Hot Wheels and Matchbox Customizing Thread

[Cano]

Yeah that's my favourite to as it looks tough as. If you have ever seen the stock casting it sits real high, which is cool if your after the 70s muscle look but I wanted something different and the colour makes it look tough to, thanks for your 3 letter word or encouragement, I appreciate all positive comments on any work as Iam greatful it's liked by people with such skill and talent in this hobby, so thanks.

You're quite welcome. And yes, I have worked on one of these before and now the absolutenightmareit is to get it sitting low.... and mine wasn't nearly as dumped as yours. Weren't you better off with a custom chassis?

 

[Emmcee]

I was thinking that and that was my next option if it didn't work out.

 

[K5Blazer]

That white makes it look nice and fresh.

Thanks. Im trying to make it look like a car I used to have. I did the wheel swap with some M2 wheels

 

[Emmcee]

Ok here's a r1600 escort, lowered detailed, re spray,wheel swap and fill in front end, where rally lights used to be.

180, lowered,respray, wheel swap,detailed and removed rear wing and cut in trunk line.

Corvette resprayed matte black with red accents, lowered and wheel swap, removed large rear wheel for regular one and detailed.

Thanks for looking and I hope you like.

 

[AOS-]

If you're going to use a smaller wheel than a car originally has, I think you should try getting into putty to correct the fender size.

It helps give the car a more accurate look, and the Corvette wouldn't be sitting lower in the back.

 

[Speedracer8218]

So I decided to get into customizing and thought I'd give wheel swapping a try. Watched a few videos and decided to go with .032 (.81 mm) brass rods and hammer the ends flat method. The problem is I can't find that size anywhere around where I live, only online.

So is there an alternative method you guys know of that doesn't involve gluing anything? Or should I just order the brass rods online?

 

[AOS-]

A model shop that supplies you with stuff for model boats should have the exact size tubing available.

I also recommend the method where you cut an exist HW axle in half, sticking them in the brass tubing (get 1/16"), and crimping it after installing the wheels. This way you keep the capped ends of the stock axles. Hammering the ends flat leaves you with a lot of excess metal sticking out and that looks odd.

 

[Emmcee]

If you're going to use a smaller wheel than a car originally has, I think you should try getting into putty to correct the fender size.

It helps give the car a more accurate look, and the Corvette wouldn't be sitting lower in the back.

You haven't realised I've used putty on any of my projects? Iam I that good lol? I thought with the corvette that the "squatting" look wasn't so bad compared to the work that is involved, guess I was wrong lol

@SpeedRacer

Why you cutting axles if your only swapping wheels? Swap the whole assembly, so much bloody easier.

 

[Speedracer8218]

I also recommend the method where you cut an exist HW axle in half, sticking them in the brass tubing (get 1/16"), and crimping it after installing the wheels. This way you keep the capped ends of the stock axles. Hammering the ends flat leaves you with a lot of excess metal sticking out and that looks odd.

Any issues with the wheels not rolling? Is this the way you do it?

 

[Emmcee]

Very few of mine roll at all mate as mine are pure display not toys anymore lol.

 

[AOS-]

You haven't realised I've used putty on any of my projects?

No I don't pay a whole lot of attention on what's posted here anymore. The awkward ground clearance on the corvette caught my attention though.

Any issues with the wheels not rolling? Is this the way you do it?

The wheels are using the axles they originally came with, so as long as you provide adequate axle length for the wheel to rotate, it will roll just fine.

Yes, whenever I need to adjust the axle length, I follow this all the time. When crimping, I use wire cutters that aren't sharp (or if it is, I try not to press too hard).

 

[Speedracer8218]

The wheels are using the axles they originally came with, so as long as you provide adequate axle length for the wheel to rotate, it will roll just fine.

Yes, whenever I need to adjust the axle length, I follow this all the time. When crimping, I use wire cutters that aren't sharp (or if it is, I try not to press too hard).

Cool will give it a go as soon as get some tubes

Thanks for the help 👍

 

[Cano]

So, people. We held our second customizer's get-together last saturday, and also presented to the world the rulebook of what will be Custom Diecast México-held custom contests. The meeting had a large custom and dead-car exhibition which you can see in the latest post in the blog:

http://www.customdiecastmexico.com/2016/05/2da-reunion-de-customizadores-de-custom.html

 

[Emmcee]

No I don't pay a whole lot of attention on what's posted here anymore. The awkward ground clearance on the corvette caught my attention though.



The wheels are using the axles they originally came with, so as long as you provide adequate axle length for the wheel to rotate, it will roll just fine.

Yes, whenever I need to adjust the axle length, I follow this all the time. When crimping, I use wire cutters that aren't sharp (or if it is, I try not to press too hard).

The front bar on the corvette makes it look a lot more extreme, I was thinking of making a splitter to extend the front end to hide the difference.

 

[AOS-]

I'm unsure how adding more material in the front will disguise how the rear is sitting lower. The bottom contour is not parallel with the floor. Wouldn't it be most straight-forward if you raise the rear?

 

[Emmcee]

If I raise the rear, might aswell put the bigger wheel back in it, because it already has a casted rear wheel arch you can't remodel it in putty, it would look quite bad so maybe the only solution is to return to original size rear wheel.

 

[Nessy]

If I raise the rear, might aswell put the bigger wheel back in it, because it already has a casted rear wheel arch you can't remodel it in putty.

You can, but it's a lot of hard work that would require filing down what's already there, and extensive shaping of the putty, (had to do the same with my Datsun 240Z). If it were mine, i'd probably just stick a bigger tyre/smaller rim in it's place, and go for a drag look, but it would look ace, if it had fresh (smaller) rear arches.

Really diggin the colour of the Escort. Very apt colour for the period. Keep it up man. 👍

 

[Emmcee]

You can, but it's a lot of hard work that would require filing down what's already there, and extensive shaping of the putty, (had to do the same with my Datsun 240Z). If it were mine, i'd probably just stick a bigger tyre/smaller rim in it's place, and go for a drag look, but it would look ace, if it had fresh (smaller) rear arches.

Really diggin the colour of the Escort. Very apt colour for the period. Keep it up man. 👍

Thanks for the advice man, appreciate it, yeah I know you can file away the old arch, I also did a 240z the same, that you can get away with but the escort has way to enlarged arches which are pressed in an the inside to do you'll end up filing down to a hole if you know what I mean? Yeah the lemon yellow is what I was looking for, well not the colour itself but like you said, something from that period so I just remembered back to my child hood and what colours I've seen a r1600 before and I had that yellow lying around so I used it and I couldn't be more happier with the outcome. The escort was a lot harder to do than it looked, I remember how you filled the front in on your one but I didn't expect the detail required to make the fill in look original when painted, Iam happy i pulled it of so well.

 

[Nessy]

I was actually referring to the Corvette. Though a MK1 Escort drag car would be the business.. Tubbed rear tyres, massive V8 poking through the bonnet. Stop giving me ideas.

[EDIT]

I also did a 240z the same.

This is how I did mine: (any excuse to show it again. )

This is it originally with old arches:



How it looked after filing back, and adding putty underneath the flattened surface:



How it looked once the putty was added onto both surfaces (putty and existing arch shape):

 

[Emmcee]

That's stunning mate, what took you use to get is so smooth and to cut your door lines in and such?

 

[Nessy]

Thanks mate. 👍 Various files and sand paper. Looking back at it now though, it's not that great. Could have been a lot smoother.

 

[Emmcee]

Must be the putty Iam using, might have to try a hobby putty instead but I couldn't get it working before but now I have more experience maybe it's time to dabble in that again.

 

[a6m5]

I initially edited this into my collector thread post, but I just remembered @Niku Driver HC suggesting that custom cars should maybe go in the customs thread? It made sense to me, so here's my first post in this thread in I don't know how long:

Tomica Limited Vintage NEO Nissan Skyline Van - Made by Japanese customizer I befriended on Twitter:

 

[Spacegoat]

Awesome pics mate. 👍 That guy's skills are crazy good, the rust patina is so perfect.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Cool will give it a go as soon as get some tubes

Thanks for the help 👍

My tutorial linked in the OP would help.

 

[Speedracer8218]

My tutorial linked in the OP would help.

Yea I know, I realized that after I asked those questions

 

[Emmcee]

What the one that's "updated frequently"? The one that's still waiting for a "put together" article lol.

 

[CodeRedR51]

What the one that's "updated frequently"? The one that's still waiting for a "put together" article lol.

I pretty much lost all interest in customizing lately so I never got around to it. The axle shortening is complete though.

 

[Restaurat]

Hello,
I'm new in this forum.
Since two years I follow this thread.
Today I would like to share my first refurbished car. It is a Dogde Charger MKIII.
It is one off my cars when I was a child.
Now my son have all this cars. I take it out off the box an started the project.

Dodge damaged

The original color was green metalic

Paint removed

New whells. Fit-Check.

Airbrushed matte black

The base is painted silver.

The tail-light is painted red.

Unfortunatly the windshield is irrecoverable damaged. The next step is to restore them.

 

[Emmcee]

G'day and welcome mate, did a good resto on that one there. Hope you find inspiration here because I did and now I can't stop lol. A lot of incredible talent here.