Joe Handley Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 I found a Hot Wheels Lucid Air a couple months ago and it rekindled my interest in 1/64 cars again, and kinda have gone overboard. Got a bunch of the clear cases for them. Then here are the ones I modified! Most are wheel swaps with mild lowering. these I took the Tampo print off of then dropped and swapped the van. Since the engine in the last one is an inline, I chopped the header off the left side of it the drilled the tip out on the right side! I am planning on painting the chassis’ for the black street rod, blue Chevy, and Red Civic CVCC, then doing some chrome stripping on the Deuce, Transit, and maybe the engine and interior on the black street rod. This one and a second will be major custom job, this is more or a lead sled Nash Metropolitan, though the way I had to trim it out to clear the rear tires (the quarters were think and solid metal!) and the chip top that it has to replicate the Nash it models does give it a very “Sport Custom” look…. This other Nash is one I want to build as a gasser, though I want to jack it up, narrow the axle width to fit the wheels within the body like above, May even try to dummy up some leaves and traction bars, will have to hog out the quarters here too, just differently. Since I used one of those Civic CVCC cars for wheels on the Nash, I bought this Mazda 3 Hatch for the wheels on the Civic now, but want to drop and swap and this once I find something of interest, then kinda want to get some carbon fiber decal for the hood and spoiler (which is clear and molded to hatch) then paint the roof black. Right now, it’s sitting on craft sticks that are cut down to 2” In length and glued together like it was left to long in the wrong place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodent Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 I have a bunch of 1/64 stuff at work. The Hooobie Lubie 1/64 semi-truck cases will hold 10-12 1/64 cars sideways and are stackable. I will try to remember to take a pic Tuesday when I am back in the office. The BP Mazda 3 is kinda cool, what is it? Hot Wheels or ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted August 21, 2022 Author Share Posted August 21, 2022 9 hours ago, Rodent said: I have a bunch of 1/64 stuff at work. The Hooobie Lubie 1/64 semi-truck cases will hold 10-12 1/64 cars sideways and are stackable. I will try to remember to take a pic Tuesday when I am back in the office. The BP Mazda 3 is kinda cool, what is it? Hot Wheels or ? Thanks! The 3 is a Matchbox car, as is the Civic CVCC, the blue ‘34 Chevy 5 Window, and red 5 Window Deuce Coupe. They appear to be a bit more model than toy like when compared to the Hot Wheels cars too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted August 21, 2022 Author Share Posted August 21, 2022 Bought this Matchbox Mazda CX-5 yesterday and decided it needed a change in altitude and attitude. Took it out of the package and shot a couple before shots. Then took it apart, didn’t think to take pics here, but I cut off and sanded down those fingers holding the axles to the chassis so I could mount some 1/16” aluminum tube on top of it to lower the thing, I also clipped and shorted the axles to fit in the tubes too. Using the tubes like this also requires modification to the interior where the risers that push the axle to the chassis plate are molded. All said and done, I think it looks fantastic like this😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted August 26, 2022 Author Share Posted August 26, 2022 Did a couple more wheels swaps, this time to a couple Matchbox Subaru Sambar Kei Trucks! Here’s the ones I started with, the two little Subis and a couple Hondas for donors. Here’s the one with the Ridgeline’s wheels vs a 100% stocker. I figured it was too low for tires that much taller, so I raised that one and lowered the other one! I think these wheels are about 1mm different in diameter from stock, just in opposite directions, on top of the change in altitude I made to the chassis of these two trucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted September 7, 2022 Author Share Posted September 7, 2022 Did a few more recently! Found a good wheel donor for the Mazda 3 in the Matchbox Jeep Renegade Trailhawk, then a donor for that with the Matchbox Polaris RZR, which fit with some Dremel work and a lift. Then bought another RZR for the Ridgeline that donated it’s wheels to the lifted Subaru Sambar, which required lifting the Ridgeline a bit, plus stripped the tampo graphics off it. I’m debating on rolling stock on the RZRs, thinking about the taller and skinnier wheels off the Big Air ‘56 BelAir since they’re not as big as the other set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Austin Posted September 8, 2022 Share Posted September 8, 2022 1:64 scale cars are addictive. I had to quit cold turkey a couple of decades ago. FWIW custom wheels are available: https://creations.mattel.com/pages/hwc-drop-rlc-wheels-pack-american 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell C Posted September 8, 2022 Share Posted September 8, 2022 4 hours ago, Brian Austin said: 1:64 scale cars are addictive. ... I can see how. Had my fun shoving the chassis / wheels / engine of the '55 Chevy gasser under the Checker Taxi a while back. I should do a couple more mashups, they aren't too difficult ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted September 10, 2022 Author Share Posted September 10, 2022 I need to get some of those wheel sets, both the hot rod and tuner style since I’m all over the board on my interests! Here’s one I stripped the paint off and sanded out so far. I want to polish it out, paint the nose and area around the cockpit black, then get the chromed RA6 wheels off one of the Lucids I bought a few months ago on it (and put chromed Aerodisks on that!). then here’s what it looked like before I took it apart with the van that got the wheels off it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted September 10, 2022 Author Share Posted September 10, 2022 Did the above wheel swaps since I couldn’t sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted September 28, 2022 Author Share Posted September 28, 2022 This one is probably going to be a bit over the top if I ever get it done🤣 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted September 28, 2022 Author Share Posted September 28, 2022 Well, here it is with a little work tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Austin Posted October 7, 2022 Share Posted October 7, 2022 FWIW, Greenlight offers 1:64 scale wheel/tire packs. I saw one at Hobby Lobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted October 7, 2022 Share Posted October 7, 2022 (edited) HW & MBX are still cheap fun. As a kid I was a Hot Wheels tester before they came on market. As payment I got a set, the track, clamp and car before anyone I knew.........Mattel did it as 'PAY' but they were smart as it caused a HUGE BUZZ!! My first HW was a Deora made in USA!!!! I have collected ever since and have every car I ever got!! Custom HW and MBX are a cheap hobby!! A Roush IMSA Cougar made from a NASCAR Thunderbird. Edited October 7, 2022 by Dave Van 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted October 7, 2022 Author Share Posted October 7, 2022 18 hours ago, Dave Van said: HW & MBX are still cheap fun. As a kid I was a Hot Wheels tester before they came on market. As payment I got a set, the track, clamp and car before anyone I knew.........Mattel did it as 'PAY' but they were smart as it caused a HUGE BUZZ!! My first HW was a Deora made in USA!!!! I have collected ever since and have every car I ever got!! Custom HW and MBX are a cheap hobby!! A Roush IMSA Cougar made from a NASCAR Thunderbird. That's cool! Have you ever checked out the R/HotWheels page on Reddit? You would probably like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phirewriter Posted October 8, 2022 Share Posted October 8, 2022 (edited) Those look great and they are fun. I'm primarily a Redline collector plus vintage Topper Johnny Lightning and pre '77 MBX but enjoy customizing newer HW's and MBX's. A few years ago I was at a HW's convention and was able to get lots of sets of premium series wheels from a vendor and got me back into customizing. I find it to be good slump buster fun, because I need more hobbies 😋 Edited October 8, 2022 by Phirewriter 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomerS Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 I've been more into Matchbox as Hot Wheels frequently has oversized rear wheels and usually oddball designs. The Hot Wheels Jaguar XJ220 took three cars.....clear glass from the silver release, gold time from a dark blue one.....the rest went onto the black version which had the Jag logo on the side. Matchbox Bentley Continental GT was the 100th Anniversary release.....stripped the stripe, interior went from grey to black and the wheels off the current Mazda Miata 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomerS Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 Matchbox has gone Maisto on some recent releases including the Bentley SUV, Dodge Durango, Mercedes G-Wagon 6x6, 59 Chevy wagon, etc. by tinting the windows and no interior. I was really surprised on the Bentley as when they were one company with Rolls Royce, they were very particular about licensing so there are no 'Palmer quality' miniatures out. Higher end HW wheels help the cause somewhat. Tires were originally purple but a Sharpie fixed that 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gramps46 Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 We saw a Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV parked outside the gym 2 days ago. Went back to take a picture but it was gone darn it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Bacon Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 18 hours ago, Gramps46 said: We saw a Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV parked outside the gym 2 days ago. Went back to take a picture but it was gone darn it. You had a lucky escape. That thing’s ugly enough to crack the lens… best, M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomerS Posted October 17, 2022 Share Posted October 17, 2022 Less "mall rated" look with Hot Wheels swap Wanted the HellCat in Yellow. (dye job).....added Matchbox wheels which are closer to SRT rims 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted October 19, 2022 Author Share Posted October 19, 2022 I did that with a few Matchbox too, really made a big difference on the Ridgeline and Renegade! Picked up one of the Hot Wheels Max Steel cast that had a crunched blister and two bent axles, finally swapped in the wheels from a Broken Promises version of the Mod Rod, which were the right width for the chassis, just has wider front “tires”. did a little detail work and swapped the wheels around, just need to drill, tap, and screw the halves together! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomerS Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 Couple more Matchbox's modified... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomerS Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 Breakout the AquaNet.....going back to the 80's Red sedan.....wheel change (more like the AMG wheels) Black wagon....fourth release of the MB wagon was black (gray base/bumpers) with brown interior. Left the gray around the headlights as the European lights were not DOT approved at that time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomerS Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 I know they are kid toys, but I hate when Hot Wheels makes a great looking casting and then does the staggered wheels. Dechromed the interior on both....black one got the mandatory Cragers and swapped out the yellow tinted windows. KMart exclusive orange one got classic red lines. Grill painted but need to paint the turn signals on both 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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