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Airfix MK1 Ford Escort.


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Whilst in the throes of packing for our soon to be house move, I found in an old ice cream tub an Airfix 1/32 Ford Escort in a plastic bag, In basic grey plastic. So to break up the packing schedule I decided over a couple of days to build it. I had printed out the instructions of a previous build some years ago.

 

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In the days of my race/airfield marshalling at the Silverstone Racing Circuit some 5 miles away, about 40 years ago there was a saloon car class designated 'Super Saloons'. This was using a base saloon shell on a spaceframe chassis with whatever V8 engine/gearbox you could fit. I found alongside this kit a modified Escort MK1 shell duly modified with plasticard by me some 30+ years ago! I am now looking for a 1/32 kit of an F! car for the wheels and suspension to fit a scratch chassis!

 

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I therefore look forward to my move, building another garden cabin and continuing model making, having started when I was 8 years old and 76 next month!

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Happy Birthday for next month Pat!

 

I loved the Super Saloons (especially Run, Baby, Run, as it wasn't as extreme as some of the other cars, it made it seem like a bit of a giant killer!) - it was a great race series!

 

Looking forward to seeing your Escort continue! Have you looked at a slot car supplier such as Pendle Slot Cars to see if they have something suitable in the wheel/chassis spares they stock?

 

Good luck with the move too!

 

Keith

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That looks wild Pat !!

Agree with Keith on the Pendle option, they have some nice wheel/tyre sets too. Also, Matchbox did a couple of 1/32 race cars back in the day. Not sure how much these cost nowadays but worth a look in the usual places?

 

Atb, Steve.

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Well thanks guys! What a good idea as it is just the right scale for slot car parts! Yes Gerry Marshall was a great driver committed to driving something else. As a marshal with another team member walking into Silverstone one raceday in the pouring rain, Gerry slid to a halt asking us if there would be racing as it was so wet. We said we couldn't  think why they would not race. OK guys he said, if you find out anything different you can find me in the bar! On race day he was racing the Vauxhall Ventura V8  (Big Bertha) on the short circuit, he flew into Woodcote corner, on braking the disc brake pad fell out of the drivers side front, transferring the whole of the front braking to the passenger side, so instead of turning right the car swerved left into the barriers, whilst leading the race by some distance. A loud groan went up from most if not all of the spectators in the grandstands! 

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3 hours ago, PatW said:

 having started when I was 8 years old and 76 next month!

Ditto! except my birthday is next August.  Also, the Ford Escort was my first car back in 1970.

Here's to you for a good move, a great mancave and a stunning birthday next month Pat. :partytime:

Cheers,
Mike

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Gerry really was a larger than life guy - & despite me saying Run Baby Run was a favourite car, Baby Bertha and Big Bertha were really my all time favourites and with Gerry driving they were completely spectacular! :)

 

Keith

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Thanks guys.

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Looks like a good way of easing the house moving stress. The plan is that I'm going to try and get the same done soon, so I can see the need for it, and this looks a nice easy way to ease some of that stress.

 

Good luck with the move.

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I like the grey Escort,  Pat . Some nice details on it . 

  I never saw Gerry racing but I have seen his old Vauxhall's and read some amusing stories about him and his antics ! 

 Keep up the good work in your new place !

Gary .

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Brought back memories of my old Mk 1 Escort.

Moving is a bit of a pain in the you know what!

You do not realise what you have until you have to shift all of it!

Has the Buckingham tidy tip and various charity  shops been a bit busy of late?    Lol.

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Thanks guys. Yes Jim time flies I still remember the first day at school when I screamed the place down!  Yes Spiny brilliant way to try and cope with what they tell us is that other than getting married and having offspring moving is up there for stress, unfortunately the lady we are buying from  has had yet another poor survey on another place she's gone for! Is that the second or third for her! Thanks Windy37, yes Gerry was a great man weighing in at around 20 stone plus and being very jolly spending most of any race weekend in the bar! Yes Noel Smith Buckingham has got a very decent tip, but others around us have been shut down and then the councils moan about fly tipping! We have a high street of charity shops and coffee shops, card only parking, no cash! All of the banks/building societies have gone and the Post Office is very busy and the place to go to get things done!

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12 hours ago, PatW said:

Thanks guys. Yes Jim time flies I still remember the first day at school when I screamed the place down!  Yes Spiny brilliant way to try and cope with what they tell us is that other than getting married and having offspring moving is up there for stress, unfortunately the lady we are buying from  has had yet another poor survey on another place she's gone for! Is that the second or third for her! Thanks Windy37, yes Gerry was a great man weighing in at around 20 stone plus and being very jolly spending most of any race weekend in the bar! Yes Noel Smith Buckingham has got a very decent tip, but others around us have been shut down and then the councils moan about fly tipping! We have a high street of charity shops and coffee shops, card only parking, no cash! All of the banks/building societies have gone and the Post Office is very busy and the place to go to get things done!

Know exactly where your coming from we were going to move even had a buyer for our home this area used to be a sleepy coastal town,all the banks have closed parking is a nightmare and it took a week to see your Doctor now your lucky if you can see him in the month and don't talk about specialists, trials of growing old.We thought our move would be smooth looked at some homes on the net but when we saw them they were all more knock down and start again and trying to make our money stretch from one move to the next is hard.taxes removals agents fees.So we decided best the devil you know and stay.I do hope all works well for you and the move is not like going to the dentist.

Cheers and keep well (or sane)

Jim 

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Talking of house clearing, since my last post reminded me that I found an old Airfix Lotus Cortina kit in the loft where I tried to customise the body back in the 60's when my model making enthusiasm far outweighed my very poor abilities. It was painted in Humbrol Lilac enamel. What possessed me to paint it lilac I really do not know! Fortunately the vast majority of the rest of the kit parts remained untouched in a plastic bag in the box I found with the body. 

The body has been stripped of that old horrible Lilac enamel, the body restored to its original shape and the model completely rebuilt and repainted. I had nothing to lose as the body had been badly hacked about all those years ago, so it was not a pricey collectable like intact mint Airfix Lotus Cortina kits are these days.

Edited by Noel Smith
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Thanks Noel. Amazing what is hidden back there somewhere.

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The modified body looks great,  looking forward to see what you do with it and it's given me a great idea for a future project (just don't hold your breath 😉) - Andy 

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Cheers Andy, Yes I have to find some wide but 1/32 scale wheels/tyres first. I hope to see yours soon!

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