From My Attic - Aero Mini DC 8-61

There is one keepsake in this series that holds a special place in my collection and that is my Aero Mini DC 8-61. One in a series of cool miniature planes sold during 60 - 70's (some history here). Made out of die cast Zinc, it includes all the necessary sharp edges to makes it an attractive toy for any kid of the era. Mine displays Eastern Airlines "jockey stick" livery. Eastern was the primary commercial carrier for many years where I grew up. It evokes those early days of the jet age and for me, my first trip on a plane. It is a great reminder of where my lifelong passion for travel got started.

Number 1 engine seems to be smoking a little - The product of using a match to simulate smoke

Crazy kids...

From My Attic - Team Matchbox K-7 Racing Car Transporter

Today's subject in this series is the Team Matchbox K-7 Race Car Transporter dating from around 1973. I am sorry to say that the transporter is not in as good a shape as my K-27 Camping Cruiser. This truck lived a hard life back in those days and it shows. Most of the Team Matchbox race cars, however, are in "almost new" condition and would look great as part of any decent Matchbox collection. The set included four cars, two No. 24 & two No. 34. Their condition however comes with a sad footnote. I loved the truck, however, I did not like the race cars that much. Only the red one is a bit worn having lost its engine years after I stop playing with them. It is ironic that the pristine toys some collectors seek today are the ones that never got much "love" from the children that they were meant for in the first place.

K-7 missing it's transparent canopy (see below) as it was called to haul large items most of the time. A bit worn but "loaded" with so many good memories. Love those gullwing doors. "Number 5" on the loading platform ready for transport.

From My Attic - Corgi Juniors Ferrari Modulo

The Corgi Junior Ferrari 512S Modulo. No decals, more scratches than paint and a cracked windshield. Now this one definitively takes the trophy as my favorite toy of the early 70's and it shows... This one really saw some action. The real-life inspiration for this one is a beautiful rolling sculpture by Pininfarina that captured people's imagination back in 1970. A polarizing design. More spaceship than car, it remains one of the most interesting shapes ever to roll on four wheels. I also have a Polytoys M17 version in 1/43 scale that is in really bad shape. I am hoping that I will be able to restore that one later this year. You can learn more about this beautiful automobile at the Pininfarina web site (italian). There is also a short article in Wikipidia and plenty of images on the Web. There is also a good short article on it's design on the Car Body Design Web site.

Modeling clay (plasticine) still embedded in the wheels. This thing got morphed into a variety of "vehicles". if memory serves me well.

From My Attic - Matchbox Speedkings K-27 Camping Cruiser

This week we are sharing with you another Matchbox that has survived from the garage of my childhood. This time it is the K-27 Camping Cruiser from the Speedkings series. Hard to believe that it is still in relatively good shape after all those imaginary camping trips out in the yard almost 40 years ago. Other postings in this series are found elsewhere on my blog. There are also a number other good images on the Web.

From The Attic - Matchbox No. 68 - Porsche 910

Haven't had much free time lately but I finally got a chance to photograph some of the old die cast toys that have followed me around for years. Here is one of the oldest "survivors", the Matchbox No. 68 - Porsche 910 circa 1970 - 71. The Carrera 10 was a short-lived line (15 cars) built by Porsche as an extension of the 906 line of race cars (source). There are much better examples out there but this one is special enough to enjoy a well-deserve retirement on prominent display in my "museum", I mean, garage ;-)

Update 07/09/11: Got to see a real 910 in action the other day. Photos here.

A bit scuffed and missing it's number decal.

Scale Model "Engineering" - My AMT 1/25 Scale Scirocco

As a longtime VW fan, I have always appreciated the beauty of the MK1 Scirocco. Simple, practical and as fun as the Rabbit/Golf but with a bit more flair. Thirty years ago I asked myself what if it also came as a cabrio, and how about throwing in a turbo and four-wheel drive system like the one on the spectacular Ur-Quattro for good measure. Being a starving college student didn't leave much room in the "budget" to put a life-size one together and so I did the next best thing. I bought the 1/25 scale model from ATM and built one. A bit small but it fits well in my desk :-)

A color combo that scream 1980's

From My Attic - A Lego Drilling Rig Based on the Technic 8854

The Mobile Crane (8854) is well known in the Lego world as one of the coolest Technic sets of the late 1980's. I think the main reason is so well regarded is that it includes so many interesting working features in such a small package. Mine arrived as a gift more that fifteen years ago. I assembled it right away and it sat in my desk for a long while gathering dust. I always thought it would make a good starting point for a drilling rig. I can't remember when but one day many years ago I got bored and decided to give it a try. I built a tower and added a stepping motor from the Mindstorms set to rotate the drill bit. The pneumatic cylinders, valve and pump were re-purposed to control the angle of the tower. I then added a few gears to be able to move the tower for and aft on the chassis. The result is quite a bit smaller than the original crane but it includes all the components to make it work. Check out the videos at the bottom of the post and you will see what I mean. I am sure my friends in the environmental remediation business would agree. It has been catching dust for many years. It was definitively time to bring it out. ;-p

From My Attic - Dinky Thunderbird 2 and 4

The trip down memory lane continues. This time with the Thunderbird 2. With it's huge cargo pod used to deliver the Thunderbird 4 and other rescue tools for the International Rescue organization, the Thunderbird 2 was my favorite ship of the 1966 Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation TV show - Thunderbirds.

My Thunderbird 2 is the fourth version produced by Dinky and so it is not exactly the right color (the TV version is green). It was purchased at Heathrow airport on my way back from London sometime in the mid-1970's. It is incredible that it is still following me around after all these years. It still even has the Thunderbird 4 inside the cargo pod! This thing has been catching dust in my curio for as long as I can remember. It was time to put it to work ;-)