First Steps into Customizing Hot Wheels

Changing Hot Wheel's look isn't as hard as it seems, if you have natural talent. I think God skipped me when handing out that talent. LOL! I recently stepped into the Hot Wheels world in the beginning of 2016. I taped up a 1970 Mach 1 that I bought from Walmart and painted it, no other than, pink. I was proud of that thing. It was Pink, I painted it, and it didn't look half bad. So I continued. Buying Cars, taping them up, painting them, Done. That's when my Pinterest came into play. And for all of you that have a Pinterest, you know this is a dangerous and addicting game. As I scrolled through, I saw AMAZING Hot Wheels that I just had to find out how to make. I read blog post after blog post. Even stumbling across this website. I started to play around with this idea. I used everything from Modeling Paste to Color Matching Paint. To the Left, you will see my first attempt at a Pink Mustang (like my own). The paint isn't perfect, my hands were shaking, and the chin spoiler? We won't go there. It started out as a normal 99 Mustang (Purple) that you can find on eBay for about $2-3 depending on availability. Preferably, I would spend a little bit more money and go ahead and purchase a different kind due to the fact, the windows don't line up properly on the Purple (and Blue) cars. Take your time and do your research when picking a Car.

Picking the Perfect Car.

First rule of thumb, take your time on this. This is not something you should rush through. Picking a starting car is very important. Ask yourself some questions: 1.) Does the car actually look like the car in real life? 2.) Do the windows line up perfectly? 3.) Do you notice anything that you do not like about the car (How much are you going to have to change compared to other cars)? The Best Advice I can give - Be picky! Zoom in on every car pictured on eBay, Amazon, or where ever you're purchasing from. Don't be afraid to ask questions, even if they may seem stupid. The answer may surprise you. Don't forget to check out many different makes of the same car. There are a lot of different New Edge Mustangs. Some Look better than others. Some, I don't even have to switch wheels on (Which we will get to that next.) All cars are different. Ask yourself what color windows you'd like, would you like tinted or clear? Maybe even pink? DO YOUR RESEARCH. Look at your options. Some windows are interchangeable but there are a lot that are not. Every part of the car comes into play. The more it looks like your "end result" at the beginning, the easier this project will be.

Picking the Perfect Wheels.

The wheels play a major part in the outcome of your car. While searching, it's easier to have the two cars (if you decide to change the wheels) next to each other. Are the axles lining up? Is one shorter than the other? Will this make a difference? YES. Your wheels could stick out too far or not enough. Are the Wheels going to fit in the wheel-well of the car you will be customizing? Not all wheels fit all cars. Do your research. Ask the seller to send a picture of the car next to a penny to reference size. Don't waste your time buying a Tacoma truck with "off-road" tires to put on a Mustang that requires small tires.

Paint Remover.

Will you actually have to remove the paint? YES! This is the moment you get to inspect the metal. Are there any flaws that need to be fixed (I use Modeling Paste). Also, if you leave the paint on, you may have to use more coats, resulting in the already "thick paint" look becoming an even thicker paint look. *Take Note: Any flaws you see now will be 10 times more noticeable once you apply paint.

Sanding.

If the metal has flaws, you may need to sand it down to make it smooth. Look for any and all imperfections. Anything that will catch your eye now will take away from your car once paint is applied. I usually sand the whole car just to make sure there is nothing standing out further than the rest. This also helps the paint to stick (or so I've been told).

AGAIN *Take Note: Any flaws you see now will be 10 times more noticeable once you apply paint.

Applying Modeling Paste.

This may or may not be something you're interested in. The results can be jaw dropping after you get some practice under your belt. This is where I come in to tell you that this is far from easy. Do not be afraid to strip it all off and start again! And then, once you're close to finishing the 4th time around, don't get frustrated, just begin again! This isn't going to be something you can Master over night.It takes time and patience. LOTS AND LOTS OF PATIENCE. If you think you may start to get frustrated with the paste, go grab some food, go for a walk, play fetch with the dog, then come back and continue to work on it. There are many YouTube videos showing how to use Modeling Paste. Try different brands. See what you prefer. Don't be afraid to ask for help at your local craft store. Research what the professionals near you are using. *ALSO TAKE NOTE: Any surfaces that are not smooth will be very noticeable once paint is applied.

Picking Up Paint.

Will 97¢ Walmart paint work? You bet it will! As long as you spray correctly, it should be just fine. (View My YouTube Video About This!) I follow the "Sphh, Sphh. Rotate 180°. Sphh, Sphh. Rotate 90°. Sphh, Sphh. Rotate 180°. Sphh, Sphh. Rotate to Top. Sphh." Rule, starting at the side (It's best explained in the video). You want to do thin coats. **This is when you will notice all the bumps and scratches in the metal and modeling paste. If you have to start over, don't stress it! If you can dab some paint remover on the small area, go for it!

Pens and Sharpies.

Ever notice those small details and wonder where they came from? Well, here is your answer. Sharpies and Fine Point Pens from your local craft store do the trick just fine. You don't have to draw designs on your car, but if you do, these work a lot better than paint. The fine point can let you create a perfect design that's small enough to scale to the 1:64 size. So if you have an artistic side, go buy some pens (usually the good ones are about $4.99 each, but why not invest if you've gotten this far?), and let the creativity flow! The price of these pens may add up but look at all the detail you have paid attention to, why start to slack now?

Removing the Car from the package (without ripping the package).

Wonder why some people just keep getting lucky and not ripping the package as they retrieve the car? This way the plastic can be placed back on the card without having the ripped look around the edges. Here's the secret: Nail Polish Remover. Yep, that 99¢ bottle of nasty smelling, miracle working, bottle of liquid does the trick! Just apply to the back of the card where the plastic is and the glue should let go of the packaging. Ready to glue back together? Here's a trick I learned from a convention I went to... Cut a square into a piece of wood that's the size of the plastic square. Take Elmer's Glue and glue the edges back into place. Place package in this cut out, with card on top, and place a book over it. Let it sit over night. Then, you have a packaged Hot Wheels that you just customized.

Tools.

They don't make a specific "Kit" for Hot Wheel Customizers like ourselves so now it's time to head to your local Walmart or Auto/Hardware Store. On 99% of my cars, I use a Drill, a Small Screw Driver, and a Pick. I picked up a set of Picks from Harbor Freight for only 99¢, the Screw Driver was given to me (free!), and the Drill was the cheapest one at Walmart (Black&Decker 18V Drill - $30). Along with those items, depending on how much you plan to do to your car and how much you would like to spend, go ahead and get some Masking Tape (I use 3M Scotch Blue Painter's Tape), Drill Bit (I'd get a whole set but if you're on a budget, a 5/16 bit will do just fine), and Sand Paper (60 Grit). Don't forget a blade of some sort. Next, go ahead and go to your local Craft Store. Pick up some Liquitex Modeling Paste. (Let me warn you, ask a Store Clerk if there are any other options, and check the model aisle. If you don't have much patience, this stuff will drive you to insanity. Plus it's on the pricey side.) While you're there, go ahead and grab Black, White, Chrome, Red, Turn Signal Amber, and your favorite color in the Model Paint (Tester or Model Master works best for me). Also, pick up some small tip paint brushes and Paint Pens. I use Pigma Micron Pens, usually sizes 005, 05, and even 1. Just look at the tip before purchase and make sure it's small enough for your liking. (Don't forget to look through the Hot Wheels while you're there!)

Join a Facebook Group.

I can't tell you how many times I have looked for help and support within a Hot Wheels Facebook group. These groups are full of Amateurs and Professionals alike. Ask for advice, reach out to someone about what they would use. No question is a stupid question. If you need to find the answer, look for it. Just Ask. Most people in these groups are here to help and would be more than happy to share advice.

So now you're ready to start customizing these super mini cars. It's a lot harder than it sounds but, please, don't let me scare you off. Once you get into it, it's actually pretty calming and amazing. You take something perfectly normal and make it extraordinary! I'll be posting a step-by-step instructional on how I customize a simple car! So stay tuned!

#HotWheels #Custom #HowTo #Customize