FYI for diecast fans: CRAZY LARRY'S CHARGER officially being released in 1:18

[Ghoste]

Have pre-ordered three- one to sit in box, one for display in garage and one for desk at work.

[jwramc]

Wow, awesome! The faster this baby sells out, the more clout the consulting team earns...so we can get MORE of what we want on whatever project we get into next.

[Lennard]

yellow or sublime. dont care its the coolest 69 ever.  take note you general lee fans. this is what a 69 should look like. no stpuid no 1 on the side. and much nicer rims. would love to see more of the dm/cl clones out there. NO MORE GENERAL LEES. THERE SO OVER PLAYED. if you want a movie car then do the best ever

Grow up dude.

[nvrbdn]

mine is on order. gona be a long wait

[XS29L]

Put in my order today ! The other cars I've bought from them are very high quality so this one should be very nice.

[jwramc]

If you guys don't mind my asking, can you tell me which seller(s) you've chosen to order from? I'm in contact with a few to get updates from them every couple of weeks to see if the word is getting around and if total orders are climbing nicely. I reeeeeeeaaaaaaaaallllyyyyyyyy want this car to be a big success for the manufacturer...so I and the other helpers can push for other obscure stuff to get made!

[nvrbdn]

i used supercar collectables from your first post on this thread with FREE shipping. 

[Ghoste]

I used Supercar Collectables as well.  Have always had great luck with them.

[XS29L]

Supercar collectibles , I,ve bought several cars for them over the years .   

[kikgas01]

Ghoste, how about one to play with?

[FastbackJon]

my wheels were american racing at least that is what the caps said

Interesting! I've tried to find what I see in the film on a cap, but couldn't. I'll now dig deeper using AR as the brand. Thanks!

But the AR wheels that I'm finding online don't really match up to what we see in the film. I suppose it is possible they were AR and the slots either vary in size, or that when the wheels do,  the slots don't...causing the distance between the slots and the center hub circle to vary.

Look at the attached pic and note the slot nearly touches the inner circle on the US Indy and Larry's car, but the American Racing wheel has a large gap.

Still, it's possible the one I labeled US Indy is ACTUALLY something else (maybe even AR), and the person that owns them simply guessed wrong. Regardless, the LOOK is what we want to match.

Here's a pair of slotted mags (below) I picked up in 2003. They look the same to me, maybe a little wider. I think I picked these up at a swap meet as the guy told me they were for ford/mopar but they were actually Chevy rims so I sold them to a guy at work. He may still have them.

[Ghoste]

Ghoste, how about one to play with?

Why do you think there will be one on my desk?

[fireguyfire]

Ordered a DMCL, and a Bullitt today!
Woohoo!!!

[SuperJim]

Many thanks for the early "pre-orders" as we call them. JWRAMC has bought from us for quite some time, and has been a help to us on there projects as well. We're not a manufacturer, but do work with them, and do have some linited edition 1:18 cars made. He's help us with photo's many times, and is the man you want working on this DMCL car. If it's possible to be done a certain way, it will be done. Just remember tooling og any new molds is VERY expensive, and for one smaller run (1,000?) may not be feasable. Yet with him on our side, ya never know. Again thanks for the pre-orders, and also thanks to you JWRAMC for your efforts.

[model maker]

SuperJim, you are making the DMCL Charger ? if so, it will be a 69 correct ? wil it have the slotted mags with black sidewalls as in the movie ?

[jwramc]

Bert,

Jim's "Supercars" business is a seller of diecast cars made by multiple companies including Autoworld- the company making the DMCL car. Supercars does often hire the manufacturers like Autoworld to do exclusive special runs of cars for Supercars only to stock and sell. The DMCL Charger is not one of those projects- it's a normal Autoworld project.

As for the specific features included on the car, I can tell you for certain it will be:

A GY3 "Citron Yella" 1969 Dodge Charger R/T with 440-4v V8 and 4-speed transmission, black interior with console, custom black stripes and '440' markings matching the film cars.
(We asked for the automatic- even if just the shifter and pedals, but were told that when Highway 61 did a similar thing a few years ago, buyers complained like crazy that the trans was a 4-speed, but the shifter and pedals were for an automatic. I personally wouldn't care about that, but many do...and to do the shifter, pedals AND transmission is just too expensive right now...so the 4-speed will have to do. Some buyers will likely prefer it that way, too.)

Things we probably will get (I can't promise these, as it's much too early in the project, but these look very likely):
Newly-tooled 5-slot 15" alloy wheels, 8" wide front, 10" wide rear.
F60-15 front and H50-15 rear blackwall tires.
Ultra-correct license plates (believe me, there's a hundred ways to do them wrong)

Things we might get: I won't say, because they could go either way, and I don't want anyone expecting one or more of these to be disappointed should some or all not end up on the car after all. But rest assured, we've given AW an insane list of goodies we want to see added to make this release really special.

This car means so much to me personally, and is a big deal to most of the guys on the R&D team. I think we're all getting a special vibe off having this one finally made. We've gotten plenty of Bullitts and more than enough Generals. We've never been offered this whip by anyone, in any scale, in any quality level, in any medium- plastic, metal or other. Getting this one as right as we can matters. We're not looking to make it "good enough 'til the next time we re-release it".

*I* wanna see these things sellout in a week...and I want to see them pulling $400 a pop on ebay in three years. I want that vindication for this car!

Thanks to Jim for the kind words. I have been a customer of his (and others) for about 5 years, and have on several occasions found that Supercars' website was missing photos for cars that were 'coming soon'. Manufacturers can be slow in making such pictures available (because you can't photograph what hasn't been made yet!), and its hard to sell a car sight-unseen. So when I come across such items on his site (and again, other sites), I'll search online for cars that look like what the words describe the diecast to look like, and I'll edit the pictures to match as closely as I can. Most of the time, Jim and others use them. Rarely, they don't. In fact, the picture you saw while pre-ordering on Jim's site is one of mine...and it was a lot of work, in case you missed all the fixes I made (see the attached before and after photos).

But I do it as a favor simply because I, as a diecast collector, need somebody to sell these things...or they won't get made anymore. If those pics help sell a few more cars, and help keep the sellers afloat, that means I have more options when it comes time to buy cars *I* want. Call it a slice of Communism if you will- I can take it.  

[Ghoste]

Thats a shame about the transmission.  There may be a few who prefer it to be wrong but I would bet most fans of the movie would want it correct.  What is it that makes it too expensive, they do other Chargers with the automatic?

[jwramc]

Thats a shame about the transmission.  There may be a few who prefer it to be wrong but I would bet most fans of the movie would want it correct.  What is it that makes it too expensive, they do other Chargers with the automatic?

No they don't. The Authentics 1968-70 Chargers have ALL been 4-speeds (grr!).

In order to do it, you're talking about an all-new mold being created for each piece. As an example, the tires and wheels for this car will have an approx. $10,000 tooling cost. If they make 1,000 cars, that's $10 added to each one just to break even on the extra investment (and a business isn't about breaking even). The automatic would likely add another 5000 to 7500... so now the price is up $15 to $17.50 at break even...or twenty at least to make something for their trouble. We've pushed a $75 car to nearly $100. And for every increase, fewer cars sell. So do you do all that work, raised the price 25% and lose 25% of the buyers...meaning you make the same money in the end for all that trouble...or do you live with the few inaccuracies and make the same money?

BTW- AW is likely to tool those wheels and tires and NOT change the price of the car...so they're kind of a gift.

And, yes, they can amortize the investment over the course of several releases by using the automatic parts to create more unique combinations- we tried that take, too, but they just weren't ready to commit yet. Hopefully, the DMCL car will be a success beyond what they expect, and we consultants will get to say "We told ya so...now, next release of a Charger, give us the automatic!"

[Ghoste]

Just an FYI, I got a flyer/mini catalog today from Collectors Guild up in Kingston Ontario Canada today and they are also taking pre-orders on this model.  I don't know if it's ontheir website but here is the link.
http://www.diecastbymail.ca/abou.shtml

I'll post the info from the brochure if anyone wants to order from them.  Just another option for us.

[jwramc]

It's here:
http://www.diecastbymail.ca/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IOC&Product_Code=AWSS101&Category_Code=

...tho the photo is of someone's 1:25 scale plastic model. Is shipping from the US to Canada now so high that they can ask $20 more than US sellers and still find buyers because In-Canada shipping saves so much?

[Ghoste]

Pretty much.  Depends somewhat on the shipper too, but oftentimes by the time you factor in the difference in money (assuming Canadian is running less, its been back and forth lately), shipping and if the shipper uses a broker, it can be cheaper to use the Canadian supplier.  Brokerage fees are often on the obscene side.

[FastbackJon]

Very cool a 1:18 is coming out, but I'm also disappointed about the transmission, pedals and shifter. How can they take a car so far, yet leave out a HUGE detail like that? CHEAP... I know it has been explained before, but my explanation is that they're doing it because people are pre-ordering and planning on buying them. The same reason the movie theater gets away with selling $10 bags of popcorn, because people are willing to pay it.

If we all said we wouldn't buy one without the automatic, it would get done. I would rather pay a small bit more and have something correct that I could be proud of. The little details matter, like that and like having the small rear CB antenna on the passenger window channel and even the AC decal on the passenger quarter window. When you do a generic car you can get away with more things, but when you're doing a vehicle off of a movie, you have to do it right. And on top of that, like others have said, at least they would have tooling to do other different versions of Mopars (Dodge AND Plymouth) with that transmission.

On a side note, wouldn't it be neat to have a company that produced 1:18 model cars to order. Like you can go into a dealership and order a new car in your choice of paint color, with your options, stripes, etc. Why haven't we seen ERTL or another manufacturer jump on the bandwagon and let me order an authentic 1:18 '68 Charger in QQ1 blue with a C6W blue and white interior and white vinyl top, just like my real '68 R/T Charger. Even if I had to pay a couple hundred bucks, it would be worth it.

As for the DMCL wheels, we need more slotted mags out there. Those can be put on more than just the DMCL Charger. People might want to buy them separately to do custom jobs. A few years ago I was looking for 15x10 slotted mags and tires in 1:18 scale to re-create my fastback Charger at 1:18 scale and couldn't find anything without buying a whole car. A 1:18 440 would be nice to have too to get that done.

Here's my Charger with 15x10 slots in the back and 255/60/15 tires in the rear for comparison. I think they are 15x7 up front. I always thought my car had deeper rear wheels than the DMCL car, but hopefully they'll study the images of the movie car to make the wheels, rather than going out and buying a (possibly incorrect) 15x10 slotted mag to make the wheel.

[jwramc]

Very cool a 1:18 is coming out, but I'm also disappointed about the transmission, pedals and shifter. How can they take a car so far, yet leave out a HUGE detail like that? CHEAP... I know it has been explained before, but my explanation is that they're doing it because people are pre-ordering and planning on buying them. The same reason the movie theater gets away with selling $10 bags of popcorn, because people are willing to pay it.

If we all said we wouldn't buy one without the automatic, it would get done. I would rather pay a small bit more and have something correct that I could be proud of. The little details matter, like that and like having the small rear CB antenna on the passenger window channel.

You would think so, but that's not the case. Look at the several General Lees released over the years. Despite the many inaccuracies with the real cars (which were quite inaccurate judged against each other, as the DMCL cars are)...they sold out and fast..and command big money now. You and I and the other guys complaining make up the smallest percentage of collectors- a firm fact. And as a company, if they can make the same money killing themselves to be 100% accurate as they will doing enough to make 99% happy...well, business is business, and the 1% (who will likely also buy anyway) will have to live with it..as we always have. I've yet to see a diecast of any well-known car that was a 100% match to the original subject car. The new Hot Wheels ECTO-1 is about as close as I've seen happen...and it's got mistakes.

On a side note, wouldn't it be neat to have a company that produced 1:18 model cars to order. Like you can go into a dealership and order a new car in your choice of paint color, with your options, stripes, etc. Why haven't we seen ERTL or another manufacturer jump on the bandwagon and let me order an authentic 1:18 '68 Charger in QQ1 blue with a C6W blue and white interior and white vinyl top, just like my real '68 R/T Charger. Even if I had to pay a couple hundred bucks, it would be worth it.

But it costs the same to create a part mold for one car as it does for 1000. So the $10,000 required for your wheels and tires that is normally spread out at $10 per car...would be all yours to pay. You ready for a $10,074.95 diecast car? I'll PM you the address to send the check to. On the other hand, you can contact John Fox at CustomDiecastReplicas.com and he'll be happy to discuss a custom 1 of 1 diecast creation for you, starting around $500 and going up based on how much must be custom-made.

It only seems easy and cheap because you're imagining it, not doing it. Every change is multi-thousands of dollars. That said, this car is going to be stunning. And as bad as we both want that tranny, I, and I'm betting you, are going to buy it with the 4-speed...because it's still going to look awesome on that shelf. We'll ignore that tranny 'til we figure out a way to fix it ourselves (I've already got parts donors on hand, ready to give up the parts) or wait for a future re-release to have the auto (might happen, might not). Considering the alternative (NOT getting this car at all...like the last 38 years have offered), I'm happy to have a car 99% of the way there...and I'll suffer or fix the remaining 1%.

As for the wheels, we need more slotted mags out there. Those can be put on more than just the DMCL Charger. People might want to buy them separately to do custom jobs.

Err, umm....I'll have to take the fifth on that idea at this time...(wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

I always thought my car had deeper wheels than the DMCL car, but hopefully they'll study the images of the movie car to make the wheels, rather than going out and buying a 15x10 slotted mag to make the wheel.

We used screen caps from the DVD to match the wheels to real ones found online, and AW's artist did awesome CAD drawings to match. I posted the pics previously... but here is an idea of just how picky we've been. The left is the best match we've found (ignoring the knock-off center). The one on the right has a gap we don't want.

[model maker]

 I hope the charger won't look like the one in the advertisement Thats my ORIGINAL DMCL movie car back in 1977 in the backround of my avatar

http://www.diecastbymail.ca/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IOC&Product_Code=AWSS101&Category_Code=mov

[jwramc]

I hope the charger won't look like the one in the advertisement Thats my ORIGINAL DMCL movie car back in 1977 in the backround of my avatar

http://www.diecastbymail.ca/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IOC&Product_Code=AWSS101&Category_Code=mov

No chance. That's just a 'placeholder' photo for that website. No pictures exist yet of the Autoworld car yet because it's still in the planning stages- nothing physical exists yet to take pictures of.