The Motor Pool – Blog – Page 178 – Pureveyors of Fine Diecast Collectibles

2014: A Look Ahead

For those of you who have known us from the beginning, every so often we get the urge to tear down everything we’ve built and start again, so that we can serve our clientele better than before. With technology continuing to evolve, particularly in the area of e-commerce, and design inspirations pushing us forward, we’ve decided to begin the arduous process of creating our next rev of The Motor Pool. Currently, we hope to launch the new site sometime this summer, once we feel comfortable that we’ve worked out all of the bugs that inevitably creep into the design process and are fully able to move our existing files to the new service.

Some of the new features we plan to roll out are a more stylized home page, fully integrated blog, better search functionality, a more streamlined order processing and fulfillment system, videos, mobile optimization including a responsive template, more captivating product and category pages, and a variety of back office enhancements that will improve the customer and administrator experience.

We will certainly post more information once we are further along in the development of the new site, including snap shots of the work in progress, and rest assured you can still peruse our product portfolio, order merchandise and check your records on our existing site. We’re still here to serve your diecast needs.

Share This:

The US Navy Looks to the Future

Several important developments came to the fore this past week, among them two fundamental changes to the way in which the US Navy plans to fight and protect the seven seas in the 21st Century. First off, the inaugural stealth destroyer, DDG-1000 USS Zumwalt, is currently undergoing rigorous testing by the US Navy and its creator, the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. Scheduled to join the fleet in 2016, the Zumwalt employs a stealthy design, boasts fewer crew members, and is much more capable than its predecessors in helping to defend US interests.

More information concerning the Zumwalt class of destroyers can be found here:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/u-s-navy-new-uss-zumwalt-prepare-battle-report-article-1.1743213

Also undergoing testing is a rail gun, which is currently fitted aboard the Joint High-Speed Vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3). The rail gun is an especially important change in anti-aircraft defense measures, since it would allow surface vessels to once again sail closer to land masses and no longer fear potent anti-ship missile systems currently deployed by a number of nations. It could also defeat saturation-based air-to-ship missile attacks out to a distance of 100 miles that was accepted as a sound fundamental plan-of-action by certain countries. Its not clear if the rail gun can be retrofitted to the current fleet of US naval vessels and perhaps replace aging systems such as the radar guided Phalanx CIWS gatling gun, which fires 20mm shells out to a range of a mile or so.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/us-navy-unveils-rail-gun-that-fires-at-seven-times-speed-of-sound/story-fnjwpv39-1226878052463

Share This:

Discontinuation of The Collectors Showcase Line

Effective immediately, we are phasing out our entire range of The Collectors Showcase merchandise. Any remaining stock qualifies for a 25% discount off of the advertised price. Be advised that we will not be ordering any additional stock, so anything listed as Special Order does not qualify for this discount. Likewise, this is a first come first served sale, so it is entirely possibly that we could run out of select items quickly. To place an order for this line and qualify for this discount, please call us at (718) 465-3292 during normal business hours and we will review our in-stock position with you. Again, please do not ask us to order something that we no longer have available since this is a liquidation sale.

Share This:

War Master Back on Track?

It appears as if War Master has selected a new distributor for its North American operation, which is why their most recent pair of scheduled shipments have been inexplicably delayed. At this point, its not clear if their supposed June cache, which is already available elsewhere in the world, will ever make it to our shores, given the lack of information currently available. What is known is that their new distributor has announced plans for an all-new platoon of armored vehicles to roll out this May, which will be supplemented by an IJN Aichi B7A2 Ryusei “Grace” attack aircraft.

All of the ground vehicles look especially pleasing this go round, covering a multitude of eras, nations and types of weapons employed. For WWII buffs, a German 88mm FLaK gun will be offered, this time still attached to its wheel assemblies. Moving forward in time, War Master has developed an Israeli M51 Isherman tank, an upgunned version of the original Sherman that was used in the Yom Kippur War. Also expected is a US M48 A3 Patton tank, which saw action in Vietnam, and a M163 A1 Vulcan Air Defense System, which saw yeoman service during the Panama Crisis of 1981. All five new products have been listed on our site, and we hope to have clearer imagery some time soon.

Share This:

DeAgostini Enlists in the Luftwaffe

Known for their wide range of entry-level lines, DeAgostini recently announced their intent to offer a new range of 1:72 scale German aircraft of World War II. Initially. the usual subjects will be covered, among them a Bf 109F-4, Fw 190A-6, and Bf 110E-1 fighter, as well as a Ju 87D-5 dive-bomber. Perhaps the most notable entrant will be a Me 210A-1 twin-engine fighter, an offshoot of the early war Bf 110 that was intended to be more effective in combat yet never quite overcame its design deficiencies. Priced at only $19.99 apiece, these low cost yet feature-rich warplanes are an ideal way to jump start a scale aircraft armada and fill in some holes in your collection with subjects that have never been replicated.

Share This:

Unimax Ships Out

While we were horrified to learn that Unimax’ 1:700 scale replica of the USS Enterprise has already sold out, we were, nevertheless, thrilled to discover that a new version is already undergoing sea trials. Their second version, #86017, will include a set of diminutive sailors standing on board the deck of the carrier in dress whites spelling out “E=mc2 x 40”, which signifies the 40th anniversary of the ship’s sailing in 2002. For those of you who’d rather not commemorate the “Big E’s” historic voyage, you can dismiss the troops and have them hidden away below deck out-of-sight and out-of-mind. Look for the new carrier some time in July.

Share This:

Eaglemoss Sails the Seven Seas

With Unimax’ shipbuilding program now in full swing, it made sense for other diecast makers to dip their toes in the water, so-to-speak. Partworks producer Eaglemoss has just christened its latest sequential range, which will cover many of the most legendary ships of WWI, WWII and even the present. First offered to a select audience in Japan, it makes sense that most of their early offerings are based upon the Imperial Japanese Navy, featuring some of the most iconic ships of the 20th century.

Replicated in 1:1100 scale, these intricately detailed full draught warships feature rotating turrets and elevating guns along with specially designed display plinths to hold them in place. The first combined fleet is expected in May, and each carries an affordable price tag of just $24.99.

Share This:

USPS International Tracking to Become a Reality

We’ve been in business for 14 years and it was always a daunting proposition to ship packages outside the US. Happily, all that may soon change. Our friends at the Post Office today informed us that they will soon be offering true tracking capabilities for 180 countries, much like they do for domestic shipments. So, both we and our customers will be able to follow the progress of a package from hand-off at the Post Office to the customer’s doorstep. We’ll post further information regarding this important update as soon as we learn more.

Share This:

Dragon Upguns its Armor Range

Just when we were prepared to throw in the towel concerning the on-again, off-again Dragon Armor range, comes news that they plan to offer a brand new tank this May. (#DRR60664) is a German Berge-Panther mit Pz.Kpfw.IV Turm. Turret Medium Tank (that’s certainly a mouthful), which mates a standard Panther tank chassis with a Panzer IV turret protected by a turret girdle, thereby making it a speedy yet potent armored fighting vehicle on the battlefield. Pre-orders are now being accepted for this handsome beauty.

In related news, their first Sd. Kfz. 232 armored car is slated for an April roll out. What makes this vehicle so special is the bed frame aerial antenna mounted atop the roof of the chassis, making it one of the more noticeable vehicles in the Wehrmacht’s arsenal.

Share This:

Hobby Master Provides Proof of their Pedigree

As part of their July releases, Hobby Master intends to build a 1:48 scale replica of the US Army’s famed MUTT Military Utility Tactical Truck. Their first offering portrays a top-down vehicle used during the Vietnam War (#HG1901), and will likely be followed up with versions operated by other units. Variants will also be made, including towed versions and one equipped with the M121A2 TOW wire guided missile system.

Share This: