Hot Wheels and Matchbox Customizing Thread

[AOS-]

New deal, guys. I'm posting my customs on my currently-developing blog from now on. That said, I've got 2 customs to show you guys today. One of which is a revision of a completed custom, the other had been on hold for a really long time.

I fixed up the paint chips, swapped the wheels and coated a matte finish to finally add some protection to the surface. That's pretty much it. The custom that finally got finished is my Jaguar E-Type:

I'll still keep you guys posted here, but if you want the full-size image and story, please visit my blog: http://athobbies.blogspot.ca/

 

[CodeRedR51]

No offense, but I'm about tired of blogs lately...

 

[AOS-]

I thought for a second you were about to say you were tired of LW wheels.

But that's not a problem. I still have the pictures here if no one wants to link up to my blog. Getting you guys to do more work isn't what I'm trying to do, I'm just trying to keep all my content in one place. I have a fair bit of hobbies, so surely you can understand how inefficient it would be to rely on multiple websites to show off different things?

 

[a6m5]

That is a pretty Jaguar. 👍

 

[Sonygamer455]

I'm almost considering driving to NC just for this magical Kit Kringle store.

Do it! You won't regret it! If old Hot Wheels are what your looking for, you have come to the right place! That is literally, about the only Hot Wheels they carry there! They had a large number of vehicles from the 90's and early 2000's and a bunch of 2007's when i went in there. I remember you said in the collectors thread you liked that purple Shoe Box with basic wheels alot, well they had 2 of them in there as well as 2 other vehicles from the same series! I wanted to get them, but i was only able to 2. They carry alot of different things besides Hot Wheels.

EDIT: Wait a minute how did you know it was in NC?

 

[McZachenF1138]

I did some research to see if there were any locations near me and I found out via their website that they are a single location establishment.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Just got back from Target to exchange for the *correct* ink cartridges.

Decals ahoy!

 

[Sonygamer455]

I did some research to see if there were any locations near me and I found out via their website that they are a single location establishment.

They have a website?!?!?!? Wow, nearly 6 years of buying Hot Wheels there and i didn't even know they had a website! Dang!

By the way they told me and my brother that they are moving sometime soon, they are moving to a more convient place were more people are there and rent is not as expensive. They ain't moving very far at all, across the street if i remember correctly. I do hope you can see it one day!

 

[McZachenF1138]

I actually have a family wedding in Raleigh in May, but I don't think I will get to go due to school. But if I am ever in that part of the country, I definitely want to go there.

 

[CodeRedR51]

@ Cano - you make this damn taillight decal thing sound easy and it's not.

 

[ryanr47]

Here is my A60 Toyota Celica Supra. I found it at a local swap meet in really bad shape. The casting had alot of imperfections so I filed it all out. I'm still waiting on printing the back decal but It's done besides that. My next project is an AE86 Toyota Corolla.

 

[Cano]

@ Cano - you make this damn taillight decal thing sound easy and it's not.

You have to measure really, really well. When I made the taillamps for the Formula 400 I got them wrong twice lol. What are you having problems with? I can help (:

Here is my A60 Toyota Celica Supra. I found it at a local swap meet in really bad shape. The casting had alot of imperfections so I filed it all out. I'm still waiting on printing the back decal but It's done besides that. My next project is an AE86 Toyota Corolla.

Oooo that looks awesome, I really like the detailing and the black trim troughout. Very good rescue. Reminds me of the one I made for Wyvern. Don't you have a before-and-after comparison? If not, you really should start documenting your builds, specially if they are restorations like this one.

 

[ryanr47]

You have to measure really, really well. When I made the taillamps for the Formula 400 I got them wrong twice lol. What are you having problems with? I can help (:



Oooo that looks awesome, I really like the detailing and the black trim troughout. Very good rescue. Reminds me of the one I made for Wyvern. Don't you have a before-and-after comparison? If not, you really should start documenting your builds, specially if they are restorations like this one.

Thanks! I'll try to for my next one. Well, as for the AE86, I'm already halfway into it.

 

[AOS-]

Don't you have a before-and-after comparison? If not, you really should start documenting your builds, specially if they are restorations like this one.

I don't like you only tell that to him and not the rest of us.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Taking photos is a pain in the rear for me so I do it as little as humanly possible...

 

[AOS-]

Have you considered investing into a cheap point & shoot? I think you can get a 16MP for about $70-90 now. Couple that up with a small tripod for about $10 and you can get decent photos good enough to document progress.

I'm not one to tell you what to do, but I know you're passionate about customizing cars, and as such think you should be presenting your work as best as you can if you can. Think about it, what's the point of spending so much time making something if you don't show it all off? That's my 2 cents on the matter.

I should take more close up shots of mine, at more angles too.

 

[Cano]

I don't like you only tell that to him and not the rest of us.

Because most of you don't do restorations at all, so what would the point be of a before and after shot if the car you start with is brand new?

I'm always fascinated when people bring back cars that are seemingly dead, and I've seen my share of small miracles, but it's quite different when you start with a from-the-blister car. Heck, even I don't do before/after shots when I start with a new car, as in the case of the Chaparral Camaro.

by all means, if you restore something and don't give us before/after documentation, I'll yell at you.

 

[AOS-]

I see. I'm going to be painting up a few run-down castings later, but I won't be restoring though. It's nice to be able to replicate what something may have looked like, but I rather make something different because restorations don't really give room for self-expression since it isn't something of your own, but rather something that already exists.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Have you considered investing into a cheap point & shoot? I think you can get a 16MP for about $70-90 now. Couple that up with a small tripod for about $10 and you can get decent photos good enough to document progress.

I have this:

AND a trip-pod already. (BTW the camera sucks)

Still a pain.

 

[Cano]

I see. I'm going to be painting up a few run-down castings later, but I won't be restoring though. It's nice to be able to replicate what something may have looked like, but I rather make something different because restorations don't really give room for self-expression since it isn't something of your own, but rather something that already exists.

Well it doesn't have to be a straight-up resto, none of the cars I've brought back to life have been, they're resto-customs.

I have this:
hyper Nikon

Dude what. That is a waaaaay better camera than what I take my pics with, and almost an equivalent to the last one I bought, only Canon. You can do ANYTHING with that camera and a tripod. ANYTHING. You don't seem to like photography too much, which is another matter altogether

 

[AOS-]

Guess you're not as passionate about taking pictures like some of us?

I've taken way more pictures than you have of toy cars, which means I've likely spent more time than you. Yet I don't have that big of an issue of taking the photos. Well not enough for me not continue taking more pictures.

edit: tree'd.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Dude what. That is a waaaaay better camera than what I take my pics with, and almost an equivalent to the last one I bought, only Canon. You can do ANYTHING with that camera and a tripod. ANYTHING. You don't seem to like photography too much, which is another matter altogether

It's not as good as you think it is. Especially in low light conditions or taking closeups.

Guess you're not as passionate about taking pictures like some of us?

Not really, no.

 

[Cano]

It's not as good as you think it is. Especially in low light conditions or taking closeups.

No camera is good in low light unless you know what to do. Have you played with the ISO settings? I'd bet that thing goes to at least 3200, but about 400 and a good desk lamp is all you need to take decent pictures of your cars.

 

[CodeRedR51]

It's a point and shoot, I can't mess with the ISO.

 

[Sonygamer455]

I actually have a family wedding in Raleigh in May, but I don't think I will get to go due to school. But if I am ever in that part of the country, I definitely want to go there.

Well it's not in Raleigh, im sure the website has there address on it. I hope you do get to check it out, has alot of good stuff there! I have been buying Hot Wheels there for nearly 6 years!

 

[Cano]

It's a point and shoot, I can't mess with the ISO.

You can, the interwebz sez the thing reaches to 3200, just as I expected. What really surprised me is that it doesn't have a manual mode. Sooooo weird for such a big camera.

 

[CodeRedR51]

You can, the interwebz sez the thing reaches to 3200, just as I expected. What really surprised me is that it doesn't have a manual mode. Sooooo weird for such a big camera.

It just fails, seriously. It even takes NORMAL batteries. Fail.

And I would assume you need to be in a certain "picture mode" to get the ISO that high. I cannot manually adjust it.

 

[Cano]

That's even more weird. Maybe in night mode or something along those lines?

 

[CodeRedR51]

There's a "high sensitivity" mode, but it doesn't say what the settings are.

 

[AOS-]

High Sensitivity would probably be high ISO for night shots.