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Hundreds of hot new homebrew customs you can make yourself Customs Galleries

No custom paint jobs or airbrushed graphics here. Just page after page of mostly drop-dead-gorgeous improvements over the best cheap mainlines and under-$5 "premium collectibles" from Hot Wheels, Matchbox and Johnny Lightning...and a few real dogs too, because from time to time we all need to be shown what not to do. Every one of these customs can be duplicated with a few dollars' worth of tools and supplies, a "donor car" or two for the new parts, and less than a half-hour of serious effort. Some are so mouthwatering that collectors have (I swear) waved twenty's in front of me at the first sight of them. If you've been seriously thinking about restoring vintage redlines, this could be the cure! (Don't get it? Don't worry...you will eventually.) And if you've suspected that your collection could be better than it is, here's how to get there with the least time and effort.

Hot Wheels Mainlines 1968-2000 (10 added 02/11; 19 total) 2001-2004 (6 added 04/11; 70 total) 2005-2008 (4 added 04/11; 62 total) 2009-2010 (11 added 04/11; 47 total) 2011-2012 (9 added 02/11; 11 total)

Off the peg and onto the mantle These are my unique creations based on off-the-peg regular-issue Hot Wheels. Nearly all are common pieces readily available for a dollar or two from mail-order collectors and diecast vendors, some of which are almost sure to be gathering dust in your own collection. I promise you...you are going to find at least a handful of treatments that you are going to want in your own collection, and I've tried to give you all the info. you need to make that happen with the least hassle, cost and risk. Too lazy to make your own? Many of these are still available for sale out of my collection, and I've done so many that I need multiple pages just to menu them.

Hot Wheels 'Premium' and Playset Cars (6 new customs added 04/11; 30 total)

A step beyond the step above These are customs derived from base castings which were originally sold as part of a series aimed at adult collectors (e.g. Classics, Auto-Affinity, Anniversary/Vintage, Since '68, Legends, etc.). Most of these were only customized because I obtained multiple examples of the same casting as part of a liquidation deal by a local retailer...I don't usually like to mess with my "premium" pieces unless I consider them poorly-detailed to begin with. This section also includes less common customs which began life as some other non-premium special release. (Newer 5-pack customs and Tampo-strippers are now being included with that year's mainlines.)

Matchbox (8 new customs added 04/11; 36 total)

A new reason to start collecting Matchbox again Hot Wheels may be the king of cool, but you can't beat Matchbox for authenticity at a bargain price, and every year there's at least a dozen Matchbox mainlines that we all wish had been done by Hot Wheels. Here's a selection of some of my favorite recent Matchbox castings with looks and features you've probably never seen...but will wish you could see more of!

Johnny Lightning (0 new customs since 2009; 47 total)

"These are a few of my favorite things..." Sorry, Mattel...you might be the world's coolest car company, and you did beat the pants off of Topper, but when Playing Mantis picked up the brand in the 1990s, JL grew and evolved to the point where their range of affordable adult collectibles outshone every manufacturer in the market for combination of value and quality. Here's a gallery of interesting treatments (you'll notice I didn't say "improvements) of common JL castings.

Miscellaneous Brands (9 new customs added 04/11; 36 total)

Jada, Maisto, Tootsietoy, and more It's amazing the number of quality collectibles you can create simply by adding a sweet set of wheels to a cheapo diecast. Some of my favorite pieces began life as dull-looking no-name dogs no adult collector would want, and in most cases all it took was the right set of wheels and a few strokes of a wet cotton swab. And even some of Jada's most mouthwatering pieces needed some massaging to make them worthy of space on my mantle.

Remember as you browse that these are customs almost anyone can make. Which means they're only one-of-a-kind if they're authenticated "Mudge originals", or until you decide to make your own copy. But be warned: many visitors end up spending so much time admiring my customs that they never get around to making their own! (Which is fine by me...most of these pieces are - or were - for sale, some for as little as $2.)

Update 06/11: After a long search, I have finally found customizing tutorials

which I believe will be of real value and interest to anyone interested in duplicating the kind of work I do here. Dad's Custom Hot Wheels is still building their tutorial site, but the pages I've seen to this point represent the best entry-level customizing tutorials of the dozen-plus sites with how-to sections that I've encountered thus far. Look for the Custom How to's link under the banner for a menu of available pages, and watch for this section to grow in coming months as its owner finds the time to build it.

Update 05/11: Looking to buy some customs for your collection?
The Toy Peddler, now the best site on the web for buying and selling 1/64th diecasts (eBay vendors have been migrating to TTP in droves!), has a Kustoms section where other customs makers offer their pieces at fixed prices...and I was shocked to see the quality of work on offer here for the prices being asked by the makers. Right now there are some truly amazing customs bargains to be had on TTP...but don't expect to get the best bargains; I probably beat you to them!