Hot Wheels and Matchbox Customizing Thread

[Cano]

I knew you were gonna use those wheels. Tip: just secure the nose to the chassis and make the hood a take-off ordeal; you will have to find an engine piece that will let you run the rivvet post trough there, and that will be your link between body and chasis, altough I think you'll have to fabricate the engine from scratch. Or maybe half an engine off the Honda Racer might work:

But you want to make sure you have sidedraft throttle bodies poking offfff one side of the hood (:

 

[CodeRedR51]

If I'm going to do this right, that front rivet post will disappear. It's attached to the underside of the hood. The main problem is when you cut on the line for the front of the hood, it's going to completely cut off the front section, which will have to be re-attached somehow.

And I've already got an engine picked out. The main thing that would need to be done would be to build up the panels around the engine like the real car. A firewall would need to be put into place, etc.

And get used to seeing those wheels, going on quite a few cars coming up.

 

[Cano]

And get used to seeing those wheels, going on quite a few cars coming up.

yueah, I know. I'd do the same if the boulevard seriesw was available over here for a reasonable price. But none of both.

 

[Apok]

I am currently repainting an M3.
I wish I had a friend that paints things.
As it is I've sprayed it four times. First the primer, then the first coat, second coat, then because there was some dust I suspect in the paint I had to fix it and spray it again. Now for some reason the paint underneath the new paint which was used for the fixing reacted to it. Like if you spray paint from a spray can over email or something like that.
The only thing is I used the exact same paint. From the same can even. My only guess is the paint wasn't completely dry yet.

Regardless I now need to paint it twice more at least since I had to sand off the bunched up paint.

However I can say that a black M3 will look quite nice. Especially with new wheels and detailing.

 

[Cano]

I am currently repainting an M3.
I wish I had a friend that paints things.
As it is I've sprayed it four times. First the primer, then the first coat, second coat, then because there was some dust I suspect in the paint I had to fix it and spray it again. Now for some reason the paint underneath the new paint which was used for the fixing reacted to it. Like if you spray paint from a spray can over email or something like that.
The only thing is I used the exact same paint. From the same can even. My only guess is the paint wasn't completely dry yet.

Regardless I now need to paint it twice more at least since I had to sand off the bunched up paint.

However I can say that a black M3 will look quite nice. Especially with new wheels and detailing.

Dude, I'd strip it entirely again, you're gonna have problems and problems and problems with such a paint job, I know it, been there done that.

 

[diabolicwyvern]

Cano all these pics are making me jelly and anxious about my cars. we're closing in on the year anniversary of me sending the projects.

(cups hands together...

says a short prayer)

 

[Cano]

Cano all these pics are making me jelly and anxious about my cars. we're closing in on the year anniversary of me sending the projects.

(cups hands together...

says a short prayer)

Ah, it's good that you reminded me!!! I need to go buy a new drill bit to make the hole for the rivvet to get in place, the one I usually use for that was, guess? too big, and it would have just eaten the post off. It's amazing how stuff changes on old cars. I supose with the redlines it will be the same story. I'll go right now with my dogs.

EDIT: Amazingly got the drill bit in the local hardware store a few blocks from here, I'll do the holes today.

 

[AOS-]

Your dogs know how to drill cars too? Damn, teach me fish how to do that!

 

[CodeRedR51]

You can always use screws to put it back together. I'm going to start using that method.

 

[Cano]

You can always use screws to put it back together. I'm going to start using that method.

Indeed, but screws of that size are very, VERY difficult to come by over here, I dunno why. Heck, even the rivvets I'm using for Wyvern's cars are difficult to find, they were donated to the cause by a friend.

EDIT: Just noticed the dogs bit. No, but I sometimes give them cars, they take them to their rug, lick them two or three times and leavethem behind. I tehn collect them back. Dey like dem

 

[AOS-]

You can always cut the screws to a preferably length.

 

[Cano]

You can always cut the screws to a preferably length.

It's not the lenght, it's the size in itself. I don't know why it is SO difficult to find really small screws in this god-forgotten place.

 

[AOS-]

Buy it online.

 

[Cano]

Stupid news: the drill bit is too thin for the Dremel to grab it. I'll have to buy a drillhead for the Dremel. Dah.

 

[AOS-]

Would it be dangerous to use heat shrink tubes to remedy that?

 

[Cano]

haah, yes indeed. And damn, the drillhead is about $20

 

[AOS-]

Do you guys use the pen attachment or do you hold the dremel itself normally?

 

[CodeRedR51]

I use a regular electric drill to drill rivets normally.

 

[Cano]

I use a regular electric drill to drill rivets normally.

I tried once with my drill but it is an absolute beast that will chew my hand off if I'm not careful. Maybe I'm too used to the Dremel's utter docility, because I find my drill absolutely unmanageable for such work.

 

[AOS-]

I think I were to do take a car apart, I would assemble that vertical stand that holds your dremel vertically and bring the car to the spinning drill bit rather than the bit to the car..... Or I can just use the drill press I have in the garage

Since it's metal on metal though, do you guys lube up the drill bit first or does it mill through the bolted end like styrofoam?

 

[CodeRedR51]

I tried once with my drill but it is an absolute beast that will chew my hand off if I'm not careful. Maybe I'm too used to the Dremel's utter docility, because I find my drill absolutely unmanageable for such work.

I do is slowly, pressing the trigger is short bursts. You also have to make sure the car is level, and not leaning one way or the other.

Edit: No lube, isn't really a hard metal.

 

[diabolicwyvern]

Glad I sent along the green sir rodney. the $ is adding up. hopefully you're able to reuse the bits on other projects.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Here's a good resto-mod from the HWC forums:

 

[Slash]

About freaking time. I actually have several projects to show you all people, but I want to start with one I liked a lot how it came out:

I got this Lesney Matchbox Land Rover off a lot of cars I bought from E-Bay. This is how it looked when it fell into my hands, pretty damn beat up but nothing broken, you can see that the glass is all there with no cracks, the bumpers weren't broken, etc.


more to come!

I have that! I got a few others as well.. I wore out the tires though from when I was little. When I got it they were ok. Other wise its in the same shape.

 

[Cano]

Glad I sent along the green sir rodney. the $ is adding up. hopefully you're able to reuse the bits on other projects.

Of course! I bought it today, and actually got a sweet discount on it too, it was about $12, which is a pretty good slash from the $20 I was expecting to spend. And now I can also use many other bits of stuff I had lying around for the Dremel which I could not use because the original head did not grab them. I'll do the holes today.

Also, I'll show you people yet ANOTHER simple wheelswap that does absolute wonders towards cleaning up a casting. The stock car was this cool FD3S Mazda RX7 from motor Max, the casting is amazing but the damned wheels... TEH WHEEEEELLSSSSS

I had two of these so I opened one and literally just changed the wheels for some gold 10-spokers I had lying around:

The change was pretty dramatic, so I opened the other one and gave it a bit more work. I lowered it a bit more over gold BBS-style wheels that look like they were made for this car.

I also painted the seats in matte red and added a big-ass exhaust tip and some stickers here and there (including the license plates off a Tamiya paint bottle), and that was basically it, but got damn what a difference! See:

And here are both together:

I'm looking for more of these to do the same, including a rare blue version.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Very rarely do I customize a car with plastic wheels. I like to get rid of the plastic wheels if at all possible. Rubber just looks better.

 

[Cano]

yeah, but find me a set of modern-looking wheels with rubber tires that looks decent. They all suck.

 

[AOS-]

Dislikes the BBS on FD I do.

 

[Schwartz]

How much does it cost to do a custom for someone who has never done it before? (basically for all the supplies) I have a weekend off for once in my life and I feel like doing some sort of project. I'm going to go pick out a car, get supplies, etc. Also, is there a good walkthrough on how to do a custom (for beginners of course) that you guys could link me to?

 

[CodeRedR51]

Depends on what you already have? I put a list of most tools you will need in the OP.