Grandpa’s Oldsmobile 88

(Reposted from here.)

2011 was a difficult year to get through. In other places, I’ve mentioned some of my current troubles, but back in July, we lost Grandpa.

Grandpa used to work for the Highway Department. He was one of the guys you see out there every day making sure our roads are safe to drive on. But he also restored cars. I remember very few times when there wasn’t some project out in his garage at some stage of restoration. He’d buy some rusted out junker, and over the months to come, he’d slowly bring it back from the edge of death. When it was finished, he’d sell it and buy a new project. ’65 Mustangs, ’62 T-birds, even an Opel coupe.

But his favorite was the ’55 Oldsmobile 88. He had one when he was younger. He bought one new, and of course, always wanted another one.

Then, in 2010, he and his son, my uncle, found one. Now he was the kind of guy that cared as much for his wife as he did for his cars, and so when she developed health issues, he put his projects aside and took care of her. Oh, he’d tinker a bit here and there, but his priority was to get grandma back to health first. So it took a while to get the Oldsmobile finished.

Then, early in 2011, he was diagnosed with cancer.

He was a lifetime smoker, so it wasn’t a big surprise. A shock, yes, but not a surprise. But he managed to finish the Oldsmobile. It was the last car he worked on. He slipped into a coma. Then he left us.

Here she is: The last car grandpa restored. A 1955 Oldsmobile 88.

Now he had already made some commitments when it came to this car. So my uncle took the car to a show that grandpa really wanted to make it to. This was the day before the funeral. The Olds went to the show, and we were able to stand this next to his coffin at the visitation:

We’re pretty sure he’s pleased.

I was one of his pallbearers. All of us piled into that Olds and followed the Hearse to the cemetary. Right now it sits in his garage until my uncle can make room at his place for it.

Miss you, grandpa.

The Future of Tolen’s Library

So it’s a new year (and by some accounts the last year.  Ever).  What can you expect from me moving into 2012?

A lot more posts about Cars and Airplanes, for one.  I’ll be posting galleries of my die cast and model collection.  I don’t have many, but I do like to show them off.  that’s half the point after all.  I might even do a little research and write up a few articles about specific cars or planes.  Why?  Because it sounds like fun.

There probably won’t be much about games anymore, unless I can tie them into my collecting.  I just don’t have the time (actually, none of my friends have the time) to get a group together to play anything.  As such, the whole “writing my own rules” thing is probably going to fall apart. Again. For those of you new to my blog, you should know that this is my fourth blog.  Every previous incarnation died a slow and painful death.  Every other incarnation was about gaming or writing.  And the writing stuff was usually about gaming.

Besides collecting toy cars and planes (and other toys, when the opportunity presents itself) is so much more fulfilling.  I can do it on my own if need be, and friends and family seem far more interested in this hobby than the others.  Heck, even my wife can get into it.

So: from this point forward, expect more about cars, where to buy them, what’s available to buy, which scales I prefer, things like that.  You might learn a bit about my past (oh noes!), and why it is that it took until I was 37 to realize just how important things with motors were to me during my childhood.  I’m always scouring the net for the strange and bizarre, plus I’m looking for new places to buy more toys.  So keep an eye on the links section.  I’ll be updating that over the next few weeks.

(You might even see an updated “about me” page.)

Look for my first collectors-related post soon.  I’ll be taking pics of my M2Machines, and discussing a little bit about why I bought those cars, and not so many of the others they have.  Future posts will cover parts of my Hot Wheels collection, and of course, I have a Jada brand Shelby Cobra to show off (but I want to trade it in), and of course, my 1961 Mako Shark from MotorMax.  Then of course, I’ll have to post pics of my newest acquisitions.

So hopefully, I can keep this blog active this year, and maybe not get fed up with it and let it die like so many others have in the past.

Wishlist update…

Since my last post, I have found a whole world of diecast cars I didn’t know existed, but should have.  So new additions to my list:

The cars from the Mad Max movies.  How could I forget these?  The interceptor and the “last of the V8′s”  are just too cool to ignore.  Gotta get ‘em.

These are from AutoArt...which means expensive.

Just an awesome car...

How about the Monkees mobile?  I have a model kit, but would love to add one to my diecast set,  especially since the model is now missing pieces.

This one is even the right scale: 1:18

Nash Metropolitan, and the Metrorails.  The Metropolitans are just cute, and the rails are simply awesome.  Gotta have some!
Just look at this page (thanks 1970AMX!).

My first car was a ’74 AMC Hornet wagon (also called the “sportabout”), if anyone can find a diecast of any scale, preferably 1:18, I’d be forever in their debt.  Bonus points if it’s light blue.

Speaking of AMC’s, I’m open to collecting just about any of them.  As it stands, I have one Javelin and a Greased Gremlin.  Need to fix that, quick!  In particular, I’m looking for a good Rebel.

Nice Red, White and Blue...

I forgot to mention how much I liked Tron and Tron: Legacy.  But I started collecting after the merchandising faded away.  I’d love to get my hands on the Tron: Legacy die cast toys.

New Toys...

And Old.

Let’s look at airplanes for a bit, shall we?
I need a P-51 Mustang

An F4U Corsair

P39 Airacobra

De Havilland Mosquito

a Grumman Wildcat

F111 fighter bomber

The B2 flying wing

and an A-10 Warthog

And even all of that would only scratch the surface of my wishlist.  MiG’s, Hornets, Apache’s, Star Trek, Star Wars,  more mercury cougars…In short, I’ll never have a complete collection.  But isn’t that the fun?

My Collectors Wishlist

A week or two ago, I posted about some of the things I’d like to get.  It was too late for the Christmas season, but I still am asked every so often what I’m looking for.  So I thought I’d write a post strictly about the items that are on my collector’s car wishlist; the items I need to make my collection feel complete.

Of course, that is an illusion.  At no point do I expect to reach a point where I’ll say “You know, I have enough.”  I’ll always see something as I wander through the stores, and have to bring it home.

So with that said here is the list:

Let’s start with display cases.  I have a lot of Hot Wheels, and that collection is growing much faster than the rest.  So I don’t have enough display cases to show them all.  I’ve hand built-two of them, which take up all of the wall space I do have.  They are full.  I’d love to replace them with something a little more space-efficient.  Something like this: Display Case

I also need storage cases.  This is because of all of my collection, I have more cars than I can conveniently display (even once I get the above-mentioned displays).  I don’t want to get rid of any of them, so I need a good way to store the ones not on display.  They aren’t expensive, though they can be.  I saw one once that had each car pocket lined with foam.  After all, you gotta protect the finish!

For the vast majority of items that I’m always on the lookout for, it’s more of an issue of what I don’t want.  Personally, I’m no huge fan of Mustangs.  I’m also generally not into most foreign brands.  I like the Lamborghini Countach and Diablo, the occasional Ferrari, but otherwise, I’ll mostly skip it.

Brands I like above the rest, though, are easy:  Cougar, Jeep (most every type except the cherokee-type SUV’s), El Camino, Shelby Cobra, and of course Corvette (though only those from before, say 1970.  That’s not to mean I don’t like more modern ones, it’s just that the old ones had style and class the newer ones are missing).  Also, in general, older is better with the 70′s being the favorite.

1970 Cougar Eliminator, one of my favorites.

1963 Corvette Stingray Split Window

An Awesome Shelby Cobra

Furthermore, I want to see more pick-up trucks.  I’m tired of only being able to pick from 50′s era trucks or 90′s era.  There are a few in between, but not many.

This would be nice, for example.

As would this

As far as scale goes:  I’m willing to collect just about anything.  I have cars in 1:64, 1:24, and 1:18.  I prefer 1:18, but those take up a lot of space.  I collect aircraft, too.  but the scale numbers on those are somewhat harder to determine.  For the most part, bigger is better.

Brands of die cast manufacturers: Hot Wheels, obviously.  Not Matchbox so much.  They seem to me to be too “plasticy” for my taste.  M2 Machines make beautiful models.  Jada works as well, but they tend to go “blinged out” with their toys.  Motormax is great.  I dream of the day I can afford to buy a real AutoArt collectible.  The thing is, I have yet to see all of the different brands out there.  There may be some really good stuff out there I just haven’t come across yet.

Ok, so let’s look at specific items now:

First, Hot Wheels
Express Lane (This is the shopping cart car.)

The Hot Seat

Yes, a toilet racer.

Hot Rod Wagon (This is a kid’s toy wagon, with a big ole’ V8 in it.  But I’m picky…It has to be one dressed up as the Radio Flyer.)

This nice, but I prefer the red one...

The General Lee, Ecto 1 and the 1966 Batmobile.
In addition, I currently need two 2011 Heat Fleet cars: Customised C3500, and Pass’n Gass’r.  I also want to collect the 2012 Heat Fleet line, but only two are out that I know of: GMC MotorHome and Volkswagen Brasilia.  I already have the MotorHome.  I’m also after any and all Treasure Hunts (And Super Treasure Hunts).

Now, I’m less particular about specific items from other brands.  Basically, I’m looking for movie and TV cars (in fact, I want this set).  I have a Hot Wheels A-Team Van, but would not be opposed to owning other brands and other scales.  I’m also looking for muscle cars and pick ups that match the descriptions above.

There is one item I am very particular about.  I have to have this one.  I have the Motormax version, but I can’t afford this one.  It’s from AutoArt.  1961 Corvette Mako Shark.

I mentioned I collect Aircraft.  I like most helicopters, most early era aircraft, and most warplanes.  WW2 are favorite, but there’s no need to limit things too much.

So there you go, a short (ok, maybe not so short after all) overview of the kinds of things I’m looking for to add to my collection.

Thanks for looking!

 

Update: In a moment of weakness, I hit Ebay and scored Hot Seat and the Wagon.  Not only that, but the Hot Seat I won is actually two of them: A regular white one, and a chrome and red one.

My Holiday Wish List

Now that Christmas looms and there’s like zero chance that any strangers would have time to send me something just out of the blue…I thought maybe I’d put down where everyone can see it, just what I’ve been wanting.  This isn’t specifically a Christmas wish list, as some of these things I’ve wanted for a while, and some of them are things I want to add to my diecast and model collection.  Which of course just means that once the holidays are through, I’ll still be wishing for them:

Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Johnny Lightning, etc.: I prefer real world cars, just about anything from the ’50′s through the 70′s.  Some modern cars are cool, but not many (Dodge Viper, Lamborghini’s, Ford GT).  I have noticed that there seems to be a void when it comes to pickup trucks.  I mean most companies sell a few, but they almost always choose mid-’50′s models and only one or two.  When it comes to die cast, it seems that trucks are the ‘token black guy’ of the movies.

I like muscle cars.  I also like one of a kind cars.  Limited production runs, concept cars, things like that.  For example my favorite car is the 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator, available only from 1969 (when it came in three colors) and 1970 (when they expanded to six).  Then there’s the 1961 Corvette Mako Shark.  It’s a concept car, and so far as I know, there was only ever one made (not counting all the knock-off’s that are sure to have been made since).

I’m also looking for movie and TV cars.  I know that out there is a company that makes a three-pack of 1:24 scale Back to the Future Time machines, one from each movie.  Then I’ve seen another on a flight stand in hover mode.  I’ve even come across one modified to roll on railroad tracks.  I’d love each one.  I want Ecto-1, the Batmobile, The General Lee.  Heck, I even want the two-pack Greenlight (I think) makes of the cars from Bullitt.  And of course, I need to get “Eleanor” from the original Gone in Sixty Seconds.

Games: There are a few Role-playing games I would love to have.  I have most of the books I need for Rolemaster Standard System.  I’d love to get the rest.  Then there is “Classic Battletech”.  Another is Gear Krieg.  This year, Hasbro came out with a game called “Battleship: Galaxies” that I’d love to try.  In other words, if it s Pen and Paper game, I’d probably be able to find a place for it.  Wargames, however, and board games are more likely to see play at my house since it is so difficult to get a group together anymore.

And when I say board games, I’m not talking about “monopoly” here.  Battleship: Galaxies, Battletech, Cosmic Encounter, Civilization.  Games with depth, with tactics.  Games about something besides moving a token to the end faster than the other guys.  My favorites of all time are Car Wars and Star Fleet Battles.

Movies: Since my wife came down with cancer, we’ve had to cut back.  Netflix went on hold, and as such, I’m falling behind on my new movie viewing.  There are several out now that I would love to get to see: “Super 8″, “Cowboys and Aliens”, “The Mechanic”.

A laptop: I know, everyone has one by now.  Everyone has upgraded ti pads now.  But I’m still stuck on a desktop.  New computers are expensive, man.  And I can’t afford to dump that kind of money on something that really is a luxury.  Even if I thought it would help my writing (by having a word processor on hand just about everywhere).

My Truck: I have a love/hate thing going on with my truck.  It has problems, but I can’t afford to fix them.  I need lots of things done, from fixing the alternator to replacing an exhaust manifold.  There there’s all the body work and customizing I want to do.  The brakes need looked at, an alignment job needs done.  I need a new stereo.

The Number One, Top of the Wishlist item: But as long as my wish list is, there is one thing I can’t have: I wish my wife didn’t have cancer.

My Collectors Garage…

Earlier this week, I showed you a doll house I snagged from the side of the road (you can see the original post here:  My Next Hobby Project ).

I haven’t yet gotten started on it.  I have to wait at least until I’m not at work.  But I have three levels to work with, so I’m seriously thinking of going with one level being a garage, one being a car show area, and the third being the tarmac of an airfield.  I was given a Toys ‘R’ Us gift card this week, and managed to swoop in and grab at half price each two “True Heroes” die cast sets.  The first was a five pack of die cast aircraft, and the second was a larger (maybe 1:50 scale?) Die Cast P-38 Lightning. A hangar themed section would give me a good place to show off my newest die cast plane, as well as the Spitfire and Wright Flyer models I’ve built.

While I’m mostly collecting Diecast cars right now, I’ve always been keenly interested in aircraft.  Helicopters and warplanes in particular.  Any display model I use is going to have to give me a place to safely show off those items as well.  So when it’s all said and done, I’ll need room for two P-38′s, a P-61, a Hurricane, and the Wright Flyer, plus any of my other diecast planes I may decide will fit.

Now I just have to figure out whether I want to attempt to paint murals for the walls of my case, or see how hard it is to find photo-realistic background sheets to paste in.  Dilemmas, dilemmas…

My Next Hobby Project

Now that I’m growing beyond the original shelf space with my collection, I’m looking for something to use for the models my son and I have built, plus some of the 1:24 (or larger) scale cars I plan on buying in the future.

I’m also something of a ‘found objects’ kind of artist. Things people throw away are more interesting to me than most things sitting new and shiny on the shelf.

So when I saw this item on the side of the road on my way to a meeting, I had to pick it up:

Yeah, it’s a dollhouse.  For now.  It’s about three feet wide, maybe four tall.  But soon, I’ll repaint it.  I figure one level will be dressed as a garage, maybe another as a car show, and I’m thinking of a street scene or outdoors scene for the third.  As an alternative, I could do one level into a hangar or runway so I can display the model airplanes I’ve built.

Keep watching this space for more…

My Newest Hobby (Supplemental)

Earlier, I was telling you about my car collection.  I had to cut it short due to a sudden call from work.  So here’s the part I didn’t get to finish:  The pictures!

The first shot is of my ‘Shrine’.  It holds all of my current collection.  That includes the only Treasure Hunt Hot Wheel I’ve so far managed to find (2011′s ’59 Chevy Delivery).  I built the shelf last week myself out of wood I had set aside to build a model Trebuchet from.  In the other shots you can see the Jada toys Shelby Cobra, which is currently the star of my collection.  Soon, I’m going to add a Motormax ’61 Corvette Mako Shark to balance the shelf out.   (Just gotta wait for the delivery to come in.)

You can also see the pieces of that Road Champs corvette I’m working on.  I’ve masked off the white areas, and I’m just waiting for the primer to cure (I had an issue with the original coats).  That will end up being red and white with tinted windows, and a shiny white interior.

Generally speaking, I organize my collection into ‘cool muscle cars’ and ‘everything else’.  The cool muscle cars occupy the lower shelves, they get to show off closer to eye level.  The made up stuff, and the modern cars go higher.  I’m already looking at building a new shelf so I have room to expand.

My Newest Hobby

For the past few months, I’ve been collecting die-cast cars.  Most of them Hot Wheels.  Hot Wheels are inexpensive, and I can usually pick one or two whenever I go to Wal-Mart or such.  I also Collect M2 Machines.  These are more expensive, but the details and quality seem to be pretty high.

I originally started this to be able to put back something that I could sell when retirement age came along.  Even if the prices weren’t outrageous then, at least they’d be worth more than I paid.  This was in reaction to the crappy 401k I get from work.  But then it became fun.  That investment goal has fallen by the wayside.  I mean, I still aim to keep them in good shape so that I can still sell some of them later, but now the whole point of the collection now is to learn and enjoy hunting down new additions.

It’s a good thing I found this hobby, too.  You see, my wife has been sick.  She was sick before I started collecting, but we didn’t know what it was.  Around October, we finally got the the news.  It’s cancer.  That will change your life, I guarantee it.  I’m not here today to cry on a bunch of stranger’s shoulders.  I’m not begging for help or handouts.  I’m just telling you they way it is.  And collecting these cars has helped keep me sane over the last few months.  You’d be surprised how much nervous energy can be worked off through this hobby.

I’m still new to this game, but I’ve learned a lot.  Most of my info comes from the guys over at Hobby Talk (Jada Toys).  Hiya guys!

My collection is currently up to 71 Hot Wheels, 2 Hilco, 10 M2 Machines, and a single Jada.  Oh, I also have a Road Champs Corvette.  But it was an ugly brown, so I’m repainting it.

When I started, I was trying to work on a complete collection of 2011 Hot Wheels, as well as a complete set of M2 Machines.  I gave that up pretty quickly.  Now I focus on muscle cars mainly, with a few movie and tv related items.  When I get a new addition, I spend some time learning about the car in question.  I’ve learned the history of Ford motor company, AMC, Chevy.  I learned how Carroll Shelby created the first Shelby Cobra.  I’ve found out about one-off variants of Corvettes that I would just love to get my hands on.  It’s even put me in mind of maybe looking into a good mechanics school once our situation stabilizes a bit.

A little bit of background about myself.  My dad is an amateur artist.  Growing up, the house was always full of things he’d painted.  The most watched show growing up: Bob Ross.  He painted miniatures, he painted ceramic statues of wizards.  He worked in wood.  It’s pretty hard to live in a place like that without some of that rubbing off on you, and so I hold an Associates Degree in Art Education.  But he also introduced me to Dungeons and Dragons.  I branched out from there to play Car Wars, Star Fleet Battles, and almost any RPG I could find players for.  We’re also trekkies.  I love movies.

Now, all of this is rubbing off on my son.  I couldn’t be happier.

In my collection, I have corvette stingrays (’63, ’66, and a 2009 concept).  A pair of El Camino’s, Camaro’s (old style, and new), Firebirds, Cougars, GTO’s, Chevelles, Cobras, the list goes on and on.  My favorite muscle cars I have in pairs or trios.  The current pride of my collection: a bright yellow Shelby Cobra by Jada toys (Shelby Cobra).  It’s currently the only 1:24 scale car I have.  I love it.  I wish it had different wheels, though.  I’m looking for a good set of racing wheels to swap out.

I have three ’57 Bel Aires, and a 57′ Nomad.  Oh, and a ’57 Chevy 150.  I have a thing for fins.  These are all M2 Machines (www.m2machines.com).

I was going to write more, but I guess I’m out of time for now.  There’ll be more to come.

Today’s Haul

Here are the cars I got today.