My first attempts at wheel swapping

At this point, everyone knows that you can drill off the bottom of a Hot Wheels car, snip the part on the base that’s holding the axle in place, then swap the current set of  wheels for a different set. The first swap I did is on this Honda S2K, I thought gold BBS LM wheels would look good with the yellow paint it has. 

The next one is this Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4. With these wheels on I might just win a Dub show contest (lol).

The last one I did is this Gasser, the wheels came from the Hot Wheels 2018 release of the Aristo Rat. At first I did not think it would roll because of the size, but to my surprise it rolls just fine. I feel the dragster look is completed with the thin wheels up front and the wide wheels in the back. I also used some cheap paint to paint the interior black just to add some realism. 

I feel this went well for a first attempt at wheel swapping. So which car did you use as your first wheel swap? Well that's it for now, as always happy collecting everyone!

Team Transport update

On Halloween, I received a damaged Ford Team Transport from Walmart.com. I was lucky to find it back in stock. The new one came in a box, and was not damaged.

This is a stunning Team Transport release. There is another brand of diecast that I like to, on rare occasions get, because of their trucks. It's a delight to see a licensed classic truck release from Hot Wheels. The same kind of truck I like to get from the other company. Added that it's an auto hauler that can hold two cars is even better. This choice of truck is the perfect combination to go with the '64 Galaxie 500. The best part, the livery appears to be based off of the real Ford Drag Team livery. This whole set gives off that retro 60s drag race feel, and I love it. Next is the Jaguar Lightweight E-Type and Carry On, which was thankfully not damaged from the bubble envelope.

There is nothing like a classic race car. There is something about their design that's timeless. This Jaguar Lightweight E-Type is the perfect example of such design. British racing green, was a fantastic choice for this classic British racer. I do hope to see this new Jaguar used in more premium assortments in the future. That's all for today, happy collecting! 

White booth Wednesday #4

A simple showcase of what I have. The white booth is my makeshift photo booth.

Car: '77 Pontiac Firebird T/A

Series: 2019 Fast & Furious 1/4 Mile Muscle

Cool factor: 10

What I like most: I have always liked the 2nd generation F-body Firebirds. This release from Hot Wheels is as good as it gets. Black with the Firebird decals in gold with gold wheels, for me is the perfect color scheme for these cars.

HISSSS!

Ouch! Got bit? Well not to worry because this particular snake is non lethal. In fact it’s this bite that sparked my interest in cars way back when I was younger. The snake I’m referring to is the Dodge Viper, in particular the GTS. Ever since I first saw one drive by it became my all time favorite car, so there was no way I could not have the various diecast releases. First up are the pre Mattel Matchbox  RT/10 and GTS Coupe, these are my favorite to date. Hot Wheels does have a RT/10 casting, but the proportions of it just don’t sit well with me compared to the Tyco made release. That’s why I prefer the Matchbox version. 

Next are the '05 Viper Coupe and SRT10 ACR Releases. Although a Viper is a Viper, I was never a huge fan of this generation. Don’t get me wrong, I still very much like them, but I never really fancied how the side and back end were shaped compared to the previous generation of Viper. 

So enter the 2013 SRT Viper, this generation of Viper seemed to go back to a more pronounced rear end and a reverse opening hood similar to the second generation Viper.

Last but not lease are my two GTS-R Vipers. The first one is the Dodge Viper GTS-R released in the Hot Wheels Mopar set and the last one is the SRT Viper GTS-R that is a Target Red Edition.

So what is your favorite generation of Dodge Viper, and what color would you choose for it? As always happy hunting and good luck!

GameStop haul & more

I was not going to attend the GameStop event due to my experience with the last event at Kmart. Also based on the reviews I saw, people who ordered cases online got tampered with boxes. So the whole thing turned me away from this event. I decided to check other stores instead. My first stop was Target. I did not find anything there, so I moved on. My second stop was Walmart, again nothing. At this point, I decided that maybe I should check out the GameStop event, just for the fun of it. I arrived around 10:30. So the event was well under way. I was not expecting to get anything. To my surprise, I got all the colors that I wanted and more. 

I actually like this recolor of the Charger Daytona better than the black release. With the first release I felt the blue for the flames was way too bright of a hue on the black paint. I would of preferred for it to have chrome wheels though.

 

This Nova has to be one of the coolest that I've seen in a long time. The P-40 Warhawk style shark jaw over a camouflage background is just stunning. The deep dish steelies are an excellent choice of wheel for this look.

This was exciting, because again, I thought I wouldn't get anything. I didn't stick around long though, because I wanted to go to other stores. So moving on, I went to another Walmart. I lucked out with this stop, as I was able to get two more Fast and Furious Fast Rewind cars.

There is a GameStop in the same parking lot. So I thought, "I should check just in case." I have to say that I was shocked to find out that all the GameStops were doing the event. The list only showed two hosting the event near me. So I was a little bothered by this as I was near a GameStop at the Target I stopped at first thing in the morning. I might of been first to a box, since there was no one waiting. Thankfully though, I manage to find the Porsche 944 Turbo. This location got three boxes.

At this point I was excited at the possibility that I might be able to find more at other locations. So away I went. The next stop I was a little late, as there was another collector looking through the two boxes they had. So there was nothing left when it was my turn. I decided to hurry along to the next location. That was a smart move, because I was able to get these.

This store only got one box. I think I was the first collector to get to this box, as I was told that only one car had been sold. Why not keep going I thought, so on to the next store I went. Unfortunately there was only one box again, and it was already picked over, so I left. The next GameStop I went to was worse, so I won't mention anything else about it. The next stop was a two piece meal. First I went to GameStop, and was finally able to score a 22B Impreza.

I was so excited, because there was another collector there that got some stuff, but not everything. So finishing up I went to the Target that's in the same lot. The second half of the two piece meal that I scored were these.

I was finally able to get the last Car Culture Desert Rally that I was looking for. This is one rad Bug, and I really like the color scheme. I wanted to get this Yellow Sub, because of the mouth tampo. I currently have an American carded, international carded, and a 50th Anniversary carded Yellow Sub. So I wanted to get this version to add to my fleet of Yellow Subs. At this point it was getting late in the day So I went to two more. Finally at the next one I was able to get the 2 Jet Z. I also got an extra Miata.

I honestly have to say, I don't see what the big deal is with the 2 Jet Z. I mean no offense to the Legends Tour winner, but it's not my cup of tea. The last GameStop was a little weird. I went in and asked, "Are you guys doing the Hot Wheels event?" I was told that they weren't doing it, but they did sell Hot Wheels. I then said, "Did you guys get any 36 pack cases?" I was told no. They then pulled out a big box with remnants saying,"That's all we have in stock." As I looked in I said, "Oh these are the event cars." There was no reply after that. After looking, and not finding anything, I said, "Have a nice evening" and left. My eyebrow stayed raised for at least 10 minutes after (lol). All in all, it was a really good decision to go check out GameStop. The staff for the most part, as well as other collectors, were ok. I was really hesitant on going, because Kmart was always a train wreck. So how was your GameStop experience? That's all for today, happy collecting!

Fingers crossed!

The Hot Wheels Team Transport that I was looking for came back in stock on Walmart.com. I hope this one will be of better quality, and shipped in a box. You will know the quality of it next Friday, as I will make a post with pictures about them no matter what. So stay tuned!

Super Friday!

It was time for some more diecast hunting. So I made my usual rounds to the various stores, and of course I still need to find a replacement Team Transport. My first stop was Walmart. Although I did not find what I was looking for I did spot the Forza Horizon 4 set.

I did get a set just because, but I have to say I don't like this Forza release that much. My biggest problem with them is the Forza logo. The logo is printed really big on the side, and there aren't any other racing decals. Take the 180SX for example, they could of made it look more like a drift or time attack car.

For me this set is really plain, but for the hard core Forza enthusiast, these are a must. The next stop was Target. This was a cool stop because I found some of the 2020 A case items on my list.

So the hunt goes on for the Nissan Skyline R32 (not the Super) and the 22b Impreza. I always go to more than one Walmart. You never know, one store won't have anything new, while another store might have something new. Doing just that, I found this on the front of a lower peg. 

It's been such a long time since I had last found a Super Treasure Hunt. I must say this Lamborghini Aventador J is just stunning. The spectra flame orange is eye popping cool. I won't discredit the regular release though. The one thing I learned is, you don't make Supers or store exclusives a priority. The way I collect is, if I find them great, but if not, that's also great. You collect like this, and you will have fun (trust me). I do like the hue of orange on the regular release. For me brighter colors on exotic cars can't be beat. Deciding to add to my bike collection, I got the Tred Shredder as well.

My last stop was Ralphs. A new shipper was added, but there wasn't anything I needed. So next was to see if there were any good Halloween candies left on sale.

I'm overjoyed to have found another Super (NOT for the value of it). So do post what your last Super Treasure Hunt find was. As always, happy collecting!