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These models are obviously just as nice and treasured by current owners, but they just don't have the same attraction as those earlier 'Kingsize' models. I have not seen a Blue Volvo before, my brother had the transporter (so I have played with that one...!), and from the same range, I had the metallic Green Porsche (930 I think, I should have checked this), and I also had the metallic Red Citroen SM and the metallic Red Mercedes-Benz coupe, not sure now what range these Two were from.

Ghosty.

GHOSTHUNTER wrote:These models are obviously just as nice and treasured by current owners, but they just don't have the same attraction as those earlier 'Kingsize' models. I have not seen a Blue Volvo before, my brother had the transporter (so I have played with that one...!), and from the same range, I had the metallic Green Porsche (930 I think, I should have checked this), and I also had the metallic Red Citroen SM and the metallic Red Mercedes-Benz coupe, not sure now what range these Two were from.

Ghosty.

I think the artwork on the boxes are better than the later ones....

Nice selection - the Dodge Charger always seems to go for a much higher price.

I notice that yours appears to be lighter blue (unless that is just photo effect) than the darker blue of mine. Here's a different box for the Mercury Cougar showing the gold car as opposed to the red. I agree that the artwork is great - often hidden away on the back. I have some photos (scroll to page bottom) http://www.darkens.net.nz/boxes.htm of KS boxes.

These models do often have hub problems, damaged or misshapen - has this ever been discussed as to why this happens?

Hello Roger, yes, the wheel problem has been discussed before on the forum and is a common problem with certain plastics reacting with each other. The first thing collectors should do when aquiring toys and models with separate tyres, is take them off, and store them away from similar plastics, like keep them in paper bags or tissue paper.

The different plastics and nylon-based plastics used to manufacture the wheels and tyres, settle at different rates, as plastic is always trying to breath but they breath at different rates and the nylon based tyres on those particular models can not expand at the same rate as the harder plastic wheel rims and as a result the rims are actually sweating and the contact area with the tyre becomes a very soft toffee-like substance and oozes out from behind the tyre.

Most of the time it is the tyre that survives this process and the harder wheel rim suffers and unfortunatly I do not know of a cure, that is why you should remove tyres as soon as you have the model, so if the reaction process has not already started, you can help prevent it. Put the tyres back on the model for photography purposes only, when done, remove them again.

Long term it may be possible to trim away the sticky bubbling mess around the edge of the rim, providing it has hardened to a level that will allow the use of a sharp modelling knife.

GHOSTHUNTER.

This K22 looks to be a lighter metallic blue than the usual dark candy shade found on these (RW ISO common shade) or is it just a trick of the light? The K22 was made in much smaller numbers than the very common Cougar and fairly common Muira so no surprise a good one costs more and is much harder to source than the other pair. Scalewise the Muira seems to be proper 1/43 but Cougar and Charger are smaller.......

GHOSTHUNTER wrote:The different plastics and nylon-based plastics used to manufacture the wheels and tyres, settle at different rates, as plastic is always trying to breath but they breath at different rates and the nylon based tyres on those particular models can not expand at the same rate as the harder plastic wheel rims and as a result the rims are actually sweating and the contact area with the tyre becomes a very soft toffee-like substance and oozes out from behind the tyre.

Sorry Kevin, nothing personal, but I regard the above as pseudo-science.There is no "settling", there is no "breathing", there is no "sweating", and there is no "expansion".
What is happening is that the plasticiser from the nylon is migrating into the harder plastic which forms the hubs and softening them to the extent that they lose their structural integrity and deform.

Idris wrote:

GHOSTHUNTER wrote:The different plastics and nylon-based plastics used to manufacture the wheels and tyres, settle at different rates, as plastic is always trying to breath but they breath at different rates and the nylon based tyres on those particular models can not expand at the same rate as the harder plastic wheel rims and as a result the rims are actually sweating and the contact area with the tyre becomes a very soft toffee-like substance and oozes out from behind the tyre.

.
What is happening is that the plasticiser from the nylon is migrating into the harder plastic which forms the hubs and softening them to the extent that they lose their structural integrity and deform.

So that's what's happening to my wife!!.......thanks for the scientific explanation Hugh.

That's alright Hugh, What I should have included in my comment was...What appears to be happening to me, but this is probably more 'Pseudo-Science' than fact, is that...

Ghosty.

motorman wrote:

Idris wrote:

GHOSTHUNTER wrote:The different plastics and nylon-based plastics used to manufacture the wheels and tyres, settle at different rates, as plastic is always trying to breath but they breath at different rates and the nylon based tyres on those particular models can not expand at the same rate as the harder plastic wheel rims and as a result the rims are actually sweating and the contact area with the tyre becomes a very soft toffee-like substance and oozes out from behind the tyre.

.
What is happening is that the plasticiser from the nylon is migrating into the harder plastic which forms the hubs and softening them to the extent that they lose their structural integrity and deform.

So that's what's happening to my wife!!.......thanks for the scientific explanation Hugh.

Yes, thanks Hugh. But mm, you're sailing very close to the wind

Let's not forget K23 the Mercury Commuter Police Car. This continued the King Size car theme with the Miura being the odd one out among the Americana. However, as the Miura does get lumped in, we should also perhaps include the K6 Mercedes Benz Binz Ambulance as well.
Anyway, the K23 Mercury Commuter made for an odd police vehicle choice and I have a tatty one that I intend to convert to a sedan (painted black it will make a nice Steve McGarrett Mercury from Hawaii Five-O).
It made the change to Speedwheels unscathed (the Cougar and Charger were butchered into dragster funny cars) staying as an all white police station wagon but was later available painted yellow or green as part of a Team Matchbox set towing a racing car on a trailer. For these releases the roof light holes were covered with a roof rack and redesignated as K46.