This week I'm going to show off some Hot Wheel restorations that I've done over the years! Now, this is actually a hotly debated topic in the Hot Wheels world, but I think a beater car deserves a second chance. So, let's take a look!
First, let's look at the typical condition of a car I deem ready for restoration...
These are Custom Firebirds. One has a broken grill and one has a missing hood and windshield. By the way, the one on the right was made in the U.S., and the one on the left was made in Hong Kong. That matters.
Remember those Firebirds? Here they are! Both of them! I combined the grill off of one with the other parts of the other. Now the trick was that since they were made in different factories, the parts didn't fit. So, I cut the nose off both and patched them together with metal epoxy!
See? The nose is grafted on! New paint and she's ready to roll!
Next we have a Deora that used to be purple...
And a Corvett that used to be yellow!
This one got new wheels and a new bubble as well as new paint!
I restore these simply for the enjoyment of it. It doesn't make them more valuable, in fact in some cases it can lower their value (I try never to do that, of course). It takes at least a couple of days to drill a car apart, clean it, strip the paint with fingernail polish remover, polish the body with mag wheel polish, spray a new color with an air brush, and reassemble.
And that's if you don't have to order anything.
So, it can be looked upon as a pain, but I love doing it. I don't display them with my original cars, but they have their own shelves. So, it's all about the fun.
And isn't that what it's all about?
Until next time, keep searching for treasure!
I think it's neat that you take in these poor little 'rescue dogs', give them a bath, give them their shots and a new collar, then give them a new home. I like the purple Beatnik Bandit best!
ReplyDeleteThanks, JB! It really does feel that way sometimes! Lol!
DeleteStu, you sure do a great job bringing these back to life. I know you hang onto your cars, but I'm curious if there's a market for these. They really look nice...even better than the originals.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Hi Sue!
DeleteThere's not really a market for them, and serious collectors actually get bent out of shape about people selling them. So, I just do it for my own enjoyment!
Neat! There are a couple of people on YouTube who restore old Hot Wheels, Matchbox, and Corgi cars (and others); it's fun to watch. My favorite guy hasn't posted any videos for a while, sadly, but he did the best work. I could totally see getting into restoring Hot Wheels as a hobby!
ReplyDeleteHey Major!
DeleteYeah, people are pretty much encouraged to restore other brands! Corgi even has a catagory of restoration called Code Three, which means the car was never released exactly like the restoration. It doesn't make much sense to me that Hot Wheels are so different!
That was Stu...
ReplyDelete