Jun 13, 2008

Fun, New Family Activity for Father's Day

Are you looking for a Father’s Day gift that might please both Dad and the kids? We don’t think that filmy negligee will make the grade on the kids front, but we do have another suggestion that will have dad smiling and feeling like a kid again. We’re talking about a modern-day version of old model cars, and the good news is they can be assembled without messy glue -- plus they are fully customizable and radio remote-controlled.

They are called Ridez from Ridezmakerz. While you can’t applaud the spelling of the new company, you can appreciate the idea of eliminating the time and frustration associated with traditional model cars and still maintaining a hands-on, interactive experience that would appeal to kids and car enthusiasts alike.

 “The reaction from real-world car customizers like Chip Foose, Troy Sumitomo and Fireball Tim has been the same as families just looking for a fun, new family activity,” said Ridemakerz ZEO (CEO) and Founder Larry Andreini. “They love the thrill and experience of building personalized Ridez without the cost of tricking out a real car. This is definitely a cool gift for dad that won’t break the bank!”

The Ridemakerz experience starts in the car-customizing garage, either online or at a shop, where “customizers” go through seven zones to build one-of-a-kind Ridez. With the choices in body styles and paint schemes, tires and wheels, lights, sounds, accessories and decals, there are more than 649 million possible combinations, not including individual decal placement. After tricking out their car, customizers create personalized license plates and receive their own Certificate of Title with a unique RIDE Identification Number (RIN #). Ridez that are customized and purchased online are shipped unassembled.

The unique model cars are priced from $12 to $29, depending on body and paint scheme. Radio remote control can be added for an additional $25, and custom accessories range in price from $2.50 for grille guards, spoilers and hood scoops to $15 for a deluxe “Muscle Kit.” The cars measure 10 to 12 inches long -- about the size of a shoe box.