Saturday, April 30, 2016

Matchbox Superlift F-350 Super Duty Brush Fire Truck

This is my Matchbox Superlift F-350 Super Duty Brush Fire Truck.  It comes from the 2015 Heroic Rescue series of Matchbox cars.  According to the Matchbox Wikia, this truck has been made in various color combinations since 2012.

Matchbox Superlift F-350 Super  Duty  Brush Fire Truck

The Heroic Rescue series is a very cool set of Matchbox cars because you can just visualize tons of play scenarios with the aggressively style action-oriented little cars.

Matchbox Superlift F-350 Super  Duty  Brush Fire Truck

Matchbox Superlift F-350 Super  Duty  Brush Fire Truck climbing a hill!

Matchbox Superlift F-350 Super  Duty  Brush Fire Truck


Friday, April 29, 2016

Hot Wheels Custom '62 Chevy Pickup - Slammed Surfer Truck

It's time to get slammed for spring break!  This is my Hot Wheels 1962 Custom Chevy Pickup truck.  It's a low rider with chromed wheel wells and a front fender that rides right on the pavement.  The bumper has been removed by the "customizer."

Hot Wheels Custom '62 Chevy Slammed
That fin turns out to be a 1:64 scale surf board that is mounted in the pickup bed.  The tires are ultra low profile jobs mounted on typical death rims.


 With the fin protruding from back, the truck takes an aggressive shark-like stance.  Side pipes are visible just ahead of the rear tires.


The Chevy emblem has been painted over and the rear bumper removed as well.  It's a die-cast car with lots of personality.


 Overall, this '62 Chevy truck is pretty cool for a Hot Wheels truck.  It compares well to my colorful Johnny Lightning Banzai Boys hot rod.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Matchbox Jaguar E-Type Coupe

This is my Matchbox Jaguar E-Type Coupe.  It's a great looking rendition of a classic.  The E-type was made between 1961 and 1975 and is generally considered one of the most beautiful sports cars of all time.


As cool as this car looks, you have to see my very best picture of it.  This is the coolest Jaguar photo that I ever took!

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Matchbox BMW M1

This is my Matchbox BMW M1 parked near a local office supply store.  I call this shot - The Entrepreneur!


Matchbox BMW M1

Monday, April 25, 2016

Vette vs. Vette - This Matchbox Corvette ZR-1 is ready!

This is a quick shot of my yellow Matchbox Corvette ZR1 lined up with a real Corvette.  It's a nice chance to see how the die-cast model stacks up against the real thing!

Matchbox Corvette ZR-1

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Hot Wheels James Bond Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me

This is my Hot Wheels James Bond Lotus Esprit. This Lotus  is a 1:64 diecast model of the Lotus Esprit that was featured in The Spy Who Loved Me.  In the Bond film, the 1976 Lotus Esprit S1 had all the requisite spy toys  and could transform into a submarine.

Hot Wheels Lotus Esprit

Where is James Bond's Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me?


Today, the actual movie prop car used in the movie is owned by billionaire Elon Musk.  According to this article in The Guardian, he had plans to make it work with a Tesla electric drive train.

Hot Wheels Lotus Esprit James Bond Edition

The Spy Who Loved Me Lotus Esprit Chase Clip


Here's a clip from The Spy Who Loved Me featuring the Lotus, Roger Moore, and Barbara Bach:


When you look at the Lotus Esprit S1 today, it still looks like a car from the future.  The design is simply timeless.


The Spy Who Loved Me in Print and on Video


Of course, the classic book and the movie are both available from Amazon in a wide variety of formats.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Hot Wheels A-Team Van

Somewhere in the Los Angeles underground a renegade Special Forces A-team is hiding and helping people in distress. This is the Hot Wheels version of their van.  I've pictured it emerging from Los Angeles drainage canal.

Hot Wheels A-Team Van
The A-Team was an iconic 80s television show.  Unfortunately, my mom and dad wouldn't let us watch it because it was violent and more importantly because it was dumb.  But, that makes the show all the more enjoyable now.  If you'd like a little background on the show and why you should watch it, check out this post on the A-Team as a cure for boring summer reruns.

Hot Wheels A-Team Van (rear quarter)
 I don't remember the real A-Team van having blue lights.  So, that is an interesting feature!
Hot Wheels A-Team Van (front)
However, my 80s memory must be fading because this full-size replica does show a light bar:

A-Team Van Photo By The Conmunity - Pop Culture Geek from Los Angeles, CA, USA (Long Beach Comic Expo 2012 - A-Team van) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Overall, I'd say that the Hot Wheels A-Team van is a fairly accurate rendition of the original.  I can see it emerging from the LA underground to help people.


Thursday, April 21, 2016

Matchbox Lexus GS430


Late last year, I took my Lexus GS430 for a short cruise in the fall foliage.  This is a Matchbox rendition of a 2006 Lexus.  It certainly looks much better than most real 10 year old Lexus cars that we see.

Matchbox Lexus GS430
I love it when I can find an interesting and colorful background for my diecast car photographs!

The Lexus GS430 is beautiful in any size!

I can really imagine a drive in this little Matchbox car.  But, best of all, after a nice day on the road with my Lexus, I can put it in a very small garage!

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Matchbox Road Raider Military Police Truck

This is one of my newest Matchbox Cars.  It's a Matchbox Road Raider and it's painted up as a military police truck.  It has louvered windows to protect against bullets and a high ride to help ward off roadside explosives.



It's one of my coolest looking Matchbox cars before and it is a reminder of the real trucks that are driven by real heroes.



Saturday, April 16, 2016

Matchbox 1970 VW Bus

Looking for a cool kombi to add to you diecast car collection?  This Matchbox 1970 Volkswagen Bus might just fill the bill.  In green, this heralded hippie wagon looks just great against a wooded backdrop.

Matchbox 1970 Volkswagen Bus
Of course, this Matchbox is actually painted in a green "Sportsman's Lodge" livery.  It may not be hippie, but it does look great in a forest!

Matchbox 1970 VW Bus - "Sportsman's Lodge"

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

1967 Shelby GT500

While the 2013 Shelby GT500 was a spectacular car, it was inspired by the 1967 Shelby GT500.




Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Ford Die-cast 2013 Ford Shelby GT500

Here is another cool find for my collection.  It's a Ford-branded die-cast 1/64 scale 2013 Ford Shelby GT500.  It's made by the same folks who bring Gear'd Up, Shelby, and Ford branded die-cast cars.  I found these at a Dollar Tree store. 


Die-cast Shelby GT500
Die-cast Ford Shelby GT500
If you are really interested in getting a bunch of these, you can buy a case of cars from Dollar Tree online directly.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Hot Wheels Astro Funk Photo at the Burger Joint

Here is my Hot Wheels Astro Funk at a local Five Guys burger joint.  It looks pretty cool.  But, I don't see a cup holder when I look down into the cockpit!


Hot Wheels Astro Funk goes to Five Guys!
When I was a kid, I used to shy away from cars like the Astro Funk because they were unrealistic.  They just weren't real cars.  However, the Astro Funk was actually inspired by real custom cars created Hot Rod legend Ed "Big Daddy" Roth!

You can see some similar Ed Roth custom cars in this video:


The number of Ed Roth toy cars is amazing. You have to check them out on Amazon!

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Shelby Collectibles Die-cast 1965 Shelby Cobra 427

Here are some photos of my die-cast 1:64 Shelby Cobra 427 from Shelby Collectibles.  This is an officially licensed car that I believe is made by the same folks who bring us the little Gear'd Up die-cast cars.  This Shelby Cobra is a little small because it is actually 1/64 scale.

I took it out for a spin to get some photos of this little road blaster. It's a nice looking little model.

Shelby Collectibles 1965 Shelby Cobra 427
Shelby Collectibles 1965 Shelby Cobra 427
For a quick die-cast model review:  I like the level of detail on these cars.  They look nice and have nice detail.  However, these aren't bank breaking collectibles.  They are affordable model renditions of the car.  While the body is diecast, the bottom plates are plastic.

Shelby Collectibles 1965 Shelby Cobra 427
When the sun hits the hood, you can really imagine taking a Cobra out to the country side for an evening drive!

Shelby Collectibles 1965 Shelby Cobra 427
Overall, this little Cobra was a nice little addition to my collection.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Drug store encounter with a Porsche 918 Coupe

I spotted this cool looking Porsche 918 Coupe at a local Walgreens store.  I'm not sure if it is Maisto, Welly, or Kinsmart.  But, it was one cool looking car!

Diecast Porsche 918 Coupe
It's the kind of car that you could imagine at a race track with a sports car club.  It's a Paul Newman kind of car.

Friday, April 8, 2016

Friday Night Feature - 1960s Dinky Car Commercial

Welcome to the Die-cast Drive In!  Tonight's feature involves vintage Dinky Cars.

By Christian Kremer [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Dinky cars were always revered because they offered features like opening doors, hoods, and trunks.  But, they were a bit more expensive than traditional Matchbox or Hot Wheels cars.  But, as tonight's Friday feature shows industrious kids could get Dinky car models by collecting proofs of purchase from select Post cereal brands.


Thursday, April 7, 2016

Johnny Lightning 1969 Pontiac GTO Custom with Tiger Stripes

If you've ever wanted a car to blend in with the rest of the parking lot, this Johnny Lightning 1969 Pontiac GTO with Tiger Stripes is not it.  Here I've pictured it in the parking lot of my local Ross store.


Check out my similar Johnny Lightning 1965 Pontiac GTO in tiger stripes.  These are definitely 1/64 scale die-cast cars with strong personalities!