ONEIGHTEENTH Indonesia Diecast Gathering // Photo Coverage
Living in the office for twelve hours a day. Skimming through a rim of papers weekly. Typing a dozen of reports monthly. And then there’re those never ending meetings! Let’s face it, working in the office these days can sometimes be so overwhelming that keeping a proper life-work balance is often difficult. That’s why a lot of us are turning to our most favorite things to do amidst those hectic schedules: our hobbies. Stress relievers. Creativity enhancers. Social network builders. Satisfaction givers. Call them whatever you want, hobbies have scientifically been proven to enhance a person’s mind-health and well-being! And what’s apparent to most of us reading this is the one hobby that we all share: our passion for cars. Whether it’d be at Scale 1:1 or 1:18.
Being invited to the ONEIGHTEENTH diecast meet last weekend, I frankly didn’t quite have a clue as to what to expect. And I believe Winston and Charles the photographers didn’t neither. Taking pictures of Scale 1:1 cars might’ve been their daily routines, but these collectibles definitely required a different approach.
The gathering was held in a ramen house at Bukit Golf Mediterania, Pantai Indah Kapuk; as it turned out, just like any other car gathering, everybody brought their prided rides to the meet. But this time each person has brought several. To my surprise, most of these rides being shown off have even been modified in one way or another. From aftermarket wheels, body repaint to custom one-off bodykits. Some have even been built to replicate modified real rides! Such as this yellow Porsche we’ve featured before, complete with the ADV.1-looking wheels!
Eduard (pictured above), is the leader for the ONEIGHTEENTH Indonesia diecast club. In case his name sounds familiar to you, that’s because we’ve featured his 1:1 AC Schnitzer 330i E46 before. As it turned out, he has quite a passion for these Scale 1:18 cars too. Pictured below is his 5 Series that’s been built to replicate his 1:1 ride at that time. Complete with a body repaint and engine swap! Looking at those engine wires, I can’t stop but to admire how amazing the details on these collectibles are.
Especially with the fact that their size is only about twice as large as our modern smartphones. Eduard also said that some rarer ones have even been produced with real leather seats for the interior!
The paint finishes on these collectibles are also spectacular. From mattes to metallics that mimic real car paints. Even the metal flakes on those metallic finishes are special for diecasts, because they need to be tinier in size in order to produce the right reflections.
Even though most of these collectibles look like they’ve been produced using the same materials, they are actually different. Some are metal (R35 above), while others (R34 GT-R pictured below) are made out of resin. And different manufacturers also pay different depth of details into their production models. Properly lined up doors, detailed engine bay and realistic looking lights are among the greatest indicators of a well-detailed model.
Why the scaled collectibles? Why don’t we all stick to the real cars? Well, I’m sure most of us do still have that dream of collecting all our favorite car models at once. The dream we all had ever since those days we were scrolling our Hot Wheels along the wall of our bedrooms. How will it be possible for us to collect all of Mercedes Benz’s production cars if it weren’t for the diecasts? On top of that, just like the real cars, some rare collectibles also do rise up in value the rarer they become over time. Talk about hobby + investment at the same time. Brilliant!
Even wheel fitments are serious matters. Believe it or not, these aftermarket wheels have also been properly scaled, with the Lambo wearing the equivalent of 20″-21″ wheels in real life.
The beauty of concave wheels has also found a place at the heart of diecast enthusiasts. The SL is a prime example of the amazing concave-depth that can be attained at such scales.
Oh and step-lipped wheels are available too! I have honestly been thinking of building a replica scaled model of my ride right after meeting these fabulously modified collectibles.
When modifying the rides aren’t simply enough, some owners even went as far as creating dioramas for their beloved collections. Complete with the miniature videographer! Now that’s real passion right there.
One principle that most members tend to agree is to stick to a certain model/brand that you might want to collect. Focus on a certain theme, or style. That way it’s going to be easier to plan, organize and hunt for the diecasts. One of the members I remembered, showed me a picture of his prized collection at home consisting of hundreds of Mercedes Benz diecasts. All the different colors, complete with the rarer ones. That’s just a dream come true to most of us.
As you might’ve noticed, the diecast world hasn’t seen any owner’s age boundaries either. From students to executives to business owners, the passion for cars have united them all.
After all, at the end of the day, it’s the laughters and passion-sharings that have all gathered these diecast lovers, to take a short break from their busy schedules and enjoy the things they love most. The cars.
Additional Infos
Photography by:
Charles J
Automotive Photographer based in Jakarta and Singapore.
Mobile: +6287886807762
Email: jhons.charles@gmail.com
Winston J
Mobile: +6281932092426
Email: winston_jaury@hotmail.com