Alright, so I had this idea, a bit out there, maybe. A NASCAR T-Rex car. Sounds nuts, right? But hey, sometimes you just gotta try these things. So, I figured I’d walk you through how I got this crazy contraption built.
How This Whole Thing Kicked Off
It all started pretty simply. I was just looking at an old NASCAR toy I had lying around. You know, one of those diecast things, seen better days. And right next to it, my kid’s plastic T-Rex, also looking a bit worse for wear. My brain just sort of went, “Huh. What if…?” No big plan, no grand design. Just a thought: stick the dinosaur on the car. Why not? Seemed like it could be a bit of a laugh.
Scrounging Up the Parts
Didn’t need a ton of fancy stuff for this, which was good. I just dug through my junk drawers and the kid’s toy box. Here’s what I ended up with:
- The aforementioned NASCAR toy. I think it was a number 24, but honestly, it was so banged up, who could tell for sure?
- One slightly chewed-up green T-Rex. The important thing was it still looked fierce. Ish.
- A tube of super glue. The kind that sticks your fingers together if you’re not careful.
- Some old acrylic paints I had from some other forgotten project. Red, black, a bit of yellow.
- My trusty craft knife and a couple of small paintbrushes.
That was pretty much it. Figured I’d just wing it from there.
Getting Down to Business: The Build
First thing was prepping the T-Rex. He was a bit too, uh, leggy to sit nicely on the car roof. So, I took the craft knife – carefully, mind you – and did a bit of dino-surgery. Trimmed his feet down so he’d have a flat base. He looked a bit stubbier, but it was for the greater good of the project.
Then came the gluing. This is always the fun part. Put a good blob of super glue on his new flat feet and plonked him right on the car’s roof, just behind the windshield. Had to hold him there for a minute, blowing on it like that actually speeds up super glue. Probably doesn’t, but it feels right. He seemed to stick okay, which was a relief.
Next up: paint. I wasn’t going for a showroom finish here. The car was already red, so I just touched that up a bit, covered some of the worst scratches. Then for the T-Rex, I kept him mostly green but gave him some aggressive-looking black stripes. Tried to make it look like he was part of some weird racing team. Oh, and I attempted some yellow flames on the car’s hood. They look more like squiggly lines, if I’m honest, but hey, it’s the thought that counts.
My workspace, which was the kitchen table, ended up looking like a disaster zone. Paint splotches everywhere, bits of plastic, the smell of glue. The usual, really. My partner just walked by, raised an eyebrow, and kept walking. Smart move.
The Big Reveal (Mostly to Myself and the Cat)
And then, it was done. The NASCAR T-Rex car. It’s… well, it’s something else. Definitely a one-of-a-kind. The T-Rex looks like he’s roaring down the track, ready to take on all comers. The paint job’s a bit rough, not gonna lie. It’s got that “homemade with enthusiasm” vibe.
The kid actually loved it. Grabbed it and started making car noises mixed with dinosaur roars. So, I guess that’s a win. It’s utterly ridiculous, but it was a fun way to spend an afternoon, mucking about with bits and pieces. Didn’t solve any world problems, but I made a weird toy and had a good time doing it. Sometimes that’s all you need, you know? Now I’m just wondering what other toys I can mash together.
