Johnny Lightning

roddie Mon Jun 19, 2023 10:34 am

I found/bought a couple of Johnny Lightning (1:64 scale diecast miniatures) at that flea market where I found the HW 64 Chevy last week.

These two cars are not the original Topper brand Johnny Lightning cars.. but are a 2nd generation from the mid-1990's made by the "Playing Mantis" company under license from "Tomy".

A 1965 Pontiac GTO convertible (blue) and a 1970 Plymouth Hemi-Cuda (green).

1:64 scale Diecast (Hot Wheels) - Page 6 Pontia10

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Note the "notch" cast into the chassis beneath the front axles of these two cars. This feature was to engage a "hook" which was part of a catapult-launch system carried over from the original Topper Johnny Lightning cars of the early 1970's.

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The current (2020) series of JL cars are made by "Round 2" (also under license from Tomy) and do NOT have the notch on the bottom of the chassis for the catapult launch.

akjgardner Tue Jun 20, 2023 4:23 am

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I had 3 of these . A white one red one and green one. Wish I still had one

roddie Tue Jun 20, 2023 4:39 pm

Yea.. those are cool Cool

Joe! I think I have one.. but will have to take a look. Anything "Jeep" is desirable to me! Thumbs Up

akjgardner Tue Jun 20, 2023 5:10 pm

roddie wrote:Yea.. those are cool Joe! I think I have one.. but will have to take a look. Anything "Jeep" is desirable to me!

Me too Roddie , I’ve probably had somewhere around 10 jeeps of different models . I currently have a 6 speed 4 door wrangler . My brother showed up with a brand new Jeep truck . I was a little jealous.

roddie Wed Jun 21, 2023 7:37 pm

akjgardner wrote:
roddie wrote:Yea.. those are cool Joe! I think I have one.. but will have to take a look. Anything "Jeep" is desirable to me!
Me too Roddie , I’ve probably had somewhere around 10 jeeps of different models . I currently have a 6 speed 4 door wrangler . My brother showed up with a brand new Jeep truck . I was a little jealous.

Full-scale.. Cool

I've never owned one.. but I drove a Wrangler one time. It was my (then) girlfriend's ex-husband's... Laughing

.. which he let her take whenever she wanted. That's a nice arrangement.. don't you think?

We were in her home-region (Florence, MA USA) where she and I had his Jeep this one gorgeous afternoon.. when she pulled off the road and took a path leading to a drainage/creek. That's where she had me take the wheel. In Lo-Range we crept up that gully/creek for... I don't know.. maybe a 1/2 mile.. at quite a bit less than a hiker's-pace. It would be my 1st impression of a Jeep.. doing what a Jeep was designed to do. I'll never forget it.

akjgardner Thu Jun 22, 2023 3:24 pm

roddie wrote:
akjgardner wrote:
roddie wrote:Yea.. those are cool Joe! I think I have one.. but will have to take a look. Anything "Jeep" is desirable to me!
Me too Roddie , I’ve probably had somewhere around 10 jeeps of different models . I currently have a 6 speed 4 door wrangler . My brother showed up with a brand new Jeep truck . I was a little jealous.

Full-scale.. I've never owned one.. but I drove a Wrangler one time. It was my (then) girlfriend's ex-husband's... .. which he let her take whenever she wanted. That's a nice arrangement.. don't you think?

We were in her home-region (Florence, MA USA) where she and I had his Jeep this one gorgeous afternoon.. when she pulled off the road and took a path leading to a drainage/creek. That's where she had me take the wheel. In Lo-Range we crept up that gully/creek for... I don't know.. maybe a 1/2 mile.. at quite a bit less than a hiker's-pace. It would be my 1st impression of a Jeep.. doing what a Jeep was designed to do. I'll never forget it.

yes Roddie , but there was one truck that would always beat a Jeep . When I was in the air force at Moody AFB in Georgia, a bunch of us would go mud boggin , I had a GMC Shortned, another guy had a CJ 7 there where a couple of Fords and a couple of Chevys and one Dodge Power wagon. Almost every time we went out everyone would be stuck in about 2 feet of mud around 3:00 am except the Power Wagon. He would have to pull us all out. Oh the good ol days

roddie Fri Jun 23, 2023 3:57 pm

akjgardner wrote:
yes Roddie , but there was one truck that would always beat a Jeep . When I was in the air force at Moody AFB in Georgia, a bunch of us would go mud boggin , I had a GMC Shortned, another guy had a CJ 7 there where a couple of Fords and a couple of Chevys and one Dodge Power wagon. Almost every time we went out everyone would be stuck in about 2 feet of mud around 3:00 am except the Power Wagon. He would have to pull us all out. Oh the good ol days

Hey Joe,

My youngest brother "Jeff" is currently restoring a 1949 Dodge Power Wagon. It's a beast.. to say the least...

as purchased.. 4+ years ago..

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from the last photos that I have..

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There's a LOT MORE work that's been done to the truck since the last photos. The pick-up bed has been renewed with new 2" thick hardwood planks with stainless steel channel in-between.

I'll soon be helping him to set the engine's timing.

rsv1cox Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:14 pm

I used to drive one when I was first in the Navy at Pensacola. We had two big communications vehicles with a trailered generator supplying power. Both capable of providing all the base communications in case of an enemy attack or hurricane emergency. I had to take them out once a month and run them. More fun than a job.

Got my Hot Wheels 1968 Mazda Cosmo Sport. Increases my minatures by one third.

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GallopingGhostler Fri Jun 23, 2023 6:07 pm

roddie wrote:Hey Joe, My youngest brother "Jeff" is currently restoring a 1949 Dodge Power Wagon. It's a beast.. to say the least... as purchased.. 4+ years ago..

From the way the front is set up to the cab front windows hinged so they can open, perhaps it was a surplus military combat vehicle? Very Happy

Your brother's truck has a military look to it. Smile

The Vietnam era 2-1/2 ton "Duece and a Half" trucks we drove in the reserves all had that same style heavy duty bumper system and hinged front windows. Some of the bumpers had an optional winch installed on it.

Cracking open those front windows helped to provide "air conditioning" plus if on a dusty trail, allow further opening so one could still see out when the windshield got clouded with dust or mud from rain and dust. Also, it allowed one to immediately move out if windows were hastily covered in mud (field camouflage to reduce glare while parked. Those shiny windows are a good way to announce to the enemy, "Hey, in case you missed us, we are here!" Doh!

).

On a dirt road convoy, the trucks behind the others ate dirt. The National Guard's Duece diesel engine provided enough heat from the exhaust system manifold, heating the uninsulated sheet metal fire wall heating the cabin, that a winter heating system wasn't necessary. (Back in the 1990's, Deuce parts were getting harder to find for the reserves, they were scavenging off other Deuces. Grease on very old stocked parts, i.e., electric motor bearing grease was dried out, rubber seals dried and cracked. Replacement heating system parts were getting unobtanium.)

akjgardner Fri Jun 23, 2023 7:25 pm

roddie wrote:
akjgardner wrote:
yes Roddie , but there was one truck that would always beat a Jeep . When I was in the air force at Moody AFB in Georgia, a bunch of us would go mud boggin , I had a GMC Shortned, another guy had a CJ 7 there where a couple of Fords and a couple of Chevys and one Dodge Power wagon. Almost every time we went out everyone would be stuck in about 2 feet of mud around 3:00 am except the Power Wagon. He would have to pull us all out. Oh the good ol days

Hey Joe, My youngest brother "Jeff" is currently restoring a 1949 Dodge Power Wagon. It's a beast.. to say the least...

as purchased.. 4+ years ago..

OH MAN , Now I’m really jealous. That’s awesome .

from the last photos that I have..

There's a LOT MORE work that's been done to the truck since the last photos. The pick-up bed has been renewed with new 2" thick hardwood planks with stainless steel channel in-between.

I'll soon be helping him to set the engine's timing.

roddie Fri Jun 23, 2023 8:42 pm

I've learned a little bit about this truck model from my brother Jeff's research. He told me that after WWII ended, there was a desire for a civilian version of the vehicle. I believe that Dodge started to produce a civilian version in 1946 or 47. My brother's truck is a 1949. He is converting the electrical system from 6V to 12V. I asked about the starter.. and what to do about it. Apparently the original 6V. starter is preferred to be kept with a 12V. system.. and will crank the engine over faster.. providing easier starting than the 6V. system was capable of. The 6V. starter is said to hold-up to the higher voltage.. with 80% life of a 12V. replacement starter.

The 4sp. manual gearbox is non-synchronized.. calling for good ol' "double-clutching" and knowing how to shift the gears of an old truck correctly.. matching the engine's rpm's to the shift-points. That in itself is a skill that's sadly going away.

Oldenginerod Fri Jun 23, 2023 9:16 pm

I doubt we ever got the Power Wagon out here but we seem to have a lot of Dodge Weapons Carriers, which look to be the original version. They're all Left Hand Drive, so I suspect that the US military left them behind when they vacated the country at the conclusion of WWII. They're pretty popular with collectors and restorers but aren't generally used privately for off-road work. Generally end up in Military Vehicle Clubs.

GallopingGhostler Fri Jun 23, 2023 9:33 pm

Roddie, I'd never guess that they'd sell civilian version. Well history repeated itself, they did that with the original Humvee. There must have been something about that truck that made it attractive just like the Hummer. (Or, it was an interim measure. Was it possibly a transitional assembly line strategy until they could retool for civilian production?)

Regarding the 6 Volt systems, my father had bought a used early 1960's Renault Dauphine when I was in high school. (Top speed was under 55 MPH.) It had a 6 Volt electrical system. My 1971 Honda CB100 motorcycle was a 6 Volt system. Then, you could buy back in the 1970's, 6 Volt bulbs and accessories. Instead of going to a dealer, I'd go to an autoparts store and buy bulbs and turn signal flasher relays from them, they were cheaper. (I was a poor college student then.)

I could put 12 V bulbs, flasher, ignition coil and battery on the bike. However, instead of starting to charge the battery at 3,000 RPM, it would charge at around 5,000 RPM. (This has the most primitive charging system around, a full wave rectifier converts the stator AC to DC, the battery internal resistance is the regulator.) I have retained the 6 Volt system because thus far, haven't needed to go the extra mile. One can rewind the stator or have a custom shop do it so it starts charging the 12 V battery at 3,000 RPM.

roddie wrote:The 4sp. manual gearbox is non-synchronized.. calling for good ol' "double-clutching" and knowing how to shift the gears of an old truck correctly.. matching the engine's rpm's to the shift-points. That in itself is a skill that's sadly going away.

I could be wrong, but somehow remembered when I was an early teen, that my father's manual transmission 1966 Chevelle Malibu with I think a 307 C.I. small block 8 cylinder had a non-synchronized 1st gear with 2nd and final 3rd gear as synchronized. Generally, you didn't drop it into 1st gear unless you were totally stopped. 1st had a gear whine, 2nd somewhat less, 3rd was absolutely silent of gear whine.

The Japanese had one up on that. My 1967 Datsun PL411 "Bluebird" sedan with 4 cylinder 1300 engine had 4 synchronized forward gears. However the engine was humming closer to its red line when going 65 MPH. It sort of reminds me of mid-sized motorcycles. My 1987 Suzuki LS650 Savage big single cylinder was doing 5,200 RPM at 75 MPH. (Had an accurate electronic bicycle speedometer - bike's one was inaccurate, sensor read a magnet I JBwelded on the front wheel hub, and a Drag Specialties double fire tach for Harleys mounted.) It's red line is 6,500 RPM.

roddie Fri Jun 30, 2023 12:49 pm

roddie wrote:I found/bought a couple of Johnny Lightning (1:64 scale diecast miniatures) at that flea market where I found the HW 64 Chevy last week.

These two cars are not the original Topper brand Johnny Lightning cars.. but are a 2nd generation from the mid-1990's made by the "Playing Mantis" company under license from "Tomy".

A 1965 Pontiac GTO convertible (blue) and a 1970 Plymouth Hemi-Cuda (green).

Note the "notch" cast into the chassis beneath the front axles of these two cars. This feature was to engage a "hook" which was part of a catapult-launch system carried over from the original Topper Johnny Lightning cars of the early 1970's.

The current (2020) series of JL cars are made by "Round 2" (also under license from Tomy) and do NOT have the notch on the bottom of the chassis for the catapult launch.

Here's a couple vids of original "Topper" brand 1970's racing-set ads that show the catapult-launch system in use.

The vids below are 3+ minutes.. and must have cost a fortune to air on television.

As I mentioned; The "latest" (Round2 branded) Johnny Lightning 1:64 scale diecast miniatures don't have the provision for catapult-launching.. but are of premium construction; featuring a metal body and chassis.. as the earlier JL models.. and the premium (Metal/Metal) Hot Wheels offerings.

The below photo is of my Round2 1971 Buick GSX

1:64 scale Diecast (Hot Wheels) - Page 6 Buick_10

1:64 scale Diecast (Hot Wheels) - Page 6 20230610

Note below; the omission of the notch for the catapult.. but also note the tread-detail on the tires.

1:64 scale Diecast (Hot Wheels) - Page 6 20230611

The entire vehicle is much more nicely detailed.. but would not perform well if placed up against a Hot Wheels 1:64 car on a HW race track.

Here's a more "current" (2001....) TV ad for the JL "Round2" cars..

roddie Fri Jul 21, 2023 9:43 am

This one's for Robert (rsv1cox)

1:64 scale Diecast (Hot Wheels) - Page 6 Mazda_11

rsv1cox Fri Jul 21, 2023 9:46 am

Whenever I look up parts for my RX-7 I always include the word Savanna the Japanese name for the RX-7.

akjgardner Fri Jul 21, 2023 11:00 am

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Roddie , does this look familiar?

GallopingGhostler Fri Jul 21, 2023 11:39 am

@akjgardner , when I was in 3rd grade, had one of those Dodge pickups in the early 1960's, in same color molded plastic. It had a hand held wired remote with flashlight batteries and switches, could go forward straight, backing up turned. That was the advanced toy technology of the day. Wink

Levent Suberk Sat Jul 22, 2023 3:03 pm

Limited Edition RSV1 Mazda team racer model for CEF.

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rsv1cox Sat Jul 22, 2023 4:48 pm

I like it!!!! I'll take a dozen....... Smile

Suitable for framing.

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Levent Suberk Sat Jul 29, 2023 4:39 am

I bought a Ford Mustang 1979 made by Greenlight. 1/64 scale limited edition. It is all metal except clear parts.

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Levent Suberk Sat Jul 29, 2023 4:41 am

roddie Sun Jul 30, 2023 12:52 pm

Levent! That's a nice model! The actual pace car shown on the packaging had a "Jack Roush" prepared 302/5.0L V8.

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Just recently (7/10) I picked up this 84 "SVO". Just a std. HW $1.18 USD example.. but it's the only "Fox Body" that I have.

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roddie Sun Jul 30, 2023 1:06 pm

So... I sprung for a Walmart brand "Adventure Force" offering last Monday (less than $1 USD) Smile

... I hadn't cared for most of what I saw from that brand.. (styling detail issues) but this little 1964 Ford Econoline van caught my eye.. and it's not bad.

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Levent Suberk Sun Jul 30, 2023 4:50 pm

Good buyings Roddie Very Happy

Ford Mustang is a great design as like as most cars of seventies.

I bought Disney's Steamboat Willie. My father had a 8 mm home projector and I watch Disney's most cartoons, so this model has a nostalgic value for me. I still have Disney's 8 mm movie reels.

PS My 2000 th post! Yes, time flies Very Happy

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1:64 scale Diecast (Hot Wheels)

Johnny Lightning

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1949 vintage Dodge Power Wagon

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Adventure Force-Walmart brand 1964 Ford Econoline van

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