AUSTIN SOMERSET

I remember these actual cars and the dinky toy from my childhood. The 50's design of cars in the UK was epitomised in the Austin A40 Somerset - cool, stylish and non-aggressive. At this time the British car industry was flourishing - if fact it was the world's second biggest motor manufacturer - the USA being the first - Happy days !!

[@keithhawtin571]

Another great restored expertly executed David. Cars today all look very similar to each other almost boring. Bring back 1950's styling with modern day technology and I will be a happy man. beautiful work again David.

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Keith, appreciate the comment. I agree, 50's with 20's tech would be great 😁😁 ... David

[@geoffmower8729]

Great job I love the old castings.👍

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Geoff - me too ... David

[@RestorationAustralia]

Lovely model nicely done, thumbs up.

[@davidhyde4329]

Many thanks, appreciate the comment 👍👍 ... David

[@TimeRider]

Damn that's beautiful!

[@davidhyde4329]

Sure is - thanks again my friend ... David

[@hxjay1971]

beautiful restoration david and what a stunning casting these little models are still amazing to this day i was born in 71 so most of the castings i restore are older than me and each and every one has the dings and scrapes of old age wouldnt it be great if they could talk and tell us of the journey they have had

[@davidhyde4329]

Hi Hxjay - many thanks, your comments really appreciated - particularly from a fellow restorer. Alas, by the 1970s Dinky Toys were on their way out and the quality of the castings and their fit had dropped. I do like these early castings too ... David

[@edwardparnell6134]

David another beauty back to life. Great job.

[@davidhyde4329]

Many thanks Edward ... David

[@martinpattison4018]

David, that was a very nice restoration you did there. Before I left the UK for Thailand I had the A70 Hereford 1953 in Buckingham Green. it is longer and wider than the A40, but the doors were the same. The chrome work was plaited on to Massac and if you did not polish it regularly it would soon start to show sign of corrosion. It was the door handles, the radiator grill, the boot handle and the Flying Air on the bonnet, which was also the bonnet handle. and the badges on the side of the front wings that were made of this Massac and it could not be replaited. I did the Norwich Union Classic Car Rally from Sion Park in London to Donnington race circuit. Unfortunately, the medal was stolen by my first Thai wife and her family. But I do still have the Photo at the finish showing me being presented with the medal. Happy Days. Martin. (Thailand.)

[@davidhyde4329]

H Martin,r the comments - much appreciated. I can't recall the A70 Hereford - had to Google it. Lovely looking car - definitely from the Devon/Somerset stable. Great bit of personal history Martin, shame about the medal but truly happy memories I am sure ... David

[@juanjosefernandezsalinas3184]

CONGRATS. THANKS FOR SHARE. I LOVE IT. REGARDS.

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Juan, much appreciated ... David

[@trainmanbob]

Smashing job David. I so like the colour. Thanks for posting. Cheers and stay safe, Bob

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks again Bob - glad you liked it ... David

[@ConstantinoR-ss9bn]

Great resto looks brand new again job well done David

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Constantino, nice of you to say, much appreciated ... David

[@daviemaclean61]

Another nicely finished Dinky David. My aunt had a number of it's little brother, the A35, which I have always liked.

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Davie - they were lovely, our neighbour in the 50's had an A35 - good quality British cars ... David

[@daviemaclean61]

@@davidhyde4329 It prompted me, as is my want, to have a look on Ebay, and Oxford Diecast do a 00 Somerset in almost the same shade of blue! I feel a purchase coming on.

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

Another OUTSTANDING restoration job!! You are definitely the master of these Dinky restorations.. Please stay healthy and safe bud..

[@davidhyde4329]

You are too kind Thomas - very flattering - You too my friend - stay safe ... David

[@chrissmith1387]

Bautiful, David. Excellent detailing.

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Chris, much appreciated ... David

[@canispugnax3269]

Good job and I learned a lot from your work, excellent channel, greetings from Mexico

[@MatchboxResurrection]

What an absolutely beautiful casting to start with. You did a great job mate. The front of the car looks fenomenal. Thanks David. Stay safe

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Juan, much appreciated comments from a fellow restorer. Stay safe ... David

[@robindow5742]

hi David great my great uncle Alec had one of thesei in 1957 his was a beige colour and it had a radio fitted in the centre of the dashboard i think radios in cars were rare at that time nice restoration regards Robin

[@davidhyde4329]

Hi Robin - beige with radio - sound cool😊. Loved car colours back then. Thanks for the comment ... David

[@adrianhyde7924]

Nice one bro......a good restoration.

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks matey - appreciate the comment - take care ... David

[@glynstimpson]

Hello David great restoration great casting early dinky you can tell by the casting tooling has not worn

[@davidhyde4329]

Hey Glyn - nice tip about the casting - thanks. Glad you liked the restoration ... David

[@mckav2358]

Takes me back to the cars my parent's bought me when i was a child - how wonderful

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks, I know, they do bring back childhood memories ... David

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

Nice job on the small fine details...

[@revzillo]

Beautiful restoration on the Austin Somerset, David . Looks splendid in that blue colour with the contrasting wheels 👍

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Jerry - I like it too - nice colour scheme ... David

[@malcolmpayne754]

You have done a lovely job there and the car had certainly been played with. I wish I had kept my childhood collection and infuriated my Dad by removing the tyres. lol I remember the Somerset because it was a popular car with teachers at my school. You mentioned the A40 and that was the car I passed my test on and then later acquiring an A35 which I drove for many years. I enjoyed this video so have decided to subscribe.

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Malcolm, for the sub and the story of your link with the Somerset. So glad you enjoyed the video ... David

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

Another impressively detailed Dinky casting...

[@bugler75]

Another lovely clean and authentic looking restoration David. Thanks for uploading, just perfect with my coffee!

[@davidhyde4329]

Many thanks, really appreciated - coffee time videos - sounds perfect to me😊😊 - stay safe ... David

[@daveharriman2756]

What a lovely diversion this video provided in these troubled times, you have made a wonderful job of this great toy car, cheers, Dave

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Dave great comment - I have more free time no at least, so there will be more videos to come ... David

[@PaulAFulcher]

Another great restoration David,top stuff sir !

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Paul, very nice comment ... David

[@steppoify]

A lovely, sympathetic restoration. I confess the two-tone green sedan you did had more eyeball than this subdued blue. But your blandishments are very much in keeping with the vintage survivors! will you make a video tour of your Collection of Dinky's soon? A slow and thorough video so we can see all your hard work?

[@strange-universe]

That casting looked great, simplified the process. Thanks for the upload, David.

[@davidhyde4329]

Hi there, It did make the job simpler. My next restoration is much more complicated - I will be posting in the next few days ... David

[@FerryDierckxsens]

Another lovely restoration David. Thank you for sharing and stay safe for you and your family.

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Ferry for the comment and the good wishes. Wishing you the same for you and your family - strange times ... David

[@jesusgonzalez-qp2rf]

Beautiful work Sir, I began to do some Dinky restorations I’m basically a matchbox early model collector. Your channel had brings me the interest for Dinky models. I didn’t saw the models on my childhood but most of British cars where sold on the 50s and 60s on my country, so I saw them on the roads. I love this models and bought a great number of them even though they are a little bit expensive when they are sold from an European seller. Actually I’m found some from sellers on the USA and on a tourism trip to Canada I bought some. I was planning to visit the UK on the summer but as you may know this thing with the corona virus will posponed this for the moment. Keep posting your work it’s a really source of interés for many restorers all over the world. Keep safe and healthy , greetings from Puerto Rico.

[@davidhyde4329]

Many thanks Jesus. Nice to hear I have been some inspiration for your Dinky restorations - good luck with them. Yes the dreaded virus has stopped us all in our tracks - sorry for your postponed trip to my country trip - hope it's not too long before you can re-plan. I aim to use some of my (now free) time to produce more content for my channel. All the best, stay safe ... David

[@davidlee3311]

I found your channel yesterday, and I am really enjoying your content. This is a beautiful looking car.

[@davidhyde4329]

Welcome aboard David, glad you found my channel and many thanks for the comment 👍👍 ... David

[@MrStevenDeer]

Nice job, looks great, I used to play in one of those when I was a kid

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Steven, toys were toys back then 😊😊 ... David

[@briansdiecastthailandstoth6747]

Very well done resto looks great stay safe Brian Thailand

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Brian - appreciate the comment - Stay safe ... David

[@derrickroe9791]

Looks fantastic David....really like this casting (along with the Devon and the Atlantic!). An inspiration as always. Stay safe.

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Derrick, comments much appreciated ... David

[@austingreenough6396]

Great job David

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Austin - sorry for huge delay 😊👍

[@barrybakewell5278]

nice job david

[@davidhyde4329]

Many thanks Barry, much appreciated ... David

[@martindaredare]

Excellent job David, handy tip with the grill. Smart restoration.

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Martin, appreciate the comment, glad you found it helpful ... David

[@b.2221]

Fantastic Sir, and I remember those beauties on the road when I was a nipper. They were more than toys to me, I thought of them as tools of a young lads imagination, and I could dip into my world of cars whenever I wanted to. Sorry for the rant Sir. Fabulous restoration done with finesse 👍 Tam.

[@davidhyde4329]

Many thanks Tam. Great memories - 'tools of a young lads imagination' I like that 👍👍👍 ... David

[@b.2221]

@@davidhyde4329 You are welcome Sir, and stay safe Sir 👍 Tam.

[@lotharrenz4621]

that's actually a car looking friendly, something you almost never see anymore in modern rides. even the smallest asphalt bubble wants to snuff you up... great work! ^^

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Lothar - you are totally correct - friendly sums it up ... David

[@owenb9370]

Simple and elegant. Well done.

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Owen, much appreciated comment ... David

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

BTW Thanks for keeping the videos coming through these difficult times..

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks for all your comments Thomas, much appreciated. I have more free time at the moment - so there will be more videos to come. Stay safe ... David

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

This looks like a solid casting with good bones..

[@2ahdcat]

Coolness :)

[@2H80vids]

Another lovely restoration David. That looked like a pretty good casting to start with, certainly better than most of the smaller cars (Matchbox, HotWheels etc) and these paints look very "period correct". I know exactly what you meant by "now, breathe"; I found myself holding my breath when you were doing the silver trim.😁 Silly, I know. It's interesting watching your brush-painting technique; quite different to a lot of restorers. Being an artist must be a great advantage when it comes to the detail work. Great job !! Cheers for now, Dougie.

[@davidhyde4329]

Hi Dougie, thanks for lovely comments. Yes, I find holding a paintbrush a very natural thing to do. Part of brush control I use in my art teaching - and I love detail ... David.

[@GuzziIan]

Great job as usual David. I never knew the A40 was called the Somerset Saloon.

[@davidhyde4329]

Thanks Ian. Yes, I think it was officially the Austin A40 Somerset - there was another, less curvy, Austin A40 in the 1960s - but this was the prettiest ... David

[@grovevilla]

Just found your site. Lovely restoration and a voice to match.

[@davidhyde4329]

Lovely comment - many thanks

[@birdie399]

Magnificent restoration. Really enjoyed this video. Thanks. Btw there is another KZbin channel that makes his own boxes for matchbox models.

[@davidhyde4329]

Many thanks - very much appreciated. I did not know there was a channel on youtube. I will do some searches. Perhaps you could let me know, with a link, the channel you have in mind - Thanks ... david

[@birdie399]

David Hyde Hi, Paul Restorer makes the box at the end of his video. You’ll probably recognise his latest restoration.

[@BobWilliscorgi]

David use caustic soda sprinkled in hot water like I do, it’s cheap and very fast but use it with care as it can be very volatile 😉

[@davidhyde4329]

Hi Bob - you have made me feel guilty. I have watched many of your great videos and have never commented - I will in future - promise👍👍. Anyway, thanks, I know you use caustic soda and it looks like fire and brimstone - it scares me a little. Anyway, I am tired of keep chopping and changing - I will buy some online and man-up - it looks like the way to go - thanks for the tip - stay safe ... David

[@BobWilliscorgi]

David Hyde hi mate don’t be afraid of it, as long as you’re careful with it you’ll be fine. Make sure you’ve washed the casting with soapy water afterward before handing it with bare hands. 😉👍

[@georgefitzgerald3404]

Thank you for this video David. I was about to repaint a dinky never realising that so much information was available on the net, and I now intend to try to emulate your superb work, knowing how to take off the base plate, remove original paint etc etc. I have a question. Have you found a paint stripper equal to the Eco1000?

[@plunkervillerr1529]

I us a tooth pick to detail the subject. That would look fine with my Lionel /Marx 1955 theme electric train layout .

[@cumbria99]

I really enjoyed your video, thank you for sharing your work. You also have a very "BBC" voice which now seems to be missing from that channel. I look forward to watching more of your videos.

[@davidhyde4329]

Glad you enjoyed it Carl. Sorry. I did not quite get the BBC voice comment - why does it 'now seem to be missing' I wonder? - please let me know. 😊👍👍👍

[@cumbria99]

@@davidhyde4329 I liked the old type of reporting with a clear voice pronounced well-it was a compliment.

[@davidhyde4329]

@@cumbria99 Hi Carl. I get it now - My apologies I misread your comment and took your reference to be my channel - not the BBC. Senior moment !!!. Apologies once again and many thanks for the comment 👍👍👍 David

[@rossnation8092]

Great video David. How’s Deresley coming along? Keep up the great work, Ross.

[@davidhyde4329]

Many thanks Ross, much appreciated. Deresley is on hold at the moment. I am remaking a part of the backscene which I feel looks idd in the videos. - Might do a quick update now I have more free time, thanks again ... David

[@plunkervillerr1529]

What year was this toy manufactured ? Also did they make a A30 or A35 models? Wear did those rubber tires come from , are they O rings ?

[@rogere7004]

David. I have watched a number of your fine videos and am about to try a restoration myself of a Jaguar XK120. I was just wondering where you get your tyres and rivets from? The tyres vary quite a bit in price and I am unsure of the quality of those offered for sale. Can you advise me please? Many thanks, Roger

[@davidhyde4329]

Hi Roger, apologies for late response. The easiest way at the moment is definitely ebay. Some of the others have stopped trading temporarily while restrictions are in force.

[@thefowlers8076]

Hi what rivets do you use and Where do you get them from and what size drillbit do you use please as I struggle like mad

[@thefowlers8076]

Ps I love your synthetic restorations