[REVIEW] DAF Citybus

This is a DAF SB200DO554 Citybus built by coachbuilder Hainje, in a two-tone yellow and white livery. This model was introduced in 1966 as the successor to the SB1600 chassis. It was powered by a DAF-built diesel in the back, it was the staple of many Dutch regional and urban mass transit networks throughour the '70s and '80s. Initially the Amsterdam municipal busses wore a wine-red livery, but yellow was also prevalent.

As you can see in this photo from 1990, the DAF SB200 has a lengthy carreer.

This particular model is a 1:50 (I think. Below is the bus next to a HW Porsche 997 GT2 for scale.) made by Dutch diecast company Lion Toys. Founded in 1943, Lion Toys build several DAF 66 and 44 models, in addition to some Renaults, Opels, and DKWs. Currently they make Scania, Volvo, and DAF truck models, and have an upcoming line of Dakar trucks.

I had been thinking for a while to take this bus home from my parents' house to my own to do a restoration, and finally got around to it this past Christmas. It was a favorite of mine when I was young, because of it's sheer size and weight, and those opening doors!! Sadly only one half of one door is still there and available, and I as yet have no idea how to replicate them, but as a kid I imagined thousands of passengers getting on and off through them. I would just open the hinges and pretend there were doors attached.

Another reason why I loved it is that one of my friend Simon's dad was a municipal bus driver and drove one of these in real life, which was of course terribly exciting! And for some reason I loved the smell of the exhaust coming off of them.

I have no idea how I got this bus, but it's always been part of my memory, so it must've been mid-'80s that it showed up in my toy box.

As for my plans of restoration, I will do a full respray in the yellow and white, straighten the axles, put some new grey on the chassis, look for some new diamond-shaped jewels for the head- and tail lights, and, as I mentioned, find a way to replicate the doors. Maybe it's time to start dabbling in resin casting? Any ideas are welcome!!