Hot Wheels and Matchbox Customizing Thread

[Cano]

Well for a first try I was pleased.

Guess not having the money for fancy stuff like Dremels just isn't good enough.

Not having a Dremel doesn't have anyting to do with picking your donors carefully. Look, I had a Matchbox Porsche 930 project stalled for two years. Two years. With paint in it already and such, because I didn't find apropiate-size wheels for it. You just have to be careful with what you choose to do with a car to have better results.

 

[AOS-]

Not having a Dremel doesn't have anyting to do with picking your donors carefully.

If he doesn't have the tools to adjust axle width, I'd say it's a valid excuse.

 

[Cano]

If he doesn't have the tools to adjust axle width, I'd say it's a valid excuse.

True to a point. that's why I said you have to choose your donors carefully. Perhaps I should have added your project cars too. I don't do many modern cars because there aren'tr many wheels that fit them nor look good on it. I'm not going to put Torq-Thrusts on a Skyline or Lambo, for instance.

 

[AOS-]

By picking donors, I try to avoid metal base cars if I can, simply because getting the wheels off a plastic base is significantly easier.

I agree with the choice of cars. It's hard to find real riders suitable for them. Most of the time it's going to be 10SPs or PR5s.

 

[Cano]

Indeed. You won't find suitable wheels for them unless you start to look into other brands, but that can become expensive REALLY quick. You're stuck with the normal Hot Wheels plastic offerings which can look pretty good, but it's never the same as a rubber-tired swap. Hell it's already expensive enough to spend $5 for just getting the tires off a boulevard or something. As for metal-base donors, yup too, its a pain in the rear taking the wheels off of them.

 

[Johnny1996]

And after taking the axles off a metal base, would it be better to make a new axle using aluminum tubing?

EDIT: Forgot to mention this, but I'm looking ahead to two custom Boulevard series cars I'll be customizing, which includes a wheelswap between both cars. There may not be a need to resize the axles.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I've never had an issue with metal bases. I have a nice small flat head screwdriver that I just push between the prongs, twist, and it releases the axle. Takes only a few seconds.

 

[Johnny1996]

I've never had an issue with metal bases. I have a nice small flat head screwdriver that I just push between the prongs, twist, and it releases the axle. Takes only a few seconds.

Any idea how to bend the tabs back in their original place though? Just get a stick and a hammer and pound? Or what?

 

[AOS-]

I don't have a solution for that, but if all you're looking to do is fasten the axle to the base, I just use glue.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I don't have a solution for that, but if all you're looking to do is fasten the axle to the base, I just use glue.

This. JB Weld or pretty much any type of strong glue.

 

[Johnny1996]

I don't have a solution for that, but if all you're looking to do is fasten the axle to the base, I just use glue.

I'll see how it works. 👍

 

[Cano]

I've never had an issue with metal bases. I have a nice small flat head screwdriver that I just push between the prongs, twist, and it releases the axle. Takes only a few seconds.

You've clearly never opened older cars that don't have just three weak clips of metal holding the axle. Try your hand with some 80s cars that had an absolutely indestructible metal dab over each axle, or two very, very thick metal clips.

 

[CodeRedR51]

You've clearly never opened older cars that don't have just three weak clips of metal holding the axle. Try your hand with some 80s cars that had an absolutely indestructible metal dab over each axle, or two very, very thick metal clips.

80's cars? What are those?

 

[Mad_Mazax]

really like the build pics and links you guys have posted, thanks for taking the time to share all ya info...I just rediscovered 1:64scale cars before finding this thread and i got the bug ....my original idea of a "happy days" style diorama (big al's) has been my excuse to get hooked on hot wheels so i have been trying to collect only the relevant models (fail) like:

40's woody
swoop coup
couple of bread vans,
blown mg rover,
super smooth ute
shoebox
40's ford coupe
tail dragger

.....id love some model suggestions if anyone can help with my hunt for big wheel fairings, fins, blown motors, rolled noses etc...basically 60's or older

cheers again

some photos:

multi speed drill? ~tick

battery life is amazing, charges in a flash....been using 5/32 bits to pop the hot wheels...no fails so far, this thing works with my 2mm bit for tapping too...toe vice not included. note: those bud cleaner things in shot cut up to make perfect wheel spacers and lowering kits etc...

this old shoe box started it....saw it sitting around like it has for a decade or more....but this time it got me thinking...one google search later and the tools were flying everywhere....that havnt been put away for weeks now....is it a condition? how many of us are there? do we have super powers?

another nose job...i like scratching and chopping, ....crushed original matchbox in the vice (car crusher) back in the day etc. hard core collectors this is your no tears warning: I'll be experimenting with metal stamps, hack saws, dental type tools. large hammers, hot hot heat. industrial glues and chemicals: look away now

pretty excited about this tail dragger: plan was to try and hammer some flutes into the bonnet, white walls, vintage paint, visors...maybe some lights and mirrors, but i spent an embarrassing amount of time on the body already...wish i took a before. nar well. too scared to try the flutes on this now.

another angle...took all these before finding that fine grit sponge pad, they look shiny now, the light surround has been scratched back in also

was that too long? i better stop. hope i can return something back to this thread anyhow...smaller updates from now on

 

[Cano]

80's cars? What are those?

RESTORE A CAR ALREADY, GOT DAMMIT!

I just rediscovered 1:64scale cars before finding this thread and i got the bug ....hope i can return something back to this thread anyhow...smaller updates from now on

Lol you really got the bug. Welcome to the thread and indeed do post updates, I love seeing build pics!

 

[Johnny1996]

What tips would anyone out there give me for drilling a hole in a window piece, a base piece, and a body piece?

I want to make a keychain from a Hachi-Roku.

 

[AOS-]

Just put a hole in it. Are you putting a whole keyring through the body like what I did below?

If you're not going with this and instead going with the uncool chain & keyring combo, then it's very little work.

 

[Johnny1996]

Just put a hole in it. Are you putting a whole keyring through the body like what I did below?

If you're not going with this and instead going with the uncool chain & keyring combo, then it's very little work.

I'm not sure which of the two methods I'll be doing, but I am leaning toward your method. My car will be a Hachi-Roku as I said above, but maybe a muscle car instead; undecided on that aspect too.

Any tips for drill bits and drill speed?

 

[AOS-]

Nope. There's no rocket science in drilling a hole through relatively flat surfaces.

All you'll need to keep an eye out for is where the keyring will be when you put a hole through the base. I had a bit of trouble not knowing the rear axle was going to be a hindrance.

 

[Johnny1996]

Nope. There's no rocket science in drilling a hole through relatively flat surfaces.

All you'll need to keep an eye out for is where the keyring will be when you put a hole through the base. I had a bit of trouble not knowing the rear axle was going to be a hindrance.

Thanks, AOS-! 👍

I'm not sure if I'm going to do anything other than drilling holes and adding a ring though, and usually that decision is made as soon as I get the idea. Quite unusual of me.

 

[Mad_Mazax]

Welcome to the thread and indeed do post updates, I love seeing build pics!

cheers mate, love the build pics too, and ideas like the keychain...(details on the raw BMW look pretty sweet). should have some more pictures soon...undercoating later today.

What tips would anyone out there give me for drilling a hole in a window piece, a base piece, and a body piece?

bit of tape over the windshield before drilling might help to eliminate cracking and pilot the drill a bit? i swear by my cordless drill...(see last post)

 

[Johnny1996]

Any idea what kind of tape is best to avoid residue being left behind?

 

[AOS-]

Masking tape is made for this very purpose. For tiny cars like this, get yourself Tamiya masking tape. You can find it on eBay if you don't have a hobby shop that sells RC cars or Gundams.

Although I've never tried it, I doubt putting down tape will help prevent the drill from cracking plastic. I've never had issues with cracking stuff other than putting too much pressure on the object without placing solid material underneath to relieve that pressure.

This stuff comes with practice and is something you just know by feel over time. A good way to build on this if you're unsure of something is to simply test it on something else. Find a window from a cruddy car you'll never touch and see how much pressure you can put on that without it breaking or showing other unwanted side effects.

 

[Mad_Mazax]

Any idea what kind of tape is best to avoid residue being left behind?

yep any old masking tape should do...i'd tape it down (tape both sides of drill area), pack it out with blue tack or somthing, mark the hole (sharpie), make sure the drill bit meets the mark, gve it a little push before fireing (to make a small punch, depending on how well it packed), start pedaling slowly then give it a bit when its stating to bury, count down blast off. the shell you should be able to do blind folded though, one handed....with my drill

 

[Mad_Mazax]

is there an actual double posting rule? i'm still new and enthusiastic...just slap me if i post too heavy.

rain held off painting tonight so im fitting these jada toy rubber wheels to a VW project instead

not sure how to hack these solid axles yet but I wanted the outside profile this time so i had to tub it ...ill still need to shape the plastic base and make deeper wheel slots but im happy with the fit so far

beetle juice, stage one

 

[R5]

I feel "Herbies gone ghetto" is apt with the Beetle

Nice job though. As for posts, don't double post or swear in your posts and you'll be fine 👍

 

[Cano]

is there an actual double posting rule? i'm still new and enthusiastic...just slap me if i post too heavy.


rain held off painting tonight so im fitting these jada toy rubber wheels to a VW project instead.

not sure how to hack these solid axles yet but I wanted the outside profile this time so i had to tub it ...ill still need to shape the plastic base and make deeper wheel slots but im happy with the fit so far

beetle juice, stage one

Wow, that looks seriously cool, the extreme low profile tires fit the cartoony VW perfectly. As for fitting them, try cotton dab tubes cut to fit, see if the axle tube will fit inside. The chassis will need a LOT of modifications, but I think you already know that

I did that for the gasser Nova wagon, as both axles had fixed tubes instead of free-rolling tires. Note thast that's not the stock Nova chassis, the car received a chassis swap to that of a 55 Chevy gasser. In this picture you can more or less make out the tubes glued to the chassis and already painted flat black.

 

[Sonygamer455]

Well got my GMC Motorhome primared, my dad went over it with flat white because he says if I plan on painting it white (or any bright color at all), it show up a lot better. Was going to paint it gloss white, but for some reason my spray can was empty, I only used it once or twice and that was with my European Countach. I remember something was wrong with the button and sprayed in a lot of odd directions, but there is not single drop in there and I am not entirely sure why. Guess I have to buy another one.

Been trying to paint the bumper on the Hamada, but it is proving to be a bit aggravating. It keeps dripping and puddleing on the lower part of the bumper and then showing transparency in some places, may need to go over it with a paint brush.

 

[mustang fanatic]

Got a few more projects i'm working on:



And here with some co mold wheels


The same wheels on a 71 mustang

I apologize for the crappy pictures.

 

[Mad_Mazax]

This stuff comes with practice and is something you just know by feel over time.

sorry bloke i forgot to refresh and missed your complete and spot on answer there...i was just guessing in an effort to help but your advice is solid.

I feel "Herbies gone ghetto" is apt

im going to run with that forsure

low profile tires fit the cartoony VW perfectly

I did that for the gasser Nova wagon

thanks heaps...i don't see myself collecting many cartoon or fantasy cars but couldn't resist the beetle...will prolly grap a kombi if i find one...and those thicker fixed axles wont fit into the dabbers im using but i can see what you have done there, gunna try this method with something else...i insist on having a perfect roll...neat looking job on yours

did my first undercoat on a 40's ford coupe this afternoon (rain gods were nice)... automotive flat grey out of a rattle can, should be pretty good after a light sand:

and between coats:

opened up a bike...5/32 hand drill never fails