The restoration of a Corgi Toys 267 Batmobile can appear complex but with the right tools and a bit of knowledge, like the pictures in this guide, will help you get a decent model on your shelf with working features.
There have been a number of questions regarding the Batmobile Antenna or Ariel in recent months and I’ve added a number of pictures to try and clarify this detail.
These Corgi Batmobiles model 267 have been restored and are displayed with first series reproduction box and display stand.
The first parts that we need are the top and bottom casting in good condition. There are a number of different castings, particularly the regular wheels and the whizz-wheels versions are different and the top and bottom should not be mixed if possible. RecoverToy can provide change-over restored castings.
Starting with a fully dismantled Corgi Batmobile, the first bit to assemble is the cabin or cockpit. The windscreen, beacon, beacon cage and overhead indicators and parachute handle, are the common replacement parts. These are fitted to the original metal housing.
The beacon is inserted into the windscreen unit in the upper section. The screen has a raised section that needs to be drilled out. The red beacon section passes through the hole and the cage fits over the outside. The beacon was originally melted a bit flattening over the top of the cage.
The Batmobile cockpiut indicators and parachute handle forms the upper section of the overhead cockpit assembly. The screen fits over this chrome plated plastic part.
This shows the completed cockpit assembly. This is now ready to be installed into the top casting, but there are a couple of others parts to be installed first, being the ariel (antenna), rocket lanuch wheel, and the rocket tubes.
For clarity, this is a picture of an original 267 Corgi Toys Batmobile ariel or antenna in a model.
The original antenna is plastic and is stylised like the popular spring based two-way radio antennas. This may be mistaken for a screw thread, but it's not.
The RecoverToy replacement 267 Corgi Toys Batmobile antenna is moulded in grey plastic like the original. It is supplied as a straight antenna.
The 267 Corgi Toys Batmobile antenna on the original model varies between curved and straight. Putting a bend in the ariel can be done by heating the replacement in hot (not boiling) water for a few minutes and working it gently with your fingers. Do not scrape on a hard edge as this can damage it. You should do it gradually, re-heating in the water for a few minutes before working it again.
The 267 Corgi Toys Batmobile antenna installation is done from the inside of the vehicle and the flat base fits into the recess around the hole.
Once placed in the hole, the 267 Corgi Toys Batmobile antenna is loose in the hole but sits into the recess with the flat base stopping from falling through.
From the top of the 267 Corgi Toys Batmobile the ariel starts to look like the original but it is not yet held in place.
The rear end of the metal cockpit provides the rear mounting hole and the ariel base stub which is angled to push the loose plastic ariel to a rear facing angle.
Another view of the cockpit metal unit and the antenna base stub that holds the plastic antenna in place in the upper casting of the 267 Corgi Toys Batmobile.
This photo displays the upper casting of the 267 Corgi Toys Batmobile and the cockpit unit. The cockpit unit has a mouting hole that is fitted over the appropriate pin behind the ariel hole and the ariel seat stub aligns to the underneath of the flat ariel to force it to a rear facing angle.
