Those who didn't catch the recent 1968 thread may not be aware of a long-ago series of 'dime-store-priced' easy-build kits from Lindberg called 'Minis.' First appearing in the mid-60's---and reissued in whole or in part in many versions in subsequent years---the line shared a number of similarities with the better-known 'Matchbox' series produced by Lesney in the UK.
About the same general size as the 'Matchbox' offerings---being essentially 'box scale,' depending on the individual vehicle portrayed---Lindberg's series featured a fairly extensive (and quite interesting) series of mainly contemporary vehicles in the form of simple 'snap together' styrene kits, rather than as die-casts. Like the Matchbox cars, the line contained 'everyday' road cars, sports cars, utility vehicles and even construction equipment...with the same broad range of accuracy (or not), with some really quite good, and some seriously compromised in the interests of 'buildability.' First and foremost, they weren't designed to be seriousy-accurate scale replicas---they were meant to be built and played-with. [Among the interesting features, the kits had metal-axle turning wheels, and contained chassis-weights---which suggests they were probably meant to be used with the 'Hot-Wheels'-style plastic track sets, which were very popular at the time.]
A few years back I couldn't pass up picking up one of these kits on Ebay, being seduced by an irresistibly-cheap price, and moreso by the vehicle modeled---the GM PD-4501 Scenicruiser, the slightly-futuristic 'classic' Greyhound Bus design of the 1950s and '60s. I wasn't expecting much---I'm old enough to have built a number of the 'Minis' when the line was new, and was fully aware that as replicas they ranged from 'not bad' to vile---but as a Scenicruiser afficianado, it was too interesting to pass up.
Here's what I got: one of the 'later' ca. 1970-issues (can you say 'Summer of Love'???), with the beloved PD-4501 in the odd guise of a hippy 'van'...in lime-green metal-flake plastic with colorful (but just-plain-wrong) 'Mighty Van' decals. (Neat and unexpected little vac-formed 'highway' display base, though.) And not-awful detail for what was originally (I kid you not) a 39-cent price-tag.
[I should point out here that our buddy Tanker Builder correctly recognized from the 'interior' layout shown above that Lindberg modeled an 'early' version--technically a 'true' Scenicruiser, rather than the upgraded and modified (but visually nearly-identical) 'Super Scenicruiser'---based on the location of the lavatory, which was soon moved from the 'entry deck' to the rear of the vehicle. How's that for accuracy, huh?]
Once I had satisfied myself that that bilious green plastic color wouldn't leach through a good coat of paint...my 'mainstay' being Testor's MM Acrylic white primer...all that remained to restore the little beast to its 'proper' appearance was a little TLC, some careful painting and some flashy home-made decals. Doing a quick lash-up from several of the color profiles available online, I printed a small sheet out on my trusty HP inkjet.
I should note here that the kit's clear parts are about a scale foot-and-a-half thick and pretty badly 'concave' in spots...and were going to end up tinted, besides...so I wasn't going to put a lot of effort into the interior. Just basic colors, here with the partially-painted body-shell:
And here's the completed chassis. The kit's wheel hubs are brilliantly and quite authentically detailed...but there's no way to mount them at the proper 'recess' (relative to the tire) without the separate kit tires springing off...so they 'stick out' quite a bit.
That's it for the moment. Painting and decaling are in fact pretty much done, just haven't taken any 'finished' photos yet; I should be able to get them up in the next day or two.
Thanks for looking in.