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Topic starter
26/05/2024 5:27 pm Â
I'm sure a few of you bought the 2-ft. high display unit from Menards which looks like the various Carvana dealership towers in major metropolitan areas. Probably due to licensing issues, it's lettered 'Cavana' (really Carvana, you couldn't let them have an accurate unit?) Anyway, the switch allows for white, green, or blue LED lighting.
The unit is ingenious, but it would not look very authentic with 1930s classics, 1940s woodies, 1950s be-finned barges, or even 1960s muscle cars in it. So I set about looking for vehicles made in the last quarter-century in my collection, and found just enough to fill it. I focused on cars available from US dealers during that time, and steered clear of exotics from Ferrari, McLaren, Vipers, etc. Still, I had to allow for a couple of Porsches and a CTS-V, whose market price would make it an unlikely tower occupant. In my display someone has brought in a Cadillac XLR and is considering an upgrade - perhaps a Corvette C8 or that Jaguar F-Type. Everything in there is diecast, no white metal or resin.
It occurred to me that I don't know if the shelves will cause a reaction with vinyl tires. I'll have to keep an eye on that, do some test rolls now and then. The sequence of the first four pics is: front, left, rear, and right.
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26/05/2024 5:59 pm Â
That's cool!
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27/05/2024 7:26 am Â
WoW! 😎 😎 Is it easy to load and un-load? I wonder how many Alfas 'Cavana' sells? Â
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Topic starter
27/05/2024 9:32 am Â
@karl Only Eye-talian car in there is a 'Fiata' by Ixo. The roof panel, attached by magnets, comes off so you can reach in. But I found the first two levels were easier to load by reaching in from the showroom opening.
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Karl Schnelle and John Kuvakas reacted
27/05/2024 10:08 am Â
Thanks for photos. Looks like Menards did a nice job on the building. I know Menards only does buildings in 1/48 and1/87 scale, I wish they would do it in 1/64 scale.
Ed Davis
Inverness, Illinois, USA
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Harv Goranson and Karl Schnelle reacted
27/05/2024 1:01 pm Â
'Fiata' ----  😉 😶 😀 I do like the look of those Abarth Spiders!
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Harv Goranson reacted
27/05/2024 1:26 pm Â
Harv, This is a pretty cool device. Just confirming, those are 43rd scale cars inside, right? I always liked the Menards model dealership with lighting and roof top turntable.
John F. Quilter
Eugene, Oregon USA
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Harv Goranson reacted
Topic starter
27/05/2024 1:42 pm Â
@john-quilter Correct, though technically the structure is for 1/48 (O-gauge) railway layouts. I've been advised to remove the Tesla, in case of a battery fire. 
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Karl Schnelle reacted
28/05/2024 1:30 pm Â
I was going to look this item up here https://www.menards.com/main/search.html?search=cavana  but it is not showing. Other close to O scale items show but not the above multicolor model shelf?  Â
John F. Quilter
Eugene, Oregon USA
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John Kuvakas and Harv Goranson reacted
Topic starter
29/05/2024 12:05 pm Â
@john-quilter Sorry John - I checked the website and found this message:
We are sorry O Scale Vehicle Showroom is currently not available at any of our stores.
When I found out about this item about a month ago there was a scramble to get one amongst a few of my collector friends. Looks like it is OOP unless they decide to do another run.
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Karl Schnelle and John Kuvakas reacted