THarrison351

Very Nice!

Exactly! Time and patience and a good search listing. Also, I check once in the morning, every few hours, and just before I go to bed. One of the searches uses a buy it now only, and that has found me a few from sellers who don't know what they have. Thanks for the compliments. I'm looking for one more and who knows it may still be out there.

Cool Jeep!

So this will be the last of the Budweiser delivery trucks I have. The White Motor Company introduced their 3000 series of tilt cab trucks in 1949 and they continued in production until I believe 1967. The futuristic 3000 series, featured a cab over engine design that was equipped with an electric motor tilting system. The different design featured a rearward powerplant and the cab floor was flat. Although diesel versions were offered, gasoline engines were the most popular because the diesel engines had cooling problems. The smaller capacity early versions used lower powered Packard six cylinder flat heads, but most used White's Mustang 318 flat head six cylinder or Super Mustang 362 OHV six cylinder coupled to 4 or 5 speed transmissions, optional 2 speed rear axles, and air brakes. The 3000 series was by all definitions, very modern for it's time. The Danbury Mint Budweiser delivery is packed with a slew of features. The cab alone has no less than 5 hinged doors on it. The cab also tilts forward like the real truck showing off it's well detailed engine and has a nice notch to keep it from flopping around. The side sectioned doors roll up realistically to reveal the seventy something cases of Budweiser. I was fortunate to find this when apparently no one was looking, because it was essentially brand new, never displayed and I paid $35 total shipped! I also included a picture of all the trucks together, displayed. Flash wouldn't go off dang it!

Well, I've actually had these first two for some time. They've just been packed away. I picked them up while I was in Montreal. I swung down to Wallyworld in Plattsburgh, NY. In fact I took back the first Dodge Rebel truck I had that was white and got this one. When I look the first one out of the cheesy little box they're packed in the rear wheel fell off. It was broken off the axle. The M2 Machines Challenger T/A is one I've been reluctant to acquire. I've got several Challengers and 'Cudas from M2 and I like them. I just never liked the steel wheels, trim rings and dog dish hub caps on the T/As. If M2 had actually went the extra mile and finished the look with some paint I may have liked it more, but I digress. I saw this the other day at Wallyworld and thought I hadn't seen one in orange before and thought maybe I could so some Snake-Fu with those wheels. That's my plan for all three of these, a little Snake-Fu. I'll update my progress in another thread.

The Chevrolet AK Series panel delivery truck was a light duty truck sold under the Chevrolet and GMC brand, with production beginning in 1941 until 1947. The 216 cu in "Victory Six" engine was the only one offered. It produced 85 hp and was coupled to a 3 speed manual transmission. The panel body came with a large area suitable for commercial advertisement. The rear featured two access doors for ease of loading onto the rear cargo deck. Danbury Mint's model of this Budweiser delivery, features a fully wired and plumbed engine compartment. The seats fold forward to reveal a removable hatch covering a jack and tools. The model comes with 16 cases of "glass bottle" Budweiser to be displayed in the cargo box or anywhere you please. More like a parade car than a commercial delivery, it is equipped with a sun visor, spotlight, fog lights and whitewalls. This one came with no defects, just a lucky purchase.

Wow, talk about no information. 1938 GMC Cab Over Engine (COE) Trucks do exist because I found a couple (and that's almost it) pictures of real ones on the interwebs. They're either completely derelict or have been modified into something they never were originally. After digging around, I found out the engines were 230 cu in Oldsmobile six cylinders coupled to a four speed transmission. Also, instead of the passenger car's downdraft carburetor and manifold, the trucks used a sidedraft carb and manifold. Not much more information that I could gather. This is the first Budweiser delivery I took possession of and it was a mess, but really cheap. The front axle was broken, the wheel retainer screw was torn out of the spindle and the spindle was broken. I never could figure out how the tire was all melted up the way it is. If the truck was dropped and the wheel rolled to some place warm and melted could be the only explanation. The stakes were all apart too. This is how I learned the had way to put them vertical posts in the pockets before gluing them back together. The model itself has some neat features. the floor is removable and shows of a very detailed engine. The seat bottom cushions come up too and the battery and air cleaner are exposed. the windows fold out and there are two access panels on the front that open. It comes with 40 wooden kegs that have some heft, so the must have a piece of metal in them. Anyway's here are the pictures. [URL=https://public.fotki.com/thar rison351/budweiser-delivery-/1938-gmc-delivery/front.html][/URL] Melty tire I know the picture is tiny, but I couldn't get the seat cushions out and I wanted you see the battery and air cleaner. This a picture screen captured.

This weekend I'll pull them out of their display cases, put them on the table and take a group shot.

I don't know if this one led me to the decision to try to purchase all the Budweiser delivery trucks, but I think being exposed to so many of them on eBay for sale on eBay for ridiculously low prices considering all the detail that comes with each one may have had something to do with it. The 1938 Ford 1 1/2 ton truck featured the first totally new cab since 1935. The new front end, featuring an oval grill, was a pioneering design that featured the first conventional front-opening truck hood in the industry. The truck also featured a modernized instrument panel. The venerable flathead V-8 introduced in 1932, had 221 cubic inches, 85 hp and 150 lb ft of torque was connected to a 4 speed manual transmission. The model seems closer to a one ton than a ton and a half, but if Danbury Mint wants to call it that OK. The stake bed and the aluminum kegs are the neatest feature of this truck model. The stake rails have hinges and latches, that are kind of fiddly, but they do work. The aluminum kegs have magnets in them to help keep them stacked (sort of). The details feature a removable seat cushion to reveal a jack and tools, a nice dash with all knobs and controls, a spare that's secured in its tire rack by a retaining bar, a tailight complete with its feed wire and a fully wired and plumbed engine bay. Even the choke cable is included. This is one that need no repairs or cleaning either.

I'm continuing with the next model from Danbury Mint in the Budweiser delivery trucks. 1937 Chevrolet Series SD 1-1/2 Ton Delivery Vans were equipped with a 78-hp, 170 lb.-ft. of torque, 216 cu in 6 cylinder engine coupled to a 4-speed transmission. The handsome Chevy pickup cab/front end mounts to a 157" wheelbase chassis, fitted with heavy-duty wheels and mounts a van box with a tailgate and canvas cover. The model itself comes with a few neat features. The tailgate is held in place with a chain and when you release the chain it holds the tailgate up as a platform. the rear canvas will unroll and button down. I did it once, but it's a bear to put back, just like the tailgate chain. The engine compartment is wired, plumbed and well detailed. Forty wood "Bud Draft" barrels come with it and fit nicely in the back. Like the International. the spare comes out of the carrier, but I didn't take a picture this time. The Christmas Budweiser delivery duplicates everything except it's got a Christmas Clydesdale rig picture posted on the sides of the van box, silver painted wheels and boxes instead of barrels.This model came free of any defects, just an honest, cheap purchase that I lucky with. I'd like to get the Christmas version.

I have the FM Petty Superbird and the Icon Daytonas share DNA with it in the chassis. I'm hoping because Icon has the dies for the chassis they still have the rest of the dies and will eventually release other NASCAR Superbirds.

Produced from 1930 to 1938, the International three ton A5 featured a 279 Cu In International Harvester six cylinder engine rated at 65 hp, new front axles and a new semi-floating rear axles for heavier loads. There's not much else I can seem to find about this truck. I did notice in all the pictures I found on the web they had spoke hubs with demountable rims as opposed to the model having Budd type steel wheels. As far as the model is concerned it's pretty nicely detailed. The removable stakes for the bed have tiny chrome bolts, which hold in a bunch of Budweiser wood cases, the engine compartment is fully wired and plumbed. It has removable seat cushions to show off the battery and the gas tank located underneath and an opening windshield. Also, there is a removable spare tire. The biggest problem this one had and it seems like it's common, is the stakes come apart. If you get one that has them in parts, make sure you put the vertical pieces in the bed pockets before you glue them back together or they won't fit well otherwise. Ask me how I know. Anyways, other than a little bit of polish, this one needed nothing else.

Yeah, the barrel were in the foam piece in a box with the yeast boxes indicating how many of each there were, It wasn't in a smokers house as far as I can tell at least not in a long time. My mom and step dad were smokers, and to this day some things they gave me when they still smoked, when I pull them out, Yech! I think it was near a kitchen and a window, which is what may have caused the tire to crack. I'll have to try my Dremel and some polish on the chrome.

I'm not sure when NASCAR made it mandatory, but I'm pretty sure it was the seventies, Here's Richard Petty's 1970 flip at Darlington. If you slow down the speed to .25. the driveshaft is dark after he bounces off the wall on to the roof of his Road Runner

A few years ago I won a heavily damaged 1938 GMC Budweiser delivery truck. It was complete, with box and accessories but the stakes were apart, the front suspension was broken and one tire was melted. I was able to glue the stakes back together and repair the suspension. The spare tire replaced the melted tire. Now I'm not a Budweiser beer fan, but a couple of years ago my wife bought me a Christmas painting to put on the fireplace mantle that I swear someone used the 1930's Budweiser delivery truck to model it. So, I decided I wanted the truck to go with the picture. I kept looking on eBay and waiting for weeks. Bidding and getting outbid. I won a 1941 Chevy sedan delivery in the mean time that was too cheap to pass up. Well, eventually I did win the Budweiser 1938 Ford stake bed delivery truck. I now had three Budweiser delivery trucks. I decided while I was in Montreal last year I'd keep an eye on the rest of the trucks and see if I could complete the set. Only five more to go. The first one I won was the 1955 White. It was new in the box. $15 plus $20 for shipping, who hoo! I'll show that one later. I'm doing these in chronological order of age. I did manage to get a version of each model except the Christmas version of the 1937 Chevy delivery van. Those for some reason, demand a higher amount of money than I'm willing to pay. I'm still watching and hoping. The first one up is the 1931 Ford Panel Delivery Truck. This one has the parent company Anheuser-Busch Yeast as the main livery and Budweiser Barley Malt Syrup as a sub product, 1931 was still prohibition. It comes with twenty boxes of the yeast and fourteen barrels of the syrup for display. The model is an older casting, but other than the wheel spokes being a bit heavy handed, has good detailing. The engine is fully detailed and wired, the doors are properly hinged, the interiors headliner has seamed fabric with a dome-light, the drivers seat flips up to reveal a tool box and the windshield flips out for ventilation. The tan top is actual cloth. My version is complete, but it's suffered from lots of display exposure. It was very filthy when I got it. All the white lettering on the paint was yellow, and there was a thick coating of dust. The chrome is still kind of pitted. Also, the RH side spare tire has a lot of cracks in it. It did polish up well and all the white is white instead of yellow. Here's the pics.

Aero Wars! It was pretty clear by the early '60s aerodynamics were going to play favor to NASCAR's superspeedway racers. By the late '60s, fastbacks, spoilers, drooped front ends and doing anything necessary to get the car though the wind fastest was the name of the game. In 1968 Ford had a winner with it's Torino and Mercury had a winner with it's Cyclone. Dodge failed with the Charger. It's grill was a brick and the rear window tunnel was a vacuum (lift). Aero was a little better with the Plymouth Road Runner, but only because Richard Petty cheated it up. Come the beginning of 1969, Dodge would be ready with the new Charger 500. The rear window tunnel was filled with a flush window, a Dodge Coronet Grille flushed up the front end and they put aero aids on the A-pillars to help move the air around the windshield. Well, it almost worked, these Charger 500s were faster, but Ford and Mercury had a new car too. The Torino Cobra to be renamed Talladega once the Boss 429 was approved and the Mercury Cyclone II. So, it was back to the drawing board to add an eighteen inch pointy extension to cut through the air. To balance the car, they needed a spoiler at the rear. A lip spoiler wasn't going to do. A wing! The height of the wing is not just because of aerodynamic balance or to get it in the wind, it also allows clearance for the trunk to open. Also, unlike the street cars, the race car's vertical stabilizers attached to the rear fenders actually have steel tubes underneath them attached to the top of the rear frame rails. Now Dodge had a car that would go around Daytona at 200 MPH! So after two seasons and only six wins for the Daytona, NASCAR said enough is enough and to prevent cars from getting even faster, all future cars like the Daytona, Superbird, Talladega, and Cyclone II would have a carburetor plate restrictor or a maximum engine size of 305 cu in and that was the end of those aero wars. So, a number of years ago, a diecast company called Icon started marketing 1/24 scale University of Racing Legends stock cars. I think the first was Bobby Allison's 1968 Mercury Cyclone. A very nicely detailed model which led to diecasts of 1969 Ford Talladegas and Cobras, 1965 Ford Galaxies, 1971 Mercury Cyclones and more 1968 Mercury Cyclones. As you can see, a lot of Ford products. Where are the GM and Chrysler cars? Rumor had it about five or six years ago, Icons was going to release some Chrysler cars from the sixties and seventies. It was about the same time that other NASCAR diecast companies were scaling back on production and here they are about ready to tool up a new diecast. Fortunately for us they did release a new car, the 1969 Dodge Charger 500. Wait, what? No wing cars? Well, it was something at least. After they released four cars, Icons announced the wing cars would be next. Here's a little background on the cars. Because I have a Franklin Mint Richard Petty Plymouth Superbird I could compare and verify what I thought was true. When the Charger 500s were released, the chassis looked awfully familiar. I guess to save tooling cost, Icons acquired the old FM petty Superbird chassis dies and created a new body for them. They have all the mistakes the FM car had. Incorrect wheels (slotted wheels), incorrect exhaust (left side only exhaust) and the roll cage has a triple bar head rest which was a Petty exclusive. I actually contacted the people at Icons about this and they got back with me, but as you can see from the pictures the only change made was the exhaust exiting from both sides and that's on the Daytona. There have been rumors of possibly some Superbirds being produced, I certainly hope so. If they have the Petty chassis dies, they should have the bodies. Anyways on to the pictures. I grouped all the cars together. They're all the same, just different colors. If you don't know the drivers, or can't read the names, they are #71 Bobby Isaac also the 1969 Grand National Champion, #30 Dave Marcis, #42 Marty Robbins a country music singer who liked to race, and #99 Richard Brickhouse a substitute driver for Charlie Glotzbach who boycotted the first Talladega race. Subsequently Richard Brickhouse would be the first driver to win in a Daytona that day.

The 1950 Chevrolet Styleline DeLuxe Bel Air Hardtop Coupe was an all new model for the Chevrolet lineup that had been overhauled entirely in 1949. Also new to the lineup was the Powerglide, two-speed automatic transmission. Cars with the automatic option received the 235 cu in truck engine with hydraulic lifters, while cars with three speed transmissions kept the old 216 cu in engine. Chevrolet offered Special and Deluxe models in both Fleetline (kind of a sloping fast back) and Styleline (a more formal roof line, or turret style) series. Buyers could pay for a business coupe for as little as $1,300, or could spend as much as $2,200 for an eight-passenger station wagon. Almost every body type and price level was offered in between. Those were days of options and choices and not "packages". This diecast from Franklin Mint is a limited edition in Oxford Maroon Metallic and Grecian Gray roof from 2004. The first release in Moonlight Cream and Oxford Maroon roof was released in 1996, but it still has some nice features. The overall look and scale is captured and everything just looks right from the front windshield visor to the big chrome rectangle tailpipe. There is a lot of chrome and stainless on this 1950 mid level car, fog lights too! The interior is well detailed and features split folding front seats. The opening trunk is lined with a mat, a spare and a jack. I picked this one up on eBay without a combination spotlight drivers side mirror and made one. Also the antenna was knocked off (common). I've also managed to knock it off again in the process of taking pictures and moving it around. Oh well. Here's the pictures.

Yes, but the vinyl has shrunk and stiffened with age and the no longer fit. The tops of the doors have holes in them for the metal rods and the windshield has tiny magnets for the "snaps" on the leading edge. I'm not sure I've ever seen another diecast in this scale with removable side curtains either. I just realized if you look at the second picture, the floor mat has tiny Chevy logos in it. More incredible detail! Yes, that's a wicker picnic basket, it opens and it has food, wine, utensils, plates and napkins in it. The trunk has towels, a rope and I'm not sure what the green item is. Maybe a wool army blanket

Yeah, the NASCAR diecasts they sale today at $55+ is equivalent in detail and composition to what WalMart used to sale 10 years ago for $10-15. You have to step up to the Elite versions to get an opening trunk lid and a metal chassis. I wait until they're a couple of years old, the demand is gone and buy them for cheap.

My first encounter with a 1932 Chevrolet was oddly enough a diecast and it was a roadster. My dad purchased for some reason, a bunch of Hubley diecasts back in the '70s. One of them was the 1932 Chevrolet Roadster. Now my dad only built one of the diecasts he purchased and that was a Model A Phaeton, all the rest disappeared somewhere. I still have the Phaeton packed away in a box, but I digress. Anyway's the 1932 Chevrolet was powered by the famous "Stovebolt Six" 194 cu in six-cylinder engine, able to produce 60 hp and fitted with a three-speed synchro-mesh transmission. Braking power was mechanical and at all four wheels. General Motors’ central styling area the Art and Colour Department, provided the Confederate’s attractive styling. Many design details and styling cues of much more expensive cars were a part of the cars due to having so many former coach builders working there. Items such as tight fitting side-curtains and large side pockets in the doors were once specific items called out for custom bodies from coach builders. The little details on other more expensive GM marques such as the little chrome doors in the hood instead of louvers and and a radiator grille shaped similarly to Buick and Cadillac were incorporated. The roadster was the least expensive of all the 1932 Chevrolets, but it was also the lowest production. So, this is a Franklin Mint offering and I have to say It's one of the best detailed FM diecasts I have. The wire wheels are photo-etched and look remarkable. The engine is well detailed and complete and the chrome hood door vents open. The opening trunk is detachable and you can fold the rack. The interior is remarkably detailed and includes a small key in the ignition. There is an up top with detailed framework and the when it was new the side curtains could be attached. The vinyl has shrunk with age and they don't fit anymore. The wind wings are hinged and the cowl vent opens as well. Three accessories are included, a drivers cap, a picnic basket that opens with stuff inside, and a blanket for the people in the rumble seat. I had been looking for one of these for some time, and this one was complete, box and all and no one was bidding on it, so I got lucky. Enjoy the pictures,

What an incredibly beautiful and detailed diecast!

Return of the Pink Panther

1968 Chevrolet Corvette was the first year of the C3 or third generation of Corvettes. The chassis and drivetrain was largely carried over from the previous generation C2 from 1963-67. With an all new body and interior and taking the design elements from the Larry Shinoda designed Mako Shark II concept car such as the "sugar scoop" roof line and lower half of the car, it had a distinctive style that lasted until 1977. Available in coupe and convertible form, the 1968 Corvette also had many drivetrain options. From the 300 hp 327 cu in V8 to the mighty "430" hp yeah right, 427 L88 with aluminum heads and race spec cam. 3 and 4-speed manual transmissions were used and a new optional Turbo Hydramatic 3-speed automatic transmission which replaced the 2 speed Turboglide previously available. The suspension was completely independent and 4 wheel disc brakes were standard. New this year was Astro-ventilation which eliminated vent windows and consisted of a cowl vent in front of the windshield and allowed air to flow through the cabin and out the vents behind the rear window. Speaking of the rear window, on the coupe it was removable. Also removable on the coupes for all years, were the roof panels. Like the previous generation, the headlights were concealed. Unlike the C2, these popped up instead of rotating. The 1968 model had a one year only exterior door release mechanism which consisted of a slightly recessed button in the side. Later models just used an oval push cover in the top of the door to release it. I always thought that was pretty cool and an easy way to spot '68s. Anyways, I won this Danbury Mint 1968 Corvette convertible in Fathom green and the only thing it needed and still does is the convertible top. I'm still looking out for one. The diecast has many details and operating features. The headlights pop up, the rear cover for the convertible top lifts to reveal a stowed top, the gas cap cover opens, the hatches behind the folding seats open to show the battery and jack, the engine and compartment is completely detailed down to the air filter in the cowl induction hood and I forgot to take a picture of the drop down carrier for the removable spare tire. Anyways here are the photos. I decided to take a picture of the spare and add it and now that I've looked at it. It's not a rally wheel. It's a chrome wheel! Must be from some other car that was released. Cheers!

Thanks for the education. I'm always happy to learn!

On the cream version it's all chrome. No paint. The production cars had a painted grill with chrome edges.