Kind of like Build-a-Bear - but for guys

Okay, y'all. I had the chance to review a model car product and of course I jumped at the chance. Not only would I get to write a review (which y'all know I just love giving my opinions...I mean, writing reviews) but it also gave me an opportunity to exploit get The Man Beast and Boy together for a fun father/son activity.

Enter Ridemakerz - like Build-a-Bear - only for guys.

Ridemakerz is a custom model car experience. To participate, just go to the website and start building.

Chooze - Chose your body (we got the Dodge Challenger)
Sonicize - You can choose sounds! This is the coolest. We got the rocker-style sound effect (of course)
Motorize - What radio control? You can get it. (We did).
Customize - Wheels. Rims. Decals. You name it - you can get it.
Personalize - You can create a personalized license plate. Pretty sweet, huh?

After you -ize, you place your order (it's a la carte, so you can pick and choose. Take what you want, skip what you don't). About a week later, this is what you get (depending on what you bought):


With the exception of a few pieces, simply snap the stuff together!



I timed us from the time we opened the box and it took us just under an hour to put everything together. Keep in mind that The Boy, The Man Beast and I are not pros. We don't typically put cars together as a hobby, so we were really green.

Still, I think an hour was just enough time to ensure that the project wasn't lame and not so long that it became a chore.

In the end, this was our sweet ride:



Oh, yeah.

I'm sure you're wondering how much all of this costs. As I mentioned before, everything is a la carte, so you control the costs.

The car we chose cost $22. We chose to add the optional rims ($5), the fx ($3), the muscle kit - this was totally Man Beast's idea ($10), decals ($4), the power pack - for the rc ($20 - again, optional), and the radio control chassis - the thing that goes in/under the car - see? total amature, I'm telling you ($25). With shipping, our total came to $77 and some change.

Now, if I were buying this just for myself and not for a review, there were things I probably would not have gotten - like the rc add-on. If I had gone bare bones, I could have easily built a pretty spiffy ride for under $50. Then again, we're not model car junkies. I'm sure if any of you have some in your family, they'd have a blast with all the features. There are literally a million different ways you can customize your ridez. The sky really is a limit.

And check this out - they gave me a promo code to give to you. From now until January 4, 2009, you can save $10 on a $30 purchase. This is a great opportunity to try it out, and see if you like it. At the end of your order, simply enter this code: 93483.

And of course no company would be worth it's weight in, well anything, if it didn't offer a guarantee. Ridemakerz allows you to send it back if you're not completely satisfied - and they even provide a postage paid label, so you don't have to pay for shipping twice! (Your money back guarantee does not include shipping and handling costs unless you're returning your purchase due to Ridemakerz error.) But still, it's pretty sweet, don't you think?

Try it out - and if you do, let me know what you think.

Until next time, y'all...