I've mentioned before that used diecast cars could make great gifts for those who love to take them apart and customize them.
So, I've been poking around eBay, looking for some of the finest candidates for custom jobs.
Unfortunately, I'm not able to buy these myself, so I've decided to share my favorite finds and my own personal ideas on custom work that could be done to them.
I've also set a budget for the cars, maximum of $5 per car, including shipping.
So, here's some of the ones I've found.
I decided to start with 2003 models, and I soon found this Tooned Toyota Supra.
The body is in good condition, and it seems the plastic parts are as well, just the paint, tampos, and the chrome finish on the wheels are worn.
So, for someone who knows their way around taking apart a HW car, this could be a good project.
Here's my thoughts on what it could look like as a custom: Strip the body of paint and tampos, repaint it a nice pearl white and detail things like lights, but otherwise keep the body clean.
Then, polish up all of the plastic parts, and give the wheels a slightly different look. Paint the rim of the wheel a metallic silver, but paint the spokes a glossy black.
A nice custom job that's clean and not tacky or overdone.
The next find is this BLINGS Chevrolet Avalanche.
The paint seems to be in slightly better shape than the Supra, but the wheel finish is pretty much gone, and the tampos are a little worn, but in ok shape.
My custom idea for this one is a little different, as it involves a wheel swap.
Take the truck apart, strip the paint and tampos off, and repaint the diecast body a deep metallic red.
The BLINGS wheels would have to go, possibly donated to another custom car or sold as parts on eBay.
In their place, 4 OR6SP wheels off of the backs of TWO Backdrafters that will be part of January's D batch, as the size of those rear wheels look like the best fit for this model, since they're so large.
Thus taking this Avalanche from 'bling' to 'off road king'.
This next one goes back to 1997, the Mercedes-Benz SLK.
This one's in pretty rough shape. A lot of the paint is gone, the wheel finish is about 75% gone, and the rear axle is bent.
But, the body itself looks solid, making this one a pretty good candidate for either restoration or customization.
Personally, as much as I like the original 5DOT wheels on this one, I'd go with something a little more modern: a set of J5 wheels.
Then, a nice shade of metallic dark purple paint and bright silver paint for the chassis.
For those who like Oldsmobiles, here's an Aurora that looks like it needs a little TLC, but it's in pretty decent shape. Paint is worn, but otherwise it looks good for it's age.
My custom idea would be simple in thought, but tricky in execution: replicate the 1997 Indy 500 pace car Aurora.
Someone skilled in making replica tampos could pull of a fantastic custom replica job.
Sadly, some used HW cars are probably lost causes, like this Ferrari 575 GTC, with it's missing spoiler and a roof that looks like it's been caved in a little, but it's hard to tell. Could possibly be turned into a convertible, or likely used for parts.
Or this Saleen S7 with a bent spoiler, likely a hard part of the body to fix.
But sometimes, you might come across a worn Hot Wheels Car that could be a perfect candidate for some custom work. You just have to leave it to your imagination...and your wallet.
Lastly, I'll leave you with one last potential candidate from a different brand: Maisto.
Yeah, you're probably thinking: what good could a Maisto be for custom work?
Well, once you take a look at this Opel Speedster, you might see why it's a good one.
With Maisto models like this, the cars have wheels that actually look like the ones on the real thing, instead of more generic looking ones.
Plus, the body itself is probably one of the best looking Maisto 1:64s ever made.
I'd recommend new axles, just in case, even though they look pretty solid in the images.
There's also a lot of visible body lines, so lots of detail potential.
I'd go with a shade of orange or bright blue, restore the finish of the wheels, and take care of any plastic parts that need polishing up.