Custom Diecast

Dajiban
Datsun, Nissan, & Porsche
Experimenting with a new rusting technique on a Nova
“Mad Max”-style Camaro
Pink Cadillacs
Future GT Chrome
Customs on Shelf
Striped Ford Escort & Mustang
Thunderbird, Corvette, & Chevy Van with metallic flake paint
Airbrushed Chevy Van
Yamaha SCR 950
Mini Cooper with new wheels
Cycle Wagon
Jeep XJ
Weathered Mercedes-Benz Unimog
Before: Service Station
After: Service Station painted and weathered
Service Station with Jeep
Area Glass Truck

I started collecting diecast cars from Matchbox, Hot Wheels and other manufacturers when I was a child. After seeing others’ own customized work on Instagram, I picked the hobby back up as an adult and started customizing my own cars. The bottoms of the cars are riveted, so they need drilled out to be “opened” and taken apart. After that, a paint stripping chemical is applied and then the bare metal body is sanded and polished. When a body is ready to be painted, the process is similar to a real car. First, a layer of primer, then 1-2 layers of base coat color, then a clear coat over the top to seal in the paint and protect the finish. Interiors and small details are painted with an ultra-fine tip paint marker or very thin modeling brush. The factory wheels can be swapped for others or be upgraded to rubber ones for a more realistic look. Lastly, the car is snapped back together for a friction-fit, super-glued, or has screws fixed in the original rivet positions.