id 20-04 - Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S - id

This was my first dive into the id series. I really like the Hot Wheels Tesla line and this one does not disappoint at all. There is a mainline super treasure hunt is spectraflame dark blue from 2019. Not sure what it will do to value but the only differences in the id and super treasure hunt are availability. Both feature special wheels, both have spectraflame paint, but the id version has some extra decals not used on any model S releases to date.

The id version is the same tooling as the main line Hot Wheels Model S casting. The side decorations are what make this one stand apart from the rest. The Tesla logo on a red and silver stripe which if you can get close enough has a metallic imprint to it. The wheels are id exclusive with red accents and lettering. The headlight, taillight details and Tesla logos are impressively detailed. This is the first time detailed in Spectraflame red and it is a very complimentary color for this casting.

I have won many city races on the app with this car. It was my first venture into the append the car is easy to control in app. It is a D class car (must not have the Ludacris mode). This casting is ok on the orange track, we will see what it can do on a portal setup when I get one on hand.

Thank you,

Collector Quentin

I own the actual diecast pictured in this post. However, all packaging artwork, Mattel or Hot Wheels logos, paint descriptions and wheel descriptions in regard to the Hot Wheels versions are copyrights of the Mattel toy company.

Model S is a registered trademark of the Tesla Motor Company

#20-12 Rodger Dodger

 Rodger Dodger

Its all in the name sometimes. The Rodger Dodger is a great piece of Hot Wheels history. The casting continues to be featured in the mainline including 2020 releases. With some stints out of production, the casting has been around for 21 years! (excluding the out of production years)

     The casting was first released in 1974 [1]. It had a short run up to 1979 and then was re-tooled and re-released in 2000. The re-tooling just brought it up into the new century. However, in 2015 it was re-tooled again and brought the casting closer to reality as the exhaust was relocated from the hood to behind the front wheels and now exits below the front fenders [2]. The versions with the exhaust pipes on the hood is really cool but not sure if I can even imagine being able to see past them!

     Rodger Dodger is another fantastic creation of Larry Wood [3].  The latest release in the mainline (2020) is a gorgeous steam punk livery with gold and silver accents on a matte black paint. This release also has Grey wheels, something fairly new but really adds to the look of the steam punk look. 2019 also saw Rodger Dodger get released in the new id series line up (see my feature in the id series). It is an Amazon exclusive release and has another gorgeous livery in white, black and gold.

  From a collector’s angle, this is a gem. The first releases in the flying colors line are very difficult to track down and there is a very rare blue version of the first release. Rodger Dodger has been featured in several collector convention releases and the coveted treasure hunt line in 2001 and again in 2005 [4].

    

                    

    I personally owned a 1973 Charger SE with a 318. It was a fun, big car. It was no where near the pavement bruiser that the Rodger Dodger represents but I do wish I had though to invest in recreating the Rodger Dodger. I imagine the powerplant would be a 426 or 440 big block. Reminiscing, I remember a lot of fun with this car even though it wasn’t much on power. 70s era chargers have gained a lot of popularity in the real car collector market and seeing one at a car show is always a treat.

                  

Happy Hunting,

Collector Quentin

       

I own the actual diecast pictured in this blog post. However, all Hot Wheels packaging artwork, Mattel logos, Hot Wheels logos, wheel types and paint descriptions in regard to the Hot Wheels versions are copyrights of the Mattel toy company.

Dodge and Charger are copyrights of Fiat FCA LLC.

[1] Casting information gathered from:

https://hotwheels.fandom.com/wiki/Rodger_Dodger

#2 40s Woody

                                              40's Woodie

Ahh, the looks of this casting (and this version in particular) just scream for beach side roadways. California styling but I could see this on the roads around Daytona, cruising from RonJon shop to the next. The motor sticking through the hood tells the on lookers that this one means business.

           This casting has always looked great in my opinion. The wood body is molded in plastic, but it has for the most part been a wood colored brown which really pulls it all together. There were a couple editions where the wood showed up in Blue, Pink and even a white version for a police model according to wiki fandom site [1] (check this site for more pictures and info, link below). It may be hard to see here but the grain of the wood is also embossed in the panels and it looks good. The door handles have also been depicted and is a great little detail that makes the woody stand out from other castings when it comes to the details. Inside, the details are bland but good for a diecast of this scale (I mean who looks at the interior of a Hot Wheels beyond the color). The surfboard rack is not always present but is definitely a great addition to the look of this issue. The rack also snaps on and off so if you are hunting one, check to see if the model came with a rack or not. This is a later production (I believe around 2010 mainline) version. I featured this one because the 5 spokes of this era really make the look complete. The 5 spokes represent a newer interpretation of a Cragar style mag wheel that would have been very popular for this car in real life.

         And what of the real-life version? Well, I cannot remember ever seeing one firsthand (these cars were in garages by the time I was even born) but I would remember one for sure. They are just plain cool in my opinion and a great subject for an even cooler hot rod. The real life model it represents would be a 1940 Ford Deluxe Woody Wagon. These were not as popular for hot rodders most likely because of the maintenance required for the wood panels. However, some made it into the custom car realm and would be a real treat to see at a car show. Lots of curves at every wheel well gave this a standout appearance for its time and the pointed nose would provide for some clever engineering with relation to motor size. It is an interesting approach to automotive manufacturing and styling if you think about it. This is pre-WWII vehicle and soon steel would be on the shortage so the timing would have been perfect for materials. I imagine that wood was also cheaper than steel in this time so the profit may have been better as well. Think about if Toyota presented an Odyssey van with actual wood for a body on it in today's market, they would be shunned into bankruptcy by the tree conservationists alone. I am also guessing it would also cost about $100K just to make. I am chuckling at visualizing this in my head for today but I don't think it was funny in the 40s.

       

             Back to what I know (the diecast versions), here is an original 1983 real riders series version with the hi-rakers feature that lets you jack up the rear tires to look more street worthy (another unfortunate fad of 80s). The blue high flake paint looks great against the wood sides and the black roof on this one ties into the real-life car as well. The goodyear lettering of an original real rider always looks good and was very durable. This one has been with me since 83. The real rider cars didn’t roll well on tracks and had so much grip that they weren't much fun to roll across the floor either (at least for me) so they most likely got put aside and not played with much. They do catch the hardened collector’s eye with a gleam and I admit, the rubber tires do seem to make the casting really that much cooler than a standard casting. The white lettering on the tires is very rare to be seen on newer castings and even the tread patterns are not as typical making this era of cars special for many reasons. The headlight details have changed slightly (for the better) over the years. The idea is for them to look like a “frenched” flush headlight that would have been common on a hot rod like this. The older versions were not as defined and were a bad spot for paint defects, but the newer versions and presumably better painting technologies have made the headlights look great. The grills are also detailed well.

                      I will end this review with the faint sound of the Beach Boys and most likely California Girls quietly playing in the background of your mind as we exit for this weeks spotlight. Maybe the Van Halen version for the Orange one right? Or maybe Wipeout by the Ventures if you are from a surf town.

As always, Thank you for stopping by

(and a special thank you if you made it this far)
Until Tuesday, enjoy this One Life - Collector Quentin

May your Hot Wheels hunting be rewarded with a casting you have been looking for all this time!

[1] https://hotwheels.fandom.com/wiki/%2740%27s_Woodie website accessed November 1, 2019

As always, although I own the actual diecasts pictured in these posts, all artwork, Hot Wheels logos, car names, paint descriptions and wheel descriptions in regards to the Hot Wheels versions are copyrights of the Mattel toy company.

The 40 Ford is a trademark of the Ford Motor Company.

#1 67 Camaro

The 67 Camaro

This is my first official collecting spotlight. I did not have a choice in the first casting review. The universe chose it for me.

For a college course, I had to write about a childhood toy that changed my life. This is the one. Later that day after I had submitted my paper, I happened into a local dollar store and they had a fesh stocked wall of Hot Wheels. The basic treasure hunt version of this very casting hangs deep on a peg, just patiently waiting there for me to purchase. This is the first treasure hunt I have found on a peg in a very long time. It has been decided.

          Originally received as a gift in celebration of my 12th year alive on this rock. I was already into cars and this one was on a long list of cars I dreamed about. The images here are of the original gift that has traveled with me for now 35 years. It has its scratches and play wear but it has never left my collection. So what is it about this casting (which is still current - 2019 Treasure Hunt) that makes it so special? Well, let's look at the real life impact this car has had.

         Hot Wheels is taking off in 1968 with a line of cool diecast cars. The "custom camaro" was in the initial 16 lineup. At the same time, on the streets, the muscle car era is just beginning to take shape and the Camaro is in a head to head battle to gain the pony car market over the Ford Mustang released a few years prior. Instantly thrust into a group of cars that will shape automotive history for decades. The Camaro has been an American automotive icon for 45 years and continues even into today. There has even been several versions at the dealerships that are a Hot Wheels edition and sport the beloved flame logo of our hobbies kingdom.

        So what better way would a car struck child have to get involved with cars than a toy that can be carried in a pocket everywhere he (or she) goes? Sure matchbox and other toys are out there but Hot Wheels just headed right for the top with cool spectraflame paint jobs, opening hoods, redline tires and cragar style mags. This particular casting (circa 1982) retains most of the familiar lines of the original casting and touched up some of the features to keep it cool. The hood vents are not representative of the real cars but they do look cool. The side pipes got added and gave it some of that muscle authenticity. The metallic green almost has the appearance of the spectraflame paints but keeps it in the 80s with all that flake. Lowriders and the high flake paint jobs are beginning to get noticed in the real life custom car world at this time which fits this casting right into the era it was cast into.
         The black roof represents the vinyl tops of the day and does a great job giving the look. The hood mechanism is simplistic but does the job perfectly even to this day. The hood has been offered closed and operational throughout its life but the recent treasure hunt has a closed version, unfortunately. This casting may see another review later on as it did evolve some over the years and deserves some more review. Overall, I think they did a great job with the lines of the car, the grill is spot on and the tail lights are also represented well including the lock for the trunk. This casting is sentimental to me personally as it was my first point in collecting Hot Wheels, a hobby that now spans decades of my life.

About Me first

             And here is where it begins. A journey through my personal collection as well as a trip through my adventures in Hot Wheels collecting. I will start off by providing a little about me and the hobby. I am now late into my 40's. I started in this hobby early in my teens and have been continuously collecting Hot Wheels cars for around 30 years. Some years were heavy collecting, some years not so much but I was always keeping my eye on the pegs. I have a passion for cars that centers around classic cars. I am constantly intrigued by the almost art form of an industry that we surround ourselves in every single day of our lives. The Mattel company found a way to connect with that like no other had yet. To this day, a toy can be purchased for spare change that can ignite a passion for cars and design like very few things can. I got hooked when I started noticing Ferraris and muscle cars that I dreamed of owning someday were immortalized in the 1:64th scale toys.

           In the beginning, my early teenage years, I was approaching the time to have the responsibility of a car. My friends at the time drove Mustangs, Chevelles and Chargers. I was captivated by these machines that roared through the streets and even sat passenger to some awesome street racing. The stage was being set and I didn't even know it. The car featured in my first blog and shown above was my first collectee. Into my 20s I realized that this was a hobby I could afford even when times were not the best financially. It was always easy to find $2 and purchase a toy that would spark dreams and thoughts of what I could achieve. Couple dollars here and there provided hours of dreaming about what it would be like to drive one of the magnificently casted cars of my dreams. My daughter then got into the hobby and we would go peg hunting together. Later a son is born and well, more peg hunting but now as a family. Into my 30s I start to realize some of these dreams just aren't going to make it into my real garage but I can still have them to dream about. Into my 40s and my collecting is now refined to castings that I really enjoy and some of the castings of cars that I still dream about or have had the chance to own and drive.
        Now I pass this information and joy to my grandson and I hope to have him involved in this blog venture as well. As I progress, you will see a feature called Rebels thoughts where I intend to let him give a 40 year gap in age take the stage to tell us what they think about the car itself. Together, we have begun to take out the old totes and look through the older gems together. I then thought we would share this take on older cars for fun and maybe help spark someone else's passion.
        I am no Hot Wheels expert but I do have enough years around cars to have some educational information. I intend to have some fun with possibly a different perspective on casting reviews and what they really mean for the automotive industry, the toy industry and how they relate to each other in our personal lives. We will review mostly older castings but will incorporate newer castings when they are significant to one of those facets. The reviews will be loosely based on a couple different criteria:

     1 - The significance of the casting to toys and then to the real world.
     2 - The overall quality of the casting (from my perspective)
     3 - A 7 year olds view of the casting overall. (This will be interesting)

         I am partial to a couple of real life brands (Ferrari and Dodge) but will try to keep that bias reserved for comments and light hearted banter. Please have fun with this information and any additional information you would like to add, please provide in the comments. They are welcomed, just keep it cool so we can have some fun along the way in a great hobby and I would like to keep this family friendly so we can pass this information to a younger generation of collectors and enthusiasts.
      Note: All cars pictured are from my personal collection. They are not for sale (unless noted otherwise), I am doing this for information not for revenue (with exception to adds that I may have links to on the blog post). No outside sources will be used for photos. If you have any additional pictures or variations you would like to add, please post them in the comments (I love seeing other versions I may have never seen). If you like the blog, please leave us a comment. If there are any castings you would specifically like spotlighted, leave us a comment. I may not have an exact version but if I have a similar casting, I may feature an alternative casting to still have it featured. We have several on the waiting list so lets get to it and go for a ride.....

Thank you,
 May all your Hot Wheels hauls be blessed by the Super Treasure Hunt wizards.