Johnny Lightning 1930s Batgyro

Johnny Lightning used to sell a model kit of the 1930s Batgyro. It was a "fiddly" kit, with small parts and no good way to assemble except for using super glue, which is not my forte. Here is the assembled kit. Looks good despite my lack of talent. The Batcave is a recent offering from Jada. Not really to scale, but not a lot is available for a Batcave in smaller scales. The Batman figure is from Zerboz.

Johnny Lightning 1979 International Scout II

The new 2017 Johnny Lightning's are finally hitting the local stores, and I was pleased to pick up this 1979 International Scout II. International had a distinctive look, and it's a shame that they no longer make passenger vehicles. JL did a nice job on capturing the real vehicle, giving it a realistic paint scheme and convincing rim/tire selection. The front and rear tampos are well done, also.

Johnny Lightning Volkswagen 1965 Type 2 Pickup

Johnny Lightning is kind of hit and miss with me ... some of the castings are clunky. But when they released a good casting, such as this Volkswagen Type 2 pickup, it was really good. The lines look great, the paint is spot on, and the details are well rendered. Glad I was able to add this to my collection.

Happy Fourth of July, part 1

Johnny Lightning's 1979 Indy 500 Winner - Rick Mears' #9 Penske/Cosworth

Here is the companion piece for the '79 Ford Mustang Pace Car - number 9 Penske/Cosworth driven to victory by Rick Mears.

Johnny Lightning 1979 Ford Mustang Pace Car

The JL version of the 1979 Ford Mustang Indy 500 Pace Car. I have been lucky in finding these as I wasn't collecting when they were originally released.

Johnny Lightning 1998 Corvette Convertible Pace Car (casting #735)

Wanted to get this up before Memorial Day to commemorate the race, but work and home life intervened. I'm trying to collect all of the Johnny Lightning Pace Cars, and I think I've got most of them. Here is the 1998 Indy 500 Pace Car, a Corvette Convertible.

Johnny Lightning 1933 Willys Gasser in USA Racing livery

Another recent die-cast show find - Johnny Lightning's 1933 Willys Gasser in USA Racing markings. It is casting # 156, and is a real beaut.

Johnny Lightning 1965 Chevelle Wagon

I grew up riding around in the back of a 1969 Ford LTD station wagon, and I have a love for all of these land yachts. Johnny Lightning did a great job on this 1965 Chevelle wagon. Casting number 601, it was released as part of the Classic Gold II series.

Johnny Lightning 1971 El Camino

Got this for a couple of bucks at the Hot Wheels shop in the flea market. I do miss Johnny Lightning, and am excited about its rumored return. The wheels on this are plastic, so this rolls really well.

Johnny Lightning Pony Power Garage - 1965 Ford Mustang 2+2

The other model from the Pony Power Garage 2-pack - here is a '65 Ford Mustang 2+2 Fastback looking resplendent in what I am assuming is the Champagne Gold color.

Johnny Lightning Pony Power Garage - 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T

Managed to find this still on the shelves at a discount store - here is Johnny Lightning's Pony Power Garage with a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T.

Johnny Lightning 1937 Cord 812 SC Convertible

Here is the 1937 Cord 812 SC Convertible from Forever 64 Release 7 (part #976). When cataloging my collection I try to note when the model was released and its part number. With Hot Wheels, this is easy; with Johnny Lightning, not so much. I found a listing of casting numbers for Johnny Lightning, but I can never be sure when the particular model was released.

Johnny Lightning 1931 Cadillac Cabriolet

Here is a Johnny Lightning Forever 64 model from Release 12. It's the 1931 Cadillac Cabriolet. I'm filling in wholes in my collection by picking up Johnny Lightning releases at shows or off of eBay. Hot Wheels and M2 do a good job of hitting some of the classic cars, but its nice to have additional versions.

Johnny Lightning Speed Racer 2000 Captain Terror

This is the Johnny Lightning Speed Racer 2000 Captain Terror.

Johnny Lightning Speed Racer 2000 Chevy Monte Carlo Stock Car

Here is the Mach 5 as a stock car. Who knew? Might actually watch NASCAR if the cars were equipped with autojacks and saw blades.

Johnny Lightning 1968 Dodge A-100 pickup

I've had this casting for a while, and I can't seem to find the original packaging. In researching the model, I think Johnny Lightning sold it as both a '65 A100 and a '68 A100. The yellow is a little much, and I prefer the Matchbox version, but still a nice addition to my collection.

Johnny Lightning Speed Racer - Mach 5 with autojacks

Here is Johnny Lightning's Speed Racer Mach 5 (with autojacks). Just push 'A' on the steering wheel column.

Johnny Lightning Speed Racer - Racer X Shooting Star

Johnny Lightning's version of Racer X's Shooting Star. It's a nice touch that they detailed the interior by at least painting the seats.

Johnny Lightning Speed Racer 2000 - The GRX

Johnny Lightning's version of the GRX.