Nissan Silvia S15, Nissan Z: HW

I managed to cross out 3 cars from my wishlist today (which means I have to eat nasi lemak for dinner tonight...)

Nissan Silvia S15 from Hot Wheels 2006 First Editions:

If there is ever a car that could be described as 'delicious', then this would be it. The Nissan Silvia S15 has always been one of my dream cars, and I've been looking for this cast ever since I found out about its existence (since I can't afford the real one). And it's finally mine! All mine! Muahahaha!

More pics to make you drool:

Now go and get a tissue.

Nissan Z (Silver and Gold) from Hot Wheels 2007 All Stars:

I used to think that any car would look ridiculous in gold. Well, not anymore. These 2 cars perfectly complement each other. The headlights and the tail lights aren't painted, but they still look amazing though. These would be my 4th and 5th 350Z, but they certainly wouldn't be the last.

Review: Daiso Display Box

Are you:

• Looking for a clear case to display your beloved die-casts, but can't afford those expensive display cases or shelves 'cause you just spent the last RM7 on a Hot Wheels?
• Getting tired of wiping off the dusts off your Tomicas every weekend?
• Running out of space to display your Matchbox die-casts, and wondering if there is a way to stack them?
• Looking for a small portable case, so that you could rearrange your die-casts in any way you like, anytime you want? or perhaps send it as a gift to your friend? (in which case, I can be your friend!)

Look no further! Daiso has the perfect solution to all of your problems! Presenting the Daiso Display Box - Mini Rectangle version! (am I overdoing it?) These small display boxes are made in Japan, exclusively for Daiso. So I doubt you would be able to find it at Tesco or something. Anyway, these small display cases only cost RM5 each! (Approx. 1.5USD). I got them from Daiso at The Curve. They're available at Daiso 1 Utama as well. And they're available in various shapes and sizes (by shapes, I mean squares and rectangles. So don't come complaining to me if they don't have a case shaped like a platypus).

And here it is. The Jaguar XJ220 and the Volkswagen Beetle are not included. You could leave the wrapping on though, in case you don't have an actual car to display, although I doubt anyone with a brain would be fooled into thinking that there's actually a Jaguar XJ220 and a Volkswagen Beetle in there. Anyway, the plastic sheet is meant to protect the case from scratches prior to purchase. But I guess it doesn't do the job very well, since it's just a thin piece of plastic sheet, and it's not covering the sides of the case. If you're lucky, you might get a perfect case with no scratches at all. Even if you're not, the scratches are very minor and hardly visible. And you could always use the side with the least scratches as the front part of the case. So don't worry too much about it.

Umm... the only thing I could make out here is that it is made in Japan, and it is produced for Daiso Japan. The measurements are also shown here. The total measurement of the display case including the base is 154(L) x 75(W) x 81(H) mm while the exterior measurement for the clear part of the case is 143(L) x 63(W) x 70(H) mm.
Don't worry too much about those. The most important part is the interior measurement with the base installed, which is 140(L) x 60(W) x 64(H) mm (the base takes up a bit of space at the bottom, about 4mm). That means the clear plastic is roughly 1.5mm thick. So you'd better measure your die-casts properly before you buy the case, and make sure that it's going to fit.

There's no complex locking mechanism or whatsoever. Just pull the clear part of the case to separate it from the plastic base. So that means that if you're going to carry the case, you need to hold it by the base, and not the clear part.

They're stackable too. Make 2 tall stacks of 88 cases each, and connect the two stacks with some sort of bridge, and you'll get yourself a Hot Wheels Twin Tower! Call the Guinness World Records, get on TV, and then apply for a Datukship. And you're gonna be rich for the next 7 generations to come. Seriously.

As you can see here, you can't display a standard 1:64 die-cast aligned parallel to the width of the case, as it simply wouldn't fit (bear in mind that the Matchbox 350Z is a pretty short cast).

Of course you could align it parallel to the length of the case, but then you would be wasting so much space. It's not like the car is alive and it needs to move around, is it?

So you need to put 2 cars in order to fully utilize the available space. But you wouldn't be able to close the case if you put 2 cars aligned parallel to the length of the case.

So the best solution (for a 1:64 die-cast) would be to align the 2 cars diagonally. This only works for normal die-casts though. I tried putting the Tomica Calsonic Impul Z and the YellowHat YMS Tomica Z together, but they just wouldn't fit. You need to pair each of the GT cars with a normal car (preferably ones without huge GT wings).

Here's an alternative if you cant afford to buy a case for each 2 cars you own. Don't stack the cases, put your favourite cars in the case, and put the rest of your cars on top of the case. The top of the case should be able to accommodate up to 4 cars, depending on the arrangement, and the length of the car. Anyway, the arrangement of the cars and cases is just my suggestion. You could always use your own creativity and arrange them however you like.

This is how I arranged mine:

Nissan Skyline Safety Car, Honda S2000: Tomica

The other 2 Tomica I bought besides the GT-R.

Look! Look at the number!

The S2000 is another great car from Honda. Too bad they went out of production (the real car). Guess I'll have to settle for this.

The sticker for the sun strip won't stick properly, but it's not that big a deal. The doors could be opened by the way, though I really don't see the point. They should have it on the S2000 instead. Otherwise, this is a great cast.

Honda has the tendency to make great cars, then totally stop their production for no apparent reason. Take the NSX, the Prelude and the Integra for example. That's why I bought this cast although yellow isn't really my favourite colour. I think it would look better in blue, red, black or white. And it really should have openable doors (by the way, is there such a word as 'openable'?). A few wordings on the place where they usually put the rear plate number would be nice as well. Otherwise, it looks rather plain and dull. The good thing is, the cast itself looks pretty sharp and well made. They did a good job with the paint too, as expected of a Tomica. The body paint is even, and the paint for the lights are exactly where they should be, instead of being misaligned or leaking out all over the place. A thumbs up for that.

Hasemi Tomica Ebbro GT-R 2009 Sepang Spec: Tomica

I was browsing through Parkson at One Utama today (Tokio Hotel was there, but I couldn't be bothered to join the one-mile-long queue to get their autographs), looking for some HW Speed Machines in case they have the Scirocco GT 24 or the Ford GT LM. But they didn't have any. No signs of new wave at all. They really should refresh their stocks. Who knows if Bill Kaulitz is into Hot Wheels? So I was a bit disappointed... and I'm the type of person who just can't leave with empty hands. So I kept on looking... and I got myself some Tomicas! This is one of 'em: The Hasemi Tomica Ebbro GT-R 2009 Sepang Spec.

Hey, they mentioned Sepang in their name! Now Tomica collectors all over the world would realize about the existence of Malaysia. They would be wondering "Where the hell is Sepang? Let's google it up.."

This time, I had to use most of the stickers 'cos the standard tampo on the car are just the number 3 on the roof, the number 3 on the bonnet, and the GT-R emblem (the number 3 on the door is a sticker). If I didn't put any of the stickers, this car would just be a red GT-R with the number 3 on the bonnet and on the roof. Somehow the edges of the stickers aren't that obvious when compared to the Calsonic. I guess the stickers work better on red paint. But they're still quite noticeable, as you can see in the pics. Overall, I still love the car. My only complaint is that they should stamp the number 3 on the doors as the standard tampo. But then again, u can't expect much from a RM6.90 die-cast. And this car is definitely worth more than that.

Calsonic Impul Z & YellowHat YMS Tomica Z: Tomica

Guess what I managed to grab today? A couple of 350Zs! And it gets better, cos it's the Calsonic Impul Z and the YellowHat YMS Tomica Z from Tomy.

 It's amazing how these small boxes could bring so much joy.

 aaaannd.... here they are!!

 

The rest of the decals are printed on the stickers though... even though the edges of the stickers are transparent, they are still quite noticeable, which in turn doesn't make them look very nice... which is why I only sticked the sticker for the sunstrip...

Blue... Yellow... Hmm... Seems like another colour is missing... Anyway, I really wish they could do something about the wheels... cos they're rather small, and the rims are pretty dull and they don't bear any resemblance to the rims of the original cars at all...

The Calsonic's my favourite. But I still like the YellowHat a lot. In fact, I think it looks prettier everytime I look at it. Now I only need the Xanavi to complete my collection. :)