S@ntonie - THE Star

S@ntonie

MINI CHOP SHOP

- PUTRAJAYA -

THE Star Saturday 11 February 2012

The 28 year old Sabahan customizes his Hot Wheels cars to his heart's content. Started seriously collecting Hot Wheels when he joined HWCM in 2003, starting off with a fascination for classic muscle cars like Mustang, Corvette and Dodge.

"Before the club was formed, I was just a lone ranger, didn't even know that peoples

liked collecting Hot Wheels as well, I've always loved them ever since I was kid.

I still have a few cars that I had in the 80s.."

Santoni Parson still goes out hunting for Hot Wheels, especially those that come with rubber wheels.

"If i buy one car with plastic wheels, I will still go & change it to rubber wheels myself.

And even if the car costs RM20, I would buy it just for the tyres.."

That's not to say the rest of the car is wasted, he keeps various spare parts around his workshop at home in Putrajaya for future use, like a little miniature chop shop. According to him, customizing Hot Wheels cars is a lot more time consuming than customizing other toys because the cars have very fine details.

"You need a very steady hand to work on them because they are too small.

At least with robots, you can get away with making it look dirty by saying it is battle damaged.."

..he says with a laugh.

"However, for Hot Wheels, I have to keep the car cleans & smooth. They have to look realistic,

because they are based on real cars.."

Santonie Parson reckons he can finish customizing two or three cars a day, depending on how complicated the design is. When he is not at his job as an architectural technician, he is usually in his little workshop.

" I love cars in movies and TV. I am currently working on a truck based on (80s TV Show)

BJ and The Bear and also Knight Rider's K.I.T.T.."

" I am too attached to my creations to sell them!

I've had many people offering to buy them,

but I would rather trade them for other cars than sell them.

Somehow to me, once money exchanges hands,

I feel as though that piece of art is not mine anymore..."

by Raja Faisal Hishan / THE Star

SOME OF SAN'S SUPERB ART

( I'm lucky.. them all in my collections )