Bengalensis Posted July 26, 2022 Author Share Posted July 26, 2022 1 minute ago, keefr22 said: I wonder if the misspelt manufacturer name is a typo - or ti stop the mighty (long gone) Reliant company coming after them for licensing money...?! That looks like a neat kit though, shame it's not 1/24 it would look great next to the Bond! Keith I think on a low volume resin kit from Japan in those years it is a genuin typo. A friend once explained to me why Japanese people sometimes have difficulties with spelling using our characters. There are quite a few decal examples, and although I can't recall the reason now, it was a genuine thing. The kit is very nice indeed, will go well with Airfix Bond Bug, if they ever get it out again. TVC-15 did only a few kits that I know. I have their Heinkel Kabinenroller and Fuji Cabin, both little gems in 1/24 resin. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 1 hour ago, Bengalensis said: IThe kit is very nice indeed, will go well with Airfix Bond Bug, if they ever get it out again. TVC-15 did only a few kits that I know. I have their Heinkel Kabinenroller and Fuji Cabin, both little gems in 1/24 resin. The Heinkel was my first "car" and I have very fond memories of it but never knew there was a kit ever produced of it, so I was delighted to read this. I've just had a quick search for this one and located one in Japan. I would have bought it despite it's 20,000 yen pricetag (about £121.00 sterling) apart from the fact that they will not give any indication of shipping costs until AFTER the order is placed! NOT a way to do business IMHO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted July 26, 2022 Author Share Posted July 26, 2022 1 hour ago, Neddy said: The Heinkel was my first "car" and I have very fond memories of it but never knew there was a kit ever produced of it, so I was delighted to read this. I've just had a quick search for this one and located one in Japan. I would have bought it despite it's 20,000 yen pricetag (about £121.00 sterling) apart from the fact that they will not give any indication of shipping costs until AFTER the order is placed! NOT a way to do business IMHO. You are lucky to find one, TVC-15 kits are very rare. Check to make sure what version it is, they have issued it both in ordinary resin but also in clear resin, which a friend found after I got mine. The clear version is less appealing due to the material. I have dealt with a number of smaller Japanese shops/dealers over the years for odd resin kits with great service. If you tell me where you found it (PM is ok too) I may - with some luck - be able to give you hint of the service to expect. No, I won't snap it from under your nose 😉 Edit: I found it. I haven't used that service myself, but I have heard of someone who did quite some time ago, apparently without nasty surprices. Saddly that's all I know. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 Thanks a lot for checking it out. As you have seen it's the original, not the clear version. I am extremely tempted but dare not commit to an open-ended and probably quite substantial carriage charge without knowing even vaguely what the cost would be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 10 hours ago, Bengalensis said: A friend once explained to me why Japanese people sometimes have difficulties with spelling using our characters. Not as much as a problem as us using theirs.....!! Possibly why the Mitsubishi Starion got its name! My great grandfather on my late dad's side was Japanese, but I know absolutely zero about the language... Keith 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiny Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 1 hour ago, keefr22 said: Not as much as a problem as us using theirs.....!! Possibly why the Mitsubishi Starion got its name! My great grandfather on my late dad's side was Japanese, but I know absolutely zero about the language... Keith Coming from a manufacturer that made a car called the Urban Active Sandal I think anything is possible when it comes to how it got it's name 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 Going back to number plates for a moment. The Bond Bug gets a mention in this list of unusual-looking cars and the pictured car appears to be on Dutch plates. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windy37 Posted July 31, 2022 Share Posted July 31, 2022 I visited a car show yesterday and there was two Bond Bugs on display . I took some photos , they may be of use to you Hope they are of use to you Gary. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted July 31, 2022 Author Share Posted July 31, 2022 41 minutes ago, Windy37 said: I visited a car show yesterday and there was two Bond Bugs on display . I took some photos , they may be of use to you Hope they are of use to you Gary. That's nice, thanks a lot! I really have to make the white triangles for the mud flaps on my decals. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted July 31, 2022 Share Posted July 31, 2022 2 minutes ago, Bengalensis said: I really have to make the white triangles for the mud flaps on my decals. They're vital - they must give the thing so much more protection in a rear end crash!! I wouldn't want to be hit by anything bigger than a push bike in one of those things...!! 🤣 Keith 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted July 31, 2022 Author Share Posted July 31, 2022 6 hours ago, keefr22 said: They're vital - they must give the thing so much more protection in a rear end crash!! I wouldn't want to be hit by anything bigger than a push bike in one of those things...!! 🤣 Keith When I first saw those a few weeks ago I thought they looked like a crazy joke, but I think they were original, or at least very common. Their character has grown on me and the last photos from @Windy37 convinced me that they have to be there. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted July 31, 2022 Author Share Posted July 31, 2022 Test fitting in the 3D CAD. We have a set of Exacton 10x5" alloys and a start on the 165/70x10 rear tyres. Some minor tweaks done to the linkage and the brake drums to make it all meet the needed measurements and it's looking promising. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted July 31, 2022 Share Posted July 31, 2022 Here's a video walkaround and test drive of a bond bug. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted August 4, 2022 Author Share Posted August 4, 2022 Brusefält delivers, the tyres have been finished and we now have a set of 165/70x10 rear and 145x10 front tyres, with a nice pattern we will have more use for in coming projects. I'm very happy with this. I couldn't resist throwing all the parts together just because I could. It's now time for the first test print. I must also start seriously on the decals. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klubman01 Posted August 4, 2022 Share Posted August 4, 2022 That looks really good. Hope all the parts turn out OK. Love the rear wheels! Trevor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 All the bits look wonderful in the CAD, can't wait to see this all progressing. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 Saw one of these things mixing it with all the HGV's and other traffic on the M4 yesterday - it even looked scary from inside our Focus....!! 🤣 Keith 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 They weren't all orange, BTW. Green and Purple were limited editions. IIRC they were commercial promotions. Here, Henry and Sam find a green one... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klubman01 Posted August 7, 2022 Share Posted August 7, 2022 11 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said: They weren't all orange, BTW. Green and Purple were limited editions. IIRC they were commercial promotions. Here, Henry and Sam find a green one... Well, I never knew that. I've only seen orange Bugs. Trevor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six97s Posted August 7, 2022 Share Posted August 7, 2022 19 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said: They weren't all orange, BTW. Green and Purple were limited editions. IIRC they were commercial promotions. Here, Henry and Sam find a green one. Surprised they knew what it was. I was flicking through the other day and Shed and Buried came up. The voice over described a "beautiful Rolls Royce" while the car on screen was clearly a Daimler... 🤨 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted August 7, 2022 Author Share Posted August 7, 2022 21 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said: They weren't all orange, BTW. Green and Purple were limited editions. IIRC they were commercial promotions. Here, Henry and Sam find a green one... I've heard about some very few white or lime green ones, but didn't know about any purple. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted August 15, 2022 Author Share Posted August 15, 2022 I'm still waiting for the 3D-printed parts, but I haven't felt any need to rush that as I haven't pulled myself together to draw the decals yet. Today I have made a start. First I decided the width of the stripes, then I loaded a cropped image as a background object in AutoCAD and started working on the logo. They seem to come in several versions when it comes to the smaller scripts on restored cars, so I used what I could make up from period photos, albeit of lesser quality, for the details. Turn then came to getting some more stuff done in Photoshop, first for the white printing. The small stuff are in no way exact reproductions, and several different scripts can be seen on cars. They will probably be small enough to not matter too much. The stripes where imported for the colour print, and the red logo for the rear hatch added. This is meant to go on top of one or two white printed background decals applied to the black hatch. I had some plan to use a good photo of the speedometer to make a decal for that, but I don't think it's worth the job. Now it still remains to decide the registration number, and type of plates, and do the tax disc. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Crash Posted August 19, 2022 Share Posted August 19, 2022 What about this one https://bangshift.com/bangshift1320/rolling-insanity-pocket-biography-of-the-metronome-an-english-blown-hemi-altered-based-on-a-bond-bug-micro-car/ 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted August 19, 2022 Share Posted August 19, 2022 If it weren't for that Bug kits are so rare and expensive that would be a fun one to build 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted August 19, 2022 Author Share Posted August 19, 2022 1 hour ago, DD_Crash said: What about this one https://bangshift.com/bangshift1320/rolling-insanity-pocket-biography-of-the-metronome-an-english-blown-hemi-altered-based-on-a-bond-bug-micro-car/ Crazy thing and an interesting story. I've seen the occasional photo of it in my research. 2 minutes ago, Black Knight said: If it weren't for that Bug kits are so rare and expensive that would be a fun one to build We really need an Airfix reissue! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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