RideLust

Part of Forbes' collection. Photo: Sotheby's

Do you still have the toys you played with as a kid? Better yet, do you have the toys your father and grandfather played with as kids? Hopefully, they kept the original boxes and didn’t abuse them too much, because old metal toys are starting to be worth serious money. Consider this: a collection of tin toy motorcycles that once belonged to publisher Malcolm Forbes just sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $15,000. If you factor in all the Forbes collection toys that sold at auction, the total price was $2.3 million, including $194,500 for a 3 foot long replica of the ocean liner Lusitania. I’m not saying your Transformers will fund your retirement, but I’m not saying they won’t, either.

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Don’t ask me why, but I love all kinds of remote controlled stuff. Cars, helicopters, boats and planes all seem to get my childhood juices flowing. Maybe it’s because I’m somewhat of a control nut, or maybe I just like seeing little things go fast, either way though I really dig these things. Over the years I’ve had loads of remote controlled cars, some gas, some electric. Same goes for boats, tanks and motorcycles. One thing I’ve never mastered though is the remote controlled airplane. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve dabbled with little store bought gliders and such, but as far as building my own goes… well that’s just uncharted territory. I was thinking of getting a small one for my nephew for Christmas, when I came across this ridiculous machine on Youtube. Apparently it’s powered by a Jetcat P160 SE engine and has been clocked at speeds of up to 366 mph. That is BOOKIN’ for something that weighs about as much as a desk chair. Watching the video is a bit rough at times, just because the camera simply can’t keep up with the planes amazing speed. You’ve been warned.

Imagine walking down stairs on Christmas morning and seeing this thing splayed out on the dining room table. As a kid odds are you would start freaking out, as this is probably the coolest (and the longest) Hot Wheels track I’ve ever seen. Created by a pair of Australian brothers, the track incorporates everything from straightaways and loops to changing elevations, banked turns, jumps and spirals into a structure that really has it all. Combine that with the soundtrack of iconic 1980′s TV shows like The A-Team and Knight Rider and you’ve got the makings for one fun afternoon. I know it sounds strange, but this track has some pretty impressive engineering built into it. I don’t know if it would withstand a California style earthquake, but either way you’ve got to respect what these guys did here.

If you want to see more of these tracks simply head on over to the brothers myspace page - you’ll be glad you did.

If you’re a human being then I feel that it would be genetically impossible for you not to like Lego’s. Having grown up with these little building blocks of fun, I can safely say they definitely help develop ones imagination and motor skills. I remember trying to emulate my Dad’s green 1981 Buick Riviera in Lego’s while lying on the living room floor. I thought it looked perfect, but everyone else seemed to think it looked like some kind of deformed turtle with wheels. Alas, becoming a Lego master was not in the cards for me, but thankfully someone out there was able to take the torch and run with it. Youtube.com member KrudMuphinStudioz has listed 11 Lego automobiles that he has constructed over the last year and I have to say that his renditions are pretty damn good.

Source: Youtube.com

I don’t know about you, but as a kid I was mesmerized by anything that had to do with automobiles. Aside from the countless Matchbox and Hotwheels cars, I also had a few AFX electric tracks (remember those) laying around as well. At that age these tracks were the closest that any of us kids were going to get to real racing and nowadays every time I see one I get a bit nostalgic. Some people however will simply never outgrow their childhood dreams, which is fine as long as they have the space to play with some bigger toys. Michigan resident and Formula 1 race fan James Harlan is just such a person, and because of this he decided to build a massive 1/32 scale slot car track in his basement. The amazingly detailed circuit incorporates a 145 foot lap length, 19 turns and 2.5 feet of elevation change and has the ability to bring a smile to the face of any car buff. Well done Mr. Harlan!

Source: Youtube.com

And yes, it very well could kick you into a bottomless well. The purpose-built Australian racer weighs just 661 pounds and is powered by a 170-horsepower 1200cc Ducati v-twin. It can hit 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds and can growl its way up to 173 miles per hour. It’s made of lots and lots of carbon fiber and the stuff of legend. Fittingly, only 300 will be made. The price for the “most superior fighting machine the world has ever seen?” $84,321. Youch.

Source: Autoblog, Spartan V

Some guys in Germany built this air-cooled, DOHC, 87cc V12. It puts out 8 horsepower on methanol and nitromethane. It was made to put into remote-control boats and cars. Just listen to it. And yeah, I know news of this engine first surfaced in 2008. Some things are just worth revisiting.

My only question is, could I strap it to my mountain bike?

Check out their site at WAWU.EU

Kids and cars, they’re like kibbles and bits or peas and carrots. As children we grow up around automobiles and we love them because of what they represent to us and how they make us feel. We start off small with things like a little red wagon, and then graduate over time to the likes of big-wheels and go-karts. There is usually however one crystal clear moment in our childhood that sparks our love of all things automobile related, and at this years Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance I think that at least one little Dude discovered his.
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I’m a sucker for any type of good animation, stop motion photography or digital video, so when I spied this video I just had to post it. The scene that the video depicts is something that would occur virtually daily up in the Bronx section of New York. There is nothing amazing from a story perspective as the video simply shows a graffiti artist doing his thing in an urban setting. What’s amazing is that this video actually makes you forget that you’re actually watching a bunch of Matchbox Cars and small figurines that are all set up on a cardboard backdrop as opposed to something that happens for real everyday in urban areas around the world. That is where the true genius of this little stop motion movie comes in… it simply makes you forget about real life for a moment.

Source: RalfBecker.com

When you have the ability to take a busted-ass old lawnmower and turn it into something I’d put in my living room on display, well… then you’ve got some series skills. Take this old hedge hog for example. It was restored by one Mark Moriarity, a custom car builder and restorer who is basically a legend. Moriarity is known for restoring many of Ed Roth’s original cars including the Car Craft Dream Rod and the Futurian, so when he saw this old lawn mower, it was apparently something he just couldn’t pass up.
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