Still no sign of Hot Wheels Cargo Carriers...

After the JH2 series comes the Hot Wheels Cargo Carriers for the latest Car Culture instalment which I did an unboxing video on YouTube. It is a pain on the mental and wallet for majority of Hot Wheels collectors outside USA. We have to resort ordering online instead of just picking them up on pegs. They may come in weeks or months or never after USA releases.

Of course these are the new breeds of CC which Mattel set them at a higher price. I can see the effort and details but I just could not come to terms with the card. The oversize card no doubt with more room for graphics also add to the shipping cost of course this is not the case if I can have the luxury to pick it up on the peg.

It takes up unnecessary space and comes in a larger than usual carton. On the castings its a different story I must say I’m impressed with the level of details Mattel has put into it. The details are almost on par when I shoot the Ford Transit Super Van with the Porsche GT2 Gulf version

The VW Sunagon is also the “chase” car with one per set and that makes it 3 pieces for the Ford Transit.  The Honda Odyssey which appears in the “Fastest Cars” series on Netflix is my current favourite among the lot.

I can’t share he retail prices for Singapore as we still do not have any sign for JH2 yet sad… Anyway we will still end up paying for Hot Wheels after all the rant and has our local distributors need to buck up on that.

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Hot Kustoms Unboxing: Hot Wheels Cargo Carriers with Nissan C10 Skyline ...

And so without waiting for another few more months or never for the Car Culture Cargo Carriers to hit my local stores. I got myself a case and did a quick unboxing video. First of all while the cards are nice in presentation it is cumbersome and a waste of storage area. 

The outer case has becomes bigger which adds more to shipping and most of the cards are warped due to the way its been packed. I hope Mattel will go back to its original card size and save a dollar or 2 on our pockets although I do not really know the retail prices in Singapore as we do not even have the JH2.

Now lets get to the cars. If you are a loose and carded collector like me you will be disappointed to learn that there is only one VW Sunagon in the case. Hence you will be left an incomplete carded set if you crack open the Sunagon casting. I guess Mattel foresee this will be a pegwarmer hence they come out with one for a case which makes it 3 Ford Super Van. Why not the Skyline? :)

The Sunagon is not a new casting but I like the decor especially the wood panelling. It is also nice to see the 4 spokes wheelset which we commonly seen on a JDM to be on a VW. Actually the Gulf Ford super Van is my favourite maybe because of the Gulf theme. This is the first Gulf Van for the Gulf series and will look nice with any Gulf collection especially its orange wheelset. This may be even be a potential pegwarmer as well given 3 pieces per case.

Apart from the Skyline, I am also very looking forward to the Mooneyes VW T1 Panel Bus. With its bold distinctive Mooneyes icon against the signature Hot Wheels flames. This is definitely a must have for all collectors. It comes with moon wheels as well. 

The Honda Odyssey and C10 Nissan Skyline are both new castings. I like the Bisimoto Odessey as it is clean and looks premium as well. It also comes with star wheels which is definitely a stunner! The Skyline wagon is actually the one I’m looking forward to. However I’m don’t feel really excited when I saw the casting. I don’t know why maybe its is overhype and oversell for the Skyline wagon that I have position this casting to my top lists and turns out to me not.

I still remember how excited I was opening the JH1 Datsun wagon and the TLV Datsun estate wagon but not this. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel for more updates and follow @hotkustoms in Instagram and Twitter.

Hot Kustoms Unboxing: Tomica Team Mugen with Honda NSX

First of all I have to admit I purchased this Tomica boxset for 2 reasons the NSX safety car and the Team Mugen graphics on the "trailer". 

I personally do not collected the Tomica trailer since day one as I found them way too small as compared with the rest. Yes Tomica comes in all scales and sizes but this trailer got to be my first since the rest of the individual trailer comes in tooth paste boxes.

If you are a Honda fan great but unlike he ever popular Civics, the Honda 660 has not much of a fanfare among collectors. It's first colour mainline in yellow released in 2016 can still be found in most retail stores in Singapore today.

The NSX safety car is my top pick. It goes well with the NSX mainline pair with additional livery and lightbar. Overall the boxset goes well with my Civic Mugen RR who fnally has his own team!

Enjoy the video! Please subscribe to my channel for more updates and follow @hotkustoms in Instagram.

Hot Wheels Vs Tomica Honda Civic Type R Part 2

In this diecast hobby especially if you collect Hot Wheels and you do not live in U.S.A or Malaysia , you will have the frustration of seeing hundreds of IG and FB posts about collectors getting the latest Hot Wheels cars on pegs but not you.

As a collector from Singapore we are close to Malaysia where Hot Wheels factory is located but unlike the Malaysians we will only see those latest releases 3-6 months later. Thankfully the most important things in this hobby is friendship. We have bros who purchased in bulk from U.S for these latest releases and sell at a bargain to collectors to keep up with the Hot Wheels game or from buddies in the States.

Such as the Bisimoto Honda Civic TypeR your see here which I get from my buddy. Similar to what I did for my previous post, the TypeR is actually very close to the Tomica version which both sits at 1/64 scale. They are close in size and being in red it is actually very close to the Tomica Event Model (TEM) version. I like the stance of Hot Wheels better and they did a very good job cause the price is 2 times cheaper than a regular Tomica.

The TypeR castings for both makers share the same specifications with their latest release. While Hot Wheels only have 2 at the moment. Tomica already has several since the No.76 TypeR launch in 2016. I have faithfully collected the FK series and in the video I also feature my only 2 FDs as well.

Enjoy the video!

2018 New Majorette release with Honda Civic TypeR Preview

For Majorette fans rejoiced! If you are not, 2018 is a good year to start collecting Majorette mini cars as they have a whole new range of new releases slated for this year. First big thanks to Majorette for these samples! The one I’m most excited about is the new Honda Civic TypeR casting. I am 100% positive that this will be in every collectors want list.

The 1/58 TypeR comes with the signature pearl white finish body with opening hatch. It comes with a 6 spokes rim with suspension and rolls superb. Needless to say this is definitely the most anticipated casting for 2018 and I believe Majorette will do a few more colour variations of the TypeR. Just be sure to do one in Police version :) Fingers crossed.

For Skyline collectors, Majorette has the MJT Motorsport livery which is a nice addition to their GT-R fleet. The castings is basically the same except for the new racing livery. The next in line is the VW Polo WRC casting which is similar to the No.1 collectors favourite the Redbull Racing Team. This Polo comes with the default VW Motorsport livery and definitely pairs well with the Redbull Team.

The Toyota Hilux Revo is also a new castings for 2018. I received the most query for this when I shared it on IG. It do not have any opening parts but it will definitely go along with majority of Majorette play sets or into your collection if you are a truck lover. Not to mention the full range of Majorette 2018 release will be displayed at our Singapore very first Diecast Expo on 28 - 29 April at National Design Center.

I will share a few more upcoming Majorettes in a bit and remember to stayed tuned to Hot Kustoms YouTube channel or follow me on my IG @hotkustoms. Overall 2018 is looking very bright for Majorette!

Hot Kustoms Review: Tomica Limited Vintage TLV '97 Vs '99 Honda Civic T...

I can assume Feb, Mar and May for 2018 are the months I have to survive with cup noodles because it is a heavy month for Tomica Limited Vintage (TLV) releases. Apart from the Nostalgic Datsun series and the blue collar Hino trucks. The long awaited Honda Civic TypeR is on every collector wish list.

I got the Civics in late Feb and I was more than impressed with the finishing and presentation of this castings. So perfect especially the iconic white TypeR which will looks very well with my Tomica Limited FD2 TypeR. However I was also  very impressed with the yellow TypeR released for Mar along with the metallic flake black.

I believe we have all seen the preview photos for this Civics in the past and I’m actually wondering why these color variants have back to back release. In fact the pair released in Feb is the ’97 model and the pair for Mar is the ’99 model.

Hence it is a different model not just a recolor of the same castings. Upon closer inspection, there is actually one obvious difference. That’s the front bumper cover. Otherwise they are basically the same. I must applaud TLV who faithfully replicated cars from a 1:1 to 1:64 in precision to take this opportunity to come out with these variants.

I will not be surprised to see a white ’99 TypeR and a ’97 Yellow in the near future.This means more castings to collect and more money for them. Win. Win. And yes they roll perfectly fine.

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Hot Kustoms Review: Tomica Limited Vintage Honda Civic Type R

Finally the iconic Honda Civic TypeR has finally come to the Tomica Limited Vintage (TLV) Series. I was like a kid in a candy store while unboxing the pair of TypeR and it absolutely looks stunning!

The white is of course the most iconic of the Honda TypeR. In fact the last time we see a TypeR with rubber wheels is the now retired FD2 TypeR for Tomica Limited (TL) series. 

In similar fashion to the TLV EK9 TypeR. They sport the same color and will definitely looks perfect as a pair which will comes to my channel soon!. I urge all TLV collectors or new collectors to get at least a set of these beauties before the price sky rocket!

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Tomica 2018 Tokyo Auto Salon Exclusive

The annual Tokyo Auto Salon held in Japan attracts not just thousands of car enthusiasts but also a large number of Tomica and diecast collectors as well.

Of course Tomica has a booth every year with a snake queue of buyers way before its open to lay their hands on the Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) exclusives.

Unlike the Tokyo Motor Show the TAS series always have the hottest car. This year line up include:

• TAS Honda Civic Type-R

• TAS AE86

• TAS Mercedes AMG GT-R

• Lexus 10th Anniversary Lexus RC F

These TAS set is strictly limited to 3 sets per visitor so if you want another 3 sets you will have to rejoin the queue which you will practically spent half a day for the queue.  Or you may opt to return the next day. I heard the set was sold out on the 2nd day.

As much as I appreciate these. These cars are actually just another mainline reissue with special paint with the TAS logo slap on it. Nothing really extraordinary about it except it attracts many resellers who want to lay their hands on it for resale as the run is limited to just one run. The box design as always are top notch with TAS branding. Except the Lexus which is beautifully designed with carbon fibre texture print on the box flap just like Nismo editions.

Overall I must thank my friend who help me and a few others secure a set after hours of queuing to make this review possible and into my collection.

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My favourite Hot Wheels wheelswap with real ri...

A walk through of 32 castings in my Hot Wheels collection which I have wheelswap and updates

those wheelsets from time to time. I always have fun with Hot Wheels, not to mention wheelswap 

are addictive. 

1. 2017 Honda Civic Type-R

2. Datsun 240Z (Zamac)

3. Datsun 510 Bluebird

4. Nissan 350Z (F&F series)

5. Nissan Skyline R34 Road (Trippin series)

6. Nissan Skyline R34 

7. Nissan Skyline R34 (F&F series)

8. Nissan Skyline R34  (Zamac)

9. Honda Civic EF (Zamac)

10. Nissan Skyline R32 (Gran Turismo series)

11. Nissan Skyline R32 (5 Pack series)

12. Subaru WRX STi (Thunt)

13. Datsun 510 Wagon (Japan Historics Car Culture series)

14. Datsun 510 Wagon (Kmart)

15. Datsun 510 Wagon 

16. Datsun 510 Wagon (Zamac)

17. Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-X Hako (Road Trippin series)

18. Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-X Hako (Redline series)

19. Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-X Hako

20. Subaru Brat (Cool Classics series)

21.Subaru Brat (Trucks Car Culture series)

22.Range Rover

23.Ford F-150

24.Lamborghini Super Trofeo

25.Honda S2000 (Cool Classics series)

26.Ferrari Berlinetta (Zamac)

27.1987 Toyota Pick Up

28.1987 Toyota Pick Up (Cool Classics series)

29.Nissan 180SX

30.Datsun 510 Wagon (STH)

31.Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R Kenmeri 

(Japan Historics Car Culture series)

32.Porsche 993 GT2 (STH)

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Tarmac Works 2017 HK Toy Festival Special Edition

I still remember how impressed I am when I got my first Tarmac Works (TW) Bathing Ape Audi R8. The attention to details is similar to my favourite Tomica Limited Vintage (TLV) in 1/64. This alone is pretty awesome for a Hong Kong brand whose forte lies in 1/43 and 1/18.

Presentation itself is awesome. Each of them come with a sleeve in TW trademark container design along with a jewel case. They are considered as model cars category with limited runs for each release. Since then, I guess I have more than a dozen of 1/64 TW castings. Thanks to my buddy who distribute them. 

TW business is based on local distributorships and not available in retail. Just last month TW announce that they will release 3 castings for the 2017 Hong Kong Toy Festival edition limited to1248 pieces. They are 2016 Civic FK2 , Evolution Lancer X and the Audi R8 LMS which are instantly gobble up at the event. For the rest of the international buyers, TW announced a small quantity will be available at TW.com.

Hence I join the rest to give a go to purchase them online. Unlike Hotwheels collectors.com (HWC) the experience is terrible. The cars are released at 10.40am instead of the promised 10am and there is no waiting room. Once I purchase and check out my cart which takes all in 3 minutes the Civics are sold out. Hence I cancel my entire order. 

Thankfully here are the 3 models which I got from my local dealer which are all I need. :) My favourite will be the Audi R8.

2016 Honda Civic Type R FK2, Modulo Version.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X Final Concept

Audi R8 LMS 2015 Macau FIA World Cup E. Mortara

The Red Hot 2017 Tomica Honda Civic Type R Event Model...

The inner voice of me constantly ring. “Grab the Hot Wheels Datsun Bluebird! “ “Get all the Tomica Civic Type R!” whenever I go diecast hunting. Unlike the Hot Wheels Datsun Bluebird 510 which are pegwarmers in those days, the Tomica Honda Civic Type R are the hotcakes many collectors chase for. Back in 2007 the No. 54 mainline FD2 model was instantly gobbled up with none left behind on retail shortly after it release.

I can’t recall how much I paid for the No. 54 3rd Gen FD2 mainline which now command a high price in the secondary market. And even more expensive for the code 3 custom cars which I will write about in my coming posts. Early this year after the release of the sold out mainline Type R FK2 in 2016. Tomica announce it will release a similar FK2 for their upcoming Osaka Tomica Event Model (TEM) in April. 

Hype and speculation stir up the diecast community and everyone including me hope to get at least just one for their collection which run in very limited numbers for the event. “I can forgo all the models. But I must get the Civic Type R!” which I jokingly tell my friends. 

Similar to the outstanding review of the 1:1 limited run 4th Gen Type R. The toy car version is awesome as well. It sport the similar Milano red body colour as the 2009 Tomica Toy’s Dream Project Mugen RR holy grail with the usual TEM logo on the body. Personally I will dismiss the racing graphic on the tampo and keep it clean, but been a sucker for Type R it sure looks great as a set together with my mainline collection.

Meanwhile I’m looking forward to the Hot Wheels Type R release this year. Given the recent JDM Hype I’m positive they will be gobbled up on pegs by both die hard Tomica collectors who say nay “I don’t fancy Hot Wheels” and hybrid collector like me. And yes I want them all.