# Scavenging diecast for parts



## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Lately every time I hit the diecast aisle in WalMart or Target, I see diecasts that I think might work to steal bumpers and windows and stuff from to patch up slot cars. So yesterday I bought a few. First, the recipients:










The Tycopro Miura needed a windshield, the yellow Cougar needed a rear bumper, the red Cougar needed windows, and the AMX needed a front bumper. (That orange AMX figures in later...)

And the donors:










After attacking the poor innocent diecasts with weapons of mass destruction, and attacking the resulting parts with a Dremel, this is what I ended up with:










I think the Miura came out best of the three. After whittling away at the bottom of the windshield for a while, it press-fits in there without glue.










I ended up changing plans on the AMX. The R/W/B car is all original and in pretty good shape except for the missing bumper, where the orange car was stripped when I got it and I put some spare parts on it to make it a runner. The R/W/B car deserved the original front bumper more than the orange one, but I think the replacement looks ok, especially for a runner...










Pretty much the same thing happened here. The yellow one was in better shape overall, so I put the original rear bumper on it and stuck the hack job on this one. This is the least successful one of the three; I did another Cougar like this years ago when I first got back into slot cars and I think it came out much better. Haven't gotten to the windows yet, but I also did the windows on the previous Cougar I did and they came out surprisingly well...

The best part is the pieces are all on there with tacky white glue, so if I ever find the right replacement parts, this stuff does no damage to the body and peels off pretty easily.

--rick


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## beast1624 (Mar 28, 2009)

Frankenslots!! Nice use of what's available. Glad to know I'm not the only one who prowls the die cast aisle at Walmart like Igor in a cemetery looking for spare parts.


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## win43 (Aug 28, 2006)

VERY COOL!!!! Keep butchering those diecast :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## slotto (Feb 9, 2010)

Yeah! That's what they are for, right?


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Nice work Rick!*

ZIP-ity doo dah 

ZIP-ity ee yay

I got some new discs for my dremel today!

I always whistle while I'm murdalizing them. I leave my die cast killing drill bit in the drillpress when it's not in use. That way it's always ready. Like a nut cracker.

How low can you go? I even got my grandson scouting for rod motors and chrome pipes! :devil:


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## torredcuda (Feb 1, 2004)

The nice thing about the new cheap plastic "diecast" are the bumpers and stuff are great for us slotheads.


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## SplitPoster (May 16, 2006)

You can't murder diecast. They're stillborn


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

SplitPoster said:


> You can't murder diecast. They're stillborn


THAT'S AWESOME!!! Hahahahahaha... :roll:

--rick


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

Liking that orange/yellow combo...RM


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

Good stuff! :thumbsup:


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## 41-willys (Jan 7, 2000)

:thumbsup:


SplitPoster said:


> You can't murder diecast. They're stillborn


 Thanks, now I can't get Stillborn from Black Label Society out of my head:wave:


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

That Miura just keeps on giving...

Got this TycoPro Mustang in a trade with Gear_Head a while back. I always wanted one of these, even if they ARE butt-ugly. So I got one, but it was missing the windows, which includes the louvered rear window, the trunk lid, and the rear spoiler.

Enter the Miura from the beginning of this thread. When I hacked it apart to use its windshield on a TycoPro, I noticed its louvered rear window and made a mental note to use it on something worthy.

Fast forward to last week, when I picked up a few old Tycos in varying states of disrepair. One was a complete and good-running LWB TycoPro chassis. I put it under the Mustang and decided that now was the time for that TLC it needed.










I had to file the edges of the Miura window slightly to get it to fit into the body, but then it was off to the races. The trunk lid is a scrap from a Turbo Train (tried to keep it all Tyco) and the rear spoiler was plucked off an AW Firebird (guess I failed :tongue: ) when I redid it as Jim Rockford's car. I had to chop away a little at the ends of the spoiler to get it to look okay, but I think it works. 



















Like I've said about some of my other stuff: It won't fool any collectors, but it looks good running around the track...

--rick


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

Close enough for the rest of us - I like how you roll :thumbsup: That 'stang worked out sweet.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I agree!! If you hadn't said so, I wouldn't have known!! Awesome save on a year Mustang that could use a T Jet counterpart one of these days.. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Gareth (Mar 8, 2011)

That's a really cool Mustang you've made yourself there. And don't forget that digital cameras really show up the slightest wobble or glue drop on these little cars when in real life, it probably looks even better than this.

Once you get a windshield and rear side windows in, it will look the absolute business. :thumbsup:

I'm really liking the breakers yard/junker racing workshop vibe you have going on in the photo backgrounds too. They really give an air of authenticity with the VeeDub van poking round the corner and various other project cars sitting and rusting away waiting to be saved. Top stuff!


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

Bill Hall said:


> ZIP-ity doo dah
> 
> ZIP-ity ee yay
> 
> ...


ZIP-ity doo dah 

ZIP-ity ee yay

I got some new discs for my dremel today!

RAOTFLMAO...I must have been out of the Country or something Bill when you posted this up...ahhahahahahhhaahhaha :lol:

rick,

Man you did a great job with this #12 Mustang!!

Go thrash it around and do some paint swapping...Yeah!

Bob...De Slot it into your ho scale fruit stand ( just like in the 1/1 scale movie chase scenes)...zila


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

*What Joe and 'Doba said Rick...*



ParkRNDL said:


> It won't fool any collectors, but it looks good running around the track... --rick


As a guy who often buys diecast (not even for the parts)... but for the different curvatures of their blister pack plastic to make windows.... I totally go along with the "looking good goin around the track" mindset. Why let'em sit around while you wait to find that 1 last unobtainable piece that everyone else is ALSO waiting for??... If it were dead nuts on mint and high dollar if complete (sure), but so many we find are a lesser condition and destined to sit in the old project box... so why the heck not try to Frankenfinish 'em?? I say have at 'em. :thumbsup:


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