Tomica 40th Anniversary

Last Sept. 17 - 19, 2010 was the celebration of Tomica's 40th Anniversary Motor Madness and our club (DCPH) participated in public exhibition of some awesome Tomica collections.

I wasn't able to bring my digicam during ingress to take some shots. :)

But here are some random photos of friends collections during the weekend event. Please forgive the quality of the photos, I was not able to set the flash. :D

You may also view my friend Jovet's Garage blog.

Thanks for lookin'. ;)

WDIBT? Unexpected Finds

Just want to share, I was at the mall today and visit a small toy shop and unexpectedly found these items. ;)

So, what did you buy today?

Thanks for lookin'. ;)

WDIBT? Assorted Items

Geez! It's been a couple days after I can post my weekend hauls. There are assorted of items that I have acquired in exchange to some non-essential (read: impulse buying) diecast cars that I sold and earned a little profit in the process. :D ;)

A couple of years back, when I began seriously taking up this hobby of diecast collection, I have my first main line in Hot Wheels...the Dairy Delivery. There was the "Holiday Rods" series. I only got two colors from the series, red and gold, but never to get hold of the remaining two colors of green and blue. But last Saturday, low and behold, Jun (a close friend of mine) offered me the complete set in an unbelievable bargain price.

Now, I have two reds and golds so the excess pair will definitely be posted on the for sale thread. Anyone buying? ;)

Then I got the VVHTF (very very hard to find) Matchbox Superfast Lincoln Navigator white which was last to be able to complete the line. I will post the complete set soon. Along with it I got the new release Hot Wheels Ferrari 308GTS blue.

Then Geoff (another close friend), got me the on sale "Mean Machine" mean plates. An additional accessories for my Ferrari display. I hope I can get to use them on an public exhibit soon. ;)

And last among the batch of hauls, some Takara Tomy Choro-Q & Q-Steer sold at a bargain price and the 40th Anniversary Tomica Toyota Land Cruiser fresh from Hong Kong care of another friend Edwin.

Coincidentally, last Saturday was also the celebration of Tomica's 40th Anniversary and our club (DCPH) together with the Tomica collector members have a public exhibit at SM Megamall.

I'll post a separate blog about it next. ;)

So, what did you buy today?

Is there an ongoing Tomica 40th Anniversary celebration in your own neck-of-the-woods?

Thanks for lookin'. ;)

WDIOT? Mini Mini Mini!

Austin Mini Cooper

The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s,^[3][4][5] and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout (that allowed 80% of the area of the car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage) influenced a generation of car-makers.^[6] The vehicle is in some ways considered the British equivalent to its German contemporary, the Volkswagen Beetle, which enjoyed similar popularity in North America. In 1999 the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th Century, behind the Ford Model T.^{[citation needed]}

This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis.^[7][8] It was manufactured at the Longbridge and Cowley plants in England, the Victoria Park / Zetland British Motor Corporation (Australia) factory in Sydney, Australia, and later also in Spain (Authi), Belgium, Chile, Italy (Innocenti), Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia. The Mini Mark I had three major UK updates: the Mark II, the Clubman and the Mark III. Within these was a series of variations including an estate car, a pickup truck, a van and the Mini Moke—a jeep-like buggy. The Mini Cooper and Cooper "S" were sportier versions that were successful as rally cars, winning the Monte Carlo Rally four times from 1964 through to 1967, although in 1966 the Mini was disqualified after the finish, along with six other British entrants, which included the first four cars to finish, under a questionable ruling that the cars had used an illegal combination of headlamps and spotlights.^[9] Initially Minis were marketed under the Austin and Morris names, as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor, until Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969.^[10][11] The Mini was again marketed under the Austin name in the 1980s.

BMW Mini Cooper "Bini"

The car, whose first generation was designed by Frank Stephenson,^[1] draws inspiration from the original Mini, which was manufactured by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 to 2000. The name of the car's brand, MINI, is all-capitalised to distinguish it from its predecessor.^[2] Development of the first generation had been done between 1995 and 2001 by Rover Group in Gaydon, United Kingdom and BMW AG in Munich, Germany. During this development phase, there was continual contention between the two design groups, especially concerning the positioning of the car; Rover wanted a straight economy car, whilst BMW supported a small, sporting car. Ultimately, BMW prevailed, and in 1999, they assumed control over the entire project following the departure of BMW's CEO, Bernd Pischetsrieder.^[3] When BMW divested itself of Rover in 2000, BMW elected to retain the Mini project, and to move the planned production site of the car from Rover's Longbridge plant,^[3] (the former production plant of the traditional Mini) to BMW's Oxford plant in Cowley, Oxford, United Kingdom (what was historically the Pressed Steel Company body plant).^[4]

The vehicles produced during the 2001 to 2006 model years (unofficially, the "Mk I Mini") included four hatchback models (referred to by Mini as the Cooper Hardtop): the basic "Mini One", the diesel-engined "Mini One/D", the sportier "Mini Cooper" and the supercharged "Mini Cooper S"; in 2005, a convertible roof option was added to the Mk I line-up. In November 2006, BMW released a re-engineered version of the Mini Hardtop (unofficially the "Mk II Mini") as a 2007 model-year vehicle.^[5] The Mk II is currently^[update] available in the original Hardtop and Convertible body styles (the latter being introduced as a 2009 model). A third Mk II body style, an estate called the Clubman, was introduced as a 2008 model.

Text and Photos from Web

Yes my friends it's another Mini Cooper post!

To tell you honestly, I was viewing my friend Rachelle's BiniMini blog that prompted or should I say "inspired" me to dug up my toy trunk, open some blisters and shoot Minis. As I said previously, I will post more of this well loved diminutive British car. :D

Here are some more examples. I'll dig up for the others in the coming days. ;)

Before

After

Lesney Edition

Superfast

All together

So, do you like the Mini Cooper too?

You may view the Mini album here.

You may view the Bini album here.

Thanks for lookin'. ;)

WDIOT? Austin Mini Van

Mini Van (1960–1982)

A commercial panel van rated at ¼-ton load capacity. Built on the longer Traveller chassis but without side windows, it proved popular in 1960s Britain as a cheaper alternative to the car: it was classed as a commercial vehicle and as such carried no sales tax. A set of simple stamped steel slots served in place of a more costly chrome grille. The Mini Van was renamed as the Mini 95 in 1978, the number representing the gross vehicle weight of 0.95 tons. 521,494 were built.^[20] Despite this renaming, the motoring public continued to call it the Mini Van, as a result of which^{[citation needed]} the class of vehicles known as minivans in other countries are referred to in Britain as MPVs.

Text and Photo from Web

For quite sometime now, I have been opening blisters and I noticed, I am not posting any of my second main line...the Austin Mini Cooper/Van. I was so engrossed opening side collections that I almost forget the main lines. Hehehehe. ;)

But you see, I was just saving the best for last. ;)

Here are some Austin Mini Vans that I liberated from their blisters. ;)

Before

After

All together

So, what did you open today?

You may view the complete album here. Thanks for lookin'. ;)

WDIOT? "Car Town" Car

The Ford GT began as a concept car designed in anticipation of the automaker's centennial year and as part of its drive to showcase and revive its "heritage" names such as Mustang and Thunderbird. At the 1995 Detroit Auto Show, the Ford GT90 concept was shown. At the 2002 auto show, Ford unveiled a new GT40 Concept car. Camilo Pardo, the head of Ford's "Living Legends" studio, is credited as the chief designer of the GT and worked under the guidance of J Mays.

The GT is similar in outward appearance to the original Ford GT40 cars, but bigger, wider, and 3 in (76 mm) taller than the original 40 in (100 cm); as a result, a potential name for the car was the GT43. Although the cars are visually related, structurally, there is no similarity between the modern GT and the 1960s GT40 that inspired it. Three production prototype cars were shown in 2003 as part of Ford's centenary, and delivery of the production Ford GT began in the fall of 2004.

A British company, Safir Engineering, who built continuation GT40s in the 1980s, owned the "GT40" trademark at that time. When they completed production, they sold the excess parts, tooling, design, and trademark to a small Ohio company called Safir GT40 Spares. This company licensed the use of the "GT40" trademark to Ford for the initial 2002 show car. When Ford decided to make the production vehicle, negotiations between the two firms failed. The production cars do not wear the GT40 badge. Early cars from the 1960s were also simply named "Ford GT".

Text and Photo from Web

I was playing "Car Town" on Facebook and have reached the level where I can buy the coveted Ford GT. :D

I really like the Ford GT (aka Ford GT40 in the 60's) known to be a Ferrari killer in its day. Quite contradicting since I love Ferrari. Hehehehe. ;)

And so, I decided to free some from its blisters and here they are. ;)

Before

After

All together

So, what did you open today? Do you play "Car Town" too?

You may view the complete album here. Thanks for lookin'. ;)