Welcome to my blog. It was initially created in 2012 to post music I recorded. I posted a few quick experiments in 2013 and never posted music again, though I did record more. Since I already owned lots of boats and outboard motors, I decided to post about boats, ATVs and snowmobiles. I posted a few snowmobile photos and then nothing until 2025. Since I planned to sell my cottage and move south, I started selling all my boats and motors and switched to Radio Control vehicles in early 2024. In February 2025 I started collecting 1:64 scale diecast vehicles and decided to catalogue them on this blog...may you find freedom in my toys!

Saturday, July 5, 2025

Display & Random 1:64 Photos

Cleaned and reorganized the display and cars today, so I took a few photos...👀





Greenlight 1:64: 1983 Dodge Diplomat (Florida Highway Patrol State Trooper)

The Dodge Diplomat is an American mid-size car that was produced by Dodge from 1977 to 1989. At launch, it shared a common design with the Chrysler LeBaron and for much of its later production run was the counterpart of the more upscale Chrysler Fifth Avenue and lower priced Plymouth Gran Fury. It was also sold in Mexico between 1981 and 1982 as the Dodge Dart, and in Colombia as the Dodge Coronet. The Diplomat was initially offered in a coupe and a sedan; in 1978, station wagons were added as replacements for the discontinued full-sized C-body wagons.

The Diplomat was offered with a 225 cu in (3.7 L) straight-6 engine a well as optional 318 cu in (5.2 L) and 360 cu in (5.9 L) V8s. The Diplomat, along with its Plymouth Gran Fury/Caravelle twin, were popular police cars both in North America. The three-speed Torqueflite automatic transmission was most popular, but a manual transmission was available until 1981 only on six cylinder and 318 V8 models.

 



M2 Machines 1:64: 1976 Ford Bronco

The Ford Bronco is a model line of SUVs manufactured and marketed by Ford. The first SUV model developed by the company, five generations of the Bronco were sold from the 1966 to 1996 model years. A sixth generation of the model line was introduced for the 2021 model year. The nameplate has been used on other Ford SUVs, namely the 1984-1990 Bronco II compact SUV and the 2021 Bronco Sport compact crossover.

Originally developed as a compact off-road vehicle using its own chassis, the Bronco initially competed against the Jeep CJ-5 and International Scout. For 1978, Ford enlarged the Bronco, making it a short-wheelbase version of the F-Series pickup truck; the full-size Bronco now competed against the Chevrolet K5 Blazer and Dodge Ramcharger.

Following a decline in demand for large two-door SUVs, Ford discontinued the Bronco after the 1996 model year, replacing it with the four-door Ford Expedition; followed by the larger Ford Excursion. After a 25-year hiatus, the sixth-generation Bronco was reintroduced in 2021 as a mid-size two-door SUV. It is also offered as a full-size four-door SUV with a 16 in (41 cm) longer wheelbase. It competes directly with the Jeep Wrangler as both a two-door and a four-door (hardtop) convertible.

From 1965 to 1996, the Ford Bronco was manufactured by Ford at its Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, Michigan, where it also manufactures the sixth-generation version.




M2 Machines 1:64: 1964 Ford Econoline Van (Gasser)

The Ford E-Series (aka the Ford Econoline, Ford Econovan or Ford Club Wagon) is a range of full-size vans manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for 1961 as the replacement of the Ford F-Series panel van, four generations of the model line have been produced. Marketed for both cargo and passenger transport, the E-Series has had multiple designs for both retail and commercial sale, including vans, and commercial-grade cutaway van chassis and stripped chassis (a chassis without bodywork).

With over 8.2 million units sold since 1961, the Ford E-Series is the third-best selling van line in history (outranked only by the Ford Transit and Volkswagen Transporter). Ford retired the E-Series passenger and cargo vans after 2014, replacing them with the Ford Transit. The E-Series remains offered exclusively in cutaway and stripped-chassis configurations. In 2021, the model line became the second existing Ford line to enter its 60th year of production.

The E-Series (cutaway/stripped chassis) is assembled by Ford at its Ohio Assembly facility (Avon Lake, Ohio), which has produced the model line since 1975. Prior to its closure, Lorain Assembly (Lorain, Ohio) assembled the model line from 1961 to 2005.




Matchbox 1:64: 1974 Toyota Celica GT Liftback

The Toyota Celica is an automobile produced by Toyota from 1970 until 2006. The Celica name derives from the Latin word coelica meaning heavenly or celestial. In Japan, the Celica was exclusive to Toyota Corolla Store dealer chain. Produced across seven generations, the Celica was powered by various four-cylinder engines, and body styles included convertibles, liftbacks, and notchback coupé.

In 1973, Toyota coined the term liftback to describe the Celica fastback hatchback, and the GT Liftback would be introduced for the 1976 model year in North America. Like the Ford Mustang, the Celica concept was to attach a coupe body to the chassis and mechanicals from a high volume sedan, in this case the Toyota Carina.

The first three generations of North American market Celicas were powered by variants of Toyota's R series engine. In August 1985, the car's drive layout was changed from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive turbocharged models were manufactured from October 1986 to June 1999. Variable valve timing came in certain Japanese models starting from December 1997 and became standard in all models from the 2000 model year. In 1978, a restyled six-cylinder variant was introduced as the Celica Supra (Celica XX in Japan); it would be spun off in 1986 as a separate model, becoming simply the Supra. Lightly altered versions of the Celica were also sold through as the Corona Coupé through the Toyopet dealer network from 1985 to 1989, and as the Toyota Curren through the Vista network from 1994 to 1998.




M2 Machines 1:64: 1955 Dodge Royal Lancer

The Dodge Royal is an automobile produced by Dodge in the United States from the 1954 through 1959 model years.

First generation (1954)
The Royal was introduced for the 1954 model year as the top trim level of the Dodge line, above the mid level Dodge Coronet and the base level Dodge Meadowbrook. It was offered only with a 241 cubic inch 'Hemi' V8 engine. The 1954 Royal V-8 range comprised 4-Door Sedan, Convertible, Club Coupe and Sport Coupe, the latter being a 2-door hardtop.

In 1954, Dodge President William Newberg drove a yellow, Hemi-powered Dodge convertible as the pace car for the Indy 500, the first Dodge to ever do so. To commemorate the event, Dodge offered a mid-year package called the Royal 500, a special trim package to add to the Royal convertible. This package included chrome wire wheels, special badging and a continental spare wheel kit on the rear. Officially, Dodge built 701 of these pace car replicas.

Second generation (1955-1956)

The introduction of the Dodge Custom Royal for the 1955 model year saw the Royal moved down to the intermediate trim level, above the now base-model Coronet. The Royal Lancer name was applied to the 2-door hardtop model and Royal Sierra to the new station wagon models.

For 1956 the use of the Royal Lancer name was extended to include a new 4-door hardtop model. Station wagons now included 2-door Royal Custom Suburban and 4-door Royal Custom Sierra models. External changes were mainly the growth of tailfins, redesigned taillight housings and side trim treatments. Changes at the front were limited to the addition of six "fins" in the grille (not to be found on the lower-grade Coronet) and an altered hood ornament.





Thursday, July 3, 2025

Assorted 1:64 Rally Cars

Playing with some of the more collectible/pricey ones in the DIRT!! 👀