Wow, I am pleased that this subject still is alive and well! I've not been around for a while on this forum. Occasionally lurked
for info purposes but not logged in. I think I last checked this thread in early 2016 so pleased to see others have since had an opinion and I love it when a subject causes such healthy debate.
Gary hats of to you for actually going off and doing research (for the best part of four years) before coming back with your very detailed and slightly patronising response (below) in 2016. Well done! You could actually have saved yourself all that time by reading my original posts properly….
Galaxy Gaz wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2016 3:21 am
Scazza69 wrote:I think Vanguards have being turning out some excellent stuff lately but some of the models are being let down by detailing issues. In the case of the RS Mexico it is the wheels that in my opinion are too big and not the correct RS 4 spoke design that was an option of the car in reality. In fact it came with 13 x 5.5 inch steels a la RS1800.
Just re-read your post and felt I need to add to it .
The Mk2 Mexico did come from the factory with 5.5 x 13 inch steel wheels and also with the option of 6x13 Ronal 4 spoke alloys , so whilst the wheels on the Vanguards car are slightly oversize looking on the model , the style of wheel is correct .
The Escort RS 4 spokes and the Capri 4 spokes looked identical in every way apart from one difference . The wheel nuts on all Capri 4 Spoke alloys have a 60 degree tapered washer on them where they bolt up to the wheel face but genuine Escort RS 4 spokes are flat and have a flat washer where they bolt onto the wheel . That is the only way you can tell them apart .
There was a slightly different style RS 4 spoke alloy available in a 5.5 x 13 inch alloy which had flatter and wider spokes and was only available on the Escort RS 2000 Mk1.
Being pedantic here I know , but the wheels you've fitted to your Vanguards Mexico are still incorrect as all Mexicos with steelies should have black centre caps with an RS logo on them . At a guess , It looks like you've used the steelies from a 1300E Mk1 for your wheel swap which have the added trim rings fitted....something no self respecting Mexico owner would ever fit
However, seeing as detail seems to be the order of the day (and required it appears) in this thread I will explain. Just to recap, my original post from 2012 (I can’t believe it was 5 yrs ago) was written when the first edition and much anticipated release of VG’s Mk2 RS Mexico appeared and there was debate and excitement on various forums about the release of this model. One of the areas of discussion were the wheels, mainly focused on being the wrong size and style.
As stated in my original post(s) I decided to try to improve the look (IMO) of the model with the wheels from a VG MK1 Escort Mexico police car (a car actually fitted with the 5.5 inch RS steel wheels - see pic) as the MK2 RS Mexico was also fitted with this style of wheel as standard equipment. Gary, if you re–read the thread you will note the donor car for these wheels was mentioned and not as in your words “…It looks like you've used the steelies from a 1300E Mk1 for your wheel swap which have the added trim rings fitted....something no self respecting Mexico owner would ever fit.” This in itself causes another interesting debate as the early VG 1300E has the same wheels as the VG Mexico Police car, so perhaps that means that VG got it wrong and their version of the 1300E is actually fitted with 5.5 inch RS steels…? Something no self respecting 1300E owner would ever fit…..
Gary, I do agree with you. You are being pedantic. I also agree with you re. the black centre caps and wheel nuts fitted to the MK2 RS Mexico. The MK1 cars did indeed have chrome plated metal centre caps and chrome wheel nuts. I wanted to get the MK2 RS Mexico model closer to the original car (in fact if you read my original posts I say closer to a "truer representation") than I felt VG had given us and decided to work with the style of wheel available (and correct as it came off a model intended to have RS steel 5.5s as std equipment) to get it as close as possible. I stated in the original thread that I did not want to break a Minichamps RS1800 (see pic) for the wheels correctly painted with black bits. Admittedly, I could get handy with a small brush and paint these black to make them correct…apologies for not doing that.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/YhTo72]
The other thing to note however is that the...let's call them “flush” (narrow rim) style of four spoke wheel was never available as standard or optional equipment on the MK2 RS Mexico, or the MK2 RS2000 for that matter. The more familar RS 4 spoke style of course was, being standard on the RS2000 and optional on the RS Mexico (see below pic), and later optional on the base model RS2000 that replaced the RS Mexico midway thru 1978.
Similar styles of a flush (narrow rim) 4 spoke design RS type wheel were available on the Capri RS3100 in the early 70s, and later the Series X range of upgrades for the Fiesta and Cortina and then also on the Fiesta Super Sport to name a few. Just for your benefit Gary because I realise how much you love detail (that's where the devil is right?), I am saying styles (plural), I am not suggesting they were exactly the same casting or brand of wheel. See below.
For the Escort however (and this was the reason for my original post in 2012), this style of the four spoke wheel was only ever used on publicity shots in 1975 of the MK2 RS2000 (see pre launch Euro pic) and then the publicity shot of the MK2 RS Mexico (see pic) which one could argue would have been correct if VG had been making a replica of this pre production “styling” exercise example…..which they weren’t, but more detail on that in a sec.
Thus, the flush style of 4 spoke wheel is NOT correct for the production MK2 RS Mexico plus the size/scale of the wheel for the model is still too large anyway. Interestingly, the publicity shot of the MK2 RS Mexico was actually a styling exercise created from a MK2 Escort Sport (note overriders and striped interior) and also the first few RS1800’s were also upgraded MK2 Sports built at Halewood in the UK (according to Ford). Production of all other RS Escorts moved to Saarlouis for the MK2 model. Subsequent RS1800’s started life as RS Mexico’s at Saarlouis before being pulled off the production line and transported back to England where they were upgraded, rebadged and re-engined as RS1800's. With four years of research you will of course already know this Gary.
Finally, I did contact Corgi VG about my opinion and concerns re. the style of wheel they selected for the first edition release of the MK2 RS Mexico (see original thread). Pre production shots of the MK2 Harrier also showed the flush style of 4 spoke wheel which were clearly wrong. The wheel style was actually changed following this debate as I and others had contacted Corgi VG querying this choice and style of wheel design. You will note that both the Harrier and later green MK2 RS Mexico carried the correct (or as correct as VG could get it) style of 4 spoke wheel design when released by Vanguards. I hope this was an example of them listening to their customers.
Anyway, let's see if the RS Mexico wheel debate continues
So many cars, so little time.....
) this model is based on a real club members car as it is now, not when it was original. Perhaps that is the reason behind the over size wheels
