The Mossman Family Website
In a Wreck Truck theme for 2023, this vehicle benefitted from a fresh paint job, new hook, Esso stickers from Black Square Decals and wheels pinched off a cheap brand to replace the original Matchbox Superfast wheels. I reckon this vehicle dates from the early 1970s.
This Dodge Wreck Truck had seen better days (wrecked you might say), it’s a regular wheels (so pre 1970). It’s one of a pair I have been working on, the second is a Superfast model but I need to a custom hook for that one. This vehicle benefits from a new hook (yes I now if should be red), my own Decals and new axels, wheels and glass are originals.
This Matchbox No. 75 Ferrari Berlinetta was in the junk box at a toy fair, on sale for just 50p….
This Ferrari was purchased for 50pence at a toy fair, dirty, broken windows and no tyres. However, as the required parts were already in the spares box, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.
Aftermarket Window Unit, after market tyres, base polished (just love Basso!), fine wire wool to clean the wheels and axels, removing rust. The inside had a good wash and going over with plastic polish. This will sit well with other two No. 75’s restored some years back and now part of the collection.
Matchbox No. 23 VW Camper Van Restored.
This No. 23 Camper Van had seen better days when it arrived from an eBay seller.
After removing the paint and respraying (Keeping the original wheels) we had much improved model.
Although not in a dreadful state this bus was a little tired. Having plenty of red buses, I thought I would go for a yellow bus. Yellow buses are common in Bournemouth. Just to make the bus current (and date in the future) I made a decal for the upcoming Top Gun film.
This is how the bus looked before I set to work on it.
Two Matchbox Thames Trader Wrecker Trucks restored, these both came with different issues, both were in a poor state – wrecked in fact.
I had to install a new hook (daming the end of the arm trying to get the stub of the old one off). I also found that the arm had been glued in, the paint stripper broke some very old glue. The axels were bent and the wheels had rusted to them. I reattached with 10ba screnw. The before pictures…
The Second Truck. The axels were also bent but wheels were free and the plastic hook reused. This must have been a later variant as the first model had the remains of a metal hook where as this came with a plastic one. I choose not to remove the hook having had problems with the first model.
What started out as a smiple restore turned into a customisation project. When taking this model apart, one of the bottom rivets is loated just behind the cab making it too easy to drill through in the pick up bed. Once I had made this mistake, I decided to customise the pickup by adding Windows, a cab interior to allow me to screw the base on, some wooden blocks (“Builders Supplies”) to be delivered to a 60’s building site.
The Windows were made by cutting up the front of a HotWheels blister pack. The interior was taken from a RealToy car scrapped some years back so that it’s wheels could be donated to an earlier restoration project. A lot of cutting and filing was needed to shape the interior fo the J2 Cab area, plus allow sufficient clearance for the wheels.
After market decals and replace wheels and axels complete the project. Although not perfect, the model is displayable and looks good if you look from a distance.
Another straight restoration of a worn model. This is a regular wheels to superfast conversion which will date the model to 1969 to early 1970’s. Decals are after market. Unable to remove discolaration from lower deck. These models can be tricky to separate the rivet sits under the rear window, however, careful use of a small drill bit works!
Restored this Alvis Stalwart, after market decals and canopy aling with new tyres and axels.
This 350SL was picked up for £1 at Eastleigh Chritmas Toy Fare in Dec’19. It mostly likey spent much of it’s life on a model railway as this standard yellow exmple was dirty but oddly had almost orange paint work on the boot and bonnet while the lower part of the car was standard Lesney yellow. Some polishing showed the discolartion was unfixable so off the to paint stripper. Katie decided she liked Tamiya Orange so this became the new colour for the car.
