Today On The Boulevard: Hot Wheels Detroit Muscle - I Had To Have It

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Today On The Boulevard. I will usually sigh, and say next when I see a news article talking about a Walmart exclusive set. Like most collectors, I have a very difficult time finding anything there. In fact, Walmart exclusives are why I collect the way I do. This mindset change is also what lead to me not really caring about Super Treasure Hunts. Now sometimes, there are certain store exclusives that I just have to have, and it's mainly due to what was done to them. And that's the case with the release being featured today.

Back in 2018, Hot wheels released a muscle car themed set called Detroit Muscle, and it featured many great models. Now as you saw from my social media post (Twitter or Pinterest), the model I just had to have from this set, is the '69 Pontiac GTO. It has one main feature that made me really want it. And this might be surprising, but it has nothing to do with the exterior. Although... it does feature a nice color and design. But that's not why I had to have this one.

The wheels! That's right... it's wheels are what made me want it. When Hot Wheels first showed the deep dish steelies, I ended up having a list of castings that I wanted to see with them. And this casting was one of the ones on my list. So if not for this set, there's a chance we would have never seen it with these wheels. I knew this casting would look good with them. In fact, it looks exactly how I imagined it. 

Having the status of being the only one with these wheels could change in the future. For all I know, Hot Wheels could decide to release another one of these with these wheels later on this year. 

I don't know about you, but I'm actually eagerly awaiting another one with these wheels. If they do end up using these wheels again for this casting, I hope they decide to paint the rim chrome instead of color matching it to a design. The rim being yellow, is the only design decision that I don't completely like. However, I decided to just accept it since it is currently the only one with these wheels.

So collectors... what do you think of this casting with these wheels? Do you also think it looks great with them? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this edition of Today On The Boulevard. Until next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting.

Today On The Boulevard: Hot Wheels Toyota AE86

Alright everyone, welcome to another edition of Today On The Boulevard. If you read my case F review last month, then you probably remember how I said that I'd post about the recolor of the AE86 if I found it. Well... it took some time, but I was finally able to find it. So as promised, here's the post.

Now that I have this one, I'm not entirely sure which release I like the most.The first release is still very nice due to it featuring the main colors that are used for the Falken Tire livery. However, I will admit that it's cool to see how the livery looks in a different color. And I'm sure most of you will agree that black and white is a pretty cool color combination for it.  

I also like how this recolor features all of the real-life aftermarket sponsor decals that were applied to the first release. A perfect example of these details being removed, is seen with the 2019 Nightburnerz release of the '85 Honda City Turbo. It's first color featured Bisimoto and PurOl, while it's second color did not. So I'm glad none of the decals were removed from this second AE86. 

As you know, the first release's hood received a matte black tampo coating. This of course, makes it look like it has a carbon fiber hood. That detail does look cool with the Falken colors, but I think this release looks just fine without it. I mean... the hood is black, but it's just not flat black. Furthermore, being the same paint as the rest of the car helps to make this re-color stand out from the first one.

Some of you out there might prefer a diecast model with a livery that looks complete. Especially when that livery is based on an actual one. So you probably would have liked this one better if white was applied to the hood, as well as the front half of the bumper. I too think the livery would have looked more complete that way. But at the end of the day, it is kind of nice having a Falken Tire themed release that looks like this. In other words, I kind of like how the white section of this one's livery is only on it's sides and roof.

I also want to make mention of how I appreciate the choice of colors for this one's OH5 wheels. Since this release was changed to black and white, the designers could have chose to also make the wheels the same color. If you have the 2013 reverse panda release of the original casting, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. Thankfully, that's not the case with this re-color. In my opinion, black with a chrome rim is a much better wheel color than black with a white rim.

 

Alright everyone, what are your thoughts on this release? Feel free to let me know down in the comments section. Okay, that's all for this edition of Today On The Boulevard. Until next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting.

White Booth Wednesday #85

It's once again time for another Wednesday showcase here on the boulevard. Here's this week's featured vehicle.

Vehicle: '68 Hemi Barracuda

Series: 2015 HW Workshop Heat Fleet

Boulevard rating: 8

How I feel about this release: The flame design and it's colors, are what I like the most about this release. I know some of you out there might not like the combination of red and blue, but I think it looks just fine. If you're going to go with a wild color scheme for a design, than it's important to have an exterior color that doesn't clash. This is why I think it was a good idea to finish this release in silver. Now, as you can see, the back half of it's sides feature "HEMI CUDA." In my opinion, this detail really wasn't needed, and it's why I didn't score this release higher. 

So collectors, what would be your rating for this release? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments. As always, happy diecast collecting!

Today On The Boulevard: Hot Wheels Volkswagen Caddy

You just got your drivers license, and you now need a ride. You currently only have a skateboard to travel around. One day, when you needed to make a store run, you came across a cool little pickup truck that has a for sale sign. Needing a ride, you decide to go check out what the asking price is. To your surprise, it's within your budget, and you'd have some money left over. After buying it, you realize I'm a cool kid, and this truck is not. So what did you do? You decided to modify it with that extra money you have.

First you painted it silver. You then removed the front bumper to add an external oil cooler. After that, you bolted on some fenders, and found a nice set of wheels. Next, you decided that it needed to be lowered. The last thing you did, was add a custom exhaust system. Oh... and let's not forget the skateboard. Just throw it in the back. So what do you have? You have the Hot Wheels Volkswagen Caddy that's being featured today.

So... did you like my little story for this casting? I think it's a masterpiece. In fact, I should probably get an award for how great it is. Okay... I'm just joking. Anyway, on a more serious note, I really like this Volkswagen Caddy casting. It has all the upgrades that I mentioned in the story. The skateboard in the truck bed is one of the neat little features that I like about this casting. 

To be honest, I almost didn't get this one when I found it at Ralphs a few years ago. As I've mentioned in past post, I wasn't always into pickup trucks. I'm glad I did though, because I feel this Volkswagen is that cool kid in the diecast world. Now most of you might have preferred the orange release, but I feel silver release that I got is just as cool.  

The other reason why I decided to feature this release today, is because it doesn't have any designs on it. The later releases are cool. but it's always nice to have at least one release that's plain. Now I don't know about you, but I think it's high time we got another plain release of this casting. One color that hasn't been used for it is purple. So my idea would be metallic dark purple with gold wheels. Of course you might have other ideas.  

So, what are your thoughts on having another plain release? And what color would you like to see used? Do let me know down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this edition of Today On The Boulevard. Until next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting.

White Booth Wednesday #84

It's once again time for another Wednesday showcase here on the boulevard. Here's this week's featured vehicle.

Vehicle: Nissan 370Z

Series: 2014 Hot Wheels Workshop (Hot Wheels Performance)

Boulevard rating: 9

How I feel about this release: Like Advan and Gulf, the various Greddy designs look awesome on 1:64 scale models. After doing some homework, I found out that this release is a replica of an actual Greddy 370Z. That is what I like the most about this one. Hot Wheels releases with what-if designs are nice, but I love seeing real-life designs applied to these little cars. In case you didn't know, the 370Z this release is based on is white. Now, Hot Wheels did release a white one, which is most likely considered to be the best one among many collectors. However, I think this red one looks just as good.

So collectors, what would be your rating for this release? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments. As always, happy diecast collecting!

Looking At: 2021 Matchbox Collectors Series Mix 1

Alright everyone, welcome to another edition of Looking At. Matchbox has recently created a new Collectors Series for us to collect, and I was able to find all four of the vehicles from the first mix. I'm not entirely sure if it is, but I'm assuming this new series is going to take the place of the Superfast. Similar to those, this Collectors Series features models with and without moving parts. It also features models with premium wheels from Mattel's other diecast brand. That was one of the things that I liked about the Superfast releases. So I'm glad to see a continued use of them. Anyway, I decided that I'd talk about the one without a moving part last. So with that said, let's begin.

The 2016 BMW I8 has finally made another appearance. I was starting to think they wouldn't release anymore of these. As you know, Matchbox has two I8 castings, and both of them haven't been seen since 2019. On a side note, I do hope they release more of the other one. 

I must say, the I8 looks fantastic finished in orange, and the Matchbox designers chose a great shade of it. At this point, I no longer have a favorite release of this particular casting. Blue might be my favorite color, but that doesn't mean I won't like, or prefer a car that's finished in a different color. And that just so happens to be the case with this release.

This release was given the same lace wheels as the first one. They are honestly not a bad looking wheel for this car, and I'm just happy to finally have another one of these. So I don't care too much for the wheel choice.

This release obviously has details on it's front and rear like the first one, however, there is one detail that I feel should have been different. "BMW I8" was placed within a white rectangle on it license plate section. Some might think this is fine, but I feel they should have made an actual plate instead. I don't know about you, but these little cars look cool with license plates. They look even cooler when the designers create vanity plates.

I'm sure you all will love this next release a whole lot. The 1963 Chevy C10 Pickup is the second one from this mix. Unlike the first three releases of this casting that are plain, this one features a theme. And it's one that's perfect for this kind of truck. The very popular Mooneyes theme, is what the designers chose to use. 

Now, unlike some of the other Mattel made Mooneyes releases, this one has more of a subtle appearance. So basically, it doesn't feature any type of deign. Instead, they chose to simply give it two decals. Personally, not every single Mooneyes themed release has to have stripes or scallops. So I feel there's nothing wrong with solely using the company's decals. 

Unlike the I8, this one was not given the same wheels as it's last premium release. For a classic truck like this, you could never go wrong with the RR5SPs, or as I like to call them, the Torq Thrust wheels.

The front and rear of this release were left plain like the other three releases of this truck. I know this isn't a major issue, but it would have been nice to finally see one with detailed headlights.

 At the end of the day, this release is going to be a favorite among many collectors. And it's definitely a great addition to any Mooneyes collection.  

Throughout the years, both of Mattel's diecast brands have given us many Land Rover vehicles to collect. And now, the 1965 Land Rover Gen II Pickup is making it's debut in this mix. Overall, this casting is pretty cool. It features opening doors, and a hood mounted spare. Aside from it's features, there's a specific reason as to why this debut release is awesome.

As is the case with many diecast releases, I took to the internet to see if this was based on anything. And as it turns out, this release is. The back half features a tampo detail that says Cool&vintage. Well... this is actually the name of a company in Lisbon, Portugal that restores older Land Rovers. From what I can gather, this release is a replica of one that was built by them in collaboration with Deus Ex Machina to haul motorcycles. 

I'm glad they based this debut release on the Cool&vintage X Deuse Ex Machina Land Rover. Doing so, gave us a very nice looking model without a design on it. As I've said in a past post, I like to have at least one plain release of my favorite vehicles, and this is that one. 

This release also appears to be the debut of some new Matchbox premium wheels. I not sure what they are called, since I'm not in the know. But what I do know, is that they are a good looking wheel for this casting.

It's always nice to see a diecast model with small additional details. So that brings me to the next I like about this release. The driver side of the front end, features a black diamond that's actually based on a sticker they have for sale.

I'm not being paid, but I figured I'd add a link to their shop anyway. https://www.coolnvintage.com/shop

Alright, as I said in the intro, I will talk about the one without moving parts last. That model is the 1969 BMW 2002. This is actually the first premium release of this casting, and it's the fourth one in total. I still very much like this casting due to it being a stock version of the car. As such, I don't have an issue with it being used in this series. 

The Matchbox designers created a livery that actually looks okay, and it's great how it's not the typical BMW Motorsports styled design. I don't have no problem with this decision, since there are currently two nice releases of this casting that are plain. I should also mention, that the design doesn't stop on the sides. Being a premium, means that the design can cover more of a models surface. On this release, that surface is the front and rear.

Now, I do have one minor issue with this release. Basically, I don't like how it features no additional sponsor decals. I know Hot Wheels has released their racing version of this car with some. But, since Matchbox was going for a racing look, I feel they should have at least added a tire sponsor. I would have even preferred fantasy decals. 

The wheels picked for this release are great, and I like how they decided to use ones that match the exterior color. There are many good looking exterior/wheel color combinations, and white with white wheels, is definitely one of them. 

Remember how I said these little cars look even cooler with vanity plates? Well... that's one of the things I like about this release. It'll be a little hard to read in my picture, but the plate on this release says "flash back."

After seeing these first four, I think we can all agree that this series is off to a good start. I, for one, can't wait to see what the future has in store for this series. 

So collectors, what do you think about these first four? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this edition of Looking At. Until next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting.

Today On The Boulevard: Hot Wheels Boulevard - Patience And Persistence

Hello, and welcome to a new edition of Today On The Boulevard. It's no lie that being a Hot Wheels collector, can sometimes be very tiring. And specifically trying to find store exclusives is a very daunting task for most. It's especially hard when the exclusives are premiums. So, for the most part, I tend to stay away from these type of releases. 

Now recently, I noticed that one of my local Walmart locations kept having a bunch of leftovers of the recent Boulevard assortment. I came across these leftovers three different times. This lead me to believe that this location got a large shipment of them. So I decided to give myself a little bit of a challenge. For the first time, I decided to try and specifically hunt for a store exclusive premium assortment. And after a little bit of patience and persistence, I was able to finally get an entire assortment of Boulevard. So for today's post, I'm going to briefly share my thoughts on each model.

Up first, is the beautiful '64 Buick Riviera. For those of you that didn't know, Hot Wheels has two different '64 Riviera castings. This is the version that was created for the 2016 SDCC exclusive Star Trek diorama. I know they didn't have to use this casting for any thing else, but I'm glad they did. And I hope they continue to use it.

This is the only one from this assortment that's plain, and I'm glad it is. I have exactly one release of the other version, and it has a design on it. Now I'm not saying that it looks bad, but it is nice to finally have a plain '64 Riviera that's finished in a great looking red. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better one than this. 

Okay, the next one from this assortment is the 2019 Subaru WRX STI. Unlike the Rivera, it didn't take them long to do another one of these. When it made it's Fast & Furious debut last year, I wasn't quite sure if we were going to see any other releases of it. Take Brian's Eclipse for example, that casting has yet to be used for a non F&F assortment. So I'm glad to see a continued use of this casting, and I hope it gets many more premium releases. 

Now then... onto how I feel about this release. Like the Riviera, I couldn't have asked for a better one than this. Yes, the F&F release is nice, but I like this one slightly more. It's all due to it's overall appearance. For the longest time, I've wanted a Hot Wheels WRX that featured the iconic Subaru livery. And this one has completely satisfied that need.  

I'm not someone who's afraid to admit when I don't know something. So that brings me to the next thing I want to talk about. One of the decals applied to this release, is Vermont SportsCar. So with the assumption that this was an actual company, I decided to do a quick Google search. Upon doing so, I found out that they're a partner of Subaru of America. On a side note, I also learned that they are the ones that made the body kit for Mr. Nobody's WRX. Anyway, this release is basically a replica of the WRX's they've built, and I think it came out great. 

You can also buy this release directly from Vermont SportsCar. You'll just have to pay a little more than what you would have at Walmart. But if you missed out, this could be your chance to get one. 

(Their site: https://vtcar.com/) (Their store: https://shop.vtcar.com/collections/frontpage/products/hot-wheels-2019-subaru-motorsports-usa-wrx-sti-diecast-rally-car)

YES!! That's all I can say about this next one. The model in question, is the '63 Chevy Nova. This is one of those premium only castings that isn't used often. I always worry about this. That's why on very rare occasions, I will try to get store exclusives like this. You never know when they'll release another one. This casting only had three releases after it's 2009 debut, and the 2018 Drag Strip Demons release, was the only one I had before this one. So you can probably imaging how happy I am to finally have another one of these altered wheelbase dragsters from Hot Wheels. 

Thankfully, this release is just as good as the 2018 release that I have. In fact, I actually like this one a little more. The colors, as well as the additional details, are what I feel makes this one better. I know there's been numerous releases that are finished in purple, but I feel it's not used as much as red. So that's why I'll end up liking a purple release over one that's red. 

As I mentioned, I also like the additional details. What I was talking about, were all of the aftermarket sponsor decals that were applied to this one. The 2018 release also had aftermarket decals, but it only featured Autolite and Goodyear. On the other hand, this one has four additional decals. It also has the Southeast Gassers Association logo.

Next up, is the 1968 Mazda Cosmo Sport. This is actually one of the main ones that kept getting left, and I can kind of understand why. Although I got it, I still prefer the 2020 JH3 release over this one. The car itself is a very beautiful classic, so I'll always prefer a plain one over one with a livery. 

Now then, despite not liking it as much, I will say that it's not an outright terrible looking release. There's a reason why it's a welcomed addition to my collection, besides it being a Boulevard release. As you've all seen, Hot Wheels has been giving us Mad Mike themed releases. And since I have most of them, I figured that I would go ahead and acquire this one as well.

The Mighty Volkswagen Drag Bus, is the final vehicle from this assortment. This release isn't too bad, but I do have something to say about it. By now, all of you know this release is sporting the same Mooneyes design that was given to the Car Culture Cargo Carriers Volkswagen T1 Panel Bus. At first, I was a little disappointed with how they decided to use the exact same design. I mean... they could have easily thought of something different. Anyway, my opinion of it changed the following day, and I now have no issue with it.

Even though I don't have a problem with the design itself, I do have an issue with the lack of decals. This is a drag race casting right? So where are the additional sponsor deals? Having some additional decals would have definitely helped to make this release stand out from the Car Culture T1. I know not every model drag race themed release has to have a bunch of decals. But I feel this is one of the ones that should have had some, especially since it's a Boulevard release.

Before this Drag Bus, all I had was the 50th Anniversary Favorites one. So despite the lack of decals, this is a welcomed addition to my collection. 

At the end of the day, it really does pay to have patience, while being persistent. It's definitely a mindset that's needed to be a diecast collector.

So collectors, what are your thoughts on these releases? Do you have a specific one that you like the most? Feel free to let me know down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this edition of Today On The Boulevard. Until next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting.

White Booth Wednesday #83

It's once again time for another Wednesday showcase here on the boulevard. Here's this week's featured vehicle.

Vehicle: '69 Dodge Charger 500

Series: 2016 Hot Wheels Night Burnerz (Zamac)

Boulevard rating: 9

How I feel about this release: Ultimately, there were three colors for this release back in 2016, and I honestly like all of them equally due to the stripe design. Now, because I like to only feature one vehicle per White Booth Wednesday, I decided to show this Zamac one due to the color of it's stripe design. As you already know, the other two color releases have black stripes. There's nothing wrong with that, I just think it's nice to see how this design looks in a different color. 

So collectors, what would be your rating for this release? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments. As always, happy diecast collecting!