My Custom Ahi Planet of the Apes Stunt Cycle

 Being a big fan of vintage Planet of the Apes rack toys I thought I'd have a bash at making my version of the Ahi Stunt Cycle.

See what you think.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

 To commune with the older world, today we hiked 4 miles all told from Keswick town to the prehistoric Castlerigg Stone circle, a site that's 4500 years old!

Like Stonehenge, it's likely to be the oldest man-made place we've ever been to (we've been before. I've been three times at least, the first as a secondary schoolboy on a religious retreat nearby, where I read passages of the Tao Te Ching to the other school kids. I thought I was Kwai Chang Caine! Ha ha!

Words can't really describe this remote place, high up on a grassy plateau encircled by mountains - perhaps primitive. Mystical. Neolithic. Sacred even? - so here are a few shots I took en route and in situ, which hopefully do it some justice.

 Have you been readers? Have you been to somewhere ancient? 

A period photo of when motorists first visited the site!

My 59p gorilla wanted to see what all the fuss was about too! 

Monkey Business

 Whilst relaxing among the mountains of Cumbria I got to thinking about my latest bit of messing with toys back home.

I was reminded of it by a gorilla. A small plastic one I bagged for 59p in a toyshop. I had to get it even though yesterday whilst at Moonbase I ordered two apes on eBay. These were dearer, around £4.

Ah well, I'll have three to choose from for my ape motorbike rider. I only need the head.

The old toy I'm emulating is this rare Ahi Planet of the Apes stunt cycle.

I've got my bike and my rider ready. The saw will remove the bike's fork rigging and the riders head.

I'll carry on aping around when I'm back home.

TOY FU: RE-CREATING THE MULTIPLE TOYMAKERS KUNG FU TARGET SET

 My next toy project is inspired by various nostalgic neurons firing at all once:-

my memories of the beautiful white plastic horses included in Waddingtons' Battle of the Little Big Horn we had at home in the Sixties. God I adored those horses and figures, that came in that terrific box ....

and then there's the really gorgeous Planet of the Apes Target Set by Multiple Toymakers, which I bought for a very pretty penny at Memorabilia at the NEC around the year 2000 for my toy stall, which sold ... sadly!

With all these horses galloping I thought I'd have a bash at including one in a mock set of my own and settled on something I've always loved, Kung Fu.

So, Master Po, here's the similar Multiple Toymakers Kung Fu Target Set they released to cash in on the fabulous TV series starring the late great David Carradine and summoning my inner chi the toy I'll attempt, without spending more than a fiver, to emulate next!

I started with a loose Britains Deetail horse and a spare tractor driver. They got a little re-shaping, a lick of paint and a PVA glaze to imitate Kwai Chang Caine bareback on his white mare.

With three rough yellow card bases, an ersatz Lugar and dart, I mounted the horse and rider on a mock card and blister to see what I'm dealing with.

I've ordered a cowboy dart gun for £4.49 on Ebay including porto, which I hope is as small as the one Multiple Toymakers used. The yellow card stands need to perfect for this so need further thought, as does a decent dimply blister.

The backing card will be courtesy of Bill's wunderbar graphics skills.

Something a little different and one which taps into my love of the Kung Fu TV series. Did you like the series readers?

Master, watch this space!

[top three images: Worthpoint]

Planet of the Apes

Hi Woodsy,  they say these figures are flocked, but I think their great!!!

MJ

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxfNSakijhI8OilOE4C58gOdRAdHluTXvw?si=5b-vFYFYxsuyAEKG

APE TAPE: KEVIN'S SCRATCHBIULT POTA RECORDER

A very quick scratchbuild indeed. The flight data recorder disc from the Planet of the Apes TV series. Virdon believes it contains the information they need to get them home. Burke is less convinced and Galen doesn't have a view on it!

Thought I might as well make the bit of their ship that it slots into as well, makes a nice wall display.

Cheers,

Kevin

UK

Planet of the Year

Hi and Happy New Year!

I Had a monkeytastic New Year's Day watching Planet of the Apes while the wife watched Mary Poppins Returns on the other telly. 

A couple of years ago, the eldest granddaughter spotted this in the local Sally Army charity shop and got it for me. A great find with signatures of the main protagonists!

Will O.

UK

More Toys from Bella in Florida

Hi all

Here is Bella at the Florida toy show, part 2. There is a 1980s vintage Knight Rider watch, an Ertl Smokey and the Bandit die-cast two-pack, and a large Planet of the Apes battery-powered, remote control horse - something I have never seen before, although the legs look rather thin and likely to break ?

Toy show haul from Florida toy show & expo part 2 - YouTube

Paul Adams from New Zealand

KEVIN'S PLANET OF THE APES WALL ART

Hi,

This is a bit different, an attempt to make what looks like a piece of old masonry bearing the symbols of the Gorillas, Chimps and Orangutans but, mysteriously, also the Human astronauts in equal prominence.

Made from plasticard, milliput and a bathroom tile!

Ape shall never kill Ape,

Kevin
UK

KILLER GORILLAS

Hi all, What has happened to all those killer gorilla on the rampage movies ? 

In the 1930s and 1940s there were scores of them.

A man in a gorilla suit was always killing someone, or kidnapping a pretty girl (boy gorillas never seemed to be interested in girl gorillas). 

Some were brain transplant movies - more mayhem. These were normal sized apes, not giants such as King Kong. 

They had largely disappeared by the 1950s. Planet of the Apes set a much higher standard for ape costumes. 

There was even a killer gorilla movie on the British Video Nasties list - Night of the Bloody Apes (why the plural ? There is only one ape on the rampage).

Not a lot in the way of toys or models either, except for King Kong; the Planet of the Apes Scene in a Bottle kits by Addar in the 1970s, and the gorillas in various zoo ranges.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Which killer gorilla films do you like?

HI-YA! THE 1975 KUNG FU TARGET SET

Hi Woodsy

Not certain exactly how a target pistol shooting game ties in with Kung Fu but it must be a rarity. Maybe when you get really good you can deflect the projectiles with just a wave of your hand when your kid brother or sister is shooting you.

Regards

Terry H

*

Speaking of similar simians, compare the Multiple Toymakers Kung Fu Target Set with their much earlier Planet of the Apes Target Set from 1967. Looks to me like good old recycling! Woodsy

Have you anything like these sets readers?