Diecast of the Day: Road Signature Oldsmobile Toronado

Dunno if this is going to work or not, since my comp is broken, but here goes. This is Road Signature's 1:18 Oldsmobile Toronado. I've been wanting one of these for awhile now, and I finally have it. Verdict? The paint, fit and finish is very good. The paint is glossy but it does show some orange peel, and the chrome trim is very fragile. The doors and hood do open, but again they were VERY fragile; I'm almost afraid to open them. The main neat feature that prompted me to buy this car is the poseable headlights. They do open and close; how cool is that? Especially at this price point.
The interior is nicely detailed, too with each piece of trim replicated to scale. The steering wheel and wood look accurate, as do the seat contours, and details. Since I am afraid to open the doors (they are extremely delicate), I can view the interior from outside, which is a bit of a letdown since the interior looks amazing.
My only complaint, aside from the fragileness part is the fact that the chrome looks fake almost; Road Signature tried too hard to make the chrome appear real. Overall, this Oldsmobile Toronado is a good model to have in a collection, and it's one of the few non-Cutlass oriented models around. If you are an Oldsmobile fan, or love obscure/forgotten American cars, buy this piece; it has astounding shelf presence.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Ford Mustang Grande

Hmmm, I realize classic Mustangs may be generic, but face it. You don't see the luxury versions very often, and when you do, they're not in very good condition. This Grande is an exception to that notion. It appears to have been either babied from birth or nicely restored-being Minnesota, I'm betting the latter. The yellow finish on this example was immaculate, as was the vinyl roof. The chrome seemed to be intact too, which is a nice bonus; heck, even the emblems were intact, and were in good shape to boot. This car is definitely owned by someone who has pride in their not-so-run-of-the mill Mustang.

The Grande version of the Mustang was introduced in 1969 as a more luxurious version of the ponycar; it received more sound deadening, houndstooth interior, and other appointments not found in standard or sporty versions of the Mustang. Although, the Grandes did have a V8 (351), they were not necessarily fast; in fact, they were the Town Car of Mustangs. They were meant as an upscale derivative of the base car, much in the same way a V6 Premium is viewed today. I wish to see more and more less popular version of the automotive icon restored and babied, but I'm afraid there will always be the stigma that they're not as cool as a Boss or Mach 1.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: VW Rabbit (Caddy)

Whoa. This is a hell of a find. Yeah I realize it may not seem to be much, but an old VW still running is a feat. Guess the diesels aren't bad as far as reliability goes. I see diesel Dubs running around daily, but none of this vintage. Guess the "other German marque" reliable diesels too.
This example of a VW Rabbit "Caddy" is a rather clean one. The paint isn't in too bad of shape since it IS still one color. The hubcaps are original too, and I'm glad the owner hasn't slapped a set of custom wheels on it. Or worse--stretched tires and wide BBS wheels. Not that I hate that style, cause I don't. I don't think every single damn VW/Audi needs that stance, classic or not.
I'm sure the engine is no powerhouse, since it's tuned for economy rather than torque. Expect to see 35-45 MPG in these guys, thus deeming a Prius or Civic Hybrid useless. Oh, and with this VW, you can modify it to accept a modern VW TDI. Or an Audi 2.0 TFSI. Or a VR6. But, in truth, I'd rather see this one kept original.

Minneapois Street Sightings: Ford F-100 Custom

Now THIS is a sightings. I don't have many trucks on here, for a reason; they're supposed to be used. This Ford F-100 is AWESOME-- paint is on point, and it's a nice color, too. No fade is present, and no rust either. The interior seems fairly clean, and the body itself seemed to be rust free. I usually frown on newer wheels on old vehicles but in this case they work. 1988 to 1995 F-150 wheels have always been good choices to replace the stockers with, and these are no exception. I would've rather seen the slanted 5 spokes (F-150 Flareside) but the base ones are fine.
Not in show condition, it is certainly more of a driver than anything, but that's not a bad thing. We need more vintage vehicles on the street. I get tired of seeing the same generic 2001-2008 cars and trucks, so seeing this neat Ford brightened my day. The age, (I am a HUGE fan of these and unibodys btw) and the condition-added to the fact that it was a Ford--brightened my day. ATTN: We need more Fords-especially unbodys- in good shape; correction. I need a Ford unibody in good shape.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Mercedes 280SE

Vintage Benzes are awesome; I've seen this one a few times in the neighborhood, but these are the only good shots I've been able to get of it. The color and stock hubcaps are FANTASTIC and certainly provide flair and panache. The stance is correct, too, with no sagging present. The chrome is in great shape for its age, as is the deep green paint.
A 280 of this vintage is a staple in European, and American movies, and I cannot help but visualize this thing being driven Bullit style through Minneapolis with a Dodge Monaco chasing it. Yeah, this car is in too great of a condition to ruin, but the image of a vintage Benz wasting a big cop car is downright awesome. I can just imagine it parking in the lot of Lunds and then screeching off onto Lake Street as the robbers escape the crime scene.
Or I can imagine it setting in my driveway next to a 450SE and a 500E. Now, I need to win the Lottery. Or something.

Diecast of the Day: Sunstar Ford Escort GL

Yes. A base Escort. The guys at Sunstar have done it again; the XR3 is very meticulously detailed piece, and the base version is as good as its sportier sibling. Finished in orange mica, this Escort screams 1980s Sussex department store, and the blue interior isn't helping matters any. The 5 slot wheels are a neat touch, as is the spare--again featured on the XR3. The interior--as with that of the XR3 is finely detailed to boot, and the seats and dash are rendered PERFECTLY. The only changes I would do to this diecast are add more variations-- the XR3 and base are awesome. but can we have a 5 dr hatch, too, please?

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Pontiac Bonneville two door

Now here's something you don't see everyday-- a nice fullsize Pontiac. Granted the Daytons aren't stock wheels, they do suit the car pretty well. Seen sitting amass a group of rusted out 1990s Ford products, this Poncho caught my attention pretty fast. As a crept closer, I realized this was a two door, not a sedan, as I thought it would be. At first glance, the Pontiac seems a bit blingy, but once you get closer, the blinginess doesn't matter. What matters is the overall condition of the car. I chatted with the owner for a bit and he confirmed the originality of the car; it has 52,580 original miles of this writing. The paint is spotless, and the interior isn't in bad shape either. At least it has the correct steering wheel instead of the oh-so-common Grant piece. The Daytons aren't bad either. I cannot picture this car with Pontiac hubcaps; somehow it seems..wrong? Now for the task of trying to find its Caprice two door kin.