Today On The Boulevard: 2022 Hot Wheels Flying Customs - Two So Far

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Today On The Boulevard. As much as I don't like special sets, I do have to admit that they are great because they give collectors the chance to own a special release. Now what makes these releases so special? Well, it could be a certain exterior color, a certain design, or it could be a release with wheels that aren't often used. And it's usually all three of the aforementioned when it comes to the Flying Customs. I especially like the wheels that are used for these. I mean, they are given nice exterior colors and deigns, but for me, it's all about the wheels. Basically, there's a chance we wouldn't have seen certain castings with certain wheels. A perfect example of that is the '71 Dodge Demon. So far, the Flying Customs release of it is the only one with the old BW wheels. So that's why I'm excited to see another assortment of the series.

As expected, I wasn't able to get everything all at once. And as you can see from the title, I was only able to get two. Now, to be honest, I'm a little disappointed with one of the ones from this assortment. But I'll get to that one last because I want to focus on the one I like first. So with that being said, let's begin.

No matter what model year you're into, Hot Wheels has a Camaro casting for everyone. And I think we can all agree that they've done some nice releases of each one over the years. As for me, my favorites are the older Camaros. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't also happily add a release of the newer ones to my collection too. Anyway, this Flying Customs assortment has a '85 Camaro IROC-Z, and it is the one I like.

From what I can gather, this is the first release of the IROC-Z with the HO wheels, and I don't know about you, but I think this casting looks outstanding with them. 

The wheels aren't the only reason why I like this release though. Just look at what was done to its exterior. And no, I'm not just talking about the stripe design. What I'm also talking about is its exterior color, which I'd best describe as being a race yellow. The last time they used this color for this car was back in 2013, and it was released in a 9-pack. Now, as you might already know, I don't really trust those due to how altered I've seen them. That's why I never got the aforementioned release. So I'm glad they decided to use race yellow again because I think it's a great color for any Camaro. 

As for the stripe design, I honestly couldn't have asked them to create a better one than this, and I think they picked a nice combination of colors for it. Since we all have our own preferences, you might not like it, but I think red and orange combine well with yellow. So at the end of the day, this is truly a fantastic Flying Customs release. 

Okay, like I said, I was a little disappointed with one of the releases from this assortment. So it's now time for me to talk about it. 

The release in question is the '86 Monte Carlo SS, and I'm really disappointed with the design they gave it. Now, before I wrote this post, I decided to go through multiple boxes to find some of the older releases I have. And I took a picture of two that I want you to take a close look at. So start by looking closely at the latest release, which is depicted first, then move on to the next two. 

Did you notice anything? If you didn't, then take a close look at the designs they gave each of the three. In my opinion, these releases are starting to look a little too similar. I know there are some key differences between the designs, but all three of them start out thin. The design then widen as it nears the quarter panel. Furthermore, each of the three designs have what I'd describe as a zigzag section. 

Maybe you won't care, but I feel they could have created something a little different for this year's release, and it didn't have to be a stripe design either. What they could have done was create a cool looking flame design. 

So to be honest, I only got this release because it is currently the only one with the Retro Slot wheels. And for all we know, this could potentially be the only time they are used for this casting. Now, most likely there'll be another release of it with these wheels, especially since they've started to use them in the mainline. But you never know. So despite being disappointed with the design they created, this release is still worth getting.

Alright, those are the two I found from this latest Flying Customs assortment. Hopefully I'm able to find the rest of them because I'd really like to see what was done to the other ones. So whenever I find them, I will make a post about them. And it'll most likely be another edition of Today On The Boulevard, since I've already talked about these two. 

So what are your thoughts on the Monte Carlo? Do you also think they're starting to be too similar? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Okay, that's all for this edition of Today On The Boulevard. Till next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting.