Hot Wheels and Matchbox Customizing Thread

[mustang fanatic]

For anyone who sands hot wheels cars before painting: what grit of sand paper do you use? I have been using 1000 grit, but that is ruining the casting.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I never sand before paint. Some cars I grind down casting marks with a jewelers file set.

 

[Cano]

I wanted to ask about the urethane clear coat. Was the one you used a product originally manufactured for cars? Did it come in a can in liquid form which you had to fill up a spray gun with? I want to know because the photo captured a CLEAN surface on the red bonnet. Was there polishing and buffing involved?


edit: your thing is on lamley's weekly post: http://lamleydlm.blogspot.ca/2013/10/as-is-custom-our-faves-for-week-ending_20.html

Yes, we always use automotive products. And yeah, Ahmed polished and buffed the thing, as usual. Most of the time I'm the lazy dude that doesn't buff out stuff, but he always does, or his dad.

And yeah, we hadn't sent anything to john because most of the blog's space was dedicated to the convention's contest and THEN to the club's contest, but from this week onwards you'll be seeing at least 2, ideally 3, Custom Diecast Mexico cars in Lamley's weekly posts 👍

 

[AOS-]

For anyone who sands hot wheels cars before painting: what grit of sand paper do you use? I have been using 1000 grit, but that is ruining the casting.

1000 ruining metal? You must be scrubbing real hard!

I don't think you use 1000-grit to sand bare metal. You can use 1000 prior to or after clear coating, I wouldn't use something that fine before paint or primer though.

To answer your question, maybe 200-400 depending on what you're trying to do. I use a wire brush on a rotary tool to smooth out surfaces.

 

[mustang fanatic]

I have another question for you guys. I have a lot of cars (not ones that I have painted), and I am frustrated because my cars are always chipping. Currently, I have some of them stored in plastic cases (the ones used for fishing tackle). Would the cars be okay in those, or would the plastic chip them?

 

[AOS-]

Not ones you've painted? So not ones you customized? Are they customized cars at all? If not, this isn't the appropriate thread for starters.

Secondly, no, plastic won't chip paint unless you're hammering the plastic's hard edge against the body. It's likely chipping because they're rolling into things or each other.

 

[mustang fanatic]

I am probably refering to cars I have stored in totes and bags.

 

[Cano]

Aaaaaand here is a new one. This motormax 1969 GTO Judge was just a quick wheelswap but it ended up winning third place in the custom contest held at the october club meet. Here is the link:

http://www.customdiecastmexico.com/2013/10/motormax-1969-pontiac-gto-judge.html

And a quick pic:

 

[CodeRedR51]

I am probably refering to cars I have stored in totes and bags.

Whever cars come in contact with each other there's likelihood that they will chip. If you store them in bags, that would be why. Keep them separated. 👍

 

[AOS-]

I got my hands on that chrome silver by Tamiya Acrylic. Doesn't turn out chrome. It's yet another brilliant metallic silver.

I also got a Testor's model spray paint in chrome. It's also just a brilliant finish.

Just reporting that to whomever may be on the lookout for chrome paint in the future. I'm going to try working with it a little more to see how much better I can get out of it.

 

[Cano]

Here we go again with the second weekly post at Custom Diecast México. This time we're showing you a custom by our most recent adition to the CDM featured customizers, Angel Zenteno, who was the head of HW Mexico Club for years and has been customizing for years too. This is quite different as to what you usually see from Ahmed or me: a Deora fire truck!

http://www.customdiecastmexico.com/2013/10/deora-firefighter.html

 

[mustang fanatic]

Wow. That looks awesome. The back part doesn't even look like it's from a matchbox casting.

 

[AOS-]

Jesus. Guy even did up the base too. 👍

 

[Cano]

New post in Custom Diecast México! And this week we start with a freaking blow to the face with this oustanding Ford GT40 courtesy of Ahmed's dad. You'll never believe what your eyes are seeing:

http://www.customdiecastmexico.com/2013/11/ford-gt-40-gulf-j-ickx.html

And a pic to indulge your curiosity:

 

[Apok]

Wow that interior detailing is crazy good.

 

[AOS-]

I almost want to quit Hot wheels thanks to this Jada.

 

[Wilbur]

Wow that GT40 is amazing! It's always been my favorite casting no matter new or old.

 

[AOS-]

Here's another WIP I've let sit for a long time. Added putty to fill in the large gap after downsizing the wheels on both ends. Thought I'd also try at an offset.

It still needs more putty, but I'll worry about that after I lower the car first.

 

[Cano]

Ah, I absolutely want to see how that turns up, that casting is SO badly done, making it right is going to take a lot of work.

 

[AOS-]

I agree. Before I got putty in, I tried out of curiousity how the proportion of the wheels look if I went down a size on both ends. It looked fairly satisfying. All I had to do then was close up the wheel gap. It also bugged me how it looks like the bottom eighth (yeah eighth) of the body looks either squished upwards or is missing entirely, because it looks like it rides way too high, even with the smaller wheels assembled. Will be lowering that, painting over the chrome base, some interior colouring and possibly lay down some fat stripe after a paintjob.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I would have stripped it of paint before I doing the fenders.

 

[AOS-]

That seems to be the traditional way of doing things, doesn't it?

I decided not to because I wanted to retain that already-smooth finish. The most I'll do is remove the tampos first, after that it's prime, paint, clear and buff.

 

[Cano]

When we did the Shelby 2000GTs, we painted over the stock paint, we just roughed it up a bit with used 1000-grit sandpaper and then primed over it. They came out ok, so don't worry.

Also, if you guys haven't noticed (you at least saw them on Lamley), we posted two more cars in Custom Diecast México over the weekend.

First of them is the restored/custom Mooneyes Spoiler Sport by our friend Brujo:
http://www.customdiecastmexico.com/2013/11/spoiler-sport-moon.html

And the second one is a car you all had seen before, my old Stutz Blackhawk:
http://www.customdiecastmexico.com/2013/11/hot-wheels-stutz-blackhawk.html

 

[CodeRedR51]

You lose some minor details, but do whatever you want.

 

[AOS-]

Guess who got an airbrush?

 

[Apok]

Welcome to the world of cleaning spraying paint from your airbrush. It's time consuming excellent!
Congrats on the purchase, took you long enough!

 

[AOS-]

I need some tiny brushes are reusable and can get the tiny chinks a sheet of paper towel can't.

But for the most part, I'm glad I found a $30 brush. Much rather ruin a generic brush than one of those top-name brands when I get on the nail polish.

I'm also going to have to stock up on a lot of nail polish thinner and acetone from now on.

 

[Cano]

I'm heading there as well, congrats dude 👍

 

[Apok]

I need some tiny brushes are reusable and can get the tiny chinks a sheet of paper towel can't.

But for the most part, I'm glad I found a $30 brush. Much rather ruin a generic brush than one of those top-name brands when I get on the nail polish.

I'm also going to have to stock up on a lot of nail polish thinner and acetone from now on.

Get a bunch of cotton swabs and toothpicks as well. Also if you're dealing with more harmful thinners you might want to get some rubber gloves.
Though mine always melt after some time.

 

[AOS-]

Enamel thinners aren't too harsh. They get paint off you better than soap can. Soap can't actually.

But yeah definitely cotton swabs, and I've already got a pack of toothpicks to do all the detail painting I've been doing.