1:43 Die Cast vehicles

 You have a good source right up the street in "Asheville DieCast."

 

What ever happened to "CATs" in Hendersonville?

 

Of course there is always eBay.

    Very pricey--I wouldn't buy it, even at $7.99. 

Thats a stunner I would give $7.99 for it

And to change subjects why 1:43 for vehicles and not 1:48.  I know there are some 1:48 but why the huge amount of 1:43s??

1:43 is English O Scale and  many of the vehicles are made in Britain, I believe.

Wow, C.Sam.  Think how lucky someone will feel when the price is reduced to only $350 and they buy it.  

 

I could see myself going to, maybe, $100 only for something really special, say of fantastic model of my Dad's '55 Super 88 (the first new car he got when I was a kid - I felt very big going with him to pick it up) or . . . well that's about it - I only had to go to $80 to get my Grandfather's Cadillac.  

 

I search through the 1:43 offerings on Amazon once a week, looking for bargains: the inventory turns over on anything but the ever present NewRay and similar offerings and most of what I want is gone in a week so I;ve learned to snap it up or plan to wait some more.  I picked up a TR4 about a year ago (mine's blue, with the hard top mounted) but I know they had a red one then.  I have a red MGA that I picked up on Amazon, too . You can just barely see the back of it in the picture below - its the car in the garage being worked on: the windshield and a front wheel were broken when a can of nails fell on it by accident so I put it in the garage where you can't see the damage.  No vehicle  in the picture cost more than $20, by the way, even that very beautiful Jag: half the fun of buying these things is searching for bargains.  

That's a nice assortment of classic sportsters Lee!

A poster on the FS board has several nice cars including a red MGA but my budget is shot this month already.

 

Several of the cars that closed today went for well over $100. Am not familiar with the various brands so can't tell the subtle differences between them. I paid $28 shipped from the Forum for two TR3s, one with the top up like your red one above. Usually try for $6 and under...

Good question and I just looked for 1:48 on eBay. They are 7 pages and most are aircraft, followed by heavy equipment (good for us) and 25% or so vehicles. Far more in 1:43 as Mark said.

The reason why it's probably $799 is that it is European-produced in very limited numbers maybe less than 100, totally hand-made (mold, details, etc.), not mention it's resin, not die-cast metal. 

 

This is the most expensive model I have - Cost $299.00

 

Sam:

 

No question about it, nicely done die cat vehicles make a great addition to any layout and if you look, you can find many reasonably priced. I got two Brooklyn models for $ 10 each at a train meet.

 

My city is fairly large, so I have quite a collection in order to fill all of the streets. I do like the model you posted but realistically at that price, hard to justify for most model railroaders.

 

Hi c. sam...you mentioned you were looking for a '53 red Ford convertible.  Closest thing to that I've found is a '56 Ford convertible by "Buby, Collectors Classics" in 1/43rd with extra nice detail  The product was manufactured in Argentina I believe in the 80's and the company no longer exists.  I was able to pick up a few of them on ebay three years ago in the range of $25.  Usually they seem to show up around the $50 range.  The color of my '56 is more of an "off red" color...not sure what Ford named it.  In the pictures attached, you'll see a green '56 Buby Mercury convertible also.  The two-tone Ford coupe is a Buby also...that one might be a 54?

 

I've picked up a few Franklin Mint 1/43 from the 50's and 60's collections and Brooklin Models on occasion at good prices...nice detail on both.  Brooklin has a nice selection of 50's cars. Under $20 on the Franklin and under $50 on the Brooklins.  In the picture attached here, the woody Ford wagon and the Mustang convertible are Franklin Mint.  I still need to remove the late model powder blue T-bird in the showroom that come with the dealership....out the my 50-60's theme.

 

 

 

One of the forum members here is knowledgeable about this subject.  BT may be his forum name.  If I come accross his name, I'll post it here.  Maybe he can find you a red '53.

With over 150 vehicles on my layout, Brooklyn models can get a bit expensive at list prices of $110 or $120.   So I have populated the layout with bunches of Ertl, Road Champs, K-Line and other $5 and $10 cars.  But the problem is that you limit the variety of different car makes and models that appear.  To add to that limitation is my own requirement that everything on the layout; trains, buildings, people and cars and trucks, be limited to 195o, or earlier. 

 

About four or five years ago my wife bought me a Brooklyn model of a 1935 Nash sedan.  It looked enough different from the run-of-the-mill cheaper cars that it actually added variety.  So, after that I began looking for a few more expensive car models from Brooklyn, Solido, Franklin and others at the best prices I could find.  At least one dealer at York was trying to get rid of old stock and was selling some of these cars for $50 bucks or even less.  So I felt that the expenditure of a couple of hundred dollars to improve my automobile and truck population was well worth it.  Some times I could even get a better deal on some older inventory because the old tires had gone soft.  Easy to replace in just a minute with new tires and the car was just fine.

 

The variety of the addional car makes and colors is what adds realism to a scene.  Incidentally, when all the cars on the layout are 1/43 scale, the scene looks just fine.  In fact, when I added a "proper" 1/48 scale car, it looked out of place and I was forced to place it on a distant scene.

 

Paul Fischer

Capetrain Buby didn't make a 56 Ford or Merc, they did make a 53 Ford and a 54 Merc which you have on your layout. In your picture you have something next to your FM Ford Woody but I can't tell what it is. 

The latest in 1:43 is made of resin by American Excellance. They have a nice variety starting with a 49 Caddy and going to 5o's to 80's models. These average about $85.00 plus shipping for most models with the 67 Caddy hearse going for $99.00 + shipping.

I have the 67 Caddy hearse in silver with separate casket on cart.

If you need to know or want anything send an email.

Bob

I've bought several Brookline models and I will admit, you get a lot of weight for the money.  But they are not as detailed as good resin models in that price range or even some other good de-cast models costing only half as much, and I'm not that inclined to get any more. 

 

I prefer 1:43 model cars, as the 1:48 model cars look a bit too small, regardless of whether that is correct.  But I much prefer 1:48 scale trucks - at least big rigs and such, and  buses.  In that size range, 1:43 begins to look too big.

Actually your Ford IS a 1953, and your Mercury is a 1954. I'm a big fan of Buby "Collectors Classics" and have over 25 of them. The 1956 DeSotos are also great. These cars come as top-up, top-down, and hardtops in many color combinations. As you said, they were made in Argentina in the late 1980s. They retailed for about $35.new, and a large offering is always on eBay for $25.-$50. (depending on model and color).

Hi Sam: I have a black 1959 Impala with a white roof by Road Champs on my layout. It is a convertible with the roof up. I just gave her a good dusting and a blast of polish. She is shining like a new penny. 

 

You are most welcome to have her.....my treat......just send me your mailing address to my e-mail address in my profile.    Tom in Picksburgh

I have a 1/43 1957 Chevy That is the same color of the one my father owned at that time. I am looking for a 1967 2-door Impala in silver...like he owned. Another one I am always looking to pick up, for a deal, is my all time favorite Cadillac...the 1957 Eldorado Brougham with rear suicide doors. Preferably black. I know Brooklyn made this Caddy but I don't know if they did it in black.

Hi Sam Would you please call me @home? Eight-two-eight. Three-two-two. Eight-seven-seven-eight Hickory, NC