Johnny Lightning - 1971 Pontiac GTO

Walgreens Diecast Chevy Suburban

This is another mystery car from Walgreens.  It is a 1:24 scale Chevy Suburban from the 1950s.  It's a cool looking car but I can't tell you if it is Maisto, Welly, Kinsmart or some other brand of die-cast car.

Walgreens Die-cast Chevy Suburban

1965 Pontiac GTO Wagon from Hot Wheels Boulevard Cruisers Collection

This Pontiac GTO wagon is one of my favorites.  It's a premium car from the Hot Wheels Boulevard Cruisers collection.

I like the little Hot Wheels wagons when they have a dog looking out the rear window.  That's the way dogs rolled in the 1970s.  Of course, our dog jumped out to chase a squirrel.  But, dogs were a hardy lot back then!

I've taken pictures of this wagon before.  For a couple more views, check out this post.

Hot Wheels Chicane

This night prowler is the Hot Wheels Chicane.  It's a plastic bodied Hot Wheels car with glow in the dark wheels.  I'm not normally a big fan of plastic bodied Hot Wheels cars, but you do get a little something special with the glow-in-the-dark wheels of the Chicane.  This little car looks great on a late night prowl.

Hot Wheels Chicane on the prowl

The Hot Wheels Chicane on top of a flashlight!

If you expose the wheels to bright light and then put them in the dark, they will glow for a little while.  It's a pretty cool feature.  However, the car begs for more glow in the dark paint on other surfaces.

The Hot Wheels Chicane in the daylight!

The powerplant propelling this car is also very cool looking.  The Chicane is an aggressive looking little beast.

I don't know what powers a Hot Wheels car, but this engine looks big!

Hot Wheels 63 Studebaker

I recently took my Hot Wheels '63 Studebaker out for a spin at a nearby office park.  This is a 1:64 scale rendition of the 1963 Studebaker Champ and was part of the 2011 New Models series.  The tires on this model are cool because they actually have a Goodyear logo. 

The original Champ was a cute little truck.  The grill is one of it's most distinctive features.

1963 Studebaker Champ Pickup - Photo By sv1ambo [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I like the Hot Wheels rendition with smooth sides, bold tires, and a fin.  It's definitely the Hot Rod version of an old pickup truck!

Johnny Lightning 1970 Dodge Super Bee

This is my Johnny Lightning 1970 Dodge Super Bee out and about on the town.  I think this is from the 30th Anniversary edition commemorative.

Welly 1969 Pontiac GTO

Here's another drugstore special, it's a Welly 1969 Pontiac GTO.  I took a few pictures of it before donating it to my local Goodwill.  Since space in our apartment is at a premium, I'm trying to reduce the number of larger cars down to just a few premium models.  However, this car is pretty nice for an inexpensive model -

This GTO does look fast even when it is standing still.

For an inexpensive diecast model, this Welly Pontiac GTO has a nicely detailed engine and interior.  You can definitely get a feel for the car.

I like the red accent strip on the drivers seat.  The car really does look like old vinyl inside.

If you'd like to get this Welly car in red, it's still available on Amazon:

Diecast British Taxi

I saw these die-cast British taxis at a tourist shop in Florida.  It sure is green!  Most likely this is a model of the famed Austin FX4 that served as a "hackney carriage" from 1958 to 1982 and was then made by British Taxis International until 1997.  This is a just a cheap Chinese-made toy, but it looks pretty good.

Die-cast British Taxi Cab

This cab has an unmistakeable British feel.  Kind of like this London Phone Booth that is installed at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida.

If you are looking for a model Hackney carriage with a twist.  Check out this 1:36 scale British Taxi that commemorates famous Beatles album covers.

Fox Sports NASCAR Digger Die-cast Car

Today is February 21, 2016, and the Daytona 500 should be running today in a vastly upgraded track.  To celebrate NASCAR, I'm posting this Fox Sports Digger Die-cast Car.  It's an interesting 1:24 scale model that I ran across in a local thrift store.  This Diecast Car was sold in the 2012 timeframe.

Digger Diecast Car

Digger Diecast Car #10

Racing Champions Lee Petty 1955 Chrysler 300

Tomorrow is the Daytona 500.  It's a good time to reflect on how far NASCAR has come over the years.  This is a Racing Champions 1:64 rendition of the 1955 Chrysler 300 driven by NASCAR's original superstar Lee Petty.  This shot was taken near an office park in suburban Atlanta.  It's a good looking car that looks beautiful at night.

Racing Champions #42 Lee Petty Chrysler 300

Of course, a static display of a model of an old race car isn't enough.  You've got to see how it moves.  Fortunately, that can be arranged.  Here is the same car driven to victory in a NASCAR race in Plattsburg, New York.  I think NASCAR has evolved a bit.

According to DriverAverages.com, Lee Petty won $1000 for winning the race.

The Sunset Ride of the AMC Die-cast Cars

Here my collection of Johnny Lightning AMC cars roars off into the sunset.  Led by an AMX, flanked by two AMC Javelins, and a couple of Ramblers, this collection is a reminder of the long-gone car company.  

Johnny Lightning AMC Car Collection

AMC was created in 1954 when the Nash-Kelvinator company merged with the Hudson car company.  They initially focused on compact cars that were a little smaller and more economical than the big American cars of the 1950s.  As the company matured, they introduced larger cars and more performance oriented cars.  The AMC Javelin and AMC AMX muscle cars were well respected in their times.

Unfortunately, the company made big cars during the mid-1970s oil crisis and small cars during the 1980s recovery.  Eventually, it was saved by a merger with the French automaker, Renault.  The result was the Renault Alliance.

Renault Alliance - photo by IFCAR (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Still Renault made many moves to help save the company.  But, the prime champion for AMC within Renault, Georges Besse was assassinated by leftist terrorist in late 1986.  You can read the whole sad history here on Jalopnik.

Diecast AMC AMX

I believe this is a Johnny Lightning version of the classic AMC AMX. It's the baddest of the bad little AMC muscle cars. When I was younger I thought it was the Mad Max car for many years.

Johnny Lightning AMC AMX

Johnny Lightning 1969 AMC Hurst/SC Rambler

The AMC Rambler was a mid-sized car that could be transformed into a hot rod with the addition of a big engine.  The most impressive such transformation was the limited production 1969 Hurst/SC Rambler which had a massive 390-cubic inch V-8.  It ran the quarter mile in low 14 second ranges.

AMC Hurst/SC Rambler

Johnny Lightning 1970 AMC Rebel Machine

This Johnny Lightning is a 1/64 scale version of the AMC Rebel Machine.  The Machine was powered by a massive 390-cubic inch (6.4 liter) V-8 and was capable of 0 to 60 miles per hour in a lightning fast 6.4 seconds and had a top speed of 127 miles per hour.

Johnny Lightning 1970 AMC Rebel Machine

American Motors Corporation never had the budget of the big three automakers, but it competed with some interesting cars.  The Machine was basically a street-legal dragster that could be taken from the showroom to the dragstrip and do well.

Johnny Lightning 1970 AMC Rebel Machine

If you'd like to read more about American Motors Corporation, check out this book:

My American Motors (AMC) Die-cast Car Cruise!

The American Motors Corporation (AMC) is a car company that I miss.  When I was a kid, my folks had an AMC Ambassador station wagon and later an AMC Matador station wagon.  These were big family wagons that took us on lots of camping trips and family vacations.  Many of the AMC cars that were worthy of being enshrined in a die-cast car are pictured below.  They are the AMC Javelin (yellow & gold), the AMC AMX (in green), and the AMC Rambler (in white).

If you'd like to read more about American Motors, check out the web page, AMC-The Spirit Lives On.  These books also offer great coverage of the now defunct marque.

Hot Wheels Custom V-8 Vega

Here is my Hot Wheels Custom V-8 Vega.  The Chevy Vega was one of GM's first attempts to produce a downsized compact car for the 1970s and the energy crisis.  It was the first of many generic GM corporate designs.  This Popular Mechanics article explains how the Vega nearly killed GM. 

However, the Chevy Vega was a lightweight, rear-wheel drive, car that could take a small block Chevy V-8 with minimal modifications.  According to this Vega Wikia article, a Chevy Vega with a small block V-8 was a wonderful car.  It handled well turned in 7 to 8 second 0-to-60 times and could run a quarter mile in 15 to 16 seconds.

Hot Wheels Custom V-8 Vega

With a big block V-8 and some minor chassis modifcations, the Chevy Vega could be transformed into a formidable dragster.

Hot Wheels Custom V-8 Vega

The lines of this Hot Wheels Custom V-8 Vega look great and the raised hood exudes power.  It's too bad that every Chevy Vega couldn' t  have come this way.

If you are looking for a V-8 Vega in a larger size, check this 1/18 scale model out:

Hot Wheels 32 Ford - Revved up like a Deuce!

My Hot Wheels Deuce Coupe

Here are a couple of photos of my Hot Wheels 32 Ford.  It's the legendary Deuce coupe.  Hot rodders called the 32 Ford the "Deuce coupe" because it was manufactured starting in 1932.

Hot Wheels 32 Ford

Manfred Mann - "Blinded By the Light" Lyric

This photo was inspired by the Bruce Springsteen song "Blinded By the Light."  It was made a hit by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.  It has a lyric that has confused me and many others for decades.  But, I recently learned that the lyric is "revved up like a Deuce in the middle of the night" and not "wrapped up like a douche in the middle of the night."

This car is the Deuce and it is "another runner in the night."  It all makes so much more sense now!

The Beach Boys - "Little Deuce Coupe" Album

The Beach Boys also sung about this car.  Their fourth studio album was titled "Little Deuce Coupe."  You can see lots of little Deuce coupes in this video:

You can get the album in a kinds of different formats here on Amazon:



I'm pretty happy with my little Deuce Coupe.  This Hot Wheels car has plenty of personality.

Hot Wheels 32 Ford

Hot Wheels Photography Tip

I actually took this photo in the middle of the night.  I was walking our dog at around 3:00 a.m.  I placed the car on the top of a plastic trash can in our pool area, shined a small LED flashlight on it and took the pictures with my cell phone.  For the first picture, I used the flash and for the picture above I used only the flashlight.  I like the way that the shadows and chrome work together.  The textured surface of the decorative trash can also catch light and reflect this Hot Wheels hot rod very well.

Friday Night Feature - The Hot Wheels Commercials of 1969

Tonight at the die-cast drive in, we have a nice collection of Hot Wheels commercials from 1969. 

Photo By Alexpankratz (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

This is definitely a throwback to the glory days of little cars and fast tracks!

My Matchbox Baja Bullet

Gear'd Up Ford GT40 and Ford GT

This is an interesting "Then and Now" series of cars.  They were branded as officially licensed Ford die-cast cars at Dollar Tree.  The red one is the 1966 Ford GT40 and the white one is the 2006 Ford GT.  The GT40 was named because it was only 40-inches high.

1/64 Scale Ford GT and Ford GT40

The GT40 was Ford's attempt to unseat Ferrari at the top of the sports car racing world.  They performed admirably winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans for four years in a row (1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969).

This is a nicely detailed 1/64 scale die-cast rendition of the vintage race car.  It looks good from every angle.

I really lucked into my version of this car.  However, collectors can still find this model of Ford GT40 die-cast car here online:



However, it might not be around for long!  They are fast!

Here is a bit of footage from the GT40's glory days at Le Mans.

The 2006 Ford GT is just 3 inches taller than the original GT40.  It's made to be a street legal exotic car.  Here's mine at Starbucks!

Collectors can still find this die-cast model 2006 Ford GT online here:

But, again, quantities are limited.  So you might want to snag one before it is gone, gone, gone!

To see these real cars go head-to-head in a drag race, check this video out:

Hot Wheels Side Ripper

This is my new Hot Wheels Side Ripper.  It's a pretty cool little vehicle that seems to be a hybrid of motorcycle and car.

Hot Wheels Side Ripper

Hot Wheels Side Ripper on the Run!