#8Modders: Rodger Dodger Edition - Introduction

8 MODDERS 1 CAR

by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom

As has been seen over the last 8 months or so, watching diecast races on YouTube often leads the viewer to want to get involved, and the best way to do that is to enter a race. Not all races require an entrant to have modified a car, but many do. Naturally, when first starting out, one might look to the more experienced builders to learn how to make cars faster. And one might turn to other more practiced individuals in order to learn how to make the care look just right.

Luckily for folks entering the hobby/sport of diecast racing, the community welcomes new participants with open arms, and those with experience and wisdom share it pretty freely.

We at Diecast Racing Report asked two of our staff and six other top modders to all have a go at modding the same model of car. We provided each with an identical Rodger Dodger, and we gave them free rein to do whatever they wanted to the car. Our hope? That we and our readers would get a chance to witness the methods of those masters of diecast customization. Some of the participants in this project have videos online that explain their methods. Others haven’t been as public previously. If you have ever watched a race and wondered, “How does so-and-so get their car to go so fast?”--well, today might be the day that you find out a trade secret or two.

On the following pages, you will witness what 8 spectacular customizers can do. They modified for speed, they modified for appearance. They made a classic Hot Wheels car their own, and told us how they did it.

Oh... And because this magazine is dedicated to racing, we are taking them out for a spin later this week, and will be posting the resulting race on our new YouTube channel on Saturday, August 22nd!

The Car

The Rodger Dodger first hit the shelves in 1974 as part of the Flying Colors series of Hot Wheels. It was available in two colors that year: plum and blue, each with orange and yellow flames on top. Since that year, there have been over 40 different released versions made by Mattel (including retools of the car’s design in 2000 and 2015). It is a popular model. It is a familiar shape. It is an iconic Hot Wheels car.

So, when Diecast Racing Report came up with the idea of the #8Modders project, the Rodger Dodger was a natural choice. It also seemed like a natural choice for an event that coincides with Redline Derby’s Charger Summer. After all, the original Rodger Dodger casting was based on the 1973 Dodge Charger SE.

Three versions of the Rodger Dodger hit the shelves in 2020, all in the HW Art Cars line: matte black, gray, and gold. All three have the same tampos: The words “Steam” and “Punk” each adorn a side of the car. The wheels are stylized to look like gears, following the steampunk theme.

Our modders were each given the gold version of the car (a Kroger exclusive). Some of them loved the casting, and it inspired their creativity. Others felt revulsion in regard to the car’s appearance, and that inspired their creativity in a divergent way.

Prior to the 2015 retooling of the Rodger Dodger, the engine had exhaust pipes coming out of both sides. The current model no longer exhibits pipes over the hood. Instead they are on each side of the vehicle, just aft of the front wheels.

The Participants

Joey Clemons

David Currin

Nick Deavers

Amanda Jewell

Ali Kidder-Mostrom

Michael Mathis

Mike Mayes

Josh Paufler

#8MODDERS