Richard
Those are very nicely done, and you are right, some very talented folks out there turning somewhat trashed Dinky's into either nicely restored or Code 3 models.
One of my good local Dinky collector friends also restores, and he is in the process of creating a 30 series Ambulance, early post war with the open windows, into a kind of pre-war version, with the red fenders and chassis, and grey body, with large white tires. I will show it here when he is done.
Regards,
Terry

An other one.

Richard--
I received my very first Dinky Toys for Christmas in 1951, when I was 6 years old. I thoroughly played with those early toys, both inside the house and also out in the yard. Later, I learned to take care of my prized toys, and was much more careful with them.
I still have those first 5 Dinky Toys, but they had deteriorated to a very sad state, so a few years ago I had a very good restorer bring them back to life and worthy of displaying again. This was a sympathetic restoration, not completely exact, but close, and it definitely captured the spirit and look of the originals. Some will say it is a crime to refinish ones toys from childhood, but these really did benefit from it and I have never regretted it........they are still part of my childhood and memories of days gone by................
Regards,
Terry

Lovely jobs all these,

I really like to see "What might have been", just swopping / creating liveries between models like the CA and Trojan vans is facinating.

Here's a cracker I found on the Internet...

CW

Chris....that Trojan van looks quite nice as an ambulance....the possibilities are endless, with so many different liveries. Here is a nice Jaguar XK 120 Coupe, restored in a slightly different shade of red and fitted with white tires, which I think look great on it.
Regards,
Terry

The only restoration I have in my collection is the French no. 532 Lincoln Premiere. It was a Sint Nicolaas (5 December 1961) present for my brother, a companion to the no. 545 Desoto Diplomat, which I got on that same evening. It was horribly repainted and it was out of sight in boxes, drawers etc. for many decades. Until ... a friend whom I made acquaintance with on the Planet Diecast forum, and who is a keen restorator of miniature cars, offered me to do the job for free. The blue is slightly on the darker side, but it is very well done and now it regainded its place in my displays, next to the Desoto.
He was as happy with the calendar I gave him in return in gratitude, as I was with the reborn Lincoln (as was my brother - his initials on the box end flap).

(photographic circumstances were not very favourable at the time I made these photos rather quickly, so the colours are slightly deviating)

Kind regards, Jan