http://www.diecastaudio.com The Original Podcast and Blog for Diecast Car Collectors and Enthusiasts! Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:23:13 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A few weeks ago I posted about The Custom Crew’s Luis Tanahara and his design collaboration with Johnny Lightning. At the end of that article I hinted that we might be seeing additional collaborations between the two, and now is time to start sharing!   ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/13/the-custom-crew-and-johnny-lightning-collaboration-sneak-peek-photos/ Back in January I shared the new cover design for the all new 4th edition of Mike Zarnock’s Hot Wheels Variations, The Ultimate Guide. While there’s still a short while longer until collectors can have the book in-hand, collectors can ensure they have their copy as soon as its release ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/12/pre-order-mike-zarnocks-new-ultimate-guide-to-hot-wheels-variations-4th-edition/ If you grew up in the 70’s or early 80’s with die-cast cars in your toy box, then chances are good that you also experienced screwing a plastic clamp to the side of table in order to form the top of the orange race track that would cascade down ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/12/fireball-tims-dragtracks-are-hot-hot-hot/ With a very successful 2010 DiecastSpace Super Convention now past us, I sit down with Mike Zarnock and Joe Kelly Jr. to talk about our experiences during our week at Circus Circus in Las Vegas. We touch upon all the great events that occurred and all the ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/06/saturday-nitro-the-2010-diecastspace-super-convention-re-cap-show/ I recently returned from the DiecastSpace Super Convention in Las Vegas, and I had a great time! It was so nice to get away and hang with old friends [and some new ones] who are just like me, obsessed with little cars! I don’t have to feel like I collect ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/06/diecast-stories-did-i-follow-my-own-rules/ The Hairy Hauler! This has to be one of the craziest looking castings from the 70’s. I like to think that this might what have resulted if a Heavyweight casting was given to Jesse James at Monster Garage (if Jesse worked for Mattel in the 70’s!!). Obviously, Jesse James ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/06/sticks-redline-garage-hairy-hauler/ Here’s a look at some of the latest Hot Wheels products that will be appearing in stores and online.* Found anything that isn’t on the list? Please submit it via the contact page and we’ll update the list to your credit! Basic releases: Here are the next ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/06/in-the-stores-hot-wheels-febmar-2010/ Here’s a look at some of the latest products from GreenLight Collectibles that will be appearing in stores and online.* Found anything that isn’t on the list? Please submit it via the contact page and we’ll update the list to your credit! 1/18th scale: ’67 Mustang racer ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/05/in-the-stores-greenlight-collectibles-febmar-2010/ The DCX Expo returns to the Fairplex in Pomona, California this year on March 20th & 21st. Along with its return comes an opportunity for collectors to pick up some limited edition custom pieces being made specifically for the event. This first piece announced is this custom 1:24 scale ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/04/limited-edition-pieces-announced-for-2010-dcx-expo/ The Pro Customizers showed off some great work this year at the 2010 DiecastSpace Super Convention. There were many new pieces to be seen as well as some repeat favorites from previous events. It was fun to see some of the latest castings being used here and there as well. ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/04/supcon2010-customs-contest-pro-class/ Diecast designer and artist, Luis Tanahara has worked in many places over the course of his career. His designs can be found on a variety of Hot Wheels and he virtually built Jada Toy’s diecast line from the ground up. Of course, these days he’s the creative force behind The ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/03/big-lou-tanahara-lends-design-talents-to-johnny-lightning/ The Amateur Customizers at the 2010 DiecastSpace Super Convention certainly brought their "A" game when it cam to this year's entries. Many of the pieces stood out at approaching Pro level. There's no doubt that you'll see many of these customizers at the Pro level very soon. Enjoy! Amateur ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/02/supcon2010-customs-contest-amateur-class/ Here's a look at some of the latest Jada products that will be appearing in stores and online.* Found anything that isn’t on the list? Please submit it via the contact page and we’ll update the list to your credit! Jada, a company I find very hard to get ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/01/in-the-stores-jada-toys-febmar-2010/ GMP Diecast just recently announced the upcoming release of their 1:18 scale rendition of the famous drag racing Pontiac known as the “Tin Indian.” They share the background on the car as: “The Tin Indian name is synonymous with drag racing and it’s glory days. For most drag ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/03/01/gmps-118-scale-tin-indian/ The Customs Contest at the 2010 DiecastSpace Super Convention was packed full of great creations broken up into a wide variety of categories. This first post features photos sets from the Large Scale, Diorama and Display Only categories. Enjoy! Large Scale Customs: Diorama ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/02/28/supcon2010-customs-contest-large-scale-dioramas-display-only/ Chris Walker has been a busy boy. Not only did he produce several of the excellent event cars at the recent 2010 DiecastSpace Super Convention while launching the first run of his new Dreamliner casting, but he also managed to produce a limited run of “Shelby authorized” VW Drag ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/02/25/shelby-drag-bus-by-chris-walker-from-alien-projects/ In Part 2 of my series on “Do’s & Don’ts” for convention goers I’ll cover all the things to consider after you arrive at the event and things are underway. Be sure to check out Part 1 of this series if you haven’t done so yet. You’ll find additional tips ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/02/13/diecast-stories-convention-dos-and-donts-part-2/ Just on the tail of being able to share pictures of the upcoming limited edition Diecast Hall of Fame Dairy Delivery, comes this preview of MiQ Willmott’s limited edition 2010 DiecastSpace Super Convention poster. Only 200 of these are being printed and each will be signed and numbered. ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/02/11/miq-willmotts-limited-edition-2010-super-convention-poster/ I love it when our little hobby of die-cast car collecting gets pushed a little further out into the mainstream, and that’s exactly what happened in the latest issue of Car and Driver magazine. Freelance C&D writer, Brett Berk has written a great piece that gives readers a deep dive ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/02/11/hot-wheels-collectors-featured-in-car-and-driver-magazine/ Legendary artist and ex-Hot Wheels graphic designer MiQ Willmott has teamed up with pro customizer turned diecast manufacturer, Chris Walker to create one of my favorite pieces for the upcoming 2010 DiecastSpace Super Convention. This amazing Dairy Delivery has been made in celebration of this year’s Diecast Hall of Fame ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/02/06/2010-diecast-hall-of-fame-limited-edition-dairy-delivery/ With the new year well underway, I wanted to focus on something that might be especially helpful to collectors in 2010. This year is ushering in the greatest number of diecast conventions in a long time with Diecastspace.com sponsoring the Super Convention this month in Las Vegas, The Magical Weekend ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/02/05/diecast-stories-convention-dos-and-donts-part-1/ Here are the next case code cars you should be seeing now in stores. They are case code ‘D’ out now and ‘E’ being stocked by end of January into February. Basic releases: ’09 New Models: Fast Gassin’ in red/chrome. ’10 New Models: ’67 Chevelle SS 396 ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/02/05/in-the-stores-hot-wheels-janfeb-2010/ One of my favorite casting to come out of the 70’s era release has to be the Peeping Bomb which was designed by Howard Rees. I love it’s off the wall concept. The features that stand out are its pointed nose and a high side profile which gives it ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/02/03/sticks-redline-garage-peeping-bomb/ DiecastSpace celebrates its two year anniversary with the sale of this amazing limited edition custom Sledster. The graphics for this special piece were designed by the Custom Crew’s Big Lou Tanahara, and the customizing work will be handled by Dino Laspada (aka LBCustomz). Dino is a stickler when it comes ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/02/02/diecastspace-com-2nd-anniversary-sledster/ M2 is hitting it hard! I will keep you up to date on all their lines and monthly releases as I can find information released.  Auto-Lift, Release 3: This new release includes: a ’49 Mercury in both red and gray; a ’66 Dodge Charger in both ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/02/02/in-the-stores-m2-machines-janfeb-2010/ The newest items from Greenlight come in the form of “Dioramas.” They are 1/64th scale cars set in a scene box for suitable display. Pictured below are the four starter pieces to kick off this new series. Top Row: Bullitt/Steve McQueen (1968 Ford Mustang and 1968 ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/01/31/in-the-stores-greenlight-janfeb-2010/ Hot Wheels author Mike Zarnock spent the last portion of 2009 working hard on the next version of his “Hot Wheels Variations: The Ultimate Guide” series. While the book won’t be available for purchase until May, Mike was able to share this shot of the cover as a sneak ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/01/30/mike-zarnocks-hot-wheels-variations-4th-edition-cover/ The Lincoln Johnny Lightning Race Club recently announced the availability of their 2010 custom club car. The club selected Johnny Lightning Ford, Chevy and Dodge (shown) van castings as the base for this year’s run. A total of 15 were customized for the run by M & S ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/01/30/2010-lincoln-johnny-lightning-race-club-custom-now-available/ Drag Bus collectors attending the 2010 DiecastSpace Super Convention will have the opportunity to snag one of these limited edition creations from Diecast Hall of Fame inductee, Bryan Pope. Each piece features Redline Real Riders, two tone paint, original graphics and will come mounted in an acrylic case. ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/01/26/pope-designs-2010-super-convention-drag-bus/ Saturday Nitro rumbles into 2010 with this first show of the year featuring Vinnie Dimartino and Cody Connelly from V-Force Customs. The pair were thrown into the spotlight during their time spent on the popular reality series “American Chopper.” We discuss their experiences on the show, dealing with fame, and ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/01/26/saturday-nitro-featuring-vinnie-and-cody-from-v-force-customs/ Collectors now have an additional online resource for die-cast model information with the launch of the all new Car Room Magazine website. The site’s initial set of features offer information by scale and brand, a photo gallery, die-cast oriented videos and the ability to subscribe to the print version of ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/01/21/the-car-room-magazine-launches-an-all-new-web-site/ GreenLight Toys has been a great supporter of all the DiecastSpace.com convention right from the get-go and 2010 is certainly no different. This week collectors are treated to a first look at the flat artwork of GreenLight’s 2010 Super Convention car. This 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 is a brand ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/01/12/greenlights-2010-super-convention-casting-announced/ 2009 was a year of accomplishments and milestones for pro die-cast customizer Chris “Night Stalker” Walker. The convention circuit saw the end of his lengthy world tour which was filled with destinations that spanned the globe, and of course, brought more accolades and wins in the customs contest arena. ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/01/08/alien-projects-dreams-a-little-dream/ Last fall I revealed the e-sheet for the Connecticut Valley Diecast Club’s upcoming limited edition S’Cool Bus. The rendering was impressive to say the least, and I was instantly looking forward to getting a first-hand look at the marriage of Bob Stickel’s design work and Liberty Promotion’s production quality. ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/01/06/connecticut-valley-club-limited-edition-scool-bus-on-sale-011010/ Earlier this year collectors were introduced to the The Custom Crew’s Sledster II. This “cab-only” version of the original Sledster was wildly popular and provided enthusiasts with a new, lower barrier to entry for adding a Custom Crew limited edition piece to their collections. Pre-orders for the second version ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2010/01/04/sledster-ii-pre-orders-ending-soon/ The Diecast Hall of Fame’s “Class of 2010” will see some changes in the official ring each inductee receives as part of their entrance into the prestigious organization. We unveiled the Class of 2009’s ring early this year, and many collectors have has the opportunity to see them in person ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/12/31/2010-diecast-hall-of-fame-ring-revealed/ First, I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Joe Altieri, and I live in Northern New Jersey.  I truly consider myself a die-cast ”collector” and not a hoarder, scalper, or flipper!  Jeff Glasson has asked me to write some columns on the life of a typical die-cast collector ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/12/29/diecast-stories-ive-changed-as-a-collector-havent-i/ As 2009 comes to a close, I’m proud to announce the addition of an all new regular column here on DiecastAUDIO! My friend and fellow collector, Joe Altieri is joining the team to provide a thought-provoking look into what it means to be die-cast collector. Joe has collected a ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/12/29/new-column-diecast-stories-from-the-average-joe-collector/ Turbofire! It’s concept speaks speed, style, and imagination. This casting shows the artistic depth and imagination of designer Ira Gilford. If this car was built in 1-to-1 scale it would probably wear a custom badge from the Winfield or Barris shops and would be finished in a 50’s style, custom ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/12/28/stick%e2%80%99s-redline-garage-turbofire/ 2009 marked the launch of DiecastSpace.com’s special VIP Platinum membership program. No, its not a credit card offer as the program’s logo might indicate – but rather a collector program that's benefits far outweigh the price of admission. Membership packages for 2009 sold out in a very short amount ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/12/27/2010-diecastspace-com-vip-platinum-membership-now-available/ Fans of Dave Chang’s EVO casting will be pleased to hear that Kustomcity’s holiday email newsletter indicates that they “will be debuting a few new casting designs” in 2010! Apparently some of the designs they will be releasing were originally created as far back as 2006 and have been given ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/12/26/new-kustomcity-castings-to-land-in-2010/ Fans of Maisto’s Elite Transport line are in for a treat with their first release for 2010. The new line has something for everyone by offering a nice variety of themes and castings.   Click any of the images to see a larger version ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/12/26/2010-elite-transports-from-maisto/ The Toy Peddler is giving collectors some special deals to help thin those collections after (hopefully) adding a bunch of new pieces this holiday season. In with the new, out with the old, right?!?! On New Years Eve, existing Toy Peddler members will be able pop their current inventory ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/12/26/the-toy-peddler-offers-special-deals-for-the-holidays/ The final Nitro for 2009 features a special peek into the life of actress Erin Moran. Erin is best known for her role as Joanie Cunningham on the classic sitcom “Happy Days.” While Erin doesn’t fit into the standard “Nitro guest” category of die-cast designers, customizers and manufacturers, ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/12/22/saturday-nitro-featuring-happy-days-actress-erin-moran/ The 2009 holiday offering from Liberty Promotions is sure to keep your collection warm this winter season. The Regular Run is limited to 1300 pieces and features candy apple red paint, green windows and green-line real rider tires. The Rebel Run version is limited to 200 pieces and features winter ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/12/01/liberty-promotions-winter-wagon/ Here's a look at some of the latest Hot Wheels products that will be appearing in stores and online through-out November into December.* Found anything that isn’t on the list? Please submit it via the contact page and we’ll update the list to your credit! Basic Releases (Case Code ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/11/30/in-the-stores-hot-wheels-novdec/ The Hot Wheels Demon started life as the “Little Coffin,” a famous 1960’s show rod built by Dave Stuckey of Wichita, Kansas. Dave worked at the famous custom shop Star Kustoms, owned by Darryl Starbird. The Little Coffin went through a few transformations, and in 1962 the Monogram ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/11/29/sticks-redline-garage-the-demon/ Johnny Lightning has teamed with Papa John’s pizza to offer this exclusive limited edition 1971 Chevy Camaro Z-28 replica of the car “Papa” John Schnatter sold to save his father’s tavern and start Papa John’s pizza twenty-five years ago. The cars are being sold on the Papa John’s ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/11/29/limited-edition-car-available-from-johnny-lightning-and-papa-johns-pizza/ Johnny Lightning's 40th Anniversary celebrations continue with a unique team-up between the die-cast brand and Victory Designs. The result elevates Johnny Lightning beyond the realm of die-cast cars into full-scale guitars! A total of 100 guitars have been produced and each comes with an exclusive Johnny Lightning car. ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/11/29/johnny-lightning-rocks/ The Car Room Magazine’s Joe Kelly Jr. and Hot Wheels Author Mike Zarnock join me for a special Saturday Nitro mash-up show. We’ve combined the standard live audio feed of Saturday Nitro with the video stream of The Car Room TV and topped it off by broadcasting from ... http://www.diecastaudio.com/2009/11/29/saturday-nitro-mashup-featuring-jeff-glasson-joe-kelly-jr-mike-zarnock/