Mudge's Diecast Customs

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Welcome to Mudge's Diecast Customs, the biggest single-collector gallery and showroom for 1/64th-scale diecast customs since 2003. No airbrush wizardry or custom plastic fabrication here...just diecast customizing for the cheap and the clumsy...pieces you can make with virtually no skill or experience...and unique pieces collected in my travels. Everything you need is here, from step-by-step tutorials to tricks and tips learned through years of hard and often costly experience. And if you're too lazy, too busy, or too rich (we all wish) to bother making these yourself, you can actually buy most of the pieces shown here directly from my private collection, most for less than $10 each.

So whether you're hunting for that special piece to make your collection the envy of your fellow collectors, looking for ideas to bring the excitement back to your diecast collecting, or just stopped by to see what everyone else has been chattering about, get ready to kiss the next few hours goodbye. That's how long it will take to wander through the biggest, most unique collection of you-can-do-it customs on the web. The accent here is on Hot Wheels, but a sweet piece is a sweet piece, so you'll also find a solid assortment of unique takes on the prettiest regular-issue Matchbox and Johnny Lightning cars, as well as a few unusual creations from Corgi, Yatming, Majorette, Tomy, Jada, Racing Champions and others.

New Additions

What's new, what's news, and what's coming Here's a handy list of my newest photos of Tampo-stripped and q&d-customized mainline releases, new spins on old favorites, and brand-new customizing options you can duplicate yourself with a few cents' worth of supplies, just a little patience, and no actual talent. And if you like what you see but don't want to bother duplicating it your own, you'll be happy to know that most of them are available to buy, some for as little as $2.

Mudge's Custom Shop

A large and growing gallery of 1/64th diecast customs Dozens and dozens of unique Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Johnny Lightnings and more. No fancy paint jobs or airbrushed graphics here...these are all customs anyone can make. Or buy...some for as little as a couple of bucks.

The Strip Club

Old favorites with brand-new looks that you can create yourself A massive gallery of literally hundreds of Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Johnny Lightning and more, carefully stripped of their "kiddie" graphics to reveal the quality collectibles (or worthless scrap metal...they can't all be winners) underneath. Use these as templates for your own collection of "strippers", learn how to Tampo-strip your own pieces, or buy them ready-stripped, many for less than the value of the labor involved.

The Tech Bench

Think you could do better? Here's the help you need to prove it. Everything you need to know to duplicate - or even improve upon - the results you'll see in these pages. Learn the how's and why's of Tampo-stripping, rivet-popping (a.k.a. "unspinning"), upgraded-axle-sourcing, and a range of tricks and tips acquired over years of collecting and the experience of several hundred homemade customs. The techniques taught here are skills any collector can learn and master with little more skill than it takes to pound down a nail.

Mudge's Mantle Candy

Look but don't touch: here's where we keep the "expensive stuff" Most of the pieces here are one-of-a-kind creations done exclusively for my personal collection. But money talks and there's always sooo much out there worth owning, so nearly everything you see here is for sale. Prices start at a measly $2 for many of the "strippers", and we also sell on eBay, so if you don't feel comfortable about ordering from our website, e-mail us about arranging a special eBay lot just for you.

Tale Lights

Die-cast sights and stories A handful of diecast "fish stories" and other adult-child confessions, including a lost-treasure story involving a genuine rear-loader Beach Bomb that might still be waiting to be discovered. You've heard the "kooky Canadian" jokes at collector events; now get the story directly from Mudge himself

The Junk Bin

Downloads, free stuff, image licensing, and whatever else that ain't tied down Here's a brief selection of diecast downloads (mostly JPEG images) and detailed info. on licensing and reuse of the pics on this site. I'm continuing the tradition begun with the original "Strippers Gallery" in 2003, and allowing free copying and use of all of my gallery photos...provided, of course, that you assume liability for misuse and don't claim them as your own. This section also includes info. about linking and rights-of-use for the image content here..

Mudge's Junkyard

Junk parts (mostly axle sets) bought and sold I need a constant stream of new wheels and donor cars for my customs, so I'm always on the lookout for closeout lots of cars that meet my needs. I pay better-than-dealer prices for several types of vehicles...here's a list of what I'm currently hunting for, and how much I'm willing to pay for it. This is also the place to find out whether I've got batches of wheel sets of my own to sell, and how to order them.

Mudge's Junkyard

Junk parts (mostly axle sets) bought and sold I need a constant stream of new wheels and donor cars for my customs, so I'm always on the lookout for closeout lots of cars that meet my needs. I pay better-than-dealer prices for several types of vehicles...here's a list of what I'm currently hunting for, and how much I'm willing to pay for it. This is also the place to find out whether I've got batches of wheel sets of my own to sell, and how to order them.