Q.C. & Factory errors
Ever crack a new mainline casting hoping for speed and nada. Well, there are a few indicators of the issue if you look closely.
Even before you pop the car apart you can hold the wheels and try to move the axles around. If the wheels get close to the wheel wells of the casting and actually touch the body, you may have the above issue.
Front axle was loose. It is sitting just how it came apart. (I didn't stage for the picture) You can clearly see the machine never even touched the tabs. If they aren't crimped closed, the only thing left to hold the axle down is the interior piece. Which normally isn't enough. True we are talking about a $1 toy that is mass produced in the millions.
As modifiers we have the luxury to repair or make it functional. Little Sally or Johnny is just going to get mad it doesn't roll. Sure they are guaranteed for us in America, but not internationally. Is it a lack of Quality Control or just the nature of mass production. Either way, if a normally decent performing casting is having issues straight out of the blister. This and other hidden issues could be the cause.
Thoughts? Have you also found problems once you popped a casting apart?
Discussion
I chalk this type of stuff up to mass production, not necessarily poor QC process. I wouldn't expect even the best QC to be 100% bulletproof. And it's a $1 toy, bottomline. They can't afford to just pump out turd after turd, but if their "failure" rate is less than 1% (if not higher) then that's probably very much acceptable.
Even when I was little and would get a dud car, I didn't complain, I just used it as fodder for the others and got a new car the next time mom went to the store. And my mother didn't complain cause it was only a dollar.
If anything, I'm kind of amazed at the quality level Hot Wheels does have. I'm surprised there's not more errors and goofs and wobbles, especially for the mainline stuff.
- I agree here its only when I buy a car hoping its fast that I get a dud. It's a curse more than anything. Altho, I DID get a metalflake Fairmont on a card that was so beat up that only half of it made the trip and the car fell out of the blister when i got it out of the box and its LIGHTNING fast so I got lucky once. — Mattman213
Yeah I find duds all the time, from the 80's castings to modern ones I find bent axles, dud wheels, loose axles etc quite often. Like you said, I pull em apart and fix em but when your tryin to have a legit stocker it's a no go. Oddly enough every time I try out a known quick casting, it ends up being a complete dud. It's what got me into modding in the first place honestly.
Matt