Drilling out Hotwheels Cars??

[Too Bo Coo]

Say, does anyone know what sized bit to use for drilling out the grommets on the bottom of Hot Wheels cars?  If I go too small I kill the post, too big, I make a bigger hole... BOO!

Any help is SUPER appreciated!

[Inso]

If you have already removed the bottom of the car, measure the post underneath and use a drill to that diameter.

If you haven't got any like that then choose a drill just smaller than the rivet head and drill SLOWLY. If you drill slowly, the rivet head will come off at the point where the base hole of the car starts.

If you go too mad, you'll get a bigger hole...

I would suggest that they are all different and you would have to just go with a rough guess anyway... so care is the order of the day.

[Too Bo Coo]

Thanks for the tip!  I wasn't sure if they used a standard sized post.

Cheers!

[chromedog]

I used a 3mm bit in the cordless drill for mine.
A couple of seconds and NOT at high speed, was enough to cut the flange from the rivet and allow the lower body to pop right off the post.

[TwoGunBob]

Yeah, 3mm bit but it took forever on mine and some went a little crazier than others.









I won't even lie, taking the cars apart was a pain in the hindquarters to me.

[Too Bo Coo]

Wow, way to set the bar!  Thank you so much for the inspiration.

[Commander Vyper]

My suggestion would be to put the cars in a vice, use padding to project the sides and drill out the rivet. Not sure on standard sizes but should pose an issue tbh.

[Too Bo Coo]

....

[Commander Vyper]

If you've a selection of bits then give it a go yourself and if you find the golden fleece of bit size then share. Another easy option in just dremmeling a cross cut and clipping the rivet sections off.

Enjoy.

[Commander Vyper]

Actually Vipe hotwheels cars are a bit like those soft plastic starwars miniatures. They have common uncommon and rare cars. Although they might all cost the same getting another one that is rated as rare will be a mission.

Add to that I want to know as much as this kid. I thought of drilling mine out to pop a driver and gunner in and bailed cus it looked difficult and I had no idea if it would work or how to do it right the first time.

Cut some slack like we did when we let you put a bet on after no more bets had been called.

Never saw the no bets post so happy for you to pull the plug on mine. Next time I drill some on mine I'll post pictures if they really are required.

(Sorry but years of restoring cars and I'm at a loss as to how drilling a rivet would pose a problem for anyone, but if you've not done it before, then I suppose it would require some thought....Prehaps buy some really cheap diecasts and practice)

 Cheers.

[Commander Vyper]

Big lump of blu tac to secure the car if no vice and a big drill bit to take the top of the rivet off.

I hate sounding like an arse, but it really is simple, Try doing it 120 times on a '68 kit car, you'll soon get the knack of it! 

[gamer Mac]

Big lump of blu tac to secure the car if no vice and a big drill bit to take the top of the rivet off. I hate sounding like an arse, but it really is simple, Try doing it 120 times on a '68 kit car, you'll soon get the knack of it!

I agree with the commander. Very simple job. I used a drill bit a lot bigger than the head of the rivet. Slow speed just to remove the head of the rivet. Go slowly and you can see where the rivet and the bottom of the car meet. Stop when its thin enough to pop off.
I have done loads and never had a problem. It is just about impossible to damage the car beyond repair.

[Weesparky]

Listen all! This is the truth of it. Fighting leads to killing, and killing gets to warring. And that was damn near the death of us all. Look at us now! Busted up, and everyone talking about hard rain! But we've learned, by the dust of them all... Bartertown learned. Now, when men get to fighting, it happens here! And it finishes here! Two men enter; one man leaves.

[Too Bo Coo]

I have a good hobby/home sized Dremel and I picked up for this stuff, the GW vice.  I'm not crazy about their other 'hobby products' as they are just WAY too expensive, but at 12.00 the vise is small, light and cheap enough.

After I got an idea about the rivets it was all smooth sailing.  My real concern was seeing that I have some differently sized cars from them and I didn't want to get confident that they used a standard sized post/rivet then to start merrily drilling away and find out the hard way that they're not....

[Too Bo Coo]

They're a ton easier to work with once they come apart.  So the truck I showed with the scoop, obviously the scoop did not come from that car.  I twas from a jeep, but without dismantling, it would have been a much bigger job with less to salvage afterwards.  I can still use the jeep for my outlanders gang command vehicle.

I agree that stripping down to bare metal, unless it was for a display piece, is overkill.  I'm content on a light primer to even out the color and prime the added lead and other bits, but the body itself is 'pre primed' as far as I see.

I've been eager to paint, so I've finished the two cycles I started and then the last touche on the third as well as some lawmen I'll post on the correct thread tonight.  Please let me know what you guys think.

I should get to the two trucks this week.  I have about 30 assorted drivers and gunners from a few vendors including some vintage GW.

I must say, the very best figs I've seen to date in this scale and for this genre come from the old GW...  They are absolutly fantastic.  I got 'lucky' to get my hands on a few unopened blisters.  They'll start appearing soon after the trucks....

Then I'll work on my Mad Max veh squad....