loydstuff: customized Hot Wheels!

I know I KNOW--- it's been a fair chunk of time, here at the 'ol blog-a-wog-a-wing-ding-thingy-thang--- since I last focused on the 'mad scientist / toy & model-customizing-freak'- side of my personality! (nearly TWO YEARS, in fact!) The post of mid-September though---(where I showed-off some of my 'personalized' work-gear and former work-areas!) kind-of inspired me-- to present to you, oh gentle reader, not only a couple of fairly recent projects (what THIS post is about!), but--- to also make it a 2-part 'EPIC' / 'extravaganza'!

Next month, I'll be slapping-up images (as well as rattling on a bit about it, natch!) of a fair-sized sampling of customized t-shirts and caps I've tinkered on over the years! First though, let's have a look-see at a couple of toys that---- once I saw them in their 'original' form--- I just KNEW needed some 'Loydster-type' -tinkering, to help them get to the place where they would have that 'JUST-RIGHT' amount of COOLNESS / crunchy-GEEKY-goodness that I felt they were missing!

First up, a 12-inch Batman (who else?!?) figure, from the recent 'Spin Master' series of figures. I stumbled across this one at a local 'Wally-world' for around 9 bucks!----

Now--- the sculpt on this figure is pretty NIFTY, so---that wasn't where I saw any problems! Nope, in this poor guy's case..... it was the unfortunate choice of colors on his 'Bat-Tech' armor. Not that there's anything wrong with 'black & gold' for a Bat-suit (hey, it worked in SEVERAL 'Batman' movies after all!)! It was just kinda clunky in how it was done!

Like in the 'Bat-flicks', small touches of gold or bronze, (like, say-- on his symbol or utility-belt!) makes for a REALLY-wicked-looking Bat-suit! BUT--- too much of either of those colors (gold, especially!), and all you've got is something that looks like (with THIS figure, anyway!) some kind of weird 'gladiator'-armor! Also, all those LARGE areas of gold--- make him look like he's trying to 'copy-cat' Iron Man or something!

So---- out came the trusty bottle of 'gun-metal-gray' acrylic paint! I repainted most of the gold-covered areas with it, as well as hit some other areas on the suit! Oh, and I replaced the fairly-GOOFY-looking, SUPER-skinny cape---with a wider, more realistic-looking heavy-fabric-cape. I think the results speak for themselves!----

Next up, another teeny-tiny customized 'Bat-ride', in 1/64th scale! This one's the 4th, in what's turning out to be pretty much a 'series' for me, I suppose!

I just saw this particular Hot Wheels car---yet AGAIN, at a nearby Walmart--- and it seemed to be SCREAMING out to me: 'I NEED to be converted into a Batmobile!' Here's what it looked like in it's original form. (oddly, it's from the 'Marvel character cars' line!)----

The 'swoopy' body-lines, and EXTRA-large fins / wings--- at the rear of the body, nearly had this thing ready to park in the Bat cave already! It just needed some 'custom-tinkering-and-tweaking' (along with the trusty 'E-6000' glue, some carefully applied bits of sheet-plastic here & there--- oh, and some black / gun-metal-gray / red paint!)! Within just over a day (enough time for both glue and the paints to dry!), this little bruiser was ready to PROUDLY display on my desk-top! ANOTHER time I think the results will speak for themselves!----