ARfan Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 /media/tinymce_upload/8ff7faa4d92cc086c8829c3bea603d77.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/64774bb0e76fb7ad804fdcdb93e4dcfc.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/24d1172ff05c26d4d909bcec5e6cf5d5.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/3e682db3f13212e1d3d22112d26faf2f.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/48ea2db5b3b283dfad3c49905831c61f.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/3b15ce4aee17bb35ff94f4c7be120ae1.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/f63494682afb6ac6c3b1f12c424fe828.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/bd7db389dfe15fd9e2fdccfa84d01036.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/b75109f271ec92dbccca467d87b718e2.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/4292bd24c50b33d27016f380d9d5e4db.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/7f913203a794368a10a9994352a7a45e.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/d8ee8eefaed6f88f7b18deda8200804c.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/c399e98a7f9871b136d900bc537bfd6d.JPGSomething I've wanted to do for a while; build a 1/32 scale Airfix Austin Maxi. Managed to source a complete, unbuilt kit in original box from auction. Finally accomplished it. Took me a few weeks, just doing small sections at a time. Followed the instructions to the letter. After carefully detaching, bagging and numbering each part from the sprues, I then primed and painted them individually before assembling with poly cement. /media/tinymce_upload/778bc332023b8bb42fa2cf38b946de95.JPGNot exactly an easy kit to do but all came together well in the end and I'm pleased with the result.Pattern No: M 304 CMade in England. Released, I believe, in 1971.Austin Maxi 1500 (pre-facelift, cable change model) The colour and trim options for the very early Maxis were, as follows:Tartan Red with Black interiorBlue Royale with Galleon Blue interiorEl Paso Beige with Tan interiorFawn Brown with Tan interiorConaught Green with Tan interiorPorcelain Green with Porcelain Green interiorandCumulus Grey with Galleon Blue interiorI like all the above options so after much deliberation, decided on Fawn Brown with Tan interior. My model is a replica of a real pre-facelift Austin Maxi from 1969/70. With permission, I've used the same registration number as well: BYN 457H.I'm told that this was one of the first brand new Maxis, released into the car showrooms.I hope Airfix release the Maxi as a 1/32 scale kit again. If they could do highly accurate and detailed things like this in 1971, then they can certainly do it today./media/tinymce_upload/8204613c50f10a7757f718a00f9bdec1.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/01181147908781f37d5991a38502b7bf.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/f2eec4bc6660eb6f993ef0ce257bd0ea.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/d8908738aeff7980503a23eff36e918e.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/68bfdb05f947f9b9764e439cb810d87c.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/193debda4283b40a256e3ac2c599fdf4.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/107879f38b960cd53c17853c629e6609.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/d14ce6fc3d31b739e0b7acc3c4bcceba.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/94ff24af08cf97a6131948b9992df466.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/547fcdb1bb3b23e6c50377369fe88b42.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/c7dc613b0331626465cd011cd13d1b08.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/857805af2b37fbf3c8713279534a2fd6.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth ONeill Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Great build, and also the only, repeat only, time I've ever seen photos of this kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MG Writer Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 I did build one when they were new, but nowadays they seem to be very expensive on eBay. I wonder if the idea of 3D scanning one of these will ever become economical enough to do, and if so, what Airfix would have to say about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MG Writer Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Here's the problem /media/tinymce_upload/95691167ee56df7feeb70009af8a07fc.PNG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Symmons Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Hi ARfanVery interesting set of photos and a good read. Another good British idea that didn't seem to go anywhere. Only the British could do a Brown car and expect it to sell, you model really shows the retro style of the original car.Thanks for posting, and hopefully we'll be seeing a few more cars in the near future.Remember we do this for fun John the Pom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Triggers Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Wow, gotta love that S.U.! shame it wasn't duelies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth ONeill Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Hi ARfanVery interesting set of photos and a good read. Another good British idea that didn't seem to go anywhere. Only the British could do a Brown car and expect it to sell, you model really shows the retro style of the original car.Thanks for posting, and hopefully we'll be seeing a few more cars in the near future.Remember we do this for fun John the PomWell, a bloke who lived near me bought a "hearing aid beige" Nissan Bluebird (U11 series) with a bodykit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Wow, it looks like a real Austin Maxi! 😆 I love the engine under the bonnet. It looks good. I wonder if in real life, an Austin Maxi was registered with the registration of 'BYN 457H'? GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth ONeill Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Quick pickup on a couple of points - a twin SU intake would tie the car down to only being a 1750HL, where a single means any non HL 1500 or 1750 is possible. @GNR-Gordon-4 - You may be able to find out what's presently/last on a specific registration number on the DVLA website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 It dosen't appear to exist. May be that was a made up registration, that looks real. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 I've just searched for one of my father's old number plates and that doesn't exist either. Maybe they don't recognise old plates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth ONeill Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 @Gordon @Ratch - I don't know which way you searched, but the "registration database" will only show up active registrations. For example, I think "JAG 1" will show as being on a "Jaguar D-Type" (well-known racing car which was road registered with this number in the 1950s). "JAQ 1" may well show on a Jaguar Motors registered car, "THE 911S" might show as a Porsche UK plate (I'm deliberately picking plates that were last heard of by me on famous and/or company owned vehicles). Checking the DVLA "plates for sale" portal might show up "presently unallocated plates", such as maybe "R4 TCH"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 the "registration database" will only show up active registrationsThat's what I suspected. I was searching for SMV 906, the registration on my dad's old Rover. Obviously they do not retain historical data, so the Maxi Reg BYN 457H won't come up either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the2ems Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 The OP states it is an original registration from 1969/70. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidJC Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 @Gordon @Ratch - I don't know which way you searched, but the "registration database" will only show up active registrations. I don't know that's entirely accurate? I use 'Check if a vehicle is taxed', a Government website, and have found an old H registration car (that is, the 1960s H) and it found it correctly, saying that there is no MOT and untaxed since 1982, which would pretty much tie in accurately to my knowledge. That said I tried a 1960s G registration and there was no information at all. Another K and R registration (1970s) were also correctly identified. So I think this particular website can query its database at far back as H though no presumably earlier. Whether or not those cars or plates still exist I don't know but the website also nots SORN and I can't beleive that the cars I have tried all exist still. That said I concur, the Maxi plate wasn't found on the database; but I wonder, could that be because it never existed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 That explains why the registration on this Airfix Austim Maxi kit, 'BYN 457H', has not shown up. Either the DVLA do not hold this data anymore, or they do not currently allow for this data to be visible for search, by the public. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pg-scout Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 "Over 300 kits" according to that complaints slip. A quck count on the website (simply adding the total at the bottom of each category page i.e not ignoring out of stock and double counting items which appear in more than on category - eg starter kits) gets to about 187. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 This could be due to several reasons. 1, don't forget that this kit is from the 1980's and the 1990's and 2, the cost to produce and the cost to buy them back then, was cheaper than it is now. Hence why Hornby Hobbies, don't produce as many Airfix kits, these days. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARfan Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 Wow, it looks like a real Austin Maxi! 😆 I love the engine under the bonnet. It looks good. I wonder if in real life, an Austin Maxi was registered with the registration of 'BYN 457H'? GNR-Gordon-4Thank you. Yes, they are great kits and very interesting to do.To answer your question; yes, this was indeed a real Maxi from 1969/70. BYN 457H was the actual number plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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