MATCHBOX restoration: 34B Volkswagen Caravette

[@buendaNell]

Wonderful! The end credit with the old radio music is sooo cool!

[@BillsWorkbench]

Very Nice Work!!! That Logo is perfect! I know that is harder than it looks to get right. That model is on my list of restoration to do.

[@DiecastMediaNetwork]

Hard work pays off in the final product, Jason. Nicely done!

[@bigcharliesmodelgarage296]

Great looking restoration. Thanks for sharing.

[@aceadman]

You do a great job with the restorations AND the videos. Really enjoyable every time. Beautiful bus...Many thanks. 😊👍👍

[@lotharrenz4621]

the metallic looks better than the original lime green. :) nicely done! ^^ happy new year, and stay safe, everyone!

[@MapleLeafCustoms]

Very, very nice restoration to start off the New Year. I think the VW Mini Bus is a favourite of many of ours. Yours came out looking terrific. Thumbs up from Switzerland - Andrew 🍁👍

[@amilcarmoncada1801]

Amigo mis respetos por tan excelente restauracion de esta 34B Volkswagen Caravette, saludos desde venezuela.👍👊💯

[@MatchboxResurrection]

Excellent job Jason !!!!

[@martindaredare]

Very smart restoration looks great 👍

[@joeholloway1386]

Nice restoration and paint job 👍👌

[@diecast_MikeEspo]

Very NICE 👍. You out did yourself with this one . Super KOOOOOLLLL.

[@SoMoDiecast]

I just posted a custom of a Matchbox T2 Delivery painted in metallic blue and white. That VW emblem on the front is a fine detail, I chose to file away the paint and expose the bare casting below. You did a great job on the resto and details! Love it!

[@grahampickering1560]

A perfect restoration to start the new year! Happy new year Jason 🙂🚗

[@briansdiecastthailandstoth6747]

Nice work Jason

[@charliedoggcustoms1005]

I restored this model as well recently. I did more of a resto plus as Rob would say. The way you put your doors back in will help me with reassembly. Another quality video my friend.

[@MartysWhiteSuit]

Another of my favourites from when I was a boy. Used to look through the green windows. I sat in one a few years ago. Surprised to find it so cramped.

[@horaciodiecast]

Great job is an awesome casting

[@murattanyel1029]

Good job!

[@stevewilson6390]

Jason we should call you Mr Matchbox . Another nice one for the display cabinets.

[@geauxbearsdiecastworkshop149]

Very nice resto love all vw castings

[@MatchboxGarage]

Happy new year Jason 😎

[@erniesteyn6401]

Very nice work ,love it

[@TimeRider]

Looks great!

[@danschopshop7939]

great job...looks so much better

[@SteveJonesScaleModellingSite]

Lovely car and great work on the windows. Happy New Year

[@thedings2539]

Good job and happy new year 👍😇👌

[@SoRTs6233]

Another great restoration. Happy New Year, Jason. Looking forward to more of your restos in 2021

[@2ahdcat]

Really nice job, and... Happy New Year! 🙂

[@MrDavey1450]

Excellent work!! I have one of these minus the doors which I'm itching to get going on, although I'm tempted to change the colour...cheers for the link you posted further down in the comments for repro doors.

[@lrg3834]

Good job. Happy new year!

[@simonwinter8839]

The temptation to add front seats and a steering wheel would have got the better of me but I do realise this is supposed to be a restoration to original condition and extremely good it is too.

[@tonyhughes1958able]

Looks great, Happy New Year Jason

[@johnkelley9877]

Great restoration Jason! The clear parts look very good in fact I can actually see the interior through it now that you polished it up. The color looks very good and the chrome pen really sets off the model. Happy New Year and thanks for sharing this.

[@malcolmmacdonald3992]

Fantastic restoration Jason! I have lived most of my life in Brazil and I have driven this van - it was ridiculously dangerous in that your knees were basically the bumper but it was very nippy and rough and ready little vehicle! Happy New Year’s Mate!

[@panthercombo9647]

Nice

[@2H80vids]

Happy New Year Jason. That colour looks good on the bus, pretty close to original and it makes the tinted windows look a bit less silly. The re-pro doors don't look like a great fit though; they never do, for some reason. Still looks great though and a good start to 2021.👍👌😁

[@bibi5623]

Hey the Bus is amazing! I like it! I'm from Germany! But the Taillights must be red, pleace... 🥰

[@umbertoyltp]

Happy New Year Jason, and it's an excellent start of the year. I remember Marty's Matchbox Makeovers struggling with these aftermarket doors to get a decent fit. And he spends a lot of time and paint to mix a close match to the original colours. How do you find your colours? It looks like the interior was done with a standard Tamiya colour, am I right?

[@DieCastRestos]

I would certainly spend a lot more time and a lot less money choosing colours if I had an airbrush! I have to choose mine by matching the closest aerosol that Tamiya or other automotive paint companies produce. Generally they are a decent enough match to the original varying shades Lesney used. The interior was done with Tamiya's TS-35 Park Green, which was pretty much spot on matching the original colour. The exterior wasn't as close but I love the TS-60 Pearl Green personally!

[@umbertoyltp]

@@DieCastRestos Having a paintbrush and a (preferrably silent) compressor is one thing, it brings along a lot of cleaning before and after use, and when changing colour. I hope you will get more Patreon supporters who are willing to help you to achive your goals.

[@MidIslandCustomDiecast]

Beautiful job restoring this one Jason. As a Matchbox noob, was there nothing to prevent the doors from swinging inward? Seems like a poor design. Maybe a little piece of styrene would help keep them flush. Anyway, happy new year my friend, all the best for 2021.

[@DieCastRestos]

Yeah there is a very slight lip on the casting at the top of where the doors sit, but seeing as these reproduction doors can be a bit hit and miss in terms of size, they miss the mark a little. As it'll be a display model, I forwent modifying it to prevent the in-swinging as I didn't want to mess up the look by extending it. The doors don't swing too much, they turn nicely but do hold position when you tell them to!

[@MidIslandCustomDiecast]

@@DieCastRestos thx for the info. I know exactly what you mean with the repro parts. I ordered a hood that just kept falling into the engine compartment a while ago, lol.

[@R1chardB1ngham]

Lovely resto, could you put a source in the description for the doors? Were they decent quality, I've heard of the hinges snapping on low quality replacements. One of mine is missing a single door and it's driving me mad! Thanks

[@DieCastRestos]

I source my repro parts from model-supplies.co.uk who I have used for some time. Parts can be a bit hit and miss in terms of quality, and like you say the recast metal hinges can be quite weak. This set however seemed fine

[@chezsnailez]

All it needs now are eleven long-haired Friends of Jesus...

[@Yungrexy]

Great job Jason! Where do you get the Astonish wood floor polish from? The only Astonish polish I can find on Ebay is 'Astonish-pro Granite' dubbed as a cleaner/polish for worktops and floors??

[@DieCastRestos]

shop.astonishcleaners.com/the-astonish-range/product-category/floor-cleaners/premium-edition-wood-floor-polish-orange-sandalwood/ I buy it from a shop called The Range, if you’re in the UK

[@Yungrexy]

@@DieCastRestos Cheers! Yeah, I'm in the UK (Geordieland), lockdown has me so stir crazy that I forgot that shops sell stuff too :p If it's not on Ebay it doesn't exist, lol... Appreciate the response, I am looking for a cheaper alternative to the Pledge shine gear, I noticed you have used the Astonish for a while now and get similar results so I think I will go for that one.

[@DieCastRestos]

I bought my bottle about 2 years ago now and I’ve just kept reusing it, it’s barely gone down at all, apart from the occasional spillage! I was considering trying Pledge actually to see if it made any noticeable difference. You’ll have to let me know if you notice any!

[@ukewarrior]

I don't see a reference to the reproduction doors. Can you post one? The loss of these doors is quite common.

[@DieCastRestos]

My apologies! They were purchased from model-supplies.co.uk

[@ukewarrior]

@@DieCastRestos Thank You! I didn't know about these folks and their list of parts and decals is impressive. Fair prices too.