Some nice Wildcats there and you are finding some nice crisp clean boxes. The playworn Mercury with Black hubs I suspect has lost all the 'Hot foil' effect from the wheels because of the amount of attention it has had through being played with, as it is not common for models to have just plain 'Superfst' wheels fitted unless a genuine factory error is found.
Black ''Superfasts'' here..JPG (32.87 KiB) Viewed 1180 times
I love the #8 Wildcat Dragster and love the variations you have shown Superfast I would encourage you to include baseplate images as well as this is the primary reason I love this model with so many different base colours available to collect.
@ Ghosty: I bought this Mercury from rich4rd_e, as a Mercury with black hubs.
First I had little doubts about this, but I held it in my hands and I couldn't see no signs of tampering. I'll make some closer pics.
BTW not all of my boxes are clean and crisp, I have a lot of ruined boxes too.
@ Motorman: The Mustang Dragsters without baseplate pics have the black base. So no reason for me to make pics from.
You are right, it is really a shame about the rare box, someone damaged it while removing a price label. I can tell you the box is otherwise mint. A SHAME.
The red metallic Road Dragster I bought from Cars & Boxes for a reasonable price.
It is mint, but has a littlebit corrosion on the baseplate.
SuperFast
Hi Ghosty, here i've the baseplate picture, you can see a little darker residue from corrosion.
I did some work with the "metallin". I polished the baseplate in the descripted area. So I think I have the corrosion now stopped.
red_dragster_bp.jpg (358.49 KiB) Viewed 1124 times
red_dragster.jpg (298.9 KiB) Viewed 1124 times
I will show the "metallin" in the restoration thread.
Superfast
GHOSTHUNTER wrote:Some nice Wildcats there and you are finding some nice crisp clean boxes. The playworn Mercury with Black hubs I suspect has lost all the 'Hot foil' effect from the wheels because of the amount of attention it has had through being played with, as it is not common for models to have just plain 'Superfst' wheels fitted unless a genuine factory error is found.
The attachment Black ''Superfasts'' here..JPG is no longer available
Ghosthunter.
Here I've some closer Pictures of the hubs, 3 of the 4 wheels look like there were never hot foil applied. The fourth wheel looks a little bit worn but shiny (reflecting the light). My own thoughts are, this car left the factory without the hot foil.
If the surface is now slightly pitted (but not from your ploishing), the corrosion has possibly come from imperities in the Mazac mix or a small amount of acidic substance has been allowed to attack the surface from someones finger.
It is common to find these bright bases attaining a grubby Grey finish through a lot of handling and this can be cleaned with differing results depending on what is used. I just use an office eraser, no liquids at all.
Your Mercury wheels do look quite clean of any hot foiling evidence. The only problem is, there is a well known way of removing the 'Chrome' effect from plastic mouldings and unless an example can be found factory sealed in it's own blister card with all Black 'Superfasts', it can not be accepted as a recordable variation.
Don't get me wrong, it is a nice qirky model and as long as it gives you enjoyment then it is worth having, I am sure many of us here would have brought it just in case! plus, you will already have one when they do start turning up sealed on blisters.
