06/02/2011

BACK ON THE ROAD!
Pioneer 1/32 Hemi Chargers

After years at the mercy of the elements, robbed of parts and dignity...
Lying forgotten in a junkyard as the decades passed by...
Once the pride of the owners, these were the speed shop show cars...
Winning was all and second place not good enough...
Now found, rescued and reborn to prowl the streets again...
The fresh battle scars bear witness to new conquests...
Paying tribute to the unbeatable muscle of the past...
The STREET RACERS are back on the road and ready to race!

These are the words on the back of the sleeve that these new Pioneer Chargers come with and they let you know the inspiration behind them. Poor old hammers that may not look the best, but have what it takes under the hood!

Perhaps some feel this is an odd choice but I don't think so. Not anymore odd to me than plain street versions one after another. Yes, there are some of you that like street cars and so do I. Not as much as some of you, but I do like the occasional street machine. But how many colors do I need or want? Unless I am a pure collector, after buying my favorite color (if it is made) then that is about it.

But these cars? These Mopars are very different. Each of them with a personality all their own. Starting with the box art I already mentioned. To some this means nothing, but as many people might tell you: Presentation is everything. Having eye catching box art is step one in getting it off the hobby store shelf and into the hands to the would-be enthusiast.

Our first Charger is nick-named the "Ace of Spades". The car is mostly all white with of course a little playing card art. A skull and roses? Ok, that looks cool but the primer work around the car looks great.

I like how some of it is faded, appearing old like from previous work done, while others look fresh. The contingency stickers look like they belong here as well and are just nice touches. 

You will notice the 5 spoke wheels are blacked out which also looks the part. I was hoping for some stamped steel wheels but honestly that is asking a little much. Having one set of wheels molded for just a couple cars just doesn't make sense in the long run.

Other touches like flat black front and rear bumpers along with weathered dual exhaust really finish off the car.

Our next hot rod is "Lady Luck". This car is equally appealing, in fact it might be my favorite.

More primer here and there but it could be the left front fender and door needed a full replacement. Also I liked the side exhaust.

I also like the different stamping on the tires. This was commonly found on many of our old rides wasn't it?

SMOKEY's Garage!

Regardless if you like these models or not, you have to give credit to Jules and Pioneer team for going the extra mile. They could have easily just painted up two identical models and left all the tires the same. But they decided to add as much appeal to them as possible.

But wait a minute. That is not the end of it. When I slid the cars out I forgot about spare parts underneath. When I checked you get the standard spare tires and racing guide AND a number decal sheet.

This adds even more for me. Yes, street cars are cool but slapping a number on the doors makes then look even better to me. Now these cars just might look like the old Saturday Night Hammers I used to race with at the local dirt track.

These are peel and stick. I wish they were a little larger, but since they are an added bonus I will not complain much.

Different exhaust is a nice touch. Other than this, they are identical.

Chassis is identical to first release with 18K Typhoon Motor.

And off to our oval we went! We have raced the Mustangs on our oval before and it just made me want Pioneer to make some cars just for it. These models will do well enough until others arrive.

Just some simple wheel and tire truing had these cars hooking up pretty good on our old track. I did change to the slightly deeper guide as well. Other than that they are all stock and will likely stay that way. I am not into changing motors and a lot of parts when I do not need to.

These Chargers are just as much fun as I expected. Not quite as forgiving as the Mustang and that is fine by me. I like my slot cars to offer a challenge and to have such a different feel to them.

All in all I like both of these models and commend Pioneer for going a little further maximizing these Charger molds. I just like my models more on the "racy" side and these certainly are that. Sticking a number on them was just the icing on the cake.

More options in the American Muscle department is always going to be a good thing in my eyes. Sometimes we see efforts that somehow miss the target, but these two Chargers score a bullseye for me. For those that like something truly different, I think these models should be on your list. Why not give these old beaters a good home? They look rough and tired, but have plenty of racing yet to give :)

- Harry

As always feel free to contact me about this article or just the hobby in general at harry@homeracingworld.com, or better yet drop into our Message Forum and share your thoughts with other enthusiasts!

Thanks Go To Pioneer For Providing Us With These Samples!

Check Out Our Full PIONEER REVIEW ARCHIVES!