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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Panamerica Spyders

Focus on vintage racing simulation.
A few twist on a classic race winner.
Capturing just its overall intent,
veering away from being a strict copy.

Obviously I’m revealing much that…
I’m fond of racing themed customs,
and that’s an understatement.

Panamerica version, Porsche 550 RS Spyder



Panamerica version, Porsche Boxster Concept Spyder


This one was based on the 1993 Concept
James Dean’s Spyder was named’ “Little Bastard”
These two Spyders have pet names too: can you figure it out?
Some detailing was made on the interiors

Friday, August 15, 2008

70’s Orange

The Jagermeister bug
reminded me of the colorful 70’s.

A time when baby blue, beige and
grass green cars were everywhere.
Of, course there were the orange cars.

Volkswagen opted to use this color,
to wrap their revolutionary period shift.
In the 70’s, VW needed change.
Drastic change that is,
from its norm of putting the engine,
at the back and air-cooled at that.
It is dawn of the very first watercooled,
front-engined VW cars.

After buying a host of companies,
including NSU, they maximized
that consolidation to accelerate change.
Thus, the VW K70 was born,
a front-engined, front-drive,
watercooled sedan.
And the rest they say is history.


Well, the K70 is hard to find nowadays,
and those into VW watercooled history
dreams of having one. I do !
This will suffice now, a small scale
example.
Schuco Germany made this in 1/66.
Charming VW K70.
Fittingly in 70’s Orange,
matching the real one.
It is joined by the most successful car
in the world; the VW Golf.

The VW K70 then is the mother of
its success.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Jagermeister MB

Back in those care-free childhood days,
I had the habit of peeling off toy car stickers.
Maybe back then, I perceived stickers were
distracting the total look of small cars.

Things have changed now with age, though
still a kid at heart, I have grown a liking to
the applied décor on diecast cars.

Taking inspiration from old-style paper
stickers on toys, I decided to relive the
good old days.

A Matchbox of recent release was splashed
with home-made printed paper stickers.

I love the old-school effect on this Bug,
and had fun doing it as well.
Plus, I adore the Jagermeister livery,
which is simple yet striking.
I didn’t know that a 1:1 exist until I posted
my 3 inch bug, and got a wonderful response,
with a pic of the Jagerbug. CooooL !

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Green n’ Go Custom

The lazy custom series

Tractor Sales Team
With gasoline pump prices hitting the roof,
the JD team decided to run their econo-dubs.
Green is the order of the day for the,

Notchback 1500


Type3 packs a race setup for quick response :-)

Passat Variant

This is what you get for loading big spare parts :-)

Off-color Bug? I run out of green Vdubs!

Will this start a new color trend for JD?

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

One Fast 1

The lazy custom series

The basis, a Matchbox Porsche GT1


Had this sitting for a while de-tampoed, blacked wheels and all...
...or used as a backdrop for newer Matchbox Porsche.

But seeing a Lamborghini Gallardo exotic police car made me tinker with this dreamy idea,for a quick custom.
Increasingly, the bad guys speed away in very fast cars. Mobil 1 team donates one of their 1996-97 racer to the police, to be up to-the-chase.

Racing livery replaced with "road pavement with white dashed lines" looking graphics instead
..kept the sponsor name as memento.
The blinker lights sourced from a British unit though, it's worded in English!

Awful story?!
Here's the Police helicopter view!

Friday, June 06, 2008

Rare Razor

Among the Karmann Ghias the Type 3 version
models are relatively rare for a Volkswagen.
Much of its mechanical and drivetrain were
derived from the Notchbacks & Fastbacks,
which I have an incurable liking to them.
The Type 34 as it is called is not an exception.

I might not be able to have the chance,
to get myself the 1:1, which is understandable.
Rare equals expensive to acquire.
Mint examples will be rarest still.

So I set on to instead aim for,
the rarest of the rare in small scale.
Mind you this is not a easy goal,
in this part of the woods.
My criteria were simple yet challenging.
It has to be mint and it has to have a box!

After years of hunting this holy grail,
I’m proud to have this thing of beauty.
The Siku V248 VW Karmann Ghia T34 1500.
This one was made in Germany from 1965 to 1969.
Scale is 1/60 and very accurate for a 60’s model.


It’s a real masterpiece with delicate casting!

The 'razor' lines were spot-on on this model!

Those headlights are real gems!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

65VWNotchback bags another win!
Congrats Don!
You made us VW guys proud.
Way to go VWNotch!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Cinelli VW T2 crew-cab

Before & After series

My kid made this suggestion.
A classic case, 'before and after' of rescued diecast.
A classic formula yet very effective!
So here goes as requested...

Before.
Well played with and cracked windshield. Thanks Henri Kroeze for this one!




After.
The Cinelli VW T2 crew-cab



New windows for this pickup, better 5-bolt wheels, splashes of sponsors too….



ready for hauling the classic Cinelli Super Corsa bicycles at the drop-side bed.

Monday, March 03, 2008

Ratrod year

I’m not sure how the term
"Rat-rods" came about.
Wild guess is that the first
pioneers were hot-rods being
ratty, tatty, shabby examples.

Who would have thought
that this style caught on and
the rods aren’t viewed as
grungy no more.
On a parallel viewpoint
I once thought that the
Year of the Rat is inauspicious.
On the contrary, it is ought
to be a very prosperous and
auspicious one, especially for
my birth sign in particular!
YEhey!

That one is a welcome
thought for this Rat year!
I’m looking forward to a
very good year and wouldn’t
really mind a good dose of
prosperity coming my way.

I’m wearing my Rat-rod Volks
shirt to kick off this fun-filled
year and with an auspicious
Speedy Gonzales’ smile!


Thursday, January 17, 2008

Eve on the Ridge

This might be it.
The best way to end
the year that was.
A drive on the eve,
to experience how,
earth, water and sky
blend or fuse.
To feel how great
our Creator is.
On the edge of that
year, and on the
edge of the ridge.
We felt blessed
with renewal
and life!

Wow!
Seriously, that
was very
RECHARGING!

sunrise view from our hut
the hut on stilts
morning sun at the resort
resort landscape
enjoying the cool breeze
poolside posing
recharging view of Taal lake
the ridge-riders ....
of course it's Vdub fun day too!
Jetta GLi and Polo Classic

Friday, December 21, 2007

Pasko Parol Patrol

It’s truly a wonderful season!
All things seem to be hectic,
yet cheerful at the same time!
I again think of the wonderful
blessings, God has showered me.
I thank Him endlessly.
Of which of course include,
family, friends and all of you!

Like the Parol, our local
Christmas lantern that makes
the season warm with hope,
so is my fervent warm greetings
of a Joyful Christmas to all!

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

“Stand-By-Me” day

This is THE yearly VW gathering.
The usual drill was expected.
Crowd of fans congregated.
Lots of nice Vdubs.
Car show ladies.
Swap meet.
Bands.
You.
Me.

Huh?
Hmmm?
So what else?
It’s another year,
summarized in a day?
I’m trying to rationalize,
what’s keeping me coming
to this annual Vdub gathering.

Frankly, I don’t actually know
for sure or somehow I do.
Maybe this could shed
some light to it.
I, like other
people,
do it.

It’s a all about….
“Stand-By (pose beside a car you like)
(thus showing that’s) -Me”.