Mattel's Hot Wheels fans, a heads-up

As I'd image almost all on here, I've had them for the last 50 years, and still have some N.I.P.  It was very hard not to order Hot Wheels wheels for my 1979 Camaro restification a couple of years ago.  If anyone fixing up an old car doesn't know, Hot Wheels licensed their distinctive wheel design to a manufacturer, I think Cragar, for full sized cars.  Here's a newer version seen on the 2018 Hot Wheels Chevy Camaro:



The Kneeler Mark

Man, Roddie! I'm a sucker for vintage Rancheros. Those are recent releases?
I always loved that Ford uses styling cues between their different classes of cars. My 2015 Focus looks like a baby Fusion. More so since they changed the grill on the later Gen3. The Escort of the late 70's/eraly 80's shared nose treatment, B-pillar, and rear facia treatment with the Mustang. My favorite model tie-in is the early 60's Ranchero/Falcon mildly frenched taillights, and the pointy front end side view which took it's cues from the 60-63 T-bird. To me, I always thought Ford did this as a cute, comical take on their full-size cars like the ild AMT Zingers plastic models of the early 70's.
I have a metal model (Hot wheels I think) of a 71 Toyota Celica that pays homage to my first car, a 73 Celica. I took the car apart to visually modify it and paint it to match the one I owned, right down to fillng off the early Celica hood vents. Mmmm, I need to find it and finish it.

El Camino's are nice but I've always wanted the Torino based Ranchero like this. I've kept this add from a magazine from back in the day all these years.
72, last year of the 429 option.

noted before....my first car third hand from my dad

944_Jim wrote:Man, Roddie! I'm a sucker for vintage Rancheros. Those are recent releases?
I always loved that Ford uses styling cues between their different classes of cars. My 2015 Focus looks like a baby Fusion. More so since they changed the grill on the later Gen3. The Escort of the late 70's/eraly 80's shared nose treatment, B-pillar, and rear facia treatment with the Mustang. My favorite model tie-in is the early 60's Ranchero/Falcon mildly frenched taillights, and the pointy front end side view which took it's cues from the 60-63 T-bird. To me, I always thought Ford did this as a cute, comical take on their full-size cars like the ild AMT Zingers plastic models of the early 70's.
I have a metal model (Hot wheels I think) of a 71 Toyota Celica that pays homage to my first car, a 73 Celica. I took the car apart to visually modify it and paint it to match the one I owned, right down to fillng off the early Celica hood vents. Mmmm, I need to find it and finish it.

My second car was a ‘72 Celica. I miss that car. Very dependable and fun.

Cribbs, have you seen what a decent early Celica can go for lately? Pretty blonde too!

Cool thread here! Hot Wheels released a respectable amount of American-Muscle Car miniatures. As of late (4-5 years ago..) I started buying them. I'd buy at least one.. on every shopping-trip. There always seemed to be a new release.. or maybe a color that really "popped".. whatever. I have doubles.. and even triples of some.

The Hot Wheels Fords are definitely cool. Aside from a myriad of Mustangs..  I also have a 66 Fairlane GT, a Thunderbolt..  and possibly the coolest of the early Fords… (recent purchases)



and... wait for it..



Sometimes the “series” (and there are increasingly many..) can turn me “off” to a particular model. The paint/trim/graphics.. and wheels/tires can make or break me wanting it.

.. but when this 64 Chevy Impala was hanging from its hook at my local WalMart.. I was more than happy to pull the trigger.



It's so.. iconic.. you know what it is.. and that makes it for me.

They just get better... at least from my point of view..



My latest purchases were;




the "Nova"... I never owned one.. but always admired them,, especially the SS/Yenko/COPO cars.

Some of my Nova's;




them are good-lookin' automobiles....

This isn’t mine, but reminds me of my (previous) next door neighbor. He had a full wall of these little boxes for all the hot wheel toys, trucks,  construction equipment, airplanes and a city scape table setting for the “ kids “to play with.

Davenz13 wrote:El Camino's are nice but I've always wanted the Torino based Ranchero like this. I've kept this add from a magazine from back in the day all these years.
72, last year of the 429 option.

Here's the Hot Wheels 1972 "Torino-based" Ford Ranchero. I picked this one up last month.

rsv1cox wrote:My son is all excited about this '69 craigslist Torino not too far away.  Thankfully, we have no more garage space.

Hi Robert! I can understand Mark's desire to obtain this car. He's had his Vintage Mustangs.. (my heart still breaks for his loss) The Torino (not unlike the Fairlane..) makes my heart pound.

I spy'd this 72 (?) parked at a Burger King somewhere in Maine, while the band was travelling between gigs at "Bentley's Saloon" in Arundel.. and a few venues in Laconia, NH during "Bike-Week" 2009.






I'd guess that Mark would enjoy these photos.. as well as my enthusiasm.

One more story for Bob (rsv1cox).. regarding his Son "Mark's" eye on that "66" Ford Torino..

One night in the late 1970's... I stopped for fuel in my hometown of Franklin, MA. It was a "Shell" petrol station (still there today) that a classmate was working "nights" at. He owned a 1966 Dodge "Charger". The car was "there" that night.. and he was planning to "junk-it".. (as I remember..)

The car was sitting off to the side.. and he was revving its' engine (a 318 V8) to the "MAX" no-load.. trying to blow it up. That little Mopar small-block must have been hitting 7-8K. I pleaded with him to "stop".. before witnessing any more punishment.. but he just kept-on revving the [bleep] out of it.

I left.. because I didn't want to see the carnage..

The 1966 Dodge Charger looked sort-of similar to the 1966 Ford Torino...




The mid "1960's" were classic-years.. in terms of automotive styling..

1968 HW custom fleetside do'in the loop de loop.With Willie the clown watching the action!!!! Mark

Mark Diedrichs wrote:1968 HW custom fleetside do'in the loop de loop.With Willie the clown watching the action!!!! Mark

The "Custom Fleetside" was one of my favorite HW cars!

Cool setup, have to admit Willie is a touch creepy though.