58 Mercury tinplate wagon

[dptydawg]

I found this old Merc Wagon at a flee market. It is almost 1/24th scale. I splurged a whole five bucks on it.

After stripping, cleaning, painting and a making some new windows this is what I ended up with.

It is kind of an interesting piece. The detailing is quite good for a stamped tin model

Thanks

Carl

Edited June 13, 2012 by dptydawg

[Chuck Most]

Yes, it is startlingly accurate for a pressed-steel model. Whoever designed that one wanted it to be recognizable. Really nice job on the resto- that paint scheme just looks perfect on it!

[Harry P.]

Wow! That is an unbelievable makeover! Fantastic work!

[AzTom]

Now that turned out super nice, Great save.

That looks like Bandai.

These old Japanese Tinplate cars, especially the larger ones have some serious value. My friend recently sold his large Imperial at auction for over $20,0000.

[CorvairJim]

Great save on one seriously run-down toy! In my opinion, you took a toy and made a model out of it. I have roughly half a dozen Bandai tin, friction-powered Corvairs along with a few other brands. My 'Vairs are roughly 1:20 scale. I haven't done any restoration work on any of mine since they're all fairly presentable originals as they sit. (And they're all in different colors!)

On a similar note, I have restored a Structo Corvair Rampside pickup in the closest thing I could find to it's original deep red metallic color. All I need to find for it as a set of reproduction decals. They're available for a few other Structo toys but not the Rampside.

[Harry P.]

I have a feeling a lot of these old toys are worth some serious cash as collectibles.

Repaint them or do anything to alter their "originality" and their value is gone.

[jerseyjunker1]

I have a feeling a lot of these old toys are worth some serious cash as collectibles.

Repaint them or do anything to alter their "originality" and their value is gone.

Harry is right but some are only worth anything if they are in very good to pristine condition. anything below that unless it is a super rare model is ok to restore or redo your way as Carl has done and very nicely done. i distressed a couple of them that had they been in better condition i never would have touched but these were well played with and damaged to begin with.some of the extra rare ones if damaged are worth quite a bit as parts cars.

[hotrod59f100]

That's var nicly done . I love to se non Chevy 50s cars .

[dptydawg]

Thanks Guys for all the kind words about this model. It had been well played with when I got it. At some time someone brush painted it black, Then someone took a blue rattle can to it. it was very dirty but the tin work was not damaged. The first picture is the car all taken apart. The friction motor only needed cleaning and lubing to work right. I only cleaned up the base plate. The tampo imprint of the drive train is still there.

The interior floor an had a bunch of blue overspray on it. I managed to clean off the blue paint with laquer thinner on a Q-tip. This left the original paint behind. The wheels were also cleaned with this method.

Another view of the completed car

I'll bet that the vendor who sold me the car for $5.00 figured he'd found a sucker to buy a worthless piece of junk. Now I have a model of a 58 Mercury station wagon. So I guess we both won.

Carl

Edited June 14, 2012 by dptydawg

[Danno]

Wow.

[george 53]

Double WOW! Who'da thunk such a NICE model was stuck under all that paint! Good eye!!! GREAT SAVE!!!! You did a heckava job on that little rascal!

[Badluck 13]

Does the heart good to see a well played with old toy brought back to a new beauty,awesome job restoring the long roof....

[W-409]

Nice job with the Merc'! You did Awesome job, the starting point doesn't look too great to my eye, but finished product really does. Superb work! Is there a Model Kit or Resin kit available of this car? If not, this is VERY unique Model. And even if there is, it's very rare kit and this is unique anyway.

How did you make the windows, and what material you used. Since that windshield looks like hard one to make, it's anything but square.

[dptydawg]

Thanks everyone for all the kind words.

Niko, the windshield and back windows were cut from an acetate sheet that at one time was used for making overhead projector slides. Both window frames had tabs to hold the "glass" and I had a pattern for the windshield so I cut the acetate and cut some slots in it. The windshield does not have compound curves so fitting the new glass was not that difficult. The rear window is flat so I used the frame as a pattern. I did not make side windows as I don't think that the car had them originaly.

Thanks

Carl

[Sixties Sam]

Great save! That is a well detailed stamped model/toy. Nice job!

Sam

[gray07]

Looks great, you should take it and show the vender what you did with it.