I'm not sure how I came across this video but I kept thinking to myself, "how boring could it possibly be to watch a matchbox car restoration??" I watched it from start to finish and have to extend a bow to your meticulous attention to detail. Not bored at all. Bravo, man.
I was recommended this for some reason. I recall when i was 7 years old in the late '70's. i painted all of my die cast Matchbox Superking and Majorette cars with enamal Testors paints and what a complete bollocking mess I made of it all! I even washed up my brushes in Vim Bathroom powder, haha.
Your wife is lovely as are your loving restorations. What a delight. Your humor does come through, mate. Lots of fun to watch your inventiveness. Brilliant! Thanks lots.
Marty! Cheers Mate, You are truly passionate about your craft and your attention to detail is amazing. I was born in 62 as well and fondly remember that ambulance. Incredible restoration. Thanks for sharing.
Very impressive, especially considering the amount of time you put in to repair the interior plastic! Also, that chrome grill is flawlessly finished! Thank you for the frequent quality content
Hmm, well, I worked on a few of these ‘back in the day’, in various guises, including the odd ambulance. It’s a Bedford “J model”, and was built in various versions by Bedford, including the “JO” which had the 6 cyl engine from the Vauxhall Cresta - pretty fast, about 95 mph, which I think meant it was used as a basis for a lightweight fast ambulance for a short while. But most J’s had either Bedford petrol or diesel lumps. One Bedford J model ambulance is still seen here in UK on the TV series “Heartbeat” and “The Royal”. But the only folk who normally chromed the grills were gypsies and didicoys (our garage had one or two of those vehicles in too), as they liked to dolly up their vehicles. Otherwise the grill was the same colour as the body, so white or cream on an ambulance. No doubt Australia produced various Holden versions of these too. Oh boy! All that was a long time ago! Les in UK
Wow, I was born in '61'. What caught my eye was the ambulance! I had one, and my only other thought was the red crosses were missing and if memory serves me, 'which it might not', I believe mine had a red cross on the back also. Great vid. by the way.
Boyoo - I'd watch your videos for your sense of humor alone! Once again you have brought a derelict back to life with your talent and creativity............bravo! PS Kudos to Julie for giving you the love and support...................and for enduring what must be an interesting union!!!!!
I'm 57, and used to play with my Matchbox, Hotwheels & Johnny Lightning cars for hours when I was a kid...Nice to see others with an appreciation for the styling & detail these toys have.
Well done Marty. I don't know how I came across your channel but I loved watching the makeover on this little ambulance. Well done to you (and Julie) !!
Happy days, over (44) years ago, I was so into all things trains cars etc, hours and hours on intrinsic fiddle bits , now old eyes unsteady hands, ( Ahahah) thank you love your videos. 👍✅🥇
Thanks for showing a great restoration,I remember the full size versions attending accidents and can remember the engine sounds that they made,seeing these great models brings many memories back.
I remember the doors coming off. It seemed as though they enjoyed being difficult going back. As a kid the frustration was tremendous which only fueled the determination. I ended up breaking the tiny door pins off during the attempt. Great restoration video 👍 Lovely wife and smile. 😂
You-sir-are quite the craftsman and it was quite entertaining to watch you resurrect this valuable toy from yesteryear. We men all have our vices and it keeps us fresh and new~!!!
Very nice results! Despite the chipped paint, that one was in pretty good shape (casting wise anyway) to start. I look forward to these, not least for the deadpan humor.
It's great how you've made a kind of science out of this sort of thing. I have somehow managed to keep my Matchbox cars from the mid - 50's to the early 60's, including that very ambulance. Lots of childhood memories there.
Marty, your videos have a lovely balance of insight, information, education and humour! Long may you continue to entertain us with your work! Another great result and another model I have owned since childhood (child of the sixties) and on my to do list! Regards, Keith.
A real labor of love....with some light humor thrown in for good measure....LOL like the use of wife's tooth brush and then the godawful funny b+w at the end...LOL btw....she's a STUNNER!!
When I was a child in the 60's each last friday of month after school happy buying another new Matchbox model. Watching your restauration done with passion brought back that memory. I never became a fan of those american wheel cars, Matchbox was so mutch better. Shame on me all cars were sold on market when I was a older boy. Greetings from Germany.
I had this exact matchbox back in the day. The back doors coming off were the first thing if I remember right (hey it's been a lot of years). Bought in England at the base exchange where my dad was stationed in the USAF in the early '60s. I could be wrong but I think these cost 11 cents U.S. back then. Thanks for this!
1965 I had an accident I was just three years old but remember being rushed to Lancaster Royal Infirmary in a Bedford J1 Ambulance, the sound of the engine is unique. Of course I had the model of this vehicle and recently acquired four of them.
I can't remember that model but remember the real thing very well. The Matchbox ambulance I had was an American but for the life of me I can't remember what it was but my favourite was the Ford Mustang with front wheels that turnrd using a side lever made of plastic. This channel is a trip down memory lane for me.
Beautiful work. I recall a trip to London in November 1966 where I purchased (from my meager allowance at the time) several Matchbox cars from Selfridges, down the street. In my haste to begin playing with them I foolishly tossed the original boxes into the trash can in my room at the Cumberland Hotel at Marble Arch. Little did I know how valuable the boxes would become to maintain originality and vintage value. You are a true craftsman! I need to learn more about the superglue and baking powder trick.
The details of the ambulance are quite nice. I've worked on some small bike models and I've had some excellent results using magnifying glasses. They take a little getting used to but the results are worth the learning curve.
I had matchbox cars as a kid...some from the US, some from our time in England. I remember smashing one flat with a brick, by the milk bottles at the front door, and my mother came out horrified at the destructiveness. What she didn't get is I wasn't destroying at all, I was creating. ..a wrecked car (one that had had an accident). It went with my ambulance and flat bed truck. Stories of the action was what matchbox play was all about. And in my stories, there were accidents.. O_o
Charlie, I had to laugh about this. So common a story, kids smashing there cars up to make a wrecking yard! - A mate of mine told me that one day he took all the tyres off his models and then crushed them one by one in a vice in his fathers shed. When his father came home from work , he was presented with a pile of scrap metal which had cost him a fortune! Apparently he went off his nut! ( I can't understand why). - Good news is, that people like you, and kids like my mate have future proofed my channel! - I will never be out of work! Ha! Ha!.
Marty your video brought back memories because when I was a little kid in the early 70's I had a matchbox truck just like this. You have a very unique talent keep up the good work.
As a 67 year old born in 1951 , matchbox cars and lorries played a big part in my childhood of the 1950s and early 60s . Just wish now I had held on to some of them.
Marty, that was a fabulous way for me to blow 18 minutes of my life. Some boys never quite grow up. And especially kudos for Julie who puts up with your chicaneries. Keep 'em coming.
I don’t know how I missed this one. Till you return I’ll have to binge watch all your videos in case I missed another then. Until your next video I will be watching previous videos with much anticipation!
Yes. I've seen the baking soda and super glue method being used at car restoration garages before but never thought of using it on something this small.
Thanks for sharing your techniques. I think I'm now going to be super busy restoring my collection that I've still got when I was a child. About 200 cars in total!
Marty, you bring a tear to my eye. My late dad used to drive one of these (fire & ambulance service, UK, 1960s). Beautiful restoration job! All the best.
Don't know if you're joking, but I've seen a guy make a reproduction box all cut and folded like a cardboard kit, he was Polish and did Matchbox restorations right here 🌈😷🇬🇧
That was really relaxing to watch. Turning old to new. I remember back in the day, my 1st match box car was a Willis Jeep. Why I remember that from 60 yrs ago is beyond me. LOL
I love the aged white paint. Reminds me of an old refrigerator from the same era. Perfect touch of authenticity. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful job! I had no idea old models could be restored that way. Very interesting.
That was amazing, will have to remember this next time I find something like that instead of passing it by. Love your subtle sense of humor as well.
I'm not sure how I came across this video but I kept thinking to myself, "how boring could it possibly be to watch a matchbox car restoration??"
I watched it from start to finish and have to extend a bow to your meticulous attention to detail. Not bored at all. Bravo, man.
I was recommended this for some reason. I recall when i was 7 years old in the late '70's. i painted all of my die cast Matchbox Superking and Majorette cars with enamal Testors paints and what a complete bollocking mess I made of it all! I even washed up my brushes in Vim Bathroom powder, haha.
Amazing - love the skinny wheel lesney era matchbox
Beautiful restoration. I owned one of these as a youngster in the 1960s.
Superb . Being a Londonderry I remember these in the past.
Love the humor in your productions
Humour? - What humour!?
Your wife is lovely as are your loving restorations. What a delight. Your humor does come through, mate. Lots of fun to watch your inventiveness. Brilliant! Thanks lots.
Great to hear that you are enjoying the videos Ron.
Always a pleasure to see a craftsman at work.
Smashing stuff. A really nice, sympathetic restoration. I learn new ideas with every one of these, keep it up.
I love this guy's wry sense of humor. He had me at "wife's toothbrush."
Agreed, at first I missed it.
Marty! Cheers Mate, You are truly passionate about your craft and your attention to detail is amazing. I was born in 62 as well and fondly remember that ambulance. Incredible restoration. Thanks for sharing.
Very impressive, especially considering the amount of time you put in to repair the interior plastic! Also, that chrome grill is flawlessly finished! Thank you for the frequent quality content
Thanks Tommy. :D
Hmm, well, I worked on a few of these ‘back in the day’, in various guises, including the odd ambulance. It’s a Bedford “J model”, and was built in various versions by Bedford, including the “JO” which had the 6 cyl engine from the Vauxhall Cresta - pretty fast, about 95 mph, which I think meant it was used as a basis for a lightweight fast ambulance for a short while. But most J’s had either Bedford petrol or diesel lumps. One Bedford J model ambulance is still seen here in UK on the TV series “Heartbeat” and “The Royal”.
But the only folk who normally chromed the grills were gypsies and didicoys (our garage had one or two of those vehicles in too), as they liked to dolly up their vehicles. Otherwise the grill was the same colour as the body, so white or cream on an ambulance.
No doubt Australia produced various Holden versions of these too. Oh boy! All that was a long time ago! Les in UK
Wow, I was born in '61'. What caught my eye was the ambulance! I had one, and my only other thought was the red crosses were missing and if memory serves me, 'which it might not', I believe mine had a red cross on the back also. Great vid. by the way.
So glad you're taking safety seriously!! :D And the technical terms! Had to look up "arse end", just to be sure ^_^
Yep , Australian/English for sure , we have a colourful language
I love your videos, Marty. You bring back to life those beloved things.
Boyoo - I'd watch your videos for your sense of humor alone! Once again you have brought a derelict back to life with your talent and creativity............bravo!
PS Kudos to Julie for giving you the love and support...................and for enduring what must be an interesting union!!!!!
I'm just happy he didn't bring a Dalek back to life. I just don't see that ending well.
George Cunningham &h.gfhytt
Couldn't agree more... Wit and Humor are keys to longevity... or at least keep it interesting if our stay here is brief...
I'm 57, and used to play with my Matchbox, Hotwheels & Johnny Lightning cars for hours when I was a kid...Nice to see others with an appreciation for the styling & detail these toys have.
Love your videos! Great restorations and good humor as well. Thanks Marty!
Well done Marty. I don't know how I came across your channel but I loved watching the makeover on this little ambulance. Well done to you (and Julie) !!
You have a lot of patience and a good steady hand. I loved the detailed work and description too..
Happy days, over (44) years ago, I was so into all things trains cars etc, hours and hours on intrinsic fiddle bits , now old eyes unsteady hands, ( Ahahah) thank you love your videos. 👍✅🥇
Love the paint stripping suit and the use of your wife's toothbrush and I got a nice chuckle out of the ending.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the vid. :D
Thanks for showing a great restoration,I remember the full size versions attending accidents and can remember the engine sounds that they made,seeing these great models brings many memories back.
You have amazing powers especially the ability to shrink down for a lay down. Great results on the ambulance restoration.
Hope you liked it Molly!
Hilarious Molly
PHENOMENAL!!!! CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THE HIGHEST ORDER. THIS MODEL WAS "LOVINGLY" RESTORED. WHAT A PLEASURE TO WATCH!!!! YOU ARE A TRUE ARTIST!!!!!
Thank you for saying, but there will always be room for improvement!
OF COURSE, HOWEVER, HAVING NOW WATCHED A SERIES OF YOUR VIDEOS, IT IS APPARENT THAT YOUR HAVE BUILT THAT INTO YOUR PROCESS!!!
This looks great, encouraged me to dig out my original Lomas Ambulance, many happy hours playing with that 50+ years ago.
I've got one from my grandparents residence! And yes, it is in the same condition as yours when you received it!
Excellent result, most people would have just chucked it in the bin. Nice touch of humour too.
I remember the doors coming off. It seemed as though they enjoyed being difficult going back.
As a kid the frustration was tremendous which only fueled the determination.
I ended up breaking the tiny door pins off during the attempt.
Great restoration video 👍
Lovely wife and smile. 😂
I am sure we would also like to see your 1/35 and other scale armor models. Thanks again for doing these entertaining videos.
You-sir-are quite the craftsman and it was quite entertaining to watch you resurrect this valuable toy from yesteryear. We men all have our vices and it keeps us fresh and new~!!!
Very nice results! Despite the chipped paint, that one was in pretty good shape (casting wise anyway) to start. I look forward to these, not least for the deadpan humor.
It's great how you've made a kind of science out of this sort of thing. I have somehow managed to keep my Matchbox cars from the mid - 50's to the early 60's, including that very ambulance. Lots of childhood memories there.
Marty, your videos have a lovely balance of insight, information, education and humour! Long may you continue to entertain us with your work! Another great result and another model I have owned since childhood (child of the sixties) and on my to do list! Regards, Keith.
I have saved all my boy’s Matchbox and Corgi cars. Wish we lived on Australia, you would have unlimited projects. Enjoyed your presentation. Thanks.
What a lovely thing to see, in these heady times. 415 down-thumber recent arrivals have yet to work out us humans. Be patient. You'll get there.
Marty it never ceases to amaze me how steady your hands are, you have the hands of a surgeon please keep up the good work
Not quite hands of a surgeon more like hands of a brick layer Ha! Ha!
Great sense of humour and really nicely done video. Thanks for sharing!
Amazing. I wish I had some one taking care of me as you were careful and expended your time with this models... 😊👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
A real labor of love....with some light humor thrown in for good measure....LOL like the use of wife's tooth brush and then the godawful funny b+w at the end...LOL btw....she's a STUNNER!!
Thanks for the comment , I'll pass it on to my wife.
When I was a child in the 60's each last friday of month after school happy buying another new Matchbox model. Watching your restauration done with passion brought back that memory. I never became a fan of those american wheel cars, Matchbox was so mutch better. Shame on me all cars were sold on market when I was a older boy. Greetings from Germany.
I had this exact matchbox back in the day. The back doors coming off were the first thing if I remember right (hey it's been a lot of years). Bought in England at the base exchange where my dad was stationed in the USAF in the early '60s. I could be wrong but I think these cost 11 cents U.S. back then. Thanks for this!
11 cents?! Wow, that'd only be $0.93 is today's money!
Another nice makeover marty paint stripper combined with tooth paste works well on your wife's teeth 😬 chris (uk)
Really enjoyed watching this makeover. I have a lot of my grandsons matchbox toys, never thought about makeovers.
One of these in real life rushed me to hospital in Devon with the bells ringing when my appendix burst when I was 10 in 1973!
ianmedium you must be quite a small chap
Did you make it through the operation?
leespiderpod
Brilliant mate!!
That was a long run London to Devon....we have loads of Hospitals in London
1965 I had an accident I was just three years old but remember being rushed to Lancaster Royal Infirmary in a Bedford J1 Ambulance, the sound of the engine is unique.
Of course I had the model of this vehicle and recently acquired four of them.
Bravo. Explications claires et précises, un travail de qualité et beaucoup d’humour. Un régal pour les amateurs et les passionnés. Merci !
I didn't realize until I googled Matchbox cars made by the Lesney company originated in England. Also I love your dry sense of humor.
Thanks for watching, I hope you get a giggle or two from my vids, Marty.
@Des M. ..and dry humour
I can't remember that model but remember the real thing very well. The Matchbox ambulance I had was an American but for the life of me I can't remember what it was but my favourite was the Ford Mustang with front wheels that turnrd using a side lever made of plastic. This channel is a trip down memory lane for me.
Wow, the stuff you find on UA-cam, that was a really fun watch, nicely done😀
Beautiful, better than new! I was born in 61 and had one of those, it was my favourite model.
I was born in '74, but I remember the old matchbox cars. Before they gave way to GI Joe & Tranformers. Loved those.😊
They were great but with one proviso - treading on them was damn painful.
@@ewaf88 lol, don't I know it.
Mee too
Beautiful work. I recall a trip to London in November 1966 where I purchased (from my meager allowance at the time) several Matchbox cars from Selfridges, down the street. In my haste to begin playing with them I foolishly tossed the original boxes into the trash can in my room at the Cumberland Hotel at Marble Arch. Little did I know how valuable the boxes would become to maintain originality and vintage value. You are a true craftsman! I need to learn more about the superglue and baking powder trick.
I can see a progress in your skills in every new video. This, and of course your sense of humor, makes your vids authentic.
I would like to thank your lovely wife for enduring that.😂
Its a good thing you do such wonderful work on those Matchboxes.
Espectacular!! Maravilloso Trabajo...!!
UA-cam suggested this to my wife. Glad she checked it out; we're both charmed. :D
The very best die cast restauration channel
That woman needs a medal! That way, she has something to beat you with. Lol. God love ya, Marty! Good show! -Vic
"Using my wife's toothbrush" ....lol!
I'm so disappointed I laughed at that...
And the broken-toothed smile at the end. Excellent.
Great vid - love the humorous bits... Laughed out loud with the safety gear and lying down comments.
Champion mate! Nearly there with the protective gear, just missing hardhat, Hi-viz and workboots. thanks for the vids fella!
your missing the “french letter “ protecrice sheath i think LOL
Beautiful job. I had one of these when they first came out. I was 10. My favourite Matchbox vehicle which I had was the British army Land Rover.
Thank you LochSween, hope it brought back some happy memories for you.
The details of the ambulance are quite nice. I've worked on some small bike models and I've had some excellent results using magnifying glasses. They take a little getting used to but the results are worth the learning curve.
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Watching your hands work is soothing, you can really see the care you put into it
I had matchbox cars as a kid...some from the US, some from our time in England. I remember smashing one flat with a brick, by the milk bottles at the front door, and my mother came out horrified at the destructiveness. What she didn't get is I wasn't destroying at all, I was creating. ..a wrecked car (one that had had an accident). It went with my ambulance and flat bed truck. Stories of the action was what matchbox play was all about. And in my stories, there were accidents.. O_o
Charlie, I had to laugh about this. So common a story, kids smashing there cars up to make a wrecking yard! - A mate of mine told me that one day he took all the tyres off his models and then crushed them one by one in a vice in his fathers shed. When his father came home from work , he was presented with a pile of scrap metal which had cost him a fortune! Apparently he went off his nut! ( I can't understand why). - Good news is, that people like you, and kids like my mate have future proofed my channel! - I will never be out of work! Ha! Ha!.
I did the same but with hammer.
Love it! The little extra details you added really shows what the original makers missed on some of these models.
The very first matchbox I received - for Christmas about 1964
Marty your video brought back memories because when I was a little kid in the early 70's I had a matchbox truck just like this. You have a very unique talent keep up the good work.
Fabulous video Marty . A real labour of love
Thanks Gary.
As a 67 year old born in 1951 , matchbox cars and lorries played a big part in my childhood of the 1950s and early 60s . Just wish now I had held on to some of them.
I just bought one of these at a local market, your video will be my guide to restoring it. Thanks Marty.
Where did you get the doors by the way?
Whoa looking like a Federation Trooper straight out of Blake's 7 Marty 👍
Marty, that was a fabulous way for me to blow 18 minutes of my life. Some boys never quite grow up. And especially kudos for Julie who puts up with your chicaneries. Keep 'em coming.
I enjoyed watching that.....thanks!
And another thing, Quality comes not from tools, But the skilled hands that use them!
love your videos! you just got a new subscriber:)
I have absolutely no interest in Matchbox cars. BUT, I love watching skilled craftspeople work.
You are a true artist.
Great work . Congratulations . Very nice !!
Thanks for subscribing and commenting.
I like what you have done there. Reminded me of days when I'd unsuccessfully try to paint my Hot Wheels cars.
That grille looks great and your wife is pretty 🙂
I don’t know how I missed this one. Till you return I’ll have to binge watch all your videos in case I missed another then. Until your next video I will be watching previous videos with much anticipation!
What a fantastic job ,
I had one of these when I was five years old. I still remember being in the store where my mother bought it for me.
Super glue + baking soda is a great trick to know, I use it on my electric guitars when I need to fix a nut or an acoustic bridge.
Bob S the box though said baking powder. Not the same thing. Same results?
Yes. I've seen the baking soda and super glue method being used at car restoration garages before but never thought of using it on something this small.
Thanks for sharing your techniques. I think I'm now going to be super busy restoring my collection that I've still got when I was a child. About 200 cars in total!
Nice work mate, great attention to detail.
So skillfully done, it makes me go back to the times I did something alike!
perfect job !
Marty, you bring a tear to my eye. My late dad used to drive one of these (fire & ambulance service, UK, 1960s). Beautiful restoration job! All the best.
Wow Marty, you are blowing up! Good stuff :)
Congratulations on a very clean video from start to finish showcasing your fine techniques and thankgod with a soft acompanying background music!
Strangely cathartic to watch. I destroyed hundreds of Corgi, Matchbox and other model cars. Regret it fiercely now that I'm in my 50s.
Matchbox was a great product. Wish I had them today from my childhood. And I would even think about doing what you can do. Takes patience.
Great job, a BEAUTIFUL wife! Lucky man;)
Nice job Marty. Enjoyed the video. That toothbrush joke funny..
Wow! Very thorough! And all this special equipment and heavy artillery just for matchbox restoration. Quite the pro.
OK Mate now its time to make some real money and make the box it came in
Chris Flower =
Wouldn't that be something. Its too bad these boxes get tossed out. If we only new the value of what we had.
Don't know if you're joking, but I've seen a guy make a reproduction box all cut and folded like a cardboard kit, he was Polish and did Matchbox restorations right here 🌈😷🇬🇧
That was really relaxing to watch.
Turning old to new. I remember back in the day, my 1st match box car was a Willis Jeep. Why I remember that from 60 yrs ago is beyond me. LOL
Was it a yellow one? - You can see me do one up here: ua-cam.com/video/C9iVpxNmXnU/v-deo.html&lc=UgwljiadqkIRuN3jEb94AaABAg
This is fantastic, I cant stop watching. Thank you
Nice job. You have a steady hand and really care about the aesthetics of the finished model.