Die Cast Diaries – Chapter 12
Hello family, friends and followers,
Welcome to another incredible chapter of my Die Cast Diaries.
In this chapter, I will be introducing you to a customizer that I have just had the pleasure of meeting via Instagram. I don’t know much about him, but he is a great customizer of Hot Wheels and other die cast cars and trucks. In my opinion, his customs are pure classics. Classic styles with classic paint and details. This man is incredibly talented when it comes to his builds. They’re very clean and innovative. So, after reading this chapter, be sure to go and check this mans social media accounts and check out his customs. If you’re a collector of custom Hot Wheels, you need to own some of this mans builds for your collection. Please enjoy this chapter of my Die Cast Diaries starring Greg Hanna of GH Customs!
Me: What is your name and where are you from?
Greg: My name is Greg Hanna. Born in Michigan, lived in Los Angeles for many, many years, currently reside just outside of Raleigh North Carolina.
Me: How old were you when you started playing with Hot Wheels?
Greg: Probably 4 or 5 years old. So around 1970 or 71.
Me: How old were you when you started collecting Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks?
Greg: When I was 4 or 5. But then I stopped collecting when the first plastic base Redline came out. Around 1977 maybe? Then I got back into it when I found out my wife was pregnant in 2014.
Me: When did you start customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks?
Greg: Around 2015.
Me: What got you interested in customizing diecast cars and trucks?
Greg: I stumbled onto some pics of custom Hot Wheels on Instagram and loved them!
Me: Who was your inspiration or influence that got you into customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks?
Greg: The early influences were Luke Baumstark, Dave Tatro, and Rob Wolf.
Me: Do you have a background in working on cars and trucks which helps make customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks easier and helps with your creativity on them?
Greg: I started building model car kits when I was 6. 1:25 scale muscle cars and rods, 1:20 scale and 1:12 scale F1. Some military too.
Me: What is your specialty in customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks?
Greg: I’d say my specialty is to have the final product look like a premium or RLC Hot Wheels car that you’d see on the pegs.
Me: What makes your customs stand out from most of the other customs out there?
Greg: I’m not sure what makes mine stand out. I just build what I love to build. The subjects I love to build like vintage drag racing cars for example.
Me: Is customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks a hobby or a full time job for you? If it’s a full time job for you, what is the name of your business? If it’s a hobby, what are your social media outlets where people can view and possibly buy your customs?
Greg: It’s a hobby. But I am fortunate in that people like my customs enough to buy them. So that pays for paint and other supplies. It also helps with the bills too. I can be found on Instagram @gh_customs.
Me: How much success have you had selling your customs?
Greg: I’ve had a great amount of success with selling my customs! It is very humbling that people enjoy what I do! I am so grateful for that.
Me: Which casting is your favorite to customize?
Greg: My favorite casting to customize is probably the 100% Hot Wheels 1969 Plymouth GTX. But not an easy car to find!
Me: Finally, what are your top 5 Hot Wheels of all time?
Greg: My top five castings of all time are all Redlines-
-Snake funny car
-Mongoose funny car
-Deora
-Custom Fleetside
-Sugar Caddy
Me: Thank you for participating in my blog and helping spread the world of customizing Hot Wheels and other diecast cars and trucks to the general public. I appreciate you, your time and your customs.
In closing, I just want to say that what you’re about to see is going to prove that customizing die cast cars and trucks is an art and it takes talent, skill, imagination, passion and creativity to make these little cars and trucks look so cool. These customs are incredible works of classic hot rod culture in 1:64 scale and would be awesome additions towards the ultimate collection. So, for your viewing pleasure, here are some pics of GH Customs builds.
