Hot Wheels and Matchbox Customizing Thread

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Thank you. It must be pretty good if you are liking a Honda. :lol:
I love when simple things make cars look so good, and this came out better than I first envisioned as soon as I saw the car on the peg.

Expect to see those wheels a lot more since I now have enough to do some cars. :dopey:
 
I love all the work that's going on here.
It's inspired me! Do you think I'll be able to take apart a car using a mini-screwdriver set?
If it does how would I be able to take wheels off? I imagine it'd mean cutting the axel in half? No? It all seems really proffessional what you guys are doing! I had loads of hotwheels from when I was a kid, but I'm from he U.K, so what's sold here might be different to what's sold in the U.S :)
 
Stripped and ready for primer/paint. (except for the paint in the lower door jam which I just now noticed)

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R1600Turbo
Well a screwdriver will not drill a rivet on a HotWheels or Matchbox car, so I would say no.
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Okay, I know we've got a drill somewhere! I looked through the OP, and I don't think it says how to do wheel swaps? Could you englighten me? :D
 
A 9/64" bit is the perfect size for removing the head of the rivet. But of course slightly larger will also work. You only want to remove the head of the rivet, not the whole rivet post.

Once the head is removed, the car may take a bit of wiggling to get it apart. But obviously don't pull on the wheels as that will bend them. Good judgement is really all that is needed for how to get the car apart from here and what you'll need to do. Sometimes they'll fall apart and sometimes they're a pain in the ass.

If the car has a plastic base, all that will be needed to do is to stick a small flathead screwdriver in there and pry up the little clips that hold the axles down.
However if the car has a metal base, things get a little more complicated:
What I do is stick a larger and stronger flathead screwdriver in between the clips and twist. The concoction of metal Hot Wheels are made from is soft enough that this shouldn't become too much of an issue. If that doesn't work, then you'll need a Dremel.



That is about as simply as I could explain it. I sure hope it helps, and good luck!
 
I think screwdrivers are more readily available to starting customizers than X-ACTO knives...


Which car are you going to customize? :dopey:
 
McZachenF1138
I think screwdrivers are more readily available to starting customizers than X-ACTO knives...


Which car are you going to customize? :dopey:
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I'm not sure yet, I had hundreds, I have a Ford Anglia, with racing livery in matt grey. Uhm I have a blue matchbox Porsche Rally car, old 911 I think. Fish 'n' Chip'd, I also have a pretty unique purple thing, half it's body twists, it has 6 wheels, and a green roof rack type thing, I'll post the name tomorrow, it's late in the U.K, I may post a car tomorrow, night :)
 
Frisky
Thankyou! The only thing I'm worried about now is ruining a rare car! If I have one! :lol:
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Yes, you have good reason to be concerned. At least in my case and about two other people I know first time's, we screwed up the car. So try that your first car to destroy is something worthless (mine was a interior donor which had been stepped upon, A-posts were broken) so if you screw stuff up, it won't be anything valuable or even usable for something else.
 
Cano, would a dark blue enamel Double Header be worth restoring?
I paid $40 for it years ago and don't think its worth a whole lot more than that.
 
Ughh, I don't think the drill bit is small enough... It fits in the centre, where it's kinda dimpled in, but it's quite a thick drill bit compared to the one in the O.P, I'm using a variable speed drill by the way.

Just found:
Switchback-Highway 35- Needs restoring.
1970 Chevelle 'Butterfinger'- Needs restoring.
Sooo Fast- Axel bent, and boot missing. (Boot popped up.)
Custom '77 Dodge Van- Couple of scratches.
Dodge Dart- Like new.
Lamborghini Countach- Like new.
Mustang GT- Black with green stripes.- Could do with a whole respray, I only just took it out of the box and the paintjob is terrible.

They're what I could find for now. I hope that drill bit is small enough...
 
McZachenF1138
Cano, would a dark blue enamel Double Header be worth restoring?
I paid $40 for it years ago and don't think its worth a whole lot more than that.
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Whoa, $40? Is it in very rough shape? If it is, why did you pay so much for it? I wouln't take the drill into something worth more than $5 :lol: post a pic of it!

Frisky
Ughh, I don't think the drill bit is small enough... It fits in the centre, where it's kinda dimpled in, but it's quite a thick drill bit compared to the one in the O.P, I'm using a variable speed drill by the way.

Just found:
Switchback-Highway 35- Needs restoring.
1970 Chevelle 'Butterfinger'- Needs restoring.
Sooo Fast- Axel bent, and boot missing. (Boot popped up.)
Custom '77 Dodge Van- Couple of scratches.
Dodge Dart- Like new.
Lamborghini Countach- Like new.
Mustang GT- Black with green stripes.- Could do with a whole respray, I only just took it out of the box and the paintjob is terrible.

They're what I could find for now. I hope that drill bit is small enough...
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If the drill bit is bigger you can easily damage the car. Besides, you need to verify if the drill bit is for metal (kinda blackish), if it isn't it simply won't do much when pressed against the rivet head. You can get the correct bit in any hardware store. Heck, I can find them here in Mexico, over there it should be readily available.

As for what you've found, nothing is too rare not to take the drill to it, but you should try to pry open the soo Fast first, as without the boot lid it's worth nothing. Make that the car you experiment with the drill in first.
 
If the drill bit is bigger you can easily damage the car. Besides, you need to verify if the drill bit is for metal (kinda blackish), if it isn't it simply won't do much when pressed against the rivet head. You can get the correct bit in any hardware store. Heck, I can find them here in Mexico, over there it should be readily available.

As for what you've found, nothing is too rare not to take the drill to it, but you should try to pry open the soo Fast first, as without the boot lid it's worth nothing. Make that the car you experiment with the drill in first.
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Right, I've just noticed, it's only got one rivet, so yeah, I'll try pry it open! I've been watching some videos. It looks really complex :ouch:
 
You may be able to pop it open with the drill bit you have. Take into account that the recoil on some drills is strong, so test that first before putting it against the car so you won't harm yourself. If your drill is manageable enough, just hold the car strongly and take the drill to it in exactly vertical form against the rivet. You can do something like this to gain support from under the car:

open.jpg
 
Ahh I see! It'll be a good one for me to start on too! Thanks for the drawing, it actually really helped! I may try straighten out the front axel; have you ever done that?

Edit: Just found a pick-up chevy, it's a blue lowrider. It's supposed to be a dually I think, it looks like it could house another wheel at each side. A future project?
 
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Frisky
I may try straighten out the front axel; have you ever done that?
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Yes, you need the pointiest pliers you can find; you'll hold the axle with the pliers right next to where it's bent, then with your fingers manipulate the axle tube until it's straight. You can also use it to narrow axles for when you attempt a wheel swap. Be careful though, it can snap in two, the metal of the tubes is very fragile.
 
Unfortunately this is the best picture I have of it on my Flickr at the moment as I am home from school and the car is down there.


I'm 19 years old and I've probably had that car for at least six years. I got it at an antique store.
I had a Hot Wheels collector guide that I took everywhere there may be some older cars, and I looked it up to see if $40 was a good price. At the time, I thought it was, so I bought it.
 
It was a bit much given it's condition. Of course it's worth restoring it, it's one of the rarest redlines, as the models from 1972-1973 were released for that model year only, and if I remember correctly, 1973 was the first year of the enamel colors. I'd leave it as is given that there's still paint in it and stuff and it's a rare car, but of course it's worth it. You know, original only once.

also, some nice cars there.
 
There is quite a few chips on it and almost no paint (including the red line) left on the wheels. So, I think it may be even worth less than what you were initially thinking.

I'd only want to restore it to potentially increase its value. Is there a market out there for restored redlines?
 
Yes there is, take a peek at E-Bay, but they have to be absolutely pristine and most of the times, correct.

Also, if you're gonna restore it to increase it's value, forget it. You were scammed on it, and if you take away it's originality, however chipped it might be, it will decrease in value. Restore it just because.
 
Cano
Also, if you're gonna restore it to increase it's value, forget it. You were scammed on it, and if you take away it's originality, however chipped it might be, it will decrease in value.
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Agreed. Diecast cars are not like a real car, restoring it won't increase the value.
 
I first want to establish a value on it in its present state before I set forth and maybe restore it.
 
Maybe 15-20 bucks, maybe a lot less, I'd need to see it's real condition in better pictures. Restored could do better, buuuuut take into account that your car is not an spectra-era car anymore, restored enamel cars go for way less because, well, it's just paint, not spectra.
 
I didn't know there were completed listing search options on eBay. :banghead:
A $20 bill seems to be about all it's worth.
🤬 it, I'm gonna restore it. It'll look a helluvalot better.
 

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