"Diecast Cars, scales and Wargames" Topic

This is a post I made a couple of years ago about cars used in wargames as terrain. Manufacturers, scales, availability…

Not only for Fear of the Dark skirmish wargame but for any modern, pulp or ww2 wargame.

I have updated the post with new information and new pictures and I hope it helps when you want to get a few cars to use them when you play any wargame.

link

Great article, thanks for sharing! I have a bunch of the Matchbox "Yesteryear" vehicles, they have a scale appropriate to my 28mm minis.

No, for 28mm figures, you must use either (or both in a pinch) 1:64 or 1:56 scale vehicles. The best range of civilian period cars/trucks consistenly in the former scale is Days Gone from Lledo.

These normally run around $5.00 USD each via E-Bay. I have at least 50 of these--enough to simulate a traffic jam in The Loop during shootout games of "We Only Kill Each Other."

Here's a link to an auction

As you can see, there are plenty being offered even now. The available items change daily, if not hourly, and there are some real bargains to be had.

TVAG

I use 1/43 for my die casts vehicles. They look correct with the variance of "28mm" figures which often are 30+ mm.

+1 zulupaul.

I use 1/64 with my 25mm street gangs for Mean Streets.

1/50 for 28s (and I avoid the 32s that pretend to be 28s).

No, for 28mm figures, you must use either (or both in a pinch) 1:64 or 1:56 scale vehicles. The best range of civilian period cars/trucks consistenly in the former scale is Days Gone from Lledo.

A bit of research needed before buying the Lledo vehicles as they vary in scale quite considerably. The only criteria for size/scale they had was that the model should fit in one of their standard boxes. Therefore the smaller the vehicle in real life the larger the scale. I've found the cars work fine with 28mm, the trucks vary and I use many for 20mm (1/72) where they are a good match in terms of size.

Here is a Lledo van next to a 1/72 Opel Blitz and with a 20mm AB Figure crew. To my eye this one is much closer to 20mm than 28mm, but they do vary.

I've converted several of the Lledo die cast trucks and vans for use in my games set in the Far East. As you can see these all are closer to 20mm than 28mm. I bought their Regal bus intending to use it in the same way but that one is closer to 15mm.

Here in the States, we have a drug store called CVS. I go in there about once a month for my prescription and for at least the last three years they've been carrying two types of modern small cars and trucks, Some about 1/35 scale and some about 1/50 scale, so look for two displays, not usually next to one another either ("Oh the small cars. Yes we have those too, They're over there."). Pretty cheap ($5.00) and real nice, even to my picky standards. Like you mentioned the smaller ones are to various scales, so you have to use your judgement. They have a scale noted on them but they're typically not that scale. Some times they do 1950's vehicles which are real cool too. A new selection about every month. Most are marked "Kinsmart" and you can find that brand on Amazon

For 28mm I go 1/43 as they fit the "bulk" of most figures better, the "James Bond Collection" cars are a good fit, and they do a good range of cars for periods 60's to today (basically when the films were set 😉.

The convert well too, here's a couple of pics from my blog.

Hope this helps Roger.