Chevy 3100 Stepside Pickup

Here's the last of cars at the haircut place.  It's a classic that we've seen before.  It looks like a 1965 Chevy Stepside pickup truck.

It completes a cool little collection in the shop window.  Playing with it sure beats reading women's magazines while waiting for a haircut.

Volkswagen New Beetle - Soccer Ball Style

I found this VW Beetle in the window of my local hair cut shop.  It's looks like a soccer ball and it's been kicked around some.

Die-cast VW Beetle

Oh Lord Won't You Buy Me a Mercedes-Benz!

I recently ran across a small collection of diecast cars at a local hair cutting establishment.  These cars were actually in the wild wear they could be played with by kids, toddlers, and business people awaiting haircuts.  But, the classic lines of this AMG Mercedes-Benz SLS shine through . . .

Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS

You can't disguise that long hood and that faded tri-star.  It always looks good.  But, if you want a Mercedes that looks a lot better, check out this Carrera Digital 132 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 from Amazon:

VW Brasilia by Hot Wheels

In the U.S., the Volkswagen Brasilia was known as the VW Fox.  It was one of the most inexpensive new cars that you could buy in the early 90s.  I briefly considered buying one after graduating from college.  Today, I own two.  Two little ones from Hot Wheels!

Die-cast Car Display Shelf

If you've got a collection, you definitely need a display shelf to help show it off.  My wife found me this one at a thrift store.  This one shows off some of my latest finds.

1955 Chevy Stepside Pickup Truck

I spotted this 1955 Chevy Stepside Pickup Truck in a local thrift store.  The damage and wear makes it look even better.

1955 Chevy Stepside Pickup Truck

Pontiac GTO Wagon

If you like old school Hot Wheels, this Pontiac GTO from the Boulevard Cruisers looks great!  If you'd like to read more about hot station wagons like the Pontiac GTO, check out the Station Wagon Forums.

Hot Wheels = Boulevard Cruisers - Pontiac GTO

G.T.O. - That spells it out!

 

Hot Wheels Boulevard Cruisers - Porsche 914-6

This Porsche 914-6 is another great looking Hot Wheels Boulevard Cruiser.  The original 914 was fairly anemic, but it was a rocket with a 6 cylinder engine.  According to Wikipedia, only 3360 Porsche 914-6 were made.  The car finished 6th overall in the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans and won its racing class.  This one looks race ready!

Hot Wheels Boulevard Cruiser Porsche 914-6

 

Hot Wheels - Boulevard Cruisers - VW Beetle

If you are looking for an old school matchbox-sized model car, check out the Hot Wheels Boulevard Cruisers collection.  This VW Beetle has a metal body, a metal bottom plate, and rubber tires.  It looks like the cool cars you totally scratched up as a kid!

Hot Wheels Boulevard Cruiser - VW Beetle

Welly 1/24 Chevy Camaro Z/28

This inexpensive model has a detailed engine compartment and opening doors for about $10.  It's a nice rendition of a late 1960s Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.

This one suits me just fine because it successfully evokes the classic.

Kinsmart Chevrolet 3100 Pickup Pull Back Car

The parade of $5 die-cast cars continues to roll on with this classic Chevy 3100 pickup truck from Kinsmart.

Kinsmart RV Pull Back Car

Every kid needs an RV in his fleet of toy cars.  They make a great base for adventures.  This is another Kinsmart Pull Back car from the bin at CVS drugs.

In front of a National Geographic travel magazine.

My Maisto Ford Mustang - Interior

For a model that costs less than $10, the interior of my Maisto 1:24-Scale Ford Mustang is surprisingly detailed.  It looks quite realistic!

For comparison sake, here is there interior of a real Ford Mustang off of wikimedia commons:

 

 

Ford Mustang V8 GT Coupe Premium Interior

My Maisto Mustang

Well, I finally got my 5.0!  Yup, it's a Ford Mustang.  Of course, it's a little smaller than I'd like.  This one is a 1:24-scale Maisto Model and it was less than $10 at my local drugstore.

Maisto 1:24-scale Ford Mustang

Kinsmart Lancer Evolution Pull Back Car

Here's a peppy little thing--the Lancer Evolution Rally Car.  It's another Kinsmart Pull Back Car that I found at CVS.

Kinsmart Dodge Viper Pull-Back Car

Ultimately, all die-cast cars are toys.  While some are spectacularly detailed, they are toy cars.  So, it's nice to find inexpensive die-cast cars that evoke the looks and sportiness of a real car while remaining true to the realm of toys.  These drugstore pull-back cars are a prime example of toys that are models.  At only $4.99 each, you can actually play with these Chinese-made Kinsmart toy cars without guilt or fear or worry.  This Dodge Viper certainly looks fast and satisfies the child in all of us!

Of course, if you want to pay a little more, you can get a really nice Dodge Viper model from Maisto:

M2 Machines Ground Pounders 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T

 

M2 Ground Pounders 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T

Hot Wheels Ford Model A Roadster - Deuce Coupe

It's a classic Hot Wheels car rendition of a classic Ford Model A Roadster. . .

Racing Champions - 1937 Cord

The 1937 Cord Convertible Phaeton was an innovative American car.  It featured front wheel drive and hidden headlights.

This Racing Champions 1937 Cord is very detailed for a "matchbox-sized" die-cast model.  The hood opens and the convertible top is removable.

 

Happy Fourth of July! M2 Machines 1957 Chevy

The Fourth of July is a time of celebration in the United States.  As we celebrate our independence from Great Britain!  In honor of the occasion, I'm posting this star-spangled '57 Chevy from M2 Machines.  This 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air is the quintessential American car!

M2 Machines: 1958 Chevrolet Impala 283

This was the first of a long-running Chevy nameplate. It all started as a full-sized hard-top sport coupe with a 283 cubic inch V-8.

According to Wikipedia, the Impala competed against the Ford Galaxy 500 and Plymouth Fury.  Chevy's lead engineer during the era, Ed Cole, once described the Impala as "prestige car within the reach of the average American citizen."  This M2 Machines 1:64-scale Auto Drivers series Impala looks pretty classy to me.

M2 Machines: 1957 Chrysler 300C

1957 must have been a good year for cars. So many seem to be considered classics today. Here is an M2 Machines rendition of the famous 1957 Chrysler 300C. I ran it through Pixlr-matic to give it a vintage look (and disguise a little dust.)

M2 Machines: 1957 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer D500

M2 Machines has a cool concept in their Auto Drivers series of die-cast models.  They build in much of the quality of a larger die-cast model into a small 1:64 scale (Matchbox-sized) car.  This 1957 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer D500 has been built to resemble an unrestored garage find.  You can see the beautiful lines of a great car beneath a veneer of dirt and rust.  It's a model that needs a little work.

To buy this car online, check out this one on Amazon.com.

Maisto 1:24 Diecast Dodge Challenger SRT8

The interior of the Maisto 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is inviting and well detailed for a $10 model.  You can read a complete review here:

Die-cast Test Drive:  Maisto 1:24 Scale 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Model Review

If you'd like to check out a similar Dodge Challenger SRT8 from Maisto, bang it below:

Maisto Dodge Challenger SRT8 - Yeah, it's a Hemi!

One more thing about that Dodge Challenger SRT8.  It's a Hemi V8 with  6.1 liters of pure power!

It's got power in spades and it's got good looking lines!

For a complete review, read my article here:

Die-cast Test Drive:  1:24 Scale 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Model Review

Maisto Dodge Challenger SRT8

Check out my new Maisto 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8!  It's a Hemi . . .

1:24 Scale Dodge Challenger SRT8 from Maisto

You've seen the new Dodge Challenger, to check out the old school 1970 Dodge Challenger on Amazon, bang it below:

Maisto VW1600

  

If you peek through the rear window of my Maisto, you can see that it is dominated by teeth rattling speakers! 

Volkswagen 1600 from Maisto!

If you open your mind, many custom rides look pretty awesome.  For example, this slammed VW 1600 looks great and doesn't cost much!

Tomorrow, we'll crank up there awesome sound system!

Thrift Store Diecast Tour: Action Die-Cast 1:18 scale - MOPAR Pioneer Dragster

One of the most respected names in die-cast car manufacturing is Action.  I was shocked to find this Action NHRA dragster model at a thrift store for only $3.93.  That's one heck of a deal!

Thrift Store Diecast Tour: A Perfectly Weathered Tonka Truck

At your local thrift store, you can certainly see that one man's trash is another man's treasure.  I found this perfectly weathered vintage Tonka Cement Mixer Truck a few weeks ago.

Of course, it can take weeks to find the perfect Tonka truck at the thrift store.  Amazon is a lot faster.

Thrift Store Diecast Tour: Ford Mustang

This Mustang would totally rock--except it was missing a rear wheel.  I'm not great at assembling models so I passed.  It was only $1.91 at Goodwill.

Thrift Store Diecast Tour: McLaren F1 Super Car

This diecast McLaren F1 Supercar has seen better days.  But, it's waiting for someone to buy and restore it or for a kid to get a little more play out of it.

Thrift Store Diecast Tour - GTO

I found this diecast Pontiac GTO sitting on a shelf in an Atlanta Goodwill.  It appears to be a 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge.  It's probably made by Muscle Machines.  Since it's just waiting for a kid to grab it, I let it be.

Welly Corvette Pull Back Car

Here is another Welly.  It's a Corvette Pull Back Car!

Welly Nissan Skyline GT-R Pull Back Car

Here's another cool looking pull back car from Welly.  It's a Nissan Skyline GT-R.  These are very cool die-cast toy cars.  Just pull 'em backwards and let 'em GO!

Welly Jaguar S-Type Pull Back Car

 

Say hello to my little jag!  It's a toy Jaguar S-type that I picked up at the grocery store for $6.  It's made in China for a company called Welly.  It's actually a "pull back car."  If you pull it backwards and let it go, it will zoom across a table top or kitchen floor.  For a cheap toy, the interior is surprisingly detailed and the doors actually open.  Jaguar created the beautiful lines and some people in a Chinese factory made it affordable. Pretty cool!

My '57 Chevy Thriftstore Find!

I found this Muscle Machines '57 Chevy at the Thriftstore a couple of weeks ago for less than $10.  It was definitely a keeper!