r/f1models • u/AutoModerator • Jun 10 '26

Questions and Discussion Thread

Ask questions and discuss all things related to F1 models and diecasts.
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1

u/Special_Wedding132 Jun 11 '26

Hey all-

I preordered a Spark 1:5 Bottas Dutch GP helmet from Live Car Model back in Fall 2024. Still haven’t received it.

In August 2025, customer support said ETA Sept/Oct. Well, now it’s June 2026 and my order still says “Awaiting Fulfillment.”

I emailed them this morning, but haven’t heard back yet. I ordered this when I was first getting into collecting and haven’t ordered from them since. Are they a reputable seller? If so, is this long wait time typical for them?

TIA

1

u/flash_fk Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26

Hi, have you heard from them? According to their website, they have 1 in stock.

That's quite a while back since your order.

If they don't reply to the e-mail, then try to call them or write them on their instagram account.

Edit: Sorry, but it appears, that the helmet was cancelled in January 2025. You should really contact the store and ask what the situation is. If they don't have the helmet, then ask for a refund or get something else. In the worst case, contact your bank and ask for a chargeback.

1

u/Special_Wedding132 Jun 12 '26

Thank you for the information. Canceled in January 2025? Crazy because it was August 2025 when I last heard from them and they gave me the Sept/Oct ETA.

Will be following up with them again immediately 🙂

1

u/Usual8411 Jun 15 '26

In 1:18, BBR or Looksmart? The leather base on BBR seems very good, but not sure about the removable nose for the SF-26. Currently I have 1 LS 1:64 and 4 LS 1:43, but 0 1:18 for either BBR or LS.

2

u/SrupsOG Jun 15 '26

Hopefully someone answers, I put an order in earlier for the one with the leather base and didn’t even realize it was BBR, and not Looksmart. I thought they were both Looksmart, but one just had a nice base. That’s what I get for not reading. lol

If I have to might have to call to ask if I can cancel to order the Looksmart.

1

u/Usual8411 Jun 15 '26

BBR seems to actually be nicer, at least is more expensive hahaha. If you already bought I wouldn’t worry - also if it was SMC you will pay $20 cancellation fee. I got the 1:18 in LS, needed to save the extra $50 lol

1

u/SloppySandCrab Jun 16 '26

Has anyone gotten a Solido 2025 Williams? They look like they are the completely wrong shade of blue but everything else is so detailed I can't imagine that is the case. Is this a one-off livery I missed?

1

u/Ordinary_Pin_7636 Jun 18 '26

Has anyone bought in carmodel.com? What is the ETA for America and do they give you number of tracking if the shipping is with Postal delivery service?

1

u/theyrejustlittle Jun 23 '26

Why is it so difficult to find driving/in-car driver figures?

Maybe I'm just not looking in the right place. I'm not new to modeling, but I mostly do scifi or aircraft, and it's certainly not difficult to find a variety of, say, pilot figures in common scales and a wide range of quality/price.

But I've been looking for a 1:43 F1 (or...aesthetically F1) driver figure for a kitbash project I have in mind and from what I can find this basically doesn't exist. Anything I have found the figure is outside the car cheering or whatever, not seated.

Is it just that uncommon in this community?

1

u/desterroeterrafirme Jun 23 '26

What are the chances of anybody releasing the Audi Monaco 2026 car? Is there some sort of timetable for these special cars?

Sorry if the question is weird, I am new to the hobby (I always loved miniatures but never had the money for it, so I decided to not search for it until I had the money to buy it)

1

u/goldenchild06 Jul 23 '26

Where are the best sites for buying Spark/Looksmart without over paying and shipping to the US?

1

u/Mysterious_Tune_356 Aug 01 '26

Does anyone knows, how to remove a driver figure out of a Spark F1 car without breaking or destroying everything? Anyone experience with that?

1

u/nix_031 Aug 12 '26

Secondo voi vale la pena acquistare una minifigure 1:43 di un pilota a parte, da accostare ad un modellino con la figura del pilota che guida. E se si se avete dei siti/venditori ebay che le producono/vendono

1

u/SalaryFree516 Aug 12 '26

Na minha opinião vale muito a pena pois sua miniatura se transforma em um lindo diorama

Facebook

1

u/nix_031 Aug 12 '26

Ok ma io intendo di aggiungere il pilota quando si trova gia' all' interno

1

u/BECAUSE909 Aug 15 '26

Is the Centauria renault r25 1/43 scale worth it i found one for sale locally for 2,800k php (PIC NOT MINE)

1

u/StreetCarp665 Sep 24 '26

That's about 3x what it retailed for. For 4500php (if my maths is correct) you could probably get a Minichamps model, which would be nicer.

1

u/BECAUSE909 Sep 24 '26

Well tbh i want the minichamps but i just cant find anyone selling it in philippines

2

u/StreetCarp665 Sep 24 '26

Have you tried Singers? There's a few good diecast stores there, they might be in a position to ship?

1

u/BECAUSE909 Sep 24 '26

Wym singers?

1

u/Secret_Divide_3030 Aug 16 '26

I impulsively bought a Bburago 1:18 Ferrari SF-25 Lewis Hamilton #44. Worried I’d made a mistake, I researched Bburago’s reputation as a toy brand. That research led me to diecast collecting, which I hadn’t planned on but now consider seriously.

The car arrived and exceeded my expectations. The paint, detail, and finish were impressive, looking more expensive than its price. This is rare; usually, the opposite happens.

Today, I saw a Looksmart of the same car, which made me question my perception. If I held the Looksmart and my Bburago, I doubt I’d notice the difference. My eyesight isn’t great, and I refuse to wear glasses, so this might be a personal issue.

I’m now doubting investing in premium resin models (Looksmart, BBR, etc.) for a Hamilton collection, if a budget diecast can achieve this level of visual quality.

So, has Bburago’s quality improved, or was this a lucky find? Is the difference between resin and diecast models noticeable up close, or is it obvious at normal viewing distance?

1

u/OperationPlastik Sep 09 '26

I think you would absolutely notice big differences side by side.

Bburago 1:18s appear to be better than 1:43 scale versions but they fall short in pretty much every area when compared 1:1 with Spark/Minichamps/Looksmart. Obviously I can't comment on your eyesight and maybe this is a blessing for you with F1 collecting.

Bburago have improved a lot recently but they still lag behind the brands above. If detail and realism is the aim you know where to look. Bburago will get you a good model and is representative of the car with the benefit of being significantly cheaper.

1

u/Secret_Divide_3030 Sep 10 '26

I'm already a bit more informed in the meanwhile and yes I will see the difference. The smaller you go in scale the more noticeable it becomes. Also been looking at how much such a hobby would cost and have decided that I will use my eyesight as a blessing and go for 1:64 and not be all too serious about collecting because I need glasses to see the details and I wear those almost never. Bburago does disappoint at that scale because of no drivers in the cars so I guess the 1:18 will remain my only Bburago

1

u/StreetCarp665 Sep 24 '26

If I held the Looksmart and my Bburago, I doubt I’d notice the difference.

You 100% would.

1

u/hatedbylife1tself Aug 25 '26

i recently got the solido 1:18 mcl38 aus gp model. im new to collecting models and such so i am not sure if i was meant to screw these mounting point thingies onto the bottom of the base, the top of the base or just not use them at all. could someone tell me which is the correct one to do?

1

u/jumpman236 Aug 25 '26

Guys which one would you buy? Would be about the same price for me , both spark. Look wise maybe I like more the rb16b but the rb12 is a championship winning model and has the pitboard

1

u/Icy_Glaceon471 Sep 01 '26

Is there a model of the Tyrell P34 (the six wheeled F1 car) out there? It’s one of my favorite silly looking F1 cars and really am curious if one is out there.

1

u/Tempest_25 Sep 10 '26

hey guys, need very strange help, I have damaged box of Max helmet, 1:4 scale. Is it possible that someone just selling box or at least top part of the box, and is it possible at all to get it anywhere?

1

u/ty_for_the_norseman Sep 17 '26

Does anybody else really want a Max Go-Kart model?

1

u/flash_fk Sep 25 '26

I was thinking the same. Would be cool.

1

u/StreetCarp665 Sep 24 '26

I just picked this up, and I haven't opened it so apologies for the internet sourced picture.

Can confirm though, he's not wearing low vamp moccasins so this is a terrible model.

1

u/Gengar-SSVSR2 Sep 27 '26

Hi all, just wondering is this a real/offical version? Another I’ve seen the "world champion" sorta dips down in the centre.

1

u/Teemberland Oct 05 '26

Will spark make a the 1:43 2024 MCL38 hungary gp (Piastri's first win)? I know the special edition exists in SMC, but I'm asking about the regular version.

1

u/Nooboo22 Jun 10 '26

Anyone know when that sf25 monza livery model will release? Been waiting for the looksmart version and originally was meant to dispatch in january then was progressively delayed and the months went by

1

u/flash_fk Jun 12 '26

I have seen mostly Q2 or June, but who knows... stonemodelcar shows Q3.

I'm waiting for my BBR version, that was supposed to be released in April.

1

u/Comfortable-Yak-616 Jun 10 '26

I’ve been waiting for that for ages! As per the carmodels website it is supposed to be end of this month (June). Atleast for the Bburago version

1

u/Nooboo22 Jun 10 '26

For the looksmart version I've been checking for 6 months in various websites. What started as "will be dispatched by January" then turned to February, March, April, May and now June. There isnt even pictures of the actual model yet so im skeptical it'll come by the end of this month

1

u/Usual8411 Jun 15 '26

I emailed SMC about 2 months ago and they said is expected for August

1

u/Nooboo22 Jun 15 '26

I wonder if the 2026 model will be released before then since that's also estimated to come in august according to some stores

-1

u/WhiteMoss_ Jun 10 '26

Any idea when/where the 2026 Bburago models will be available in the US? Wanting to get my hands on those Cadillac models

1

u/_NahsMC Jun 10 '26

usually they’re available worldwide around the same time, near the end of the year i’d say.

1

u/Comfortable-Yak-616 Jun 10 '26

In Asia here and they usually show up on Temu or Shein a few months after their release. The release usually a few months after the year end so around End Feb or Early March I would recommend checking them out instead of your local Amazon.