Hot Wheels and Matchbox Customizing Thread

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I'd like to start customizing HotWheels cars, too. So what do I need and where I get some wheels or rubber tires from? Also how can I repaint the cars, IMO it's kinda stupid to buy one of these huge spray cans if you only need nearly a quarter of it's fill level?
 
You need some tools, preferably a power tool such as a dremel, to grind off the rivets that hold the car intact, and the teeth that secure the wheels to the base. As for wheels, find cars with the wheels you want and take it from them. If you don't want to go through extra work such as resizing axles, find cars whose axle lengths are equal or greater to the car you're putting them in or else they won't fit. As for the paint, just buy the colour you need and use it on several cars. Chances of you only customizing one car is very unlikely.

Theace37
^does anyone know if or where I can do this?
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No such thing as a kit. Gut them from cars like I do.
 
Theace37
^does anyone know if or where I can do this?
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Negative.

Mattel had a "kit" on their website, but recently had a sale on them and they sold out. I'm afraid that might have been the end of them. They only had muscle car type wheels anyway, which didn't interest me.
 
I think a business can be made from people mass-producing wheels and selling them as kits online. With more people getting into HW collecting, the ease of just swapping in new wheels from an abundant source might be worth an investment.

a 3D Printer and its materials cost won't be cheap, though I think Basic wheels are injection-molded.
 
I read about some simply 3d printers for a about 200€, I think they should do well at printig wheels, huh?
 
The printers are cheap, but the resin used to make the object isn't.


If the cost per cubic inch was $12 (yes 3D printing is that expensive), would you pay $7-8 for 1 set containing 4 wheels? And I didn't include the axles yet.
 
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Can I use Tamiya Spraycans? They're not that big :D

And what exactly is to do? Remove the old paintjob and then?
 
AOS-
donorsoct82012.jpg


I'm keeping the ones facing right (the group on the left). The cars facing left are the donors I don't have much use for. The Magnum is reserved for someone, and the CLK-GTR is also not available.
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So, let me see if I got it: you are keeping the Datsuns, the GTR, the 2002 and every car that's facing right?

If that's the case, I'll have the 914, the Chaparral, the Studebaker truck and the S2000. I'll show the guy the pic and tell you which ones he wants.

Also, out of curiosity, how much for all of them with shipping to Texas, and another estimate with shipping to Mexico City? Cheap dude, cheap!
 
Kill the copper finish... or paint the car. I like my Celica with the 6-spoke gray Speed Machine wheels. It's toned down and not uppity flashy like yours. :P

Cano
If that's the case, I'll have the 914, the Chaparral, the Studebaker truck and the S2000. I'll show the guy the pic and tell you which ones he wants.
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Get back to me with that and I can ship them all in one parcel.

Canoe
Also, out of curiosity, how much for all of them with shipping to Texas, and another estimate with shipping to Mexico City? Cheap dude, cheap!
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No idea. Probably $8-10? Canada Post isn't as cheap as USPS.


It's a recent purchase, but it's much more relevant here:
-3-pack small plastic containers; only wanted to buy one but that's all work had, so one of them is going to store my wheels, and the other is going to store my diorama pieces. The 3rd for the time beinn is storing my model paints, but this is only temporary.

-Rubbing Alcohol 50%; weaksauce, but that's all my store had, going to use this to either clean or thin paint.

-Nail Polish Remover; to strip the paint off the serving cups I use to contain the paint when I'm working.

-Dark Cherry Red Dupli-Color Paint; to paint cars... you guys remember me describing Dark Cherry Red for the Jag? Funnily enough, I found a colour with the exact same name.

-Rubber gloves; Didn't want to use Latex gloves anymore for paint stripping, and these rubber gloves come off more easier than the latex. Plus I can use these when grinding rivets since I don't want to clean my hands off from all the metal flakes and dust generated from disassembling cars.
 
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Yeah, I like your's too. The grey spokes just fit so nicely. 👍:drool:👍
But trust me on mine, it looks much better in person. I think the photo is too focused.
If I paint it and keep those wheels on it, it'll be black with some kind of off-center stripe to match the color of the wheels.
But next I'm going to pop open my black RX-7, Kenmeri, and maybe even my sole Hakosuka to see how those wheels look on them.
 
Probably around $20. I'm keeping the Furai since I have wheels for it as well as the Fish'd&Chip'd.


Wait a bit though, I ordered more cars to disassemble a few days earlier so i have more stuff you can choose from.
 
That's too much. I thought you really meant dirt-cheap. I've picked up lots of as-new 1980s cars for that money. Come on.
 
These are the sets i modded to be rat rods and lowriders
rct5dw.jpg

dwpcth.jpg

33z8b29.jpg

oi62pu.jpg

2n0lno1.jpg

and these i have left to do exept the night rider car thats staying in the box
23qx768.jpg

2cdxrnc.jpg

does anybody see something they want here before i mod them because i need the ta celica, the 70's 2000gtr (hako), hot ones honda crx, and the 240z
and forgive the dust on the ones on top i was to lazy to dust them off before i took this photo
 
Cano
That's too much. I thought you really meant dirt-cheap. I've picked up lots of as-new 1980s cars for that money. Come on.
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Is one dollar for a disassembled Boulevard too much to ask? It's a $4 car, man. The indy cars and the nascar weren't cheap either.
 
R1600Turbo
http://i656.photobucket.com/albums/uu282/Photos_by_Jason/Hotwheels/DSCN4990.jpg[/IMG]

DSCN4989.jpg
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where did you get these wheels from and you have 3out of the 4 cars i need to complete my collection where did you find them especially the crx that car was modeled after a manga ive read where the guy makes his crx rwd to be more of a threat in the drifting scene i been trying to find that one for like a year with no luck
 
I believe he took the same wheels you see in that other CRX and painted it so.


Anyway, out in the rainy weather, I took that Duplicolor paint for spin and it looks SO PRETTY! The colours just stay on so freakin' beautifully.
 
This looks freakin' awesome! I gotta try this, especially wheel swapping and restoration of paints. I swear, HW makes the worst pairing of wheels and cars sometimes.
 
Which is why I've got so obsessed with wheelswapping lately. I have hundreds of cars and I'm just not appreciating them for what they are, so all that money I spent to just simply get the cars has become a waste. Now I'm going through the trouble of personalizing the cars I like by swapping in new wheels or giving them a paintjob I like. This way, my collection is more unique and actually feels like it's "my" collection.
 
Cano
That's too much. I thought you really meant dirt-cheap. I've picked up lots of as-new 1980s cars for that money. Come on.
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I can ship a single car for around $3.50, but USPS has a weight limit on smaller packages. Once you cross the 13oz? weight limit, then pricing pretty much doubles. Not sure about Canada though.

HondaJunkie
where did you get these wheels from and you have 3out of the 4 cars i need to complete my collection where did you find them especially the crx that car was modeled after a manga ive read where the guy makes his crx rwd to be more of a threat in the drifting scene i been trying to find that one for like a year with no luck
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WalMart, Target, etc, etc. The normal places really. Wheels usually come off Boulevard cars, or the HotWheels Racing series that contains the old Muscle Car Trans Am racers.
 
AOS-
Is one dollar for a disassembled Boulevard too much to ask? It's a $4 car, man. The indy cars and the nascar weren't cheap either.
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For the Boulevard car it's barely ok, as the really cool feature of the car, it's tires, are abscent. But I cant for the life of me see how the rest fo the regular-mainline cars would ammount to 20 bucks. Leave out the Indy and NASCAR cars, then. I'd never see a use for them other than their tires, and I already have a donor for those. The odd thing is that they (Indys) come screwed together instead of rivetted. Easy as chips.
 
I think this looks better than the Celica to be honest, but...


This looks even better than that! :drool:
 
Cano
For the Boulevard car it's barely ok, as the really cool feature of the car, it's tires, are abscent. But I cant for the life of me see how the rest fo the regular-mainline cars would ammount to 20 bucks. Leave out the Indy and NASCAR cars, then. I'd never see a use for them other than their tires, and I already have a donor for those. The odd thing is that they (Indys) come screwed together instead of rivetted. Easy as chips.
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Didn't he say the $20 included shipping?

I'd say $1 for a wheel-less Boulevard car is worth it. Especially for the metal base.
 
Canoe has his own rating system, that which is restricted, and devalues everything that isn't super old....

He wants everything cheap, but he wants the better quality diecasts too....not everyone can afford to give you that. In any case, wait for the other cars to arrive.
 

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