The creation of a shop truck: The work of JDM Legends & Luke Baumstark...

Tomorrow is the Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, and for the first time in four years I won't be there.  Total bummer.

From the details I know, this event will be a monster, from Nissan joining as a sponsor, to Jun Imai signing limited prints at the JNC booth, to a slew of amazing cars, some of which I have seen and been asked to stop drooling over.

One car that is sure to cause a stir in Long Beach is currently making its way from Utah with our friends at JDM Legends.  Eric Bizek, whose shop is known to JDM enthusiasts worldwide, as well as to Hot Wheels collectors due to his logo gracing models like the Datsun Wagon Super TH, has been working tirelessly to get this car ready, and I will let him share all the details when it is unveiled at the show.  Needless to say, the car has come together thanks to Eric's skill, knowledge, and plethora of tools.  And one of those tools is his trusted shop truck, a much-loved Datsun 620 pickup.

The pickup is such a treat, and a perfect compliment to a shop that is always stuffed with premium j-tin, from C10 Skylines to Mazda Cosmos to S13 Silvias to you-name-it.  And the truck is great inside and out.  Maybe even better inside.  Eric built an 1800 motor with a high compression SS head, twin 40mm Mikuni side draft carbs and 5 speed to replace the 1600.  Try not to stare:

To top it all off, Eric employed his friend Joel Nelson (@nelz_son_jole) to HAND-PAINT a classic NGK-style logo and lettering.

The result is mighty automobile bursting with character.  I love how the paint is untouched from how it came, while almost everything else is upgraded.  And I love those steelies.  It is no exaggeration that every time I visit the shop, the 620 always demands as much attention as its more polished counterparts.

Of course that is not how the truck came, especially when you consider Eric paid $500 for it.  Outside of that shop-truck-ready paint, it was quite different:

Look at those photos, and then compare with the photos above.  Eric knows what he is doing.  Eric doesn't just improve or restore...he creates.

And that is also what Luke Baumstark (@lukeshotwheels) does.  Luke is one of the best Hot Wheels customizers in the business, and we have featured his work here many times.  But Luke's work is so good that it has even broken the binds of the diecast world and been featured on Speedhunters.  That in and of itself is high praise.

So in the vein of what Eric does with his masterpieces, Luke took on Eric's shop truck.  He grabbed a Hot Wheels Datsun 620, took it into his diecast frankenstein lab...

...and did whatever magic Luke does.  The result is a mini masterpiece:

This is where I have absolutely nothing to say.  My words don't do this any justice, and like with Eric's work, I am just not qualified enough to describe how great this is.  Don't just glance at these photos.  Click on these images for larger versions, and go over the details.  Look at how the body was modified.  The wheel wells.  Check out the paint.  The mirrors.  The decals.  The best customs are those that don't look like customs at all.

This custom will be taking up residence at the JDM-L shop, to keep its 1:1 scale counterpart company.  They should make a wonderful pair.

Together with one of the JDM Legends models:

I love art, I love talking to people who are the best at what they do, I love cars, and I love this hobby. It is always a joy to bring it all together...

Happy JCCS everyone...

Hot Wheels has just unveiled the artwork for the first two batches of 2016...

Well it was like the diecast gods threw me a bone.

Only a few hours after I announced that I was no longer showing unauthorized sneaks, Mattel updated their website, showing the artwork for the first two batches of 2016.

That seems legit to me, doesn't it?

So it is kind of cool that we can roll out this new era at Lamley with some Mattel-provided news on what is coming in 2016.  There is a lot, and you can see it all on at hotwheels.com.  But there are some very Lamley-worthy highlights, like Jun's Nissan Fairlady Z, which was previewed on JNC, two drift machines in the 180SX and Supra, and two Teslas (Teslii?  Teslae?).  To me, the standouts look to be the three Fords in fantastic racing liveries, the Escort, GT LM and Talladega.  That Union 76 Torino is just the shit.

Click on the photos for larger views:

The highlights of 2015 Hot Wheels Batch Q, not named 180SX...

So has the upcoming Nissan 180SX from Hot Wheels been overhyped?  Yeah, probably.  Will that deter you from pursuing one?  Of course not.

So when Batch Q hits the stores in the next 1-2 weeks, you might be out searching for one or ten of those Nissans.  And unless you are a skilled pallet raider or door warmer, you may not see them for awhile.  Don't fret, because you will eventually.  As more and more people find them, they will leave them, opening the door for you to get yours.

But in the meantime, while you are searching, remember that the 180SX is not the only must-have in the bunch.  The Off-Road Toyota, Super or not, looks so good in Toyota Racing colors, the return of the Lancia has many very happy, and the Escort in non-F&F colors might be the better of the two.

So whether that 180SX is there are not, remember there will be plenty of other models to pick up.  Below are some of my faves...

I do like the red Tesla A TON better than the previous version in silver, but it still isn't fair to post it together with the Matchbox.  I did anyway...