What was the coolest toy you had as a kid?

[ct71rr]

I had a black and yellow Huffy Pro Thunder with spiderweb mag wheels, like this one:

My all time favorite was the Millennium Falcon. I begged my parents for it for over a year. I was obsessed with it (and all things Star Wars). One of my friends had it and I would go over his house almost everyday during the summer to play with it. I almost craped myself when I finally got it for my birthday when I turned 9 later that same summer. Awesome memory!

I was also big into Japanese anime robots from the Force 5 tv show:

 

[chargervert]

I have a Schwinn Stingray with five spoke skyway mags from a Schwinn Predator on it.

 

[PeteyDaMan]

The original Visible V8 model with the light up spark plugs and electric motor
This was my first foray into the world of V8 engines.
If not for this model, I probably would never have become the gear head I am today

(As I re-read what I just wrote, I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad.)

My dad got it for me at the Highway Hobby House on Rt 17 in Ramsey NJ (the original store).

 

[chargervert]

The original Visible V8 model with the light up spark plugs and electric motor
This was my first foray into the world of V8 engines.
If not for this model, I probably would never have become the gear head I am today

(As I re-read what I just wrote, I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad.)

My dad got it for me at the Highway Hobby House on Rt 17 in Ramsey NJ (the original store).

View attachment 1714054

Those were cool! Soon they will be coming out with the modern Charger electric motor,with real simulated fake exhaust sounds! Lol

 

[YY1]

They also had a visible slant six and a Wankel (as they were called "back in the day").

 

[PlymCrazy]

I have a Schwinn Stingray with five spoke skyway mags from a Schwinn Predator on it.

This reminds me…

Around 1984 I got a Schwinn Predator for a good report card in 6th grade.
Loved that bike.

- Chrome moly
- Skyway bubble bars
- Blue Skyway Tuff 2 mags
- Gyro

Looked similar to this…

 

[SSmoothie]

The Thing

 

[ZR9B]

Im the youngest of 8 so I had a bunch of toys..at least the ones that made it...slot cars ,cox dune buggy ,lead solders, TTP bikes and cars, SST smash up derby,( i took the gyro wheel when spinning and put it in my sisters hair) verti bird, a mini bike a bit later on...still have my GI Joe jeep someplace . lol and an ez bake I took from my sister...

 

[YY1]

This reminds me…

Around 1984 I got a Schwinn Predator for a good report card in 6th grade.
Loved that bike.

- Chrome moly
- Skyway bubble bars
- Blue Skyway Tuff 2 mags
- Gyro

Looked similar to this…

View attachment 1714148

View attachment 1714146

That's a BMX products Mongoose "Super Goose".

WAY better bike than a Huffy or even a Schwinn.

Super Goose was full Cr-Mo and chrome plated.

Team Mongoose was full Cr-Mo but nickel plated and epoxy coated in red or blue.

Standard, painted Mongoose and "Roger DeCoster" were front triangle Cr-Mo only.

I later learned that BMX products sponsored Tom "Mongoose" McEwen and the Mongoose character is the same on his car, as the bikes!

The "spider web" mags called "MotoMags" on the Huffy Pro IV above are actually made by BMX products as well.

 

[Coelacanth]

Gosh, I think it's easier to mention the toys I wasn't into than the ones I was, because I probably had most of the same favorites as the rest of you.

What I enjoyed:

SSP racers (and the Smash-up Derby set that had parts fly off when you crashed them)...the Tomy Digital Derby...the first Atari system, followed by Colecovision, then Sega Genesis...the Green Machine...RC cars (had a Tamiya Frog that sucked no matter how much I hopped it up, upgraded to a Kyosho Optima and never looked back)...AFX slot cars...Crosman MKII CO2 pellet pistol...

I wasn't into electric trains, figurines of any sort (G.I. Joe, He-Man, etc.), wasn't really into Star Wars stuff (but my bro totally was), Hot Wheels, building model cars, model rockets.

Here's a cool RC trike my parents brought back for me from a trip to Japan in about 1981 that was unlike anything local. I still have it and everything works. It has a battery pack you can position different ways for either speed or wheelies.

Introducing Buggy Boy Wheelie!! - RC10Talk - The Net's Largest Vintage R/C Community

 

[YY1]

Who remembers-

"turns left, only in reverse".

On early remote controlled vehicles.

 

[Coelacanth]

Who remembers-

"turns left, only in reverse".

On early remote controlled vehicles.

Yep, hated those. Even as a young kid, I can still remember that "expectation vs. reality" moment of disappointment.

 

[Detective D]

That's a "Z2" two speed.
Top of the Huffy "Pro" line.
Pro I- standard, coaster brake yellow/blue
Pro II- freewheel, white/red
Pro III- freewheel, chrome frame
Pro IV- licensed "MotoMags" black/yellow

I had one.
The crank bent the first time I jumped.
Had to buy a Takagi cr-mo replacement.
Pedals fell apart.
Replaced with KKT.
Forks bent.
Replaced with Tange.
Handlebars bent.
Replaced with Red Line.
Gooseneck broke.
Replaced with Sun Tour.
Broke again.
Bike Shop gave me a prototype.
2 speed not legal in sanctioned racing.
Replaced front gear.
Could not afford to replace freewheel.
Factory was "free-hub" and only 14 teeth.
Had to make do with 42-14 gearing instead of the 44-16 I really needed.
Frame finally broke.
Replaced with used Team Mongoose peeled to nickel.
Still had that dang 14 tooth freehub on it when I outgrew it.

I guess. Ours went through 4 brothers on a farm riding through mud puddles deeper then the crank, sand, clay, jumps off the barn hill.
I can't find a picture of the exact model we had. It wasn't a two speed. But looked like this one otherwise. We wore the rear tire through the rubber bald until it popped and took the back tire off the banana seat bike to keep it going. Rubber pads were gone basically off the hand brake for the rear too.
Sorry you had a bad huffy? Ours was indestructable, I wish i would have kept what was left of it lol.

I upgraded to a 18 speed huffy mountain bike and abused the F out of that too, then my brothers got it when i left home. Same deal wore the tires bald and had to replace. Crank bearing was getting sloppy on that one, when we cleaned up the farm we pitched it as the rear shifter had froze after sitting in the barn for 5 years unused too.

 

[Ronnman]

My Bike, Tiger Joe Tank & Slant Six Motorized Model

 

[guy gadbois]

If bicycles count as toys, then it would be my first bicycle.
I dont think they count [as toys] personally, so i would say Matchbox cars, Hot Wheels and toy guns [to play 'army' with] Still have all my Matchbox and Hot Wheels, regrettably gave away all the big Tonka and Buddy L stuff... Sure wish I hadnt.
Obviously Mr YY1 knows his BMX bikes! After building a Schwinn, I finally had [still have] an early Mongoose frame with very early MotoMags and Ashtabula forks and crank. Rode and raced in the mid 70s when it was all just gaining momentum. Good times.

 

[copper67sat]

Most, if not all, already mentioned. My dad's and uncle's Erector sets. Lots of SSP's including 2 Superbirds, several dragsters with the timing tower and the demo derby set, lots of Hot Wheels and then Sizzlers, AFX slot cars, HO Trains. Built lots of plastic models, mostly cars and airplanes, but also had the big Saturn V rocket. Built and flew a lot of balsa wood airplanes - gliders, rubber band w/propeller, and control line with .049 to .15 nitro engines. Estes rockets.

 

[ZR9B]

sizzlers fat track...I forgot about that one!! I had a few different chargers...one with the timer dial...one you held the orange top down to charge.....they came in the clam shell / case . then the battery got longer toward the end of my time with them.

 

[PlymCrazy]

That's a BMX products Mongoose "Super Goose".

WAY better bike than a Huffy or even a Schwinn.

Super Goose was full Cr-Mo and chrome plated.

Team Mongoose was full Cr-Mo but nickel plated and epoxy coated in red or blue.

Standard, painted Mongoose and "Roger DeCoster" were front triangle Cr-Mo only.

I later learned that BMX products sponsored Tom "Mongoose" McEwen and the Mongoose character is the same on his car, as the bikes!

The "spider web" mags called "MotoMags" on the Huffy Pro IV above are actually made by BMX products as well.

Some of my other “freestyling BMX” friends had Mongoose, GT Performer or Dyno bikes. All similar in style and quality.

All of this was around 1985ish.

 

[YY1]

I've always been detail oriented / tech oriented.
Building/maintaining/racing BMX bikes was a great outlet for that.
Unfortunately we were very poor, borderline poverty.
That bike represented a lot of love and sacrifice for my mom.
It was a bit of regret to tear it up and modify it so much but...
I "one piece at a time" between the ages of 13 and 15, turned that bike from a somewhat run of the mill $120 department store bike in to what at that time would have cost in excess of $500 if purchased new.

Along the way, I got to meet some great people, including kids who shared my interests and passion, and even the owners of a local bike shop, who worked with me on acquiring used parts, and even gave me prototypes of parts they were considering making for sale.
They knew if I couldn't break it, it was probably OK to go to production.
That bike shop turned into DK, and eventually manufactured and sold complete BMX bikes.
Interestingly, some of the names they chose were- "Dart", "Fury", and "General Lee".

Must be a thing with bicycles made in Dayton Ohio.
Huffy, mentioned above is made by Huffman MFG, coincidentally, the first test flights of the Wright Brothers (also bicycle makers, as everyone knows) were at "Huffman prairie", which was riding distance from my house. Before I even realized it, I had ridden my bike in that spot.

 

[ct71rr]

That's a BMX products Mongoose "Super Goose".

WAY better bike than a Huffy or even a Schwinn.

Super Goose was full Cr-Mo and chrome plated.

Team Mongoose was full Cr-Mo but nickel plated and epoxy coated in red or blue.

Standard, painted Mongoose and "Roger DeCoster" were front triangle Cr-Mo only.

I later learned that BMX products sponsored Tom "Mongoose" McEwen and the Mongoose character is the same on his car, as the bikes!

The "spider web" mags called "MotoMags" on the Huffy Pro IV above are actually made by BMX products as well.

There was a kid that lived near my neighborhood where I grew up that had a Super Goose. He was like a God. Me and my friends could only dream of having a bike like that.