www.F1scalemodels.com
... specialising in 1:43 scale model cars (Formula 1, Indy 500, Le Mans, GT and classic and modern road cars)
About www.F1scalemodels.com
Welcome to F1scalemodels (Dunefin Pty Limited). My name is Philip and this is my website (started in 2009) which is dedicated to the hobby of model car collecting. Apart from being a keen collector I'm also a part-time model car trader, trading primarily at several swap meetings and car events around the Sydney (Australia) area.
This site is always being updated and improved (hopefully) and the main purpose is to provide an up-to-date listing of models that are available for purchase at swap meets that I will be attending. As you can imagine it would be impossible to have all my stock at any swap meet, so if there are any particular model(s) that you're interested in, please contact me and I'll make sure I bring them along to the next swap meet. This is an obligation-free service.
Check out the link called "Motorsport Gallery" where I've posted some motorsport related photos. These are some of the photos I've taken over the years at various events.
Mail Order
I've been asked a few times now if I do mail order; the answer is yes. So far I've posted to a number of interstate collectors and also to USA, UK, Estonia, Hungary, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Canada and Malaysia. Australian collectors have a choice of payment options; Direct bank deposit, money order or Paypal. International collectors will need to pay via Paypal. Please contact me with the details of the models you're interested in and I will provide you with a firm quotation for postage.
Swap Meets
I'm planning to attend the following swap meets and events in 2025; please go to the Swap Meets link for dates and other details.
- Sydney Toy and Hobby Fair (Epping)
- Collector Con Penrith
- Shannons Eastern Creek Classic
- Hawkesbury Model and Hobby Show
- All British Day
- Hunter Toy and Hobby Fair
Contact Me
Mobile: 0417 428 668
Email: info@f1scalemodels.com
Updates
This website is updated regularly (at least once a month) with new additions and important or interesting information related to the hobby. All new Recent and Restocked items will be marked with an "R" in the stocklists so please check these lists regularly. I hope you find these updates helpful.
New Additions: January 2025
Welcome to the first update for 2025. I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing time during the festive break and I wish you all the best for the new year. Last year was a difficult year for everyone with all of cost of living challenges and I realise model cars were often the furtherest from our minds. There are signs that the worst may be over so maybe this year we can again enjoy our hobby of collecting model cars. Only a small number of models were received this month and as I'm seriously trying to reduce my inventory, you may have noticed the number of new arrivals have gotten a lot smaller. I am committed to stocking the models I have pre-ordered with my suppliers. The arrivals this month have a strong Japanese flavour and a couple of race cars are particularly noteworthy.
When most people think of 1960s sports car racing, the Ford GT40, Ferrari 330P, or the Porsche 917K come to mind. The Daihatsu Motor Company certainly doesn't figure when thinking about this era. The Japanese manufacturer is not very well known today after it was purchased by Toyota in 1967, but in 1966 when still an independent manufacturer, Daihatsu used their popular Compagno compact passenger car as the base for their front-engined P3 prototype. The Daihatsu P3 featured a 1.3-litre twin-cam straight-four engine and was capable of producing about 100hp. The P3 made its competitive debut at the Japanese Grand Prix at the Fuji Speedway in 1966, where it won its class. It was also entered in the 1000 km of Suzuka in the same year, where it failed to finish. The following year, it was run in the Suzuka 12 Hours; the No.6 car won its class, and finished fourth overall. The P3 was succeeded by the P5, which was more powerful than the P3. The Ebbro version represents the P3 (no.3) that did not finish the Japanese Grand Prix in 1966 and would be an excellent addition to any collection of 60's race cars .
Ebbro: Daihatsu P3 1966 Japan GP (44367)
The 1966 Macransa Tojiro-III characterized post-war Japanese motorsport engineering; developed with ingenuity and perseverance in equal measure. Manufactured by Minoru Hayashi, who would later found the race car constructor Dome, the Macransa was based on the Honda S800, a lightweight roadster renowned for its 10,000 rpm twin-cam engine. Hayashi developed a FRP (Fibre-Reinforced-Plastic) monocoque to fit the S800 frame and to enhance performance, added a supercharger to the Honda engine. Domestic race cars built from the ground up were rare in the 1960’s, and most drivers with money imported exotic monsters like the Porsche 904. Against such opposition, the Macransa Tojiro-III debuted at the 1966 Japan Grand Prix, the country's premier motorsport event since 1963. However, an issue with the supercharger belt forced a retirement at its first race. The lessons Hayashi learned while developing the Macransa laid the foundation for Dome's future success, eventually becoming a leading Japanese race car constructor. Dome later offered Macransa kits to the public, allowing amateur builders to create their own S800-based race cars. Several of these vehicles continue to participate in vintage racing events today. The example modelled by Ebbro, which was driven by Rod Benders may have been one of these kit cars.
Ebbro: 1966 Macransa T-III (44641)
OK, that's it for my first update of the year. January is traditionally a quiet month with many on holidays but should you wish to enjoy the company of fellow collectors and vendors, then the first Sydney Toy and Hobby Fair is on the 3rd of January. Check out my Swap Meet link for upcoming events and dates for 2025. Happy New Year and until next month, happy collecting.
Le Mans / Sports Car Racing
- 1966 Daihatsu P3, H.Kukidome (3) Japan GP (Ebbro)
- 1966 Ford GT40 Mk ll, Miles/Hulme (1) 2nd Le Mans (CMR)
- Macransa T-iii, R.Bender (28) (Ebbro)
Road Cars
- 1958 Austin Healey Sprite Mk1 in red (Ebbro)
- 1938 Datsun 17 Sedan in blue (Ebbro)
- 1966 Nissan Prince Skyline 2000GT-B in red (Ebbro)
- 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) in silver (Ebbro)
- 1995 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33) in white (Ebbro)
- 2013 Nissan iDx Freeflow Concept in metallic beige/white (Ebbro)
- 1959 Wartburg 311 in blue (Maxichamps)
After Thoughts: "The Lear Vapordyne Steam-Powered Indycar ."
The Lear Vapordyne Indycar is one of the most fascinating and ambitious ventures in the history of motorsport. Despite its ultimate failure, the Vapordyne remains a prime example of unconventional thinking and innovation.
Tecnical drawing of the Lear Vapordyne
Bill Lear, famed inventor, entrepreneur and eccentric[1] best known for the Lear Jet, sought to revolutionise racing by introducing steam power to the Indianapolis 500. The concept was based on a compact, delta-configuration steam engine featuring six cylinders, 12 pistons, and three crankshafts arranged in a triangular layout. This design was unique in automotive engineering and emphasised torque over high-revving power. Lear envisioned the engine producing 1,000 hp or at least matching the 500-hp gasoline engines used by contemporary IndyCars. The car would have a six-foot-long boiler but despite its innovative design, the Vapordyne's engine would have struggled to produce 100 hp, far short of its ambitious target. To reach the desired power output, the boiler would have needed to be significantly larger—likely larger than the car itself.
The Lear Delta Steam Engine
Lear partnered with Ken Wallis, who had a hand in the STP Turbine Car and the Shelby Turbine Car, to develop the Vapordyne chassis. Wallis convinced Lear to enter the Vapordyne in the 1969 Indy 500, giving them just 13 months to start and complete the project. The rolling chassis resembled the turbine cars of the era, with the boiler occupying the space next to the driver and the engine mounted behind. By early 1969, with the Indianapolis 500 approaching, neither the engine nor the boiler had been built, leaving only a rolling chassis as the tangible result of the project. Lear eventually dismissed Wallis after spending an estimated $4 million on the chassis alone and the project was abandoned. Lear had poured $350,000 per week into the project, with unconfirmed estimates placing total development costs at around $13 million—a staggering sum for an experimental car that never raced or tested on a track.
The Vapordyne Rolling Chassis
The Vapordyne still exists today and has been restored as a rolling chassis but there is no trace of Lear’s revolutionary steam engine. Probably only a mock-up ever existed. The Vapordyne wasn’t Lear’s only foray into steam power. He also developed a steam-powered bus in the 1970s, tested in California. While functional, it was deemed too inefficient, especially in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis.
The Lear Vapordyne on display
Although Bill Lear was one of America’s most prolific inventors, earning over 120 patents, the Vapordyne was an over-ambitious project that ultimately became an expensive failure.
Note [1]: He named one of his daughters Shanda (as in chandelier).