Consider the Rocks Shocked!

In 2009 Matchbox introduced a rock crawlers dream to their line-up. The Rock Shocker now has a fresh coat of paint and is ready to hit the trail hard again in 2010.

This truck has been striped to it's bones to make it the ultimate rock crawler, the bed, and all glass have been removed, even the front fenders and grill. Instead of a bed, the Rock Shocker features a cage designed not only to mount the shocks, but also to accommodate a fuel cell and a transmission cooling system sporting two electronic fans for some non-stop pedal pounding.

Custom bumpers protect the front and rear, with a roll bar protecting the squish bits inside. Everything  rides on a long arm suspension allowing excellent suspension travel with a stable low stance.

The action doesn't stop when the sun goes down, as this rig is sporting 5 HID lights above the cab as well as two more replacing the stock headlights. The Rock Shocker certainly is all thrills and no frills. In fact we are still speculating exactly what kind of truck she was before all the modifications... On a closing note, this rig does not really seem designed to stray to far from the trailer, as it is not toting a spare tire, so perhaps more of a competition rig than a trail rig. Maybe a little customization is in order.

The Sandblaster

The Hot Wheels 2010 model year sees the introduction of a brilliant pre-runner style off-road truck: the Sandblaster!  Based on the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, HW designer Jun Imai has taken the Raptor to the next level.

Immediatly you'll notice the upgraded off-road tires, wheels, and lifted suspension, offering improved ground clearance for extreme wheeling. Ground clearance has been improved from 2mm on the MBX Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, to 3mm on the Sandblaster.

The next thing that really caught my attention was the pre-runner style bumper, the fiberglass fenders and bedsides, and instead of a bed you'll find a rear cage protecting the sizable fuel cell and a tank of compressed air or nitrogen. Topping all this off is a whopping total of seven HID lights to chase away the darkness. 

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is a really exciting truck and I have to tip my hat to Jun Imai for making the beautiful pre-runner rendition that is the Sandblaster. In fairness, to offer some criticism, I would have liked to see a spare tire, as I don't think I would leave home without one. As with any die-cast truck with large wheels bent axles seem to be the rule and not the exception, so it is likely I will upgrade my Sandblaster with more sturdy axles in the not-so-distant future.

I am looking forward to seeing even more exciting off-road vehicles coming out of El Segundo. So before your next big race, be it the Baja 1000 or the Backyard 100, be sure you check out this capable pre-runner.

The Collectorat

I figure that a good place to start would be with my current collecting philosophy.  At present I am focused on collecting racing cars and off-road trucks... and seeing as how I cannot afford these at the 1:1 scale, I live vicariously by collecting the smallest alternative (or close to it for you knit-pickers).

My collection consists of Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Johnny Lightning and Greenlight brand die-cast collectibles, with a bit of Maisto and other odds and ends. I largely tend to avoid Maisto, M2 Machines and Jada and such because the notion of what is and what is not "scale" can be a bit annoying, really nothing at all against their cars, I think they're great, just not for me. Admittedly, Mattel's children (HW and MBX) do not strictly produce 1:64 scale models (3 inches, technically), but they are pretty close most of the time, and when I set them down next to a JL or GL ride, they all look like they belong on the same block.

In an effort to not allow my entire life to be consumed by tiny cars and trucks, I have limited the scope of my collection (well, loosely). I largely prefer racing cars to the standard paint scheme, and I collect just about any kind or race car, GT cars, Le Mans cars, Drift cars, Dragsters, Rally cars, Stock cars, you name it! Even if it is just a regular road car with a number painted on the side, sufficient for me. Where I get a little more loosey-goosey is with the off-road trucks and such (even better if it is an off-road race truck!).

Funny thing I find is that different brands seem to fill different needs.

Hot Wheels is really the primary supplier of most of my racing cars and "custom" off-road trucks.

Matchbox is my primary supplier of stock trucks and off-road competition rigs, including Baja racers and such.

Johnny Lightning is my secondary source for racing cars, and these are usually just your standard road car with a number painted on the side... but, they are great for finding "custom" cars for the drag strip!  Fat tires and an even fatter engine bulging from the engine bay can often prove irresistible!

Greenlight has offered a few great drag racers and even a road racer or two, but price and availability usually keep them in the background of my collecting efforts.

I hope that this sheds some light on my interests and explains to some my reasoning in future posts.

A Brief Introduction

Welcome to Diecastination! As you may infer from this blogs title, die-cast collectibles will be the primary topic of discussion. This blog will also likely highlight the inspiration for said die-cast collectibles.  Die-cast cars and trucks are a primary source of procrastination in my life, thus "Diecastination" is born. Be seeing you!