Badman II

To create a classic is something many artists strive for their whole lives. Many will achieve it, though it may never reach the public consciousness. Imagine then, creating not one classic, but dozens, creating a new genre of model kit building, becoming the biggest name in model design that the world has ever seen. Creating the Beer Wagon. Bad Medicine. The Cherry Bomb. The Fire Iron. The Garbage Truck. The Groovy Grader. THE RED BARON.

Compared to these, a 55 Chevy gasser sounds pretty tame, but Tom Daniel created another masterpiece with the Badman. This die-cast Badman II (what IS the difference?) has cut an imposing figure on my display shelf the last week, proving that even when the body's stock Tom Daniel is a guy who knows how to design a classic.

JB

Pete and Jake's Truck

Another of my new toys, and one of the nicest diecasts I've ever seen. Great subject, gorgeous stance (check how that rear wheel sits in the arch), and great use of colour.

And then consider the wire wheels - on a model the same scale as a Hot Wheels. How they even did that is beyond my comprehension...

JB

Dueling Willys

I've blogged before about Showrods member Harley, featured a couple of his builds and relieved him of a significant amount of plastic. He's a true ambassador for the hobby; friendly, knowledgeable, generous with his time and skills and best of all a fantastic and innovative modeller.

I recently won a charity auction on the Showrods site for a collection of diecasts and built-ups from Harley's collection that he'd very generously donated to the cause. Now, this wasn't junk either - the stuff Harley gives away is better than what most would keep, and I'm delighted to be able to show you some of the cool stuff that's recently set up home in my display case. There's some plastic, some diecasts, some old, some new, all of it worth a look.

Not listed in the auction, but very generously gifted to me (I'd love to say it made my day, but so many things made my day that it wouldn't be fair on the 100 other amazing things...) was a little postcard sized diorama of a Willys Coupe and Pick Up launching from a drag racing startline. The blue car is ahead by a tiny fraction, whilst the pink one climbs dramatically skywards .

Its a beautifully simple piece, two cars, a start line and the asphalt it's painted on, but the elements are combined to truly create that old cliche of something bigger than the sum of it's parts.

And you aint seen nothing yet, we got some serious coolness to come. Think yourselves lucky I felt it rude to arrive outside someone's house with a camera, or we'd be here for the rest of the year...

JB

Von Harl

Here's how my Saturday panned out. Woke up, drove to Harley's, took possession of a tonne of cool stuff, saw some even COOLER stuff, got excited like a little boy every 30 seconds and finally got a parting (one) shot of some cool lines on my new Stanley toolbox.

Though quite OT - this tool box is actually for my RC gear, I couldn't resist sharing those cool lines with anyone who'll look. Thanks a million Harley.

JB

Stupidi-T

He may have called his latest creation 'Stupidi-T', but Dave Kapp is no fool. It takes a clever guy to take a body as beaten-to death creatively as the Model T and do something as fresh and different to it.

Built with an Infini-T body as a basis, some Funny car bits here and there and a nice clean Hemi out front, Dave's created a cool 70's vibe with this build, kinda like if Barris made the Uncertain T. That nose screams Barris T Buggy to me (though also looks nothing like it) and the Boyd paint job is a nice hat-tip to another builder not afraid to try new things out and shake things up a little.

Read the story of this one in Dave's words here - it'd be stupidi-t not to

JB

Junkyard Jewels #28: Inline 4

For someone with a large collection of spare engines (easily a hundred now, it's getting to be an obsession) I rarely know what the non-V8 ones are. I know where they'd work well though, and this one is gonna get a great home.

JB

Junkyard Jewels #27: Trailer

The coolest thing about this trailer, incomplete but an easy fix, is that when restored I'll have to build at least another two models to go with it. And I've got two of them! Like those little mudguards, they might get 'borrowed'.

JB

Junkyard Jewels #26: 5 Stud Steelie and Whitewall

Only got one of these, and it looks like a dog ate it, but a resin copy at each corner of a fenderless roadster would look a sick thing indeed.

JB

Junkyard Jewels #25: More fake Torq Thrusts?

Speaking of Torq Thrust lookalikes, this wheel may or may not be influenced by American Racing Equipment. Looks cool in a piecrust slick, whatever it is!

JB

Junkyard Jewels #24: Bike Wheels and Axle

Always liked seeing a set of these on a vintage rail - as impractical as they are. They're perfect for a T Bucket too - anything wider looks too wide to me. These are destined for a 60s style Deuce roadster of some sort...

JB

Junkyard Jewels #23: Unknown Frame

Once, as a kid, I found an old dune buggy frame, behind a building. It was all overgrown and rusted, but I could see what was there. The wheels were on it, the seat was there - it wasnt pretty but it was certainly something I wanted to drag home. I found a lot of cars as a kid, just by hunting around and riding my bike around and stuff. Found some old 50s race car in one garden, a shortened Fiat 126 in another, a Fiat 500 and black cab in one guys garden...I loved it.
You don't find cool stuff like this where I live though. I don't even know exactly what it's meant for, but it's a cool looking ladder.

JB

Junkyard Jewels #22: Fake AREs?

Poorly done Torq Thrust replicas, inspired by Torq Thrusts or just looking a bit like them? Whatever, these are just different enough to be cool.

JB

Junkyard Jewels #21: Chrysler Turbine

The car that could've changed cars as we know them is a cool subject to find in a junk lot. No turbine in this one, and missing some bits..perfect start for some kinda REALLY unique street machine? Hell yeah. Turbine bronze is hot, by the way. Reminds me of semi-naked chicks on the beach.

The future could've been bright people...

JB

Junkyard Jewels #20: Deuce Pick Up

You'd be surprised how many Deuce pick up kits there are. Worst is the Lindberg version, best is the new Replicas and Miniatures conversion kit. Not sure who made this one, but it came in a parts lot that I picked up largely cos this was in it. Now if only someone would make a roadster pick up conversion for the Revell 32 kit...

JB