Those of you who are new to NASCAR diecast collecting, or just want to learn more about it, have come to the right place. I get a lot of questions every week from customers asking to describe what the difference is between brands, styles, etc. This should help give you some more insight into what is available in the collector marketplace for NASCAR diecast collectibles.

The great attraction to collecting racing diecast is the broad scope of items available. You can choose a particular driver to collect or a particular category, such as Racing Type, (NASCAR, NHRA, Sprint cars, etc…), Car make, model, teams or sponsors. You can also choose to collect drivers within a certain era of racing, past champions, or just collect paint schemes that you like. It is your collection, build it how you want.

SCALE

Let’s start off first explaining scale or the size of the cars. This is the relative size of the diecast car in relation to the real car. The scale is a ratio.

·         1/64 scale is one of the smallest replicas. They measure about 3" long. Commonly referred to "Matchbox" or Hot Wheels" size.

·         1/43 scale is not very common, mostly made as toys. These measures about 4” long.

·         1/32 scale are slightly more popular and measure about 6" long.

·         1/24 scale is the most common scale collected. These measure about 8" long.

·         1/18 scale, due to their 11" size, only a few people collect these cars and very few are made.

STYLES

When discussing or reading about diecast, you will hear and see a lot of terms describing the car that can get confusing quickly. Let me try to help clear some of those up for you.

·         HO - Hood Open - Indicates the car has a hood which opens showing the engine detail.

·         TO – Trunk Open – Indicates that the rear deck lid or trunk opens to show the fuel cell and other details.

·         HOTO – Hood Open AND Trunk Open

·         CWC (or CW) – Clear Window Car – Indicates that the windows of the car are clear so you can see inside the drivers area.

·         BWC - Black Window Car – Indicates that the car has black windows and therefore you can not look inside the driver’s area. A lot of the BWC’s were produced as promotional items for sponsors.

·         BANK – indicates that the diecast car has a coin slot to act as a bank. Most banks have a slot in the rear window or in the trunk with a locking removal door on the bottom of the car. Dually replicas most commonly have the slot in the roof.

·         CWB – Clear Window Bank – Indicates that the windows are clear to see the driver area and that the car is also a bank with the slot in the trunk or in the back window to insert the coins. Most clear window banks are not T/O.

PAINT FINISH

More confusing still can be the varying finishes that are starting to show up on diecast cars. Again, let me walk you through some of the more common paint finishes to help you understand. The following are all specialized finishes that are made in very low numbers. They usually adorn the correct decals to represent the sponsors on that car, but the finish is not what the real car looks like when it is raced on the track. Not all cars are made in special paint finishes.

 ·         Colorchrome – This is a special paint finish with an incredibly high gloss. Some details of how the colorchrome process actually works:

o        Labor-intensive process of hand-polishing every inch of the diecast body

o        Chrome-plated with an electro-plating process

o        Painted with clear lacquer and finished with a color tint of the original body color

o        Original sponsor decal package is applied over colorchrome finish

·         Liquid Color – This is a very unique special finish. The base paint looks like is it still slightly wet with a frosty iridescence to it.

·         Brushed Metal – These cars have very little paint on them. As their names describes, the car is bare metal that is hand polished before the sponsor graphics are added. 

·         Precious Metal – These cars are electroplated with different metals prior to adding the graphics. The metal can be Gold, White Gold, Platinum, Copper, or Nickel. 

·         Pearl – These cars have a very slight pearlesque paint applied to them prior to adding the logos.

·         Dark Chrome – These cars are similar to colorchrome but are all made in an almost black chrome.

·         Steel – These cars are not made from the normal diecast alloys. Instead these are cast in all steel bodies. The graphics are then applied without adding the normal base paint colors.   

BRANDS 

Now that you know about the scales and paint styles lets move on to the manufacturers and product lines available. These can be confusing as well to a new collector or someone who does not collect. Not every driver is made in every brand or product line.  

American Diecast Company aka “ADC”: This relatively new player on the block has been focusing on dirt racing late models and modifieds. Great detail and low productions as well as a large list of driver offerings has made ADC a major player in this line of diecast. They also offer local, lesser known drivers a chance to have a diecast replica made of their late model in quantities as low as 12.

Action Performance – aka “Action” – The leader in NASCAR diecast, they have excellent quality and detail and are also the most popular brands on the market.

·         Standard: This is the most popular NASCAR Diecast collectible product line in the market place right now. These cars are highly detailed an limited in production. The majority are HOTO and recently they added working roof flaps. Some of the current upgraded features include:

o         Outside the Car:

o         diecast body and chassis

o         Opening hood with stamped metal hood hinges

o         Realistic hood pins

o         Tampo-printed graphics and high-quality paint

o         Inside the Car:

o         Working steering wheel

o         Manufacturer-specific engine detail

o         Detailed interior compartment

o         Upgraded interior seat with leg bolster and added roll bar detail

o         Sequential numbering in rear window

o         Underneath the Car:

o         Rear spring detail-separate axle and protection ring

o         diecast tie rod assembly

o         Independent coil spring front suspension with sway bar and detailed disc brake assembly

o         Accurate header contour and simulated exhaust openings

o         Separate transmission, axle, and gearbox

o         Realistic Goodyear sticker decals on tires

o         Detailed front shocks and rear shock

o          

·         Banks: For many years, they started off with BWB but moved to a CWB a few years ago. Detail is the same as the standard with lower production quantities.

·         AP+: These cars have slightly lower quality and detail compared to the standard. These are usually HO but not TO. The detail level is slightly lower and there is less diecast and more plastics used in its construction.  

Racing Collectibles Club of America – aka “RCCA” and “The Club” – Owned by Action, their product lines are released initially to club members only who sign up for a club membership, but these items also end up in the general market place as well.    

·         Elite: The highest detailed diecast that is offered by Action. Very low production numbers and extremely high detail. Some of the Elite detail includes:

o         Fully detailed diecast body including:

o         Opening hood with stamped metal hood hinges

o         Opening trunk with stamped metal trunk hinges

o         Opening roof flaps with cables

o         Realistic mesh screen in lower grill

o         Rear window funnel access

o         Tampo-printed graphics and high-quality paint

o         Realistic hood and deck pins

o         Detailed front mesh grill

o         Fully detailed diecast chassis including:

o         diecast tie rod assembly

o         Independent coil spring front suspension with way bar and detailed disc brake assembly

o         Accurate header contour and simulated exhaust openings

o         Separate spoiler bracing

o         Silver wheel rotors rotate through the brake calipers

o         Red primer on center section of cars rear-end

o         White drive shaft required by NASCAR® safety rules

o         AERO wheel design

o         Realistic Goodyear tires with stickers

o         Working rear shocks and rear suspension

o         Manufacturer-specific engine detail including:

o         Manufacture specific valve covers

o         Braided hoses

o         Radiator inlet box

o         Drive shaft loop

o         Pliable spark plug wires

o         Rubber fan belt for air cooler

o         Enhanced electronic ignition system colored in silver, black and red.

o         Detailed interior including:

o         Working steering wheel

o         Interior hoses painted black

o         Simulated fabric window net

o         Detailed trunk compartment with authentic red painted fuel cell

·         Club Car: Similar to the Action standard car but it is not TO.

·         Club Bank: these cars were similar to the standard car, but not TO. Low production and they are not TO.

Team Caliber – With product lines from mass retail to higher end collectibles, Team Caliber has exclusive contracts with a small handful of drivers. Most notable are the Roush drivers since Jack Roush was the owner of this brand.

·         Owners Series; Similar to the Action Elite. These cars offer high detail but unlike the Elite, you do not need to be a member of a club to purchase. These cars can be bought direct from the dealers.

·         Preferred Series: Similar to action’s standard car.

·         Pit Stop Series: similar to the AP+ cars

Motorsport Authentics – (MA) This company was formed by merging Team Caliber and Action product lines. Their new product line includes the Drivers Select which will be the Action standard car. 

Checkered Flag Sports – The Newest company in the NASCAR Diecast market place. They will start releasing product in 2007. They will have 2 versions. The “Champion”  and the Contender. Features of each die cast model are:

Revel – Owned by Action, these cars usually some mounted on a base that also includes a cover that helps protect the car.  

·         Club: Similar to the action standard, but with the base and cover usually. Low productions and only offered to club members initially.

·         Collectors: Similar to the Action standard, but with slightly higher productions than the Revel Club. Also comes on a base most often.

·         Select: These are considered by most collectors to be Toys. Low detail and are not usually HOTO. Most do not come with a base or protective cover.

Georgia Marketing Products aka “GMP” These guys have a great line of 1/18 scale dirt sprint cars. High quality and low productions of these replicas have made many of them highly sought after. GMP also makes high quality muscle cars as well as other product lines.

R&R Enterprises (R&R) based out of Missouri, has recently purchased 1/18 and 1/25 scale molds for winged sprint car diecast replicas from GMP. Starting in 2007 R&R will be releasing several sprint car diecast replicas for World of Outlaw Sprint series drivers as well as others. These should be  great, high quality and detailed pieces.

Castaway – Owned by Action, Castaway produced Ranger Bass Boat and Nitro Boat scale replicas with NASCAR driver paint schemes on the hull of the boat as well as a detailed trailer.

Brookfield – Owned by Action, these products have a mid to low detail quality. Most of their product lines consist of dually and trailer trackside sets, Fantasy Suburbans, Tahoes, and 2 and 3 car sets. Most cars by Brookfield are not HOTO.

RC2 / Ertl / Racing Champions – Is primarily making other series racing diecast other than NASCAR. Their detail is decent and their quality is not bad either. They currently have exclusive rights to several NHRA drivers as well as some Dirt series cars. 

·         Authentics: Similar to the Action Standard cars with limited production runs

·         Retail: these are low detail and are found in most mass market retailers. Considered more of a Toy than a collectible by most collectors.

Winner’s Circle – Owned by Action, these are of a lower detail and quality. These cars are usually found in department stores and other mass markets. These cars are collected by some, but are generally considered toys and are more suitable for for children.

Hot Wheels – These are of a lower detail and quality. These cars are usually found in department stores and other mass markets. These cars are collected by some, but are generally considered toys and are more suitable for for children.

Matchbox - These are of a lower detail and quality. These cars are usually found in department stores and other mass markets. These cars are collected by some, but are generally considered toys and are more suitable for for children. 

Franklin Mint: Offers the occasional racing related diecast cars. These are extremely low in production quantity and extremely high in detail level. Very few drivers or paint schemes have been offered by the Franklin Mint.
 

Some car care tips for your diecast collection

·         Keep out of direct sun light. As with almost any item, long term exposure to direct sunlight will fade the paint over time.

·         Save your Boxes. The original packaging that your diecast collectible comes in helps keep the value of your collectible. It is best to store the boxes in a dry location. A lot of collectors keep their boxes in storage totes, closet shelves or even cedar chests.

·         DO NOT USE Abrasives OR Chemicals to clean. If your diecast cars get dusty, use a can of compressed air to remove any build up in or on the car. Then use a product like “Diecast Wax” in combination with a soft lint free cloth to restore the original luster of the paint. Chemical cleaners can damage the windows and remove some paint.

·         IF you have an accident and get a stain or spill on the diecast, use a soft cloth and some warm water. (Not dripping just damp.) Lightly go over the area with a little pressure. If the stain is not removed, bring your car to a local diecast dealer for help.

·         To remove buildup in the crevices of your diecast, use a cotton swab. Be careful not to rub too hard, this could cause some damage to the paint.
 

Displaying your collection

You can display your collection however you want and what suits you best. Here are some ideas that might help though. Some people separate out specific pieces in their collection and display them prominently on a mantle, coffee table or end table so that these pieces become conversation pieces. Be sure that if you display items this way that they are safe from children, pets or the innocent bump. You don’t want your collectible to be come a “raced version”

Another way to display your collection is using or making shelves around the home. A great way to help protect your cars on the shelf would be to place them in individual display cases to keep out the dust and unwanted finger prints. Again, make sure these are out of reach of pets and small children, accidents can happen.

A lot of collectors use curio cabinets and / or display cases that mount on the wall. These keep items out of reach from hazards and help to keep them free of dust. Add some special lighting and you have a great way to show off your collection.

Use creativity and imagination when displaying your diecast cars. Some people create mini display scenes to accent their diecast cars. Creating a race track or garage area with some detail is easy to accomplish. Tar paper roofing or shingles can simulate pavement. Green indoor/outdoor carpeting gives the appearance of grass. Checkered shelf paper can simulate a garage floor or victory lane. Photographs and scenes made on your computer can depict the surroundings as a back drop to give the display a little more realism. Scale props can also make your collection more attractive. Scale figures, gas pumps and tools can be purchased at your local hobby shop.