Is That The Box It Came In?

This is Exoto's 1988 XJR9-LM







Jaguar, it rolls along your tongue. A 16 year old wangled a ride on a test run on a customer's '64 E-Type. Flat out at 140 indicated in a roadster; I still remember the bite of the fall air as the slipstream ripped the hair out of my head. Ruined me, for anything less, for the rest of life...

Rearview Nightmare

Competing, this is one competitor you didn't want to see at the track, let alone gnawing on your tail. The Porsche 935 was that good.
This 1/18 crafted by Exoto, the second by Carousel I. I'm looking for some feedback on either of these replicas, a starving artist review so as to speak...

Fast and Furious

More Barracuda then Mosquito.
A crew of two.
Wood, Glue and a top speed over 400 mph.
Carried a weight in bombload equal to the B-17.
Two stage supercharged Rolls-Royce Merlins of 1700 hp a piece could take her to the thin air above 41,000 feet.


Right: Two heavyweights in die-cast. B MK XVI DH Mosquito 'Moncton Express III' by Corgi in 1/32nd and GMPs P-51 'Glamorous Glen III' in 1/35 scale.




The US Navy's equivalent to the RAF Mosquito and the Aircorps Mitchell B-25; Lockheed's PV2 Harpoon, lacking in grace or high performance; still, a good spray platform, shattering the dawn at 180 kts indicated 50 feet off of the deck mile after mile. Left: Spraying grasshoppers, Utah, 84 '85. Photo of author taken by Carl Dolbeare:...miss you dude, guess we flew one 99 too many. Lost along with his co-pilot in a P2V-7 Neptune ( Tanker 99,) accident 2003.
PV2 Harpoon (lockheed) This is an Air Tanker out of Wyoming.

I Don't Think I Wanna Share This One

I really look forward to eventually having a hands on with one of Exoto's masterpiece replicas, to date I have had to settle for languishing over the photos of Exoto's work. Other work I have seen of this caliber sells for thousands of dollars and are limited to half a dozen pieces or less. Once the lottery is won, or we can move in with the kids, (the oldest contender is 13.) I look forward to starting my own collection. That's not to say I'm not pleased to receive your emails describing the beauty of these replicas. The very replicas you folks have and I don't, so long as you are not rubbing it in!
Sucks being a member of the lowly prolitatriate!
I'm not fussy on which lottery...

This Chaparral by Exoto is so sweet. The epitome of grace, style and power. I fell in love with this car by default. Back in the days of our youth: big dogs and slot racing- my older brother used to sock me over the head if he didn't get the GT 40. I'd whack my younger sister if she took the Chaparral. In the end our controllers on our slot racing set never worked well so it didn't matter what car you raced, but who slugged the hardest! Remember those little electric motors with the wire brushes...it was a year before I figured out Mark had removed same on all the cars except the Ford...

Even If You Are Not An Aviator

Curtiss P-40 GMP appears to have built another beauty, a P-40 E Warhawk in 1:35. If the P-40 is the same quality as GMP's P-51 it should provide hours of exploration and enjoyment. I 'm unable to keep my hands off of my P-51 Mustang, amusing myself for hours extending and retracting the landing gear. Wendy believes it's a fetish, and, since I like to do the same thing in real airplanes she is probably correct...

GMP's 'Glorious Glen III' P-51 Mustang.

Number 4 shutdown and featherd; Boeing B-17, Tanker 34 working her way back to Sonoma Country C.D.F. Tanker Base, Santa Rosa, CA 1984. Crewing with Jerry Donahue. Tragically, J.D. was killed in a 1998 crash of a P2V Neptune in Montona.

I think of you often J.D, and your favorite quote:
'... just because it is on my side dosn't mean I broke it!'

Confessions

I haven't seen one or these beautys in the flesh, real or diecast. Mercedes are a little out of my league. My 15 year old Beemer (with a dent) tops out around 120...it might go faster, I don' t know, as my wife, Wendy, will not authorize such speeds, or, more to the point, she refuses to let me drive at all.
I degress; pictured: 1989 Sauber-Mercedes C9
by Exoto, in 1/18th scale. The photos of this replica on the Exoto.com web site are exceptional, as is the web site. I hope Exoto will allow me to place a link to their site as any fan will appreciate the pure beauty and grace of these cars. Most of the replicas are limited edition thus collectable. E-bay listings show most of the replicas for sale on the secondary market hold their value. Exto has been around for awhile. The quality and workmenship on these replicas, for me, is breath taking.
I don't think my honey will let me buy one, (something about rent and food for the kids...) so if you have one, or get one, enjoy it for me.
Bye the way, drool can fry your keyboard!

This Ain't Like Your Ma's Mercedes