The Butterfly and the Barracuda: Hot Wheels Barracuda Hot Rod

Sometimes you have to take advantage of beauty when it presents itself.  For example, this butterfly  came to visit when I was hosing off my car.  It seemed to enjoy the damp pavement and cool water so I took the opportunity to take a photo of the butterfly with my Hot Wheels Plymouth Barracuda hot rod. 

Since I don't have much of a budget to hire models to pose with my cars, I let this model take a quick spin to show off.

For the real thing, check out this hot rod Plymouth Barracuda on Youtube!

My Hot Wheels Bone Shaker pickup

I recently had a chance to take my Hot Wheels Bone Shaker pickup out on the town.  It's definitely one of the best looking out of the box Hot Wheels cars.

It's no wonder that the Bone Shaker has captured the imagination.  It's been brought into the Forza Horizon 3 video game universe as shown here:

I took my Bone Shaker hot rod down to the Tire Shop and saved $1000 on tires when it was revealed that a 99 cent die-cast car has plastic wheels and tires that never need to be changed.

While I think it looks great as a car that fits in the pocket, the Hot Wheels Bone Shaker has also been recreated for real life car collections.  This article on Sunset Garage covers a real life version of the car.

Hot Wheels Dodge Challenger SRT8 Hits the Garage

Hot Wheels Photography:  Dodge Challenger SRT8

When you've got a MOPAR 6.1 liter Hemi V-8 under the hood, you're going to need to some maintenance.  That's probably why it's no surprise to find this Hot Wheels Dodge Challenger SRT8 at a local garage.  With 425 horsepower on tap, the owner may need to get some tires and brakes, too!

Hot Wheels 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8

Powered by a monstrous V-8 engine, the Dodge Challenger SRT8 is a thirsty beast.  It gets about 13 miles per gallon in the city and 18 on the highway.  Fortunately, diecast versions are far more economical.  While the Hot Wheels approximately 1/64 scale casting is great, I also had a larger 1/24 scale Dodge Challenger SRT8 from Maisto.  It was nice for a modestly priced model and allowed for the display of more detail.  You can read a review of the Maisto model here.

If you'd like to hear the rumble of the Hemi and see a full-size Dodge Challenger SRT8 test drive, check this video out:

The new Challenger has brought a lot of excitement to the Dodge lineup.  It's retro-design successfully evokes the Dodge Challenger muscle cars of the past.  With all that history and all that horsepower, it's a great model to add to any diecast car collection.

Build Your Own Dodge Challenger SRT8 

 

If you'd like to hand-build your own diecast model of the Dodge Challenger SRT8, you can get a Maisto model in kit form,  One advantage of the kit is that it provides a couple of different wheel styles to choose from and it only has 33 parts.

Hot Wheels Speed Graphics 1968 Chevy Nova - Gulf Oil Livery

The 1968 Chevy Nova SS packed a 350 cubic inch V-8 or optionally a 396 cubic inch V-8 that generated up to 375 horsepower. When properly sorted, the Nova is a contender.  There are plenty of hot rods soldiering on at drag strips all over the country.  It's a great car for Hot Wheels to model.

Hot Wheels '68 Chevy Nova

This Hot Wheels Speed Graphics 68 Chevy Nova is car 7 out of 10 in the Speed Graphics line.  The car simply looks beautiful in the setting sun.

While I haven't seen any evidence that Gulf Oil sponsored a Chevy Nova on the tracks, this car is definitely evidence that a Chevy Nova would have looked great in the livery.

HW '68 Chevy Nova - Gulf Oil Colors

From any angle this Nova is a fine looking model, it's a great addition to any Hot Wheels collection.

Hot Wheels '68 Chevy Nova (rear view)

Funky Photos: Kinsmart Diecast Volkswagen Beetle with Pullback Motor

In these times of COVID, we are all isolated and every family wonders whether children will ever return to school.  Sometimes toys can offer a bit of distraction, a little bit of fun, and a glimpse at happier times.  For example, these short little Kinsmart Pullback Volkswagen Beetles are certainly a cheery dose of summertime flower power.

Kinsmart Pullback Volkswagen Beetle (profile)

These cars are shortened in caricatures of the original Beetle.  They are approximately 1/32 scale and measure about 5-inches long.

Kinsmart Pullback Volkswagen Beetle (front)

The cars have pullback motors.  Pulling them backwords winds up an internal spring-powered motor and letting them goes lets them race forward.

Kinsmart Pullback Volkswagen Beetle (angle)

I found this car at Walgreens.

Hot Wheels Baja Blazers 1987 Dodge D100 Mopar

It looks like we'll get to go outside again soon. In the meantime, here's a Hot Wheels Baja Blazers Dodge D100 truck that is fully equipped to make the most of the great outdoors.

Diecast 1956 Ford F100 Pickup Truck

The drugstore shelves are a bit depleted and all the toilet paper is gone.  But, some treasures remain.  This little diecast 1956 Ford F100 Pickup Truck remains behind to take away the remaining merchandise.  I only had time for a quick snapshot, but I think it's a 1:48 Kinsmart toy car.

For an inexpensive toy car, this one has a really rich paint job and a nice color.