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!

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Hot Wheels 1:64: 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS

The Porsche 911 GT3 is a high-performance homologation model of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is a range of high-performance models, which began with the 1973 911 Carrera RS. The GT3 has had a successful racing career in the one-make national and regional Porsche Carrera Cup and GT3 Cup Challenge series, as well as the international Porsche Supercup supporting the FIA Formula One World Championship.




Hot Wheels 1:64: Toyota Soarer

The Toyota Soarer is a personal luxury GT coupé produced from 1981 to 2005 by Toyota and sold in Japan. It was available at both Japanese Toyota dealerships called Toyota Store and Toyopet Store, and it debuted with the Z10 series, replacing the Toyopet Store exclusive Mark II coupé, the Toyota Auto Store exclusive Chaser coupé, and both the Toyota Store exclusive Crown coupé and Carina coupé.

In 1986, the Z20 series Soarer was launched, based on the then-new A70 series Supra platform, which was exclusive to Toyota Corolla Store locations. In 1991, the Z30 series Soarer premiered in Japan, while its Lexus equivalent, the SC 300/400, debuted in the US market (where the Soarer nameplate was not available).

While externally identical to the SC, the Z30 series Soarer lineup offered different powertrain specifications and multiple unique vehicle configurations. In 2001, Toyota introduced a convertible-only successor in Japan as the Z40 series Soarer and elsewhere as the SC 430. In contrast to the previous series, the Z40 series Soarer and SC were based on a single model and were largely equivalent. In 2005, following the introduction of Lexus in Japan, the Soarer name and emblem were discontinued, and the Z40 model became the SC 430 in common with worldwide markets.

When introduced in Japan, the Soarer competed with the Nissan Skyline, Nissan Leopard, and Mazda Cosmo coupés and served as Toyota's halo car, often introducing new technologies before they were installed on other Toyota products. All versions of the Soarer featured a unique winged lion emblem (often mistakenly called a Griffin) as the logo throughout the vehicle.




Hot Wheels 1:64: 1992 Mazda 323 GTR

The Mazda Familia, also marketed prominently as the Mazda 323, Mazda Protegé and Mazda Allegro, is a small family car that was manufactured by Mazda between 1963 and 2003. The Familia line was replaced by the Mazda3 / Axela for 2004.

It was marketed as the Familia in Japan, which means "family" in Latin. For export, earlier models were sold with nameplates including: "800", "1000", "1200", and "1300". In North America, the 1200 was replaced by the Mazda GLC, with newer models becoming "323" and "Protegé". In Europe, all Familias sold after 1977 were called "323".

The Familia was also rebranded as the Ford Laser and Ford Meteor in Asia, Oceania, Southern Africa, some Latin American countries and, from 1991, as the Ford Escort and Mercury Tracer in North America. In addition, the Familia name was used as the Mazda Familia Wagon/Van, a badge-engineered version of the Nissan AD wagon (1994–2017) and Toyota Probox (2018–present).

Mazda Familias were manufactured in the Hiroshima Plant and also assembled from "knock-down kits" in various countries including Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Colombia, and New Zealand. Some of these plants kept manufacturing the Familia long after it was discontinued at home.




Hot Wheels 1:64: 1983 DMC DeLorean

The DMC DeLorean is a rear-engine, two-seat sports car manufactured and marketed by John DeLorean's DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) for the American market from 1981 until 1983 - ultimately the only car brought to market by the fledgling company. The DeLorean is sometimes referred to by its internal pre-production designation, DMC-12, although this was not used in sales or marketing materials for the production model.

Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the DeLorean is noted for its gull-wing doors and brushed stainless-steel outer body panels, as well as its lack of power and performance. It uses the V6 PRV engine "designed by committee" in the 1970s used in Peugeot, Renault and Volvo Cars.

With the first production car announced on January 21, 1981, the design incorporated numerous minor revisions to the hood, wheels and interior before production ended in late December 1982, shortly after DMC filed for bankruptcy. Total production reached an estimated 9,000 units. Though its production was short-lived, the DeLorean became widely known after it was featured as the time machine in the Back to the Future films.

Despite the car having a reputation for poor build quality and an unsatisfactory driving experience, the DeLorean continues to have a strong following. 6,500 DeLoreans were estimated to still be on the road as of 2015.





Matchbox 1:64: 1963 Mercedes Unimog 406

The Unimog 406 is a vehicle of the Unimog-series by Mercedes-Benz. A total of 37,069 units were manufactured by the Daimler-Benz AG in the Unimog plant in Gaggenau from 1963 to 1989. The 406 was the first medium duty Unimog, having a larger wheelbase of 2380 mm and more than twice the engine power of the Unimog 401. Unlike the initial Unimog, the 406 does not have a car engine but a heavy duty truck engine instead. Several following Unimog versions were based on the 406. There were eleven different types made of the Unimog 406, which were available in four models (U 65 - U 84) with a closed two-door or four-door cab, as Cabrio and as an OEM part (a "half" Unimog lacking the rear part, as a basis for third party vehicle manufacturers). During its long production period, the 406 received several technical refinements. In 1964, the precombustion chamber diesel engine OM 312 was replaced with the direct injected OM 352. Disc brakes followed in 1973. For many enthusiasts, the now highly collectible Unimog 406 represents the classical Unimog, having agricultural and silvicultural applications with the last of the drum braked 1973 406BT being the most desirable for collectors. It was successful and the best embodiment of the word Universal-Motor-Gerät considering all prior Unimogs.




Matchbox 1:64: 1975 Opel Kadett

The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel from 1936 until 1940 and then from 1962 until 1991 (the Cabrio continued until 1993), when it was succeeded by the Opel Astra.

Originally, the Kadett was Opel's smallest model; however, as it grew in size with each generation (ultimately competing in the European C-segment), the Opel Corsa became GM/Opel's entry-level model.