VOLUME.1 ISSUE.1

NIGHTSTALKERWRECKS HAVOC INTHE CUSTOMIZINGWORLD

Interviews withHall of Famer Bryan PopeHall of Famer Jay HoltVirtual Customs ContestKustomKon InfoAnd more!

www.kustomzmag.com

ALSOIN THEISSUE

A D I E C A S T K U S T O M I Z I N G L I F E S T Y L E

Welcome Customizers,

We at DiecastSpace.com work hard to bring you the latest customizing trends and news through our website and the conventions held around the country. We work closely with the top custom-izers to get ideas, learn the newest trends and keep you informed of upcoming events. This maga-zine will consolidate the best of the customizing world!

You can expect the same great tips, articles and showcases you find on Diecastspace.com, but with more details and extras. There will be information and opportunities exclusive to the magazine’s subscribers. We’ll even have some sneak peeks of the latest builds... months before their debut.

As your Editor-in-Chief (and fellow customizer), I’ll do everything I possibly can to get more out of the stand-out customizers and attempt to answer all of the “How’d they do that” questions. In addition to the quarterly interviews, I will also be showcasing some of up and coming customizers.

Our feature articles will include everything the custom diecast culture has to offer. From show and shine to on track performance, subscribers will get it all!

So grab your subscription now and score yourself four issues of this great full-color magazine! As an added bonus, you will receive a Kustom 1 of 50 Dairy Delivery. Shipping is free and you will receive an issue once every 60 days.

Jason BennettKustomz Magazine Editor

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Virtual Customs Contest

Kustom Dreemz

Who is the Night Stalker?

How a Car Show Saved My Life

Holt...Who Goes There?

Race Tech

Interview with the Pope

pg 1

pg 3

pg 5

pg 7

pg 17

pg 14

pg 11

- An indepth Interview with Designer Bryan Pope- A One on One with Customizer Chris Walker “Night Stalker”

- How a car show helped Carson Lev get his life back.

- Custom Cars by Jeffery Roberts

- Vote for your favorite

- Interview with Designer and Customizer Jay Holt

- Tips and Tricks to help you with your next race.

Each issue we will select two pictures from our website and post them in the magazine. Take a look at the detail of the pictures and vote for who you think has the best kustom! Each winner will receive $25 case sent to them via Paypal!

Once you make your selection, you will email contest@diecastspace.com and tell us either number 1 or number 2 for your selected vote.

For future issues and submissions, visit the magazine website at http://www.kustomzmag.com and click on submit, and you can send in your custom contest entries from there!Take a look below, and make your decision!

1 2

1

The MINI-MOTORS, Incorporated Collector Sites are proud

to be part of DiecastSpace family!

www.hotworldcustoms.com The Greatest Custom Die Cast Informational Site on the Web

www.mini-motorsonline.com This is where 1/64

th

scale collecting begins…

www.164scale.com Your Informational Source in 1/64th…

2

ello, my name is Jeffrey Roberts,many of you may know my log-in name on some of the diecast forums ... Dreem Dezignz. I’m mainly a customizer ... never was a true ‘purist’ collector ... for whom I embrace a very high respect. I only collected initially from 1968 to 1971 ... most of my particular favorite casting designs. My smallcollection presently includes about thirty cars. A few newer castings too ... yet mainly early RedLine pieces.

Well, seems it now appears to be my turn in this spotlight. And trust me ... I feel very honored by this kind invitation. So what car(s) can I shine that light on just for sheer fun. Easy ... how ‘bout a car in my most favorite early HOT WHEELS series,SPOILERS. The series had an illustrious (although a bit short) production-run within 1970 and 1971. Eight of the 1968 ‘Customs’ street-cars were re-tooled using modified designs penned by Mattel’s early design-guru Ira Gilford. It was an amazing surprise-debut which occurred when, in ‘70, three of the

cars were first released as exclusive HOT WHEELS CLUB bonus-cars ... each fully dressed-out in cool chrome-plating. Over the two-year run, all eight cars were released in various colors of the dazzling SpectraFlame ‘rainbow’. Many quite rare variations appeared, those chrome versions remaining the most exclusive. Okay, so which of the eight was my ultimate favorite ?? Simple. SUGAR CADDY. But at times I find it sort of challenging to actually choose between it and TNT-BIRD.

H

3

Both castings were the only two in the series to actually be based on Detroit luxury coupes. While the TNT-BIRD, and six of the others, retained much of the intended design-theme of their original ‘Customs’ castings which gave them birth ... the ‘CADDY was the most radically re-designed. The ‘CADDY ‘beast’ had an exclusive velocity-stack engine not repeated in the other seven cars. It featured a unique cleverly sculptured full glass canopy (in

lieu of, yet shaped like, its original roof). It singularly retained its front hood ... though to accommodate the larger engine, its center was cut-out. It had the most pronounced, distinctive wheel-arch flairs. Its rear ‘spoiler’ was elegantly merged as an integral element of the body’s rear deck. The entire front face itself sort of acted as the front ‘spoiler’. It was designed and cast with what seem to be side ‘lakes-pipes’ placed in-between the wheel-wells. In my mind, these unique design cues, and its overall concept-vision, elevated it above the others.

Thus I decided to go all-out-full-tilt-boogie when I ventured into customizing my casting of it. Thestage where I still seem to have the most challenge in completing a project is with the painting (um,sound familiar ??) All the final colors I use (or intend to use) are the transparent Kandy Kolors similarto Mattel’s original SpectraFlame. Those of you who also use these paints know what I’m referring to,as to how really finicky they can be ... especially when applying the very final clear-coats. As such, I

have yet to successfully paint mine without a mishap. Honest ... I’ve made twelve attempts on it. In the images below, the new scratch-built interior had not yet been completed, though the newcustom-made steering-pod is visible. All the components are seen temporarily test-fit-installed. One of my ‘signatures’ employed on each of my particular cars is a new ‘nick-name’ for the piece. This one I call CAD’APULT(my version of the ‘71 Hot Wheels

SUGAR CADDY … still in progress) (( mirror-polished ... awaiting its Kandy Aqua top-to-bottom-fade ))custom-built details ...... new rims and tires ... new aluminum-tube side exhaust ‘shrouds’ in drilled-out holes... new rear corner-locator / antenna rods in drilled-out holes... new front-fascia accent-bars with stainless-steel micro-mesh center-peak grill panels behind those 4 bars... re-shaped engine details... will feature all-new custom-built interior employing numerous custom scratch-built parts I will be

painting it (yet again) soon, once I feel I’m at long-last able to aheive it successfully. Like many customizers, I’ve also discovered the great tires and rims produced by other makers. The set on this project are such an example ... and (trusting my good luck), I allowed it to roll. Thank you for reading this article and thanks also to the editors for inviting me to submit it. I hope all of you keep enjoying this fabulous hobby we share. Good times ahead for us.

4

f you have been in the die-cast world for any length of time, you have obvi-ously heard of the name Night Stalker in one form or another. Love him or hate him, it cannot be denied he has been credited with many accomplish-ments and made a serious impact in the die-cast community. These days he wears many hats; toy company owner, designer, artist, and customizer. And let’s not forget collector of almost anything cool that grabs him. Who is Chris Walker, and the man behind the name, Night Stalker?

He was virtually an unknown in the die-cast world until 2002 when he started making his creations known on the in-ternet die-cast forums. After attending the 2003 Nationals in Cincinnati, a lot of things started to change.

Chris was born in Palm Springs CA. With Southern California being the center for all things custom, racing, and pure hotrod culture, it was bound to happen. “When I was young my mom had an Impala with glass packs on it. So it was pretty much in my blood.” He had older brothers with Hot Wheels cars and tracks that he played with, and to this day his older brother still mentions how Chris bit the wheels off all the cars. It was a great time to grow up and he made the best of it. His father was in the Air Force, and it wasn’t long before the family was moved from state to state, then Italy and Germany. So he got a taste of all cultures around the world. “I wasn’t really into anything

custom too much at that point. My biggest thing was BMXing.” Like any youngster, it WAS his hot rod. Flashy paint or chrome, Skyway or Mongoose Moto-Mag wheels, those were truly the good old days. He still builds and collects them to this day

with his two sons.

It wasn’t until moving back to Florida in the early 80’s that Chris really started to

get the creative eye and started dis-covering who he was. He discovered girls, surfing, skateboards, hotrods, and model cars. “I got hold of my first skateboard and life wasn’t the same since. I ended up getting a sponsorship by Vision Skateboards as an amateur street skater. I thought I was going to ride that skateboard for the rest of my life. In my free time I liked to draw and paint, and I even-tually started custom painting my skateboards.” After the skating thing

just wasn’t working out in his favor, he eventually moved onto to other things in life. “It was around that time I got my first vehicle, a 1985 Mazda mini-truck. I painted it pink and blue with a convertible top kit on it, and lowered it. I got bit by the mini-truckin’ bug really bad.” One day a fellow mini-trucker friend handed him the then brand new in 1989 Hot Wheels Mini-truck and the Purple Passion. “Those were the two cars that got me hooked and started my die-cast collection. I grabbed them up, and in my spare time I dabbled in customs a little. I was also in the Military and then worked Law Enforcement - SWAT. So the custom stuff was a nice way to wind down after a long day. This is also were I picked up the nickname Night Stalker.” “After getting the internet, I saw there were a lot of other people customizing die-cast cars too. So to me, it became more acceptable instead of something I did out of boredom.” During this time, Chris built model cars as well. It was around 2002 that he bought a kit of a 1967 Camaro. “I thought it would be cool if I built a large scale replica Hot Wheels Heavy Chevy. Complete with the redline wheel and engine that was identical to the 64th scale counterpart. It was such a success that other rep-lica models soon followed; Sky Show Deora, Silhouette, Beach Bomb, Boss Hoss, etc. This is where it all began. “I entered a large scale Light My Fire-bird in the Custom Contest at the 2003 Nationals in Cincinnati and placed 2nd place. It got a lot of attention and I haven’t stopped since then.”

Chris went to many of the large die-cast conventions, and to date has

I

5

received 30 awards in the various cus-toms contests. He has hosted the pop-ular Custom Bash parties to promote his brand Night Stalker Customs, and over the years has released several popular limited edition signature cus-toms sold on his website. Af-ter a short free-lance gig with Johnny Light-ning Chris re-ally got to see how the busi-ness worked and behind the scenes and wanted to get more involved. One day he got a call and sat down with then President of Shelby Automo-biles, to discuss starting a die-cast line for Shelby called Shelby Collectibles.

“I was in heaven since this was exactly what I wanted. I went right home and made up a number of paint samples in metal-flakes, candies, enamels, etc. Then we started with the packaging samples.” The journey began. “It was a great feeling to walk into the store and see something you worked on for sale. It is hard to describe. But I wanted more.” Although working in the die-cast market, Chris still worked on his own custom cars. His popularity got him noticed by other companies, pro-moters, and die-cast clubs, all want-ing his help to get their own custom and show cars made, that he was all too happy to oblige. “I started making many of the custom code-3 cars that were for the Hot Wheels International shows in Mexico and Japan. I set out at that point in 2009 to do a Night Stalker World Tour and go to every show around the world for 1 full year promoting my name and the various die-cast shows. What I didn’t realize was that I had fans around the world. Mexico was crazy. It was like I was

a rock star, and to be honest I didn’t mind one bit. Signing autographs was a shock to me at first. I was also a designer at that point and worked

for a company as well. People liked that I had a small hand in designing something they liked. I wasn’t go-ing to complain.”

Chris knew what he wanted to do at this point. So in 2009, Alien Proj-ects was officially

born. “I set out to design something a little different, but something that I knew I would like. I settled on a retro styled COE hauler called the Dream-liner. I was heavily influenced by the GM Futureliner and really loved that

design style, so I played on that.” The Dreamliner debuted in Feb 2010 at the Die-cast Space Las Vegas SuperCon-vention, with various versions being offered since then through-out the year on the Alien Proj-ects website. “Even though I own my own die-cast com-pany, I am still involved with Shelby Col-lectibles and doing custom cars. I really enjoy working with Robert from Shelby. He was a big part of helping me out and I enjoy doing whatever I can with him. As far as custom cars, I haven’t slowed down on those either. I still en-joying building something whenever time allows or something grabs me.

These days most of my in-fluences are anything 40’s and 50’s retro, hot rod, rat-rod styles, and flashy paint. I dig anything by Roth, Starbird, or Barris. I just love the show-rod style customs.” Chris has also been a big part of helping out CJ’s Die-cast Space events since 2009 and really enjoys doing that. “I meet a lot of great people and it’s a good time working with CJ and his guys. you would be hard pressed to find a better bunch.” These days Chris is travelling around the world still doing work for the various In-ternational and US events, staying pretty busy. He is on a plane going somewhere almost every 30 days. So what’s the next chapter for Night Stalker? “I am not sure, the future hasn’t been written yet. I get to do customs, event cars, prototyping, design work, packaging, and every-

thing I always wanted to do in this business. I finally have my dream job. I even got to work with one of my custom influences, Ed “Big Dad-dy” Roth’s son, Dennis Roth. So life

is pretty good at the m o m e n t . I guess I will take it one day at a time and see what h a p p e n s next. Un-til then, I guess you can see me in the c u s t o m s

room, or wandering the halls. If I don’t say much, don’t worry, I am probably just tired. lol”

www.alienprojects.comwww.nightstalkercustoms.com

“It was a great feeling to walk into the store and see something you worked on for sale. It is hard to describe. But I wanted more.”

6

I am a lucky guy. Luckier than I should be. But it really isn’t luck -- it’s being blessed. It’s just easier for people to think of it as luck, removing all the religion stuff. If you’re lucky, you don’t have to pay anybody back. There’s no one to say thanks to when you drop your noggin on the pillow, no one to acknowledge and no one to owe your life to. However it is very obvious to me, and hopefully to you after reading this, that it truly is blessings, and there is only one person to thank. We’ll call it what it is and move on.

Through my job at Mattel Hot Wheels I am fortunate enough to go to lots of cars shows: from the big ones like SEMA and Detroit Autorama, all the way down to the little local Saturday morning “donut derelicts.” I never really know if I am going for work or fun, as the two have been fused into a passion without a clear

line between them. I’ll go to see some buddies and check out their cars and then I end up shaking hands on a licensing agreement. Or I go to one of the traditional business shows like SEMA, and it’s a reunion of all my old car pals.

I was lucky enough to grow up in the ’50s during the heydays of hot rods and racing (you can tell I grew up in the ’50s -- no one today says “heyday”). I was

plopped down in an area of So Cal that was the “driver-welder-customizer-painter-pinstriper-fabricator” epicenter of the hot rod universe -- specifically, Lakewood, CA… known as So Cal or “La-La Land” to everyone east of Barstow! Because of this proximity, I grew up with the kids of what seemed

like every guy that ever drove a car, painted, wrenched, cut, welded and massaged metal. So on the weekends, chances are I was at the drags (we had eleven drag strips in So Cal at that time -- can you name them all?), motorcycle races, boat races at Long Beach Marine Stadium, midgets and sprint cars at Ascot or road races at Riverside. If I wasn’t at races, I was at car shows. I’d carry around a notebook full of drawings and

dedicate the cars that I had seen to graphite and paper.You would think with all these car shows and races through all the years that I’d be burned out. Never happened. I can’t get enough -- the wife and kids will attest to that. It’s not gas in my blood; it’s a chemical cocktail of

by Carson Lev

“I was lucky enough to grow up in the ’50s during the heydays of hot rods and racing...”

7

arrive at the diagnostic trailer. She waits as I get my blood test, and I exit the trailer with her telling me now we will both feel better. I am still thinking what a waste of time. I am quickly deposited back to my car and she is off like a bat outta the bad place to grab some other

unsuspecting post-40 male.

What drives this lady to organize

this event, using hundreds of hours of her personal time to pull this thing together? It’s personal for her -- very. Her husband Jim is a prostate cancer survivor. He is a great guy and doing well, but went through the hell getting answers and treatment. The answer is that PC is very treatable in early stages, but if you wait or ignore it, you’ll be in trouble bigtime. She is a Lady

On A Mission and it’s clear to me, and anybody else that comes in contact with her, that if it were up to her, there wouldn’t be another death -- ever -- due to PC.

So I enjoy the rest of my day checking out the cars, racing kids on the Hot Wheels track and settle back into my normal little life. Until…

Two weeks later, I get this strange envelope in the mail from some medical testing company. Oh yeah, no biggie -- it’s just the results from my blood test at the Cruisin’ For A Cure show. I tear through and then my eyes stop on the large printed numbers: 5.6%

nitro, fiberglass, lacquer and one-shot lettering enamels. So enough background. Trust me -- I am the prototypical guy car.

One of the newer car shows I really enjoy is the Cruisin’ For A Cure show. Cool show, great organization, lots of cars -- over 2,000 -- and all done and over in one day. Recently it has been held at the Orange County Fairgrounds, which provides plenty of room for display and cruising. It is one of the few shows that encourage hot rodders to drive their cars -- through the show! The fact that the event supports a great cause was cool, but didn’t concern me -- at first.

You see, the cure they are cruisin’ for is a cure for prostate cancer. It is the #2 killer of men behind heart disease, and last year alone they raised $207,500.00 for the cause.

Besides all the cool cars, food and entertainment, Debbie has arranged for physicians and phlebotomists (technicians that draw blood) from UCLA to be on-site along with the Drive Against Prostate Cancer van from Washington, D.C. The doctors donate their time and the van is funded by the Prostate Cancer Coalition. You can choose the level of test you are comfortable with -- a blood screening with or without a physical exam. The PSA blood test is simple, as they draw a small amount of blood and check for prostate-specific antigens, an early indicator of prostate cancer.

So for the first three years of the Cruisin’ For A Cure show, every time I see Debbie the first words out her mouth are “Did you get your PSA blood test?” I blow her off every year with a “Leave me alone -- I‘m young and healthy,”

and “I want to go check out that chopped Merc!” After three years of avoiding the test, she tracks me down like a guy looking for a number-matching manifold on a 409. It’s year four, the show is bigger than ever, and this time Debbie is not taking any brush-off crap answer from me. She comes up, grabs me by the arm and commands “Come with me. We

are getting your blood test NOW!” She pushes me into her golf cart and covers the fairgrounds in less time than it would take John Force. The whole time I am popping off sarcastic remarks like “I hope this makes you feel better ‘cause there isn’t anything wrong with me.” We

“Leave me alone -- I‘m young and healthy,”

The goals of the Cruisin’ For A Cure show are simple:

1. Raise funds for prostate cancer research. ALL the money raised goes to UCLA Cancer Center.

2. Educate men and their families about the danger of prostate cancer.

3. Provide FREE PSA screening tests for men over 45 years of age.

8

PSA. I read on to discover that anything over 4.0% PSA means you could be at risk. Right below are the bold typed instructions “SEE YOUR DOCTOR.”Okay, so it’s reality time. The message…I might have Cancer. The Big “C.” Cancer doesn’t care how much I tried to blow off Debbie Baker, doesn’t care about me, my family or the person I am,

good or bad. It certainly doesn’t care about the next project I want to complete on my ride. It wants to consume my body and waste it away. It really doesn’t care about anything else.

Eventually I get scheduled for a biopsy, where they will use a needle to remove small pieces of tissue from the prostate gland and check for cancer. Just the thought of somebody taking little sample chunks of my internals gets me a little more than concerned. But it is the one near-absolute way to find out what the heck is going on in there. So they take five samples and I wait 10 painfully long days to get my results. One of the things I have learned is when the nurse calls you, it’s probably good news. When the doctor himself calls you, it isn’t going to be good. “Hello, Doctor…” My news is not good. Of the five samples taken during my biopsy, ONE -- just ONE -- comes back positive. That’s just 20% -- hey, not bad, right? It’s only ONE little sample right?? Well, it’s kind of like being 20% pregnant. YOU

STILL ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY, AND I STILL HAVE CANCER!

Through Debbie Baker, my personal physician Dr. Scott Shiffman, and the UCLA Medical Center, I get a reference to Dr. De Kernion -- who just happens to be the top dog at the Prostate Cancer Center at UCLA. We discuss the

many options and decide that surgery to remove the cancerous prostate gland is the best answer for me. There are many options available from radiation therapy, radioactive seed implants, hormone therapy, freezing to surgery. I won’t discuss all the options as each have their plusses and minuses. For me personally I want to live a long time without ever worrying about this again. Get this damn thing outta me!

Because I am young, healthy and the cancer is in very early stages, I am fortunate enough to be a candidate for what’s called “Nerve-Sparring Surgery.” Basically, this surgical technique removes the cancerous gland and leaves the surrounding nerves intact. This thin layer of nerves surrounding the prostate gland controls a couple of important functions for us men -- sexual function and urinary control. But I can’t think of any two more important things right now.

It only takes two weeks from when I learn I have cancer

until my surgery date. D-Day is August 18th 2003. Surgery goes well and, after the normal two days in the hospital, I am at home recovering. While at home I receive the call that will change the rest of my life: the results of the after-surgery biopsy of the complete prostate gland. This will tell me if the cancer was contained in the gland or if it had migrated

to other areas.

Come to find out that little small sample -- the 20% sample, the only one out of five samples that came back positive -- it’s the only cancer cells in the whole gland. BINGO! You, Carson Lev, have just won the cancer lottery! What it means is no radiation treatment, no chemotherapy, no puking, nausea, hair loss, near-death poisoning… just go live the rest of my life. I AM CURED! I will just need to get regular PSA checks, just in case one tiny little microscopic s.o.b. cancer cell got through. The chances are highly unlikely as the cancer was only in one small location.

During my follow up visit, Dr. De Kernion asks what it was that lead me to have my blood test. After all, I was young, healthy and had no symptoms. I tell him the story of Debbie, Cruisin’ For A Cure and her persistence. Dr. De Kernion then tells me if I had waited for a symptom, it would have been about 10 years until a symptom appeared, and at that

“Well, it’s kind of like being 20% pregnant..... YOU STILL ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY, AND I STILL HAVE CANCER!”

9

point I would have been fighting for my life. I take five weeks off and then get back to work. Almost like it didn’t happen. Heck, I hardly had time to even feel sorry for myself.

So if I hadn’t gone to the Cruisin’ For A Cure car show, Debbie Baker would not have pushed me to get the PSA Test. Most men avoid that test…that’s why we die. It’s really pretty stupid. You see, fear is a big reason guys do nothing… and that is what kills them. Fear lets cancer take over. Fear and stupid pride. With early detection most men will return to a full normal life within a matter of months. Normal as in your wife will still smile when you pass her in the hallway, and when it’s time to go to the bathroom you aren’t emptying a bag for the rest of your life. Don’t get me wrong -- if that’s what I had to go through to stay alive, I’d do it gladly. But if I get a choice, I want to go back to as near normal as I can. The advances being made in prostate cancer research are unbelievable. But if you don’t get tested and stay stupid, you’ll die. In the case of prostate cancer, fear and stupidity equal death.

So here’s the question I have: “Why do us men take such great care of our hot rods, and not our bodies???” Hell, if this were that hot rod car of yours acting up, you’d have it torn down and rebuilt in a day. You’d be all over it like lacquer on a lowrider. Would you wait for the piston to punch through the block before investigating that little tap-tap-tap sound? If you’re smart, you’ll treat

your body like your car and take car of it. This means listening to the little signs. The key to getting the most out of your ride is early detection of any possible problems. Same thing for your body.

The facts and figures are staggering: 220,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. And 28,000 of those men will DIE -- 28,000 husbands, fathers, uncles, brothers, cousins, friends and neighbors. For such a deadly killer, it isn’t talked about a lot around men. Maybe the subject is just a little too delicate. Maybe it just scares us men too much. Maybe we can change that just a little. Every man that lives long enough WILL get prostate cancer. If you are a guy in your 40s to 50s, it might be in your body as you read this, like a little cancer time-release bomb waiting to pop off. Heart disease and other aliments tend to get much more publicity, but prostate cancer is still the #2 killer of men.

So here is the challenge, men. Take care of your body the way you would your best hot rod or custom. When we drive our cars, we are completely in tune to every motor noise, every turn of the cam, every valve opening and closing, every turn of the crank and movement of the pistons. We know the date of the last oil change better than the last physical we had. If you expect to be “driving” that hot rod body of yours for years to come, it’s time for some preventative maintenance. Or you could just drive it into the ground. It’s your choice.

But look on the bright side -- if you take care of it now, you are going to feel better, be healthier and live longer. Which means more car shows, more time with your hot rod and more time with your family. Remember your family -- the ones that love you and would like to have you around? This is the one car show you and all of your family should go to together. If you need an excuse to go the Cruisin’ For A Cure this year, just tell your wife “Honey, if you really love me, you’ll want me to go. This car show could save my life!”

Carson Lev is the former Director of Design for Hot Wheels and is

currently the Director of Licensing for Hot Wheels. He is a regular fixture at car shows and races

throughout the west coast. Carson was diagnosed with prostate

cancer in June 2003 and has been clear of cancer since August 2003.

September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. More information

about the Cruisin’ For A Cure shows can be found at www.

cruisinforacure.com.

10

Q We know you have been on the diecast custom scene for about five years. How long have you been customizing? What was your first award?

A I have been customizing for 26 yrs. I started when I was 8 and by the time I was 13 I was entering contest for awards. My 1st awards were ribbons for 2nd and 3rd place. I was just excited to be reconized but the love for building and winning awards became a marrige for me and I’m still doing it 26 yrs later.

Q We are all very aware that the competition in the Pro division is insane. Do you think the amateur classes have gotten tougher since you started customizing?

A Yes, the amateur classes have become more challenging. I have noticed that the bar has been raised, especially with new customizers jumping in everyday. A lot of those guys have some pretty sweet ideas.

Q Do you feel that the roll of the customizer has changed since the EVO, Sledster and Dreamliners have come on the scene?

A The role of the customizer, in my opinion, is still the same - build top notch pieces, win awards and learn all you can while you do it. The guys

who go the route of designing a car for production is another thing in its self. When they create the designs for cars like the Sledster or Dreamliner it is done in Photoshop or Illustrator, so the designer must be savy in different areas than a customizer is. Customizers need to know how to fabricate and paint among many other things, and designers create using the computer. I feel that the gap between fabrication and design will always leave room for both to shine.

Q Since some of the top customizers have started to produce their own castings, have you felt the need to create your own design?

A You know, something like that is more about the strength of your following, in my opinion if you have a big enough fan base and can come up with a bad ass design for production then by all means go for it. For now, I will continue to build my brand and maybe one day down the line that oppurtunity will show its face and I will jump on it.

Q Didn’t you have Beest cast some of your modified buses a while ago?

A Yes I have had Brian cast a few of my designs like the Drag Liner and a Drag Bus design I did. He does awesome work and will continue to go to him anytime I create a design that I want casted.

Q There seems to have been a lot of collaboration between customizers lately. Have you worked with anyone to produce a run of customs?

A Yes, I have worked with Lou Tanahara of the Custom Crew and Jimmy Chavez aka The Box Man. Whenever we come together the product is always awesome.

Q Before my class win at the ‘10 Super Convention, I was convinced that a custom needed to have rubber tires to do well. ( I was obviously wrong in this case) What are your thoughts on the rubber vs. plastic wheel debate?

A You know, it’s funny, I don’t really consider rubber or plastic wheels when I build. I just go with what looks best for the piece, but more times then less I go with rubber. It just has a more realistic look and feel to it.

Q After seeing the Forumla 51 and the Dragliners, it’s very easy to get the impression that you have spent some time at the drag strip. Are you a fan of drag racing?

A I am a fan of drag racing but from the couch. I have never been to a drag race. I catch it on TV from time to time and it always draws my attention. So I figure, why not build one? Hell, you can’t go wrong when you add power and speed!

Who goes there?HOLT!...Interview with Jay Holt of Execution Kustoms

11

Q Speaking of the two cars in the last question, what do you think of Mattel producing cars like the Mid Mill? Does that make the extreme styling a little too mainstream?

A I think when it comes to diecast, there will always be a group of peoplethat like the extreme/out of the box designs. We already know how the car looks when it is factory made, now lets see what some creativity can do. I’m sure mainstream will love it, that’s why we are seeing so many new shows on TV with these extreme builds.

Q How long have you been building custom chassis? Any tips or advice?

A I started building different pieces - like rear ends, disc brakes, pullys, drive shafts, etc...- for model cars about 8 yrs ago. I drove to San Diego, went to the Sherline Store and picked myself up a lathe and started off with no knowledge. Before I knew it, I had it down well enough to make little parts for my model kits. With my move into diecast I brought those tricks with me. I will make the skeleton of the chassis from brass then add little goodies like NOS bottles, fuel cells, rear ends and other things I have machined on my lathe. It’s a lot harder than 24th scale because of the size but it’s still fun to do.

Q Is the stance of your chassis unique to each custom or is there a common jig that all of the pieces are based off?

A I would have to say each piece is unique. The flow of the body is what determines how low or high the car will sit in relation to the chassis. For me, I’ll go as low to the ground as possible while still keeping that realistic feel.

Q It seems that a lot of your work has a military theme to it. Did your uncle’s military service have any influence on these themes?

A Yes, part of it is due to my Uncle who has now retired from the NAVY,

but a lot is also due to what’s going on or has been going on in the Middle East. During the time I was building a lot of military pieces, the TV was flooded with shows about what was going on in the Middle East, so I couldn’t help but take it all in. What caught my attention the most were the vechicles and machines used in the war. The Military Channel was my reference when I would build a piece - I’d see something I liked and build it but with a twist of some sort. I’d kind of put my own stamp on it.

Q I was looking at some pics of the “Evil Chevy” on your Facebook page (that thing is sick!). Is Facebook where we can find the updates on your latest creations?

A Yes, until I rebuild my website, Facebook is the place to find my latest work. My facebook ID is Execution Kustoms - look me up and add me as a friend. I’m always available to check out some cool customs or just to chat.

Q I think we are all well aware of the So Cal car culture. Do you think this helps the diecast car community or are most people too busy playing with the real thing?

A I think the people with the real thing still play with or collect diecast. I mean, it’s what got us into the real thing right? When I hit the So Cal shows I always see vendors selling diecast cars. Every show I go to it is like that, so I think they go hand in hand.

Q As an attendee of a few DiecastSpace conventions, how would you rate them? And be honest.

A Honestly, DiecastSpace has awesome conventions and I haven’t missed a Super Convention yet. The thing I like most is that the car/custom you build for their contest does not have to be a Hot Wheel casting. It can be any diecast casting which opens the door up for more creativity. Plus the Super Convention is in Vegas!

12

drawing a blankon your next promotional item?...

13

Choosing a fast car can be a difficult task. Some castings can be very quick on one track and a middle-of-the-pack car on another. Other cars are just flat out fast wherever they are. We’ll take a look at the different elements over the next couple of issues. This month we’ll concentrate on car condition.

The biggest problem area is in the hubs, the inside surface of the wheel. The axle is stationary on most cars and the wheel spins around it. The wheel has a very small contact patch with the axle at the bottom of the hub. This contact patch will increase if the axle is bent and will create more friction. The friction will be greater the more the axle is bent. A bent axle will also cause the car to pull and produce more friction as the car rides the side of the track. The wheels can also drag and contact the body if the axles are bent severely.

Dry graphite lubricant is fine enough to be worked into the hub and can really help cut the fric-tion. Check your club’s race rules before using the graphite, not all clubs allow the use of it.

Roll your car across a large flat area and if it veers right or left, it needs work. Take a very close look at the wheels and see which ones are out of alignment. You can straighten the axles with a small pair of needle-nose pliers. Don’t try to straighten the axle by pushing the wheel, you can damage the inner surface of the hub. Damaging the hub will ruin the car’s performance.

Watch the cars that run on your local track. Chances are you’ll see a few cars that will be great performers. Do a little searching either at the club or on ebay and find the castings that work best for you. Use the tweaks listed above with the right cars and you’ll have a good chance at winning some stock races.

All cars perform differently on differently tracks. Once you find a car that is fast on a certain track, keep it on that track. You’ll have to start from scratch on each track unles you are very lucky and using one of the rare car’s that perform well on every track.

Keep on racing.

Anything that creates friction will slow the car.

14

15

We are just two short months away from splashing down in Dallas Texas. This convention is not just for the customizers, but for everyone with a love of cool toy cars. Many of the great ideas and cars you see today come from those who dive into the world of customizing and bring to us some of the most astounding pieces of fine art around.

Dallas will play host to the first ever KustomKon and will feature some of the most well known customizers around the world giving specialized seminars and what’s a better way to get better then to learn from the pros! Scheduled to appear will be:

• SheriAbbeyfromSheri’sWheels• KBfromKbKustomzandFlamemasks.com• LuisTanaharafromTanaharaDesignsandCustomCrew• ChrisNightstalkerWalker• Jimmy“TheBoxman”Chavez• PaulWootenfromWRFCustoms• JayHoltfromExecutionKustomz

And many more TBA! Tickets are just $65 which covers all 3 days and gets you access to every-thing. There is a special dinner on Saturday Night celebrating one of the ultimate customizers in the world, John D’Agostino. John will be on hand for a special Q/A and autograph signing so don’t miss out on this!The North Texas Diecast Association will be hosting the Hospitality Suite and special thanks to them for putting that together!

Liberty Promotions will be on hand with some cool cars and prizes as well as an array of awesome convention cars and of course the special Dairy Delivery that you will receive at registration!Plan your trip today to make it out Dallas and support this awesome convention. You will see just how special these little cars are when they are customized to the tilt and just how much time and talent goes into them.Too book your hotel room and for In Room Trading setup, Call (972) 929 4500 and tell them you are with the DiecastSpace.Com Kustomizer Konference.

The group rate is $99 a night.

For more information,visit www.toycarconventions.com

or call 1-877-832-2779

16

Kustoms Mag: So you wanted to be a farmer? Are you glad your father pushed you in other directions?

Pope: Art has become such an integral part of my life I can’t imagine myself without a career in the art world. I am very happy my father had the foresight to let me go into a field where I could grow and flourish as I have.

Kustoms Mag: We know you started Pope Designs in ‘06. How long were you customizing before the creation of the company?

Pope: Actually not long. My first custom for sale pieces were from 2004 and then only on a very limited trial basis at the old Wicked Weekend of Hot Wheels convention. They were very well received and it convinced me to dip my foot deeper into the water and try some custom contests. Things just grew from there.

Kustoms Mag: Did you ever imagine that Pope Designs would have grown in popularity as fast as it has?

Pope: It really still amazes me today how far it’s come since December 2006. It’s actually a bit overwhelming at times but the continual support of my family, friends, and fans of Pope

Designs makes it so worthwhile that I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love the challenges of coming up with new themes and designs that excite people and get them talking.

Kustoms Mag: Who were your early influences? Did you have a mentor?

Pope: Probably my biggest early influence was Troy Lee. I love his custom designs and have actively sought them out. Other people who have influenced me are Dave Chang and Mattel’s own Miq Wilmot. Dave Chang has brought and continues to bring

excitement and innovation to both the diecast and custom worlds with his EVO line. Miq Wilmot’s designs were very edgy and visually stunning to me and I have tried to harness that influence

in my own designs, especially the Hallow Wheels Bash customs! Plus, I can’t forget to mention Chris “Nightstalker” Walker! He has given and continues to give me so much advice, inspiration and insight into the custom world that has really helped me flourish.

Kustoms Mag: A lot of people say there is a difference between a customizer and a graphic designer. Do you feel there is a difference and what would you classify yourself as?

Pope: I think both come together so well that I really can’t classify myself as one or the other. I am a graphic designer by trade but part of what I do is create new and different packaging for my company’s products. So in essence I customize the packaging to make it unique and different. With Pope Designs I use my talents as a graphic designer and the vision and creativity as a customizer to aid in creating unique and different designs

for diecast that people want to buy.

Kustoms Mag: Was the popularity of the Drag Bus casting the reason you chose to use it as your main piece even though you don’t collect buses?

17

Pope: Yes and no. The casting has been a fan favorite since 1996 and I was very interested to see what I could do with the casting to raise it to the next level in terms of creativity. There have been many great designs from both Mattel and outside artists that have accomplished that and the popularity of the casting still remains very high. Plus, a great number of my convention pieces are the VW Drag Bus since the convention sponsors want to utilize a popular casting. I definitely will continue to showcase the casting as long as I feel I can come up with unique designs for it, but I also like branching out with other casting to shake things up. As far as not colleting the casting, I really don’t hold on to any of my pieces, or many diecast, other than Vipers for that matter. I do love to hang on to the ROAKS that people are generous enough to give to me no matter what the casting.

Kustoms Mag: How many buses have you done? Is there any one person who has them all?

Pope: My goodness; since 2004 it has to be over 40 different buses including all pre-Pope Designs models, Pope Designs production versions, Diamonds, color variations, custom contest entries, and other 1 of 1s. I don’t think there is any one person who has them all but there are several people who have a large percentage. I don’t think anyone will truly have them all since the ones with the largest collection of my pieces have told me that they would rather cut off their right arm then sell their Pope customs.

Kustoms Mag: The Pope Diamonds seem to be a very successful addition to the line-up, Will the real rider/chrome base combination be exclusive to the Diamonds?

Pope: I am very proud of the Pope Diamond series, and the immediate

response it received from custom buyers was very encouraging. Initially I thought it would be something I would add every once in a while but they have turned into a very high demand item. The real rider tire and chrome base combination will still play significant roles in Diamond design, but I am always trying to find new and different ways of showcasing what I think a Pope Diamond should be. So don’t be surprised if a Diamond in the near future is something you never expected.

Kustoms Mag: Your first custom was a Dairy Delivery that was a run of 100 for the second Wicked Weekend. How tough was that to pull off?

Pope: At the time I thought that it was an impossible task and I

would never get through it because of my tendency to be a perfectionist and get every single one as near perfect as I could. I thought it would break me but the response was so positive I definitely wanted to do more. It definitely made me strong and my perfectionism has paid off in popularity from my loyal fans. “What doesn’t kill us makes us

stronger” never rang so true.

Kustoms Mag: You stated in an earlier interview that you had stopped doing box sets due to the packaging being damaged during shipment. Would you consider doing a box set as a convention only piece?

Pope: Actually it was box covers that I stopped because of the shipping damage. I would definitely consider box sets or 2 car sets for a convention piece and probably as a Pope Designs piece in the future as well. You have to offer designs that stimulate the buyers imagination and get them excited about your product. The multi car set question has been brought up from time to time and I have been apprehensive about it, but you really never can say never.

Kustoms Mag: We have been seeing a lot more kids customizing lately. Do you have any advice for the young customizers like Wyatt, Elijah and Chase from the Orlando convention?

“I don’t think anyone will truly have them all since the ones with the

largest collection of my pieces have told me that they would rather

cut off their right arm then sell their Pope customs.”

18

Pope: I think it’s great that new people are jumping into the customizing fray; it’s what will fuel the hobby’s longevity and keep things fresh. Their talent continues to amaze me. My only advice is to never stop expanding your mind to trying new things. You shouldn’t fear failure because it’s part of the creative process and motivates you to do better every time you try.

Kustoms Mag: So, a Chevy guy ended up only collecting Vipers..... can you explain that?

Pope: I have loved the design and exclusivity of a Viper since its inception. In my eyes it is one the most unique modern designs ever to come out of Detroit. It doesn’t cater to mass thinking, just the sense of one on one with the car and road. Being a Chevy guy just comes natural when you live in NC. But I am not totally a Chevy guy since my wife owns an Accord and I drive a 9 year old Jeep as my daily driver!

Kustoms Mag: I heard a rumor that you weren’t going to be entering too many more custom contests. Any truth to this?

Pope: No that isn’t entirely true. I am always thinking about new customs to create. I may not enter every contest at every convention I attend, but when I do enter, it will be with designs that I can feel proud of and will excite both my fans and diecast lovers alike.

Kustoms Mag: Do you have any online sales coming up soon? Will there be another Black Friday sale?

Pope: Right now I have a full slate of convention pieces thru the September DCS Canada convention that I need to focus on before I can truly give my full time and attention to a new Pope

Designs piece. The Black Friday sales have always been fun and I wouldn’t rule out another if the right design came along. There will definitely be at least one more online piece for 2010, possibly two pieces, lets see what time allows.

Kustoms Mag: Being a Chevy guy, you must be really impressed with the current line-up of GM’s performance cars. What do you think of them reintroducing cars like the Corvette ZR1 and the Grand Sport?

Pope: Well funny enough; I just bought a new 2010 Grand Sport Corvette which was adream of mine for many years. Cars like the ZR-1, Grand Sport as well as the Camaro and V-Series Cadillacs definitely get people’s imaginations going and keep performance cars alive and

kicking. I hope that trend continues for a long time to come. But I have also always admired carslike Ferraris; especially the Enzo Ferrari. I think cars like that willalways be around for the exclusive few who can buy them and the millions of fans who can only dream about them. Those designs keep an artist like me wondering and dreaming about the future.

19

20