MATCHBOX restoration: 59B Ford Fairlane Fire Chief's Car

Restoring a Lesney Matchbox No. 59B Ford Fairlane Fire Chief's Car, in the Matchbox range from 1963 until 1966. Help support the channel via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DiecastRestos Or become a YouTube member to get access to unique perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnejV0mBuRlTcGcnIit2_0A/join Take a look at the DieCastRestos Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/DieCastRestos If you'd like to send me something, get in touch via email here: jason.crouch88@gmail.com Loyal Patreon supporter Tony sent me this 1963 to 1966 Matchbox Ford Fairlane Fire Chief's Car casting a while back. I was a bit apprehensive to tackle it, seeing how little paint it had and how likely it was that the metal would have corroded. But I bit the bullet and had a go. It is by no means a perfect restoration, but amazingly, despite the pitting, lack of paint, rusted axles and filthy plastics, I reused all of the original parts. Just this fact makes these builds all the more satisfying. The casting itself shares its components with the slightly earlier sister casting, the 55B Fairlane Police Car. The only differences are the baseplate wording and the colour of the beacon. Both are based on the 1961 model year Fairlane four door sedan, which was a popular fleet car for police cruisers and taxis at the time. Decal source: http://model-supplies.co.uk/ Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Hackers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ4Of3lID84 Outro Distance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4ho390u45s 1961 Ford Fairlane 500 image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/greggjerdingen/5920108587 #Matchbox #Diecast #Restoration

Added 10 Aug 2026