Zahorsky, who planned the Lightning Fest event from start to finish, marked 15 years with the RC2/Learning Curve company on July 17. What better way to mark a milestone than to do it at an event where others share your passion?
During his two years in the area, Zahorsky lived on First Street in Farley, in an apartment building, which also housed two nuns. "I drove a supercharged Mustang and I could tell they didn't quite know what to think," he said. "I told them not to worry. My car might be loud, but I was an alter boy, too."
Zahorsky said he enjoys returning to Dyersville. "I forgot what it was like to rub elbows with experienced people," he said of the veteran RC2 staff, noting
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A closed-door, Johnny Lightning design forum was offered at this year's Lightning Fest, in which Zahorsky led attendees through the process of creating replica cars for RC2, including model selection, costing concerns - brand licensing and secondary sponsors, as well as the manufacturing process. He said that many variables come into play that can make or break licensing deals for replica toy cars.
Zahorsky designed the 1977 Dodge Monaco and the 1950 Chevy panel delivery truck associated with "Dukes of Hazzard" actors, James "Roscoe" Best and Ben "Cooter" Jones, who appeared at this year's fest. He said designing such cars essentially amounts to scaling all of a vehicle's features down to 1:64 scale. While such work can be tedious, Zahorsky labors to get every iota of every design exactly right, because "those are the details our collectors appreciate."
Car lines including NASCAR, the revamped line of AMT model cars from the '60s and '70s, and the original Ertl American Muscle series, are a few of the lines Zahorsky has worked on. With RC2 and Johnny Lightning acquiring the rights to many of these brands formerly produced by AMT, Ertl and Playing Mantis, Zahorsky finds himself revisiting some of his earlier designs from the '90s. He admits he has no idea how many cars he has designed over his career. "I know I've designed a lot of cars when I don't recognized my own work," he laughed.
In addition to designing scaled-down cars, Zahorsky enjoys designing the packaging the Johnny Lightning line is offered in. Attractive design of the window-boxed and blister-packed car packaging is, after all, paramount to capturing the eyes of both collector and kid alike.
Like any self-respecting gearhead, Zahorsky is also consumed with creating that which is the Holy Grail for car designers - the ultimate hot rod flame. As evidenced by the amount of flame tattoos on the arms of those attending Lightning Fest, Zahorsky's quest is far from frivolous.
Even creating the perfect flame would not likely be enough to encourage Zahorsky to hang it up and go out on top, though. He would just put his focus into topping the bar he had just raised. After all, when you have 10-W-40-grade motor oil coursing through your veins, no other job could beat hot rod design. Without prompting, Zahorsky is quick to exclaim, "There hasn't been a day I haven't been grateful."