It’s rare enough, getting a vehicle you can use for 6-inch figures. Rarer still, to get a vehicle not tied to a superhero franchise. But to find a detailed, functional-featured civilian vehicle?
Well, that’s just one of those things you buy on sight.
You’re likely no stranger to seeing New Ray toys, and they’re certainly no strangers to the toy vehicle business. While most would be more along the lines of RC cars and generic car and truck toys, they have occasionally dabbled in scale vehicles, though mostly in the ATV and dirt bike variety. This F150, part of their Wildlife Hunter line, takes them square into my sights.
Out of the box, this truck is very close to ready-to-run. The scale is a little smaller than 1:12, with the included figure just shy of 6 inches, but a smaller Legends figure will fit no problem. Even so, with a 6-inch figure at its side, it makes me think more Ford Ranger than F150, but that isn’t a deal-breaker. Still, a little work goes a long way.
First, I opened up the truck and removed some of the center console, for more leg room. I also disconnected the speaker for the electronic sounds (great feature but too damn loud!) but made sure to keep the light-up headlamps working. I also wanted to give it a little better height, so I removed the axles and remounted them in styrene tubes under the body. Basically, I gave it a body lift. When set with some other real world vehicles, like KITT or some 1:12 motorcycles, the size feels pretty good.
I really did like the Realtree camo pattern the truck has out of the box, but a nice graphite color is much more, well, civilian. Now the truck is much more unassuming, but holds two Mezco figures easily, and it gives them a little better view of the road. Everything else — the grille, the tires and wheels, etc. — are all factory. The hinged doors are sturdy and open plenty to give access to a pretty decent cabin. The tailgate works, and the bed is a great size for hauling all kinds of cargo.
And maybe the best feature is the price. I got mine locally at an outdoor store (Smith and Edwards out here, no place like it) for just over $30. Amazon, eBay, and I’m sure a dozen other outlets have them too, all around the same price. I actually bought a second, and after talking to Colirio, Lestat, Fuzzy Blue Demon and Stonewall, we’ve decided on a little challenge to turn these into some bastard Technical/Mad Max creations. So be sure to check back in a few weeks to see what we came up with, and if you want to join in, let me know in the comments; the more the merrier!
