Car of the Day : April 9, 2012

Today's car is Jada's 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham.



The Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham is a model of luxury cars manufactured by the General Motors corporation from the 1977 through the 1986 model years.




In 1977 GM significantly down-sized their full sized cars. The De Ville and Fleetwood Brougham rode on the same 121.5" wheelbase and were powered by the 425 cubic inch (7.0L) V8. This engine was basically a de bored version of the 472/500 (7.9 L/8.2 L) V8 of previous years. Compared with the 1976 Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham, the Fleetwood Brougham had a wheelbase 11.5" shorter and weighed nearly 900 lb (400 kg) less.

In 1985 Cadillac introduced a brand new, front-wheel drive platform. Cadillac put the De Ville and introduced the Cadillac Fleetwood on this platform. This car featured two "firsts"; It had the first transverse mounted V8 ever (the HT4100) and it was the first car to have a high mounted stop-lamp that was mandated for the 1986 model year.
The rear wheel drive 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham continued on nearly unchanged from the 1984 model. 1985 was the final model year for the Fleetwood Brougham coupe. In 1986 the HT-4100 V8 was replaced with an Oldsmobile sourced 307 cubic inch (5.0 L) V8.




For pics/info check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Brougham to learn more.




Cadzilla! Cadzilla! Cadzilla! The '85 model Caddy was the last square body/full frame full size car from GM. The 80s style Caddy have been replicated by Majorette with a limo version and Revell did one as well. This was a recent purchase from Pjedsel. Thanks John.

Car of the Day : April 8, 2012

The car for today is Shelby Collectables' 1965 Shelby GT350R.




The Shelby Mustang is a high performance variant of the Ford Mustang which was built by Shelby American from 1965 through 1970. Following the introduction of the fifth generation Ford Mustang, the Shelby nameplate was revived in 2007 for new high performance versions of the Mustang.




As planned, Carroll Shelby also developed a race-ready GT 350R with the same engine as competition Cobra 289s. That meant a nominal 350 bhp -- an outstanding 1.21 bhp per cubic inch. To minimize weight, the gearbox got an aluminum case and the interior was stripped down to a single racing seat with safety harness, plus protective roll bar.







With a detailed engine, actual roll bar and rubber tires, this Shelby shines in true 1/64 scale.

Truck of the Day : April 7, 2012

The truck for today is the Zylmex 1976 Ford Courier California Stepside.







When it was introduced it came standard with a 1.8 liter overhead cam engine, which produced 74HP at 5000rpm, and 92ftlbs at 3500rpm. A 4 speed manual transmission was standard. The body styling, especially the front grill, was designed to reflect the styling of the F-series lineup of the time, so it obviously looked like a little Ford Truck



Retro Zylmex models offered a unique side to diecast back in the 1980s. This Courier is no exception with custom dual exhaust stacks, stepside bed and wild stickers. My guess is this model is a California Stepside of which only a few were made. Apparently when you bought a new Courier the dealer would offer to replace the stock bed with one of a Chevy Luv. A Chevy bed on a Ford truck. Yup, that's messed up

Truck of the Day : April 6, 2012

The truck for today is Johnny Lightning's 2000 Ford F-250 Super Duty.




Cars.com

The Super Duty models are the brutes among Ford's pickups — heavy-duty trucks designed for serious hauling and towing. The Super Duty line was redesigned for 1999, and though it is based on the F-150, it sports different styling, roomier interiors and stronger chassis and engines.

All Super Duty models are more than 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight (the weight of the truck and what it can carry in passengers and payload). This means they are exempt from federal safety requirements for lighter-duty trucks and cars. However, a driver-side airbag is standard on all models and a passenger side-impact airbag that can be disabled by a dashboard switch is optional.




Exterior
Styling differences from the F-150 are most pronounced in front, where a massive grille dominates the Super Duty's nose. Models include regular cabs; four-door SuperCabs with two conventional front doors and two rear-opening rear doors; and four-door crew cabs with conventional front-hinged doors. The F-350 crew cab is available with dual rear wheels, a style also known as a dualie.

The Super Duty lineup starts with the three-quarter-ton F-250 model (gross vehicle weight of 8,800 pounds) and ends with the F-550 (GVW of 19,000 pounds), a truck with a 6-ton payload.

Interior
Just because the Super Duty models are beasts of burden doesn't mean the interiors are all vinyl and steel. Cloth upholstery, leather captain's chairs and a power driver's seat are available to coddle front occupants. A split front bench seat includes a folding center armrest that's large enough to stow a laptop computer.

A folding three-place rear bench seat is standard or optional on SuperCab and crew-cab models.

Under the Hood
The biggest engine available in the F-150 is the smallest engine for the Super Duty models, a 5.4-liter V-8 with 260 horsepower. A 6.8-liter V-10 with 310 horsepower and a 7.3-liter diesel V-8 with 235 horsepower also are available




For more info, check out http://www.cars.com/ford/f250/2000/expert-reviews/?revid=46099 to learn more.




JL released this cool silver F-250 in a Muscle Trucks 4 truck set. There is a wheel variation on this one as well. The stripes are Mustang inspired.

Truck of the Day : April 5, 2012

Today's truck is the Maisto 2003 Chevy Cheyenne Concept.




The Cheyenne builds on Chevrolet's rich history in pickups to create what exterior designer Jeff Angeleri also hopes, "will influence the direction of the next full-size Chevrolet tremendously. It's an appearance that's tough without being overt."

While working on the Cheyenne for the past 18 months, Angeleri and the rest of the team responsible for the concept created a "heritage wall" in their design studio that captured images from some of the most stylish of past Chevy trucks for inspiration. These trucks included the 1955 Cameo, 1972 C10 Cheyenne and 1988 C/K Silverado because each of those trucks shared a "common design vocabulary that was pure in form and purpose."




The bed is accessible from the outside through two side-access doors located just behind the cab and a dual-folding tailgate opens two ways - horizontally split in half or traditionally folded down.

Inside the bed are multiple storage bins that roll out from the sides and are integrated into the bed's floor. The floor is only 28-inches off the ground, compared to 32-inches on the current Silverado 4x2 , aiding the placement of heavy materials into the box. It's even more amazing when you consider the Cheyenne wears 22-inch wheels while the Silverado has only 16s.

The interior of the Cheyenne is thoroughly refined. It's clean, elegant and luxurious retro styling neatly blends saddle leather covered surfaces with touches of polished aluminum in the instrument panel, steering wheel and doors. Berber carpet covers the floor.

Under the Cheyenne's front-hinged clamshell hood sits a supercharged 6.0-liter V8 engine that produces 500hp and 580lb-ft. Its surfaces have been polished to a mirror-like sheen and a mammoth carbon fiber air intake dominates the right and front of the compartment to force air into the supercharger.

Though it remains body-on-frame in design and construction like today's Silverado, the chassis the Cheyenne sits on is anything but conventional. It's formed from extruded aluminum.







While the '03 Cheyenne Concept influence has yet to show up on the full size Chevy/CMC trucks, it does seem to have had an effect on the mid size offerings. The Chevy Colorado slated for US production next year and on the Chevy Trailer Blazer which won't be sold here in the USA carry a large influence from the Cheyenne concept truck. Don't recall when or what I got this one with . . . might have been a multi-piece set.

Truck of the Day : April 4, 2012

The truck for today is Racing Champions' 1953 Ford F-100.







Ford celebrated its golden anniversary with a new truck in 1953. The 1953-1956 Ford F-100 Pickup styling was clean and modern, but it had more. It looked like a truck: tough, solid, practical, and ruggedly handsome. That might explain its success when new, and also its almost cult-like following as a collector vehicle.

Also helping the F-100's appeal was a well-designed cab with comfortable driving position and convenient controls.




Production of the 1953 Ford F-100 Pickup :
116,437

Specifications of the 1953-1956 Ford F-100 Pickup:
Wheelbase, inches: 110.0-118.0
Length, inches: 189.1-203.2
Weight, pounds: 3,102-3,325
Price, new: $1,330-$1,611 (U.S.)


Engines for the 1953 Ford F-100 Pickup :ohv I-6
215 cid
101 horsepower







Scored this Mint Series RC at a flea market last fall. The opening and closing tail gate is nice for a model that was released in 1998.

Truck of the Day : April 3, 2012

The truck for today is the Motormax 1982 Chevy El Camino.




The Chevrolet El Camino is a coupe utility vehicle produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1959–1960 model years in response to the success of its rival, Ford Ranchero. Production resumed for the 1964–1977 model years based on the Chevelle platform, and continued for the 1978–1987 model years based on the Malibu. Although based on corresponding Chevrolet car lines, the vehicle is classified and titled in North America as a truck. GMC's badge engineered El Camino variant, the Sprint, was introduced for the 1971 model year. Renamed Caballero in 1978, it was also produced through the 1987 model year.El Camino is Spanish for "the road" or, alternatively, "the path", or quite literally, "the walk"




The 1978 through 1987 El Caminos were produced in four trim levels: Classic, Black Knight(1978)/Royal Knight(1979–83), Conquista and Super Sport, and shared chassis components with the Chevrolet Malibu. Chevrolet 90° V6 and Buick V6 engines were used for the first time. The optional 305 cubic-inch small block V8 was rated at 150 or 165 horsepower (123 kW), and from 1982–1984, the Oldsmobile-sourced Diesel engine was also optional.

The 1982 (through the final 1987) El Camino sported a frontal appearance with a crosshatch grille flanked by quad rectangular headlights. New under the hood for 1982 was a 105-horsepower 5.7-liter (350-cubic-inch) Diesel V8, which was also offered in Chevy's full-size cars. Though mileage with the diesel was commendable, it was an expensive option and would eventually amass a dismal repair record. Gasoline-engine choices were unchanged, except Chevy's 229-cubic-inch (3.8-liter) V6 was now standard in California-bound cars, replacing Buick's 231-cubic-inch V6.




Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_El_Camino to learn more on the El Camino.




Motormax released this El Camino as a new casting in 2011. While it would appear that the hood opens and even there are holes between the hood and fenders, it does not open. Also noticed the rear bumper was placed on upside down too which I corrected after taking the pics. To my knowledge this started out as Canadian only release and James was kind enough to include this one in our last trade

Car of the Day : April 2, 2012

The truck for today is the Majorette '78 Toyota Hilux.




The Toyota Hilux, and Toyota Tacoma, are compact pickup trucks built and marketed by the Toyota Motor Corporation. The Hilux name was adopted as a replacement for the Stout in 1969, and remains in use worldwide. In North America, the Hilux name was retired in 1976 in favor of Truck, Pickup Truck, or Compact Truck, until it was renamed the Tacoma in 1995. One popular option package, SR5 (Sport Rally 5-Speed), also became synonymous with the truck, even though it was used on other Toyota models as well. In 1984, the Trekker, the camper version of the Hilux, was changed to the 4Runner in Australia and North America, and as the Hilux Surf in Japan. The 4Runner is now a full SUV, and the more recent models do not resemble the Tacoma.




The redesigned Hilux was introduced in August 1978, with a 4WD variant introduced in Jan 1979. Production of 4WD variants stopped in July 1983,[1] but some 2WD variations continued in parallel with the next generation. The L series diesel engine was offered on the 2WD variants from September 1979 and the 4WD variants in March 1983.

In North America the Hilux saw the use of four wheel drive. It had a solid front axle and leaf suspension. The body saw a redesign that included single round headlights and a less complex body. These trucks became known as first generation 4WDs. This new 4WD setup featured a gear driven RF1A transfer case. This transfer case is unique in that its low-range reduction portion can be replicated, using what a California-based company, Marlin Crawler, refers to as a dual or triple transfer case. This results in a much lower overall gear ratio. It was the first Hilux available with an automatic transmission.




For more info, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Hilux







Metal base. Check. Working spring type suspension. Check. Opening hood. Check. Made in the native country of the company - France. Check. Scored this one from Quicksilverdc a few months ago.