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Maisto Customs
Hummer H2

Make & Model: Maisto Hummer H2 (burnt orange metalflake)
Customization: Top: 02/09: Wheel upgrade using Hot Wheels all-chrome oh5 axles.
Bottom: 12/10: Wheel swap using 5-dot off-road tires from a no-name tow truck.


This version lacks the rake on the top version, and the off-road tires take a bit away from the look, but the hub style works superbly.

The only pair shot I got of the first set; the white rims work marvellously on the H3.

The first pair sold before I could get a proper "pair" shot...here's the upgraded pair together.
The red rims don't quite work here on the H3, but they're not bad!
Level of difficulty: Beginner. Rivets are soft and axles float freely. Chassis will support many different wheel styles, and they don't have to have a rake.
Options/Comments:

Top: This was a total surprise. I cannibalized this for a muscular truck-wheel set that turned out to be too narrow for use on the Baja Breaker that they were intended for. I often reassemble donor carcasses with "junk" wheels and donate them to a local thrift which gets 50 cents apiece for them. But this really caught my eye. The shell is nicely detailed (it's a whip, so you don't really miss seeing an interior) and the open-hole lo-pro's really work here. I tried it with FTE's, by the way, when I saw how good this looked, but the copper just didn't look as good as the chrome. I don't ordinarily give a damn about Hummer's, but I like this one.
Bottom: It was a real surprise when the top vehicle actually sold, and in a matter of weeks I had another pair of these Hummers drop into my lap in the same condition as the first set. So why not see if lightning can strike twice? Well, these wheels came from a no-name cheapie pickup truck, if you can believe that. They were horribly out of place on that vehicle, but they look nearly ideal here. It's not a "whip" look like the top piece, but it's still a hell of a lot nicer than any set of wheels Maisto ever put on the H2.

My rating:
Top: I can't give a higher rating to a Hummer...sorry. This is truly the nicest I've seen outside of the premium-collectible range.

Bottom: Not quite as nice a result as my first attempt, but still...Maisto does such a lovely job on their bodies. So how come this can be so easily improved using wheels from an even cheaper make than Maisto?
Availability: Top: Sold. I was so taken by the results by my first set of transplants that when someone almost instantly bought the H2, and said he didn't want to buy the H3, I gave him the pair anyway since it seemed a shame to split them up.
Bottom: $5 for this one (the oh5 Hummer sold for $6); $8 for the H2/H3 pair.
...Buy it!




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