom decals and they make the finest reproduction boxes I’ve ever seen. Recovertoy's boxes blow away most of the competition.
I want to talk about decals first and then move on to talking about parts next. Toydecals.com (AKA. Ricks Toy Box: http://toydecals.com/ ) only does decals. They began with a small Matchbox inventory and have been adding more and more all the time. They first caught my eye by doing some decals that others didn’t make.
Rick's Toy Box has made several improvements to his decals, since I last reported about them. He continues to expand the Matchbox decal selection and has improved his quality in several ways. The film he is using is superior to the previous material which caused me to all but stop using his products. Even better yet, he's switching from computer generated graphics to silk screened decals on die cut film. A huge improvement all the way around and I once again recommend him as a source. He accepts Paypal and even seems to be shipping faster than before. His website is easy to use and you can go from point-n-click to having the decal on your model in as little as three days. Shipping is usually free and he accepts Paypal (two more reason to like this site).
Dec 2013 Update: Rick's Toy Box has dropped some of their Matchbox decals which were slow sellers and has converted many decals to a peel and stick vinyl plastic label. I find the peel and stick labels to be difficult to place and attempting to reposition them can even damage the new paint on your restored model. I also find them less authentic and I personally try to avoid them. He still provides some silk screened die cut decals but the list is shrinking.
The decals I’ve used from both ModelCarParts.com and Model-Supplies have been excellent. They are all die cut to fit their exact location and the quality of the film seems to be strong enough to allow placement without any problems. It takes longer to get decals from these last two, but you can combine them with a reproduction parts order. Their decals are silk screened and do not suffer from a dot matrix problems like home made decals.
Let’s move on to parts; treads, tires, plastic and metal cast parts. Remember, the big two (Model-Supplies & ModelCarParts) often supply others with parts which they make on site. When it comes to parts that are out sourced, most everyone is still obtaining parts from the same suppliers. When it comes to cast metal parts, ModelCarParts seems to have an advantage. Their parts have far less “flash.” A good example is the wrecker boom for the 13A & B. My last order from Model-Supplies included six booms. Four had so much flash in the webbing, they had to be discarded. MCP’s were much better; this could be due to better quality control or just the culling of unsatisfactory castings prior to sale.
The other cast parts were about the same between the two. However, it seems that MCP must cull out more flawed casting than M-S does. Item vs. item, M-S seemed to have more small imperfections than MCP parts. That can make a difference if you only order one of a specific part and it turns out to be usable or not.
Tires, treads and plastic parts. In this category, the quality seems nearly identical. The treads just seem to get better and better with each new order. The last batch of tires I ordered was sweet! They are made just a tad smaller on the inside diameter resulting in a nice tight fit on the old shrunken hubs. How great it is to have tires that fit like they did when the toy was new! Before I forget, MCP still has a little bit of NOS for Corgi.
If you do a bunch of resto work, MCP offers a discount on larger purchases (some specific items are discounted). I don’t know if M-S offers bulk discounts and I may ask on my next order (MCP advertises on their site about bulk discounts).
Here’s my bottom line opinion, and I’ll put it into categories:
Decals: The playing field is about level with minor differences in some decals depending from whom you purchase. Prices vary for the same decal, so price shoppers might want to compare each site for the best deal.
Cast metal parts: M-S seems to have less quality control on what gets selected and goes into your order. MCP and Zimerman seem tied (and have slighter better QC) while RegularWheels.Com makes an effort cull out the unusable parts.
Plastic Parts: Molded plastic parts, plastic wheels, tires and treads, etc.: You can shop for price or convenience as they all seem about equal in quality. Prices vary and all offer nearly identical parts.
Reproduction Boxes: RecoverToy is the undisputed leader and way ahead of all the rest.
7-19-2008 This update is loaded with new and useful information:
Some new things are out there in the way of restoration parts and I thought that some of you may want to know what & where to find it. The decal options are expanding more everyday
If you are considering purchasing cast metal parts for the first time. These items don’t exactly come ready to roll, so to speak. They need to be filed and or sanded and often specific areas need to be fine tuned in order to work. Unless you have experience in modeling, you will likely find them resting in the original shipping box a year from now.
My apologies to Tony Howden of Recovertoy. Due to the higher cost of shipping (from OZ to the USA) I have not used any of his reproduction parts or decals. Thus the omission of Recovertoy in comparisons. I do love Tony's reproduction boxes and they are the finest I've seen.
If you buy your tracks/treads via auction sites, you are paying a huge mark-up in price. Model Car Parts will give any buyer a discount for any tire or tread bought in large quantities (bulk discount). You need to check with the other sites as they may be able to offer bulk discounts on some items.
08-26-2009 Update:
Good news for those who need replacement windows for their vintage restoration projects. Steve Flowers ( http://www.model-supplies.co.uk/ ) has added eleven more windows (plastic window inserts) to his list of 1-75 replacement parts. The additions are as follows:
7B Ford Anglia green tinted plastic window unit
22B Vauxhall Cresta PA transparent blue plastic window unit
25B VW Saloon transparent blue plastic window unit
27D Mercedes Benz 230SL clear plastic screen
29B Austin Cambridge green tinted plastic window unit
34B VW green version, camper green tinted plastic window unit
41C Ford GT clear plastic window unit
44A Vauxhall Victor green tinted plastic window unit
57B Chevy Impala transparent blue plastic window unit
70B Atkinson grit spreader green tinted plastic window unit
75A Ford Thunderbird transparent blue plastic window unit
J.P.
It might be time to start my "Bucket List."
Re: Restoring cars with missing tires.
In addition to the above, in the last few years Steve has increased the number of different window units available for different models. As recent as 2013, he expanded into more of the accessories that often go missing, here is a partial list of the newest items available:
1E/F Mercedes truck orange plastic canopy
2D/E Mercedes Trailer orange plastic canopy
11D Mercedes set of 4 yellow plastic scaffold & 2 platforms
42B Studebaker Station Wagon white plastic hunter and dog
45B Ford Corsair green plastic boat and roof rack
47C DAF tipper silver plastic roof
50C Kennel truck clear plastic rear canopy
52B BRM white plastic driver and steering wheel (2 parts)
58C DAF red plastic girders (set of 6)
1E/F Mercedes truck orange plastic canopy
2D/E Mercedes Trailer orange plastic canopy
11D Mercedes set of 4 yellow plastic scaffold & 2 platforms
42B Studebaker Station Wagon white plastic hunter and dog
45B Ford Corsair green plastic boat and roof rack
47C DAF tipper silver plastic roof
50C Kennel truck clear plastic rear canopy
52B BRM white plastic driver and steering wheel (2 parts)
58C DAF red plastic girders (set of 6)
It might be time to start my "Bucket List."
Re: Restoring cars with missing tires.
Cool, nice to know there are so many sources available.
Interesting, I had considered looking for springs at some of the local hardware stores but I was afraid that it would be fruitless. Glad to hear that it's a common size.
In the meantime I picked up some Elmer's today and have been busy securing tires. I have a #19 Lotus that I've had since I was 3 that rolled today for the first time in perhaps 45 years.
Interesting, I had considered looking for springs at some of the local hardware stores but I was afraid that it would be fruitless. Glad to hear that it's a common size.
In the meantime I picked up some Elmer's today and have been busy securing tires. I have a #19 Lotus that I've had since I was 3 that rolled today for the first time in perhaps 45 years.
-
dutchdinky
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 12:56 pm
Re: Restoring cars with missing tires.
Just make sure to use the "washable" school glue that remains water soluble.kbean63 wrote:In the meantime I picked up some Elmer's today and have been busy securing tires. I have a #19 Lotus that I've had since I was 3 that rolled today for the first time in perhaps 45 years.
It might be time to start my "Bucket List."
Re: Restoring cars with missing tires.
Oops, thanks for reiterating to use the school glue. I accidentally picked up the regular Elmer's. Thankfully I've only been practicing on all my old banger cars so far, no damage done. I'm getting better at getting the tires on straight so they don't wobble when the wheel turns and also getting them so that the faces of the tires are a consistent distance from the faces of the hubs. I like the hubs to be a bit recessed from the tires, but consistency is more important.