Hot Wheels 1983 Chevy Silverado



One of the most popular casting of recently is this customized version of a box, or more precisely the 1983 Silverado.  Who knew Hot Wheels could take a boxy truck and make it into a sleek sports truck, but they did!

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Refresh for the square truck

The boxy shape of the Silverado, or more precisely the C/K pickup arrived in 1973.  It is undoubtfully one of the most popular full-size trucks of this decade, more so than the Ford!  Most prefer this generation for it's size, durability, and relatively ease of maintenance.  In 1980 the C/K got a restyle featuring, on higher-end models, dual headlights (one for high beams and one for low beams) that would be the start of a recognizable front-end for Chevy in the upcoming decades.  The shape is still boxy with square hoods and, if you get the fleetside bed, square bedsides with wraparound corner taillights.  Inside the interior features a driver-oriented dash with speedometer and tachometer in the center, auxiliary gauges to the left, and stereo and HVAC controls to the right.  The passenger stares mostly at a glove box.  This dash setup would last until 1995.  Engine's range from the 4.3L V6 to the 7.0L (454 c.c.) V8, with four and five-speed manual or three-speed automatic.  The Silverado was a top trim level for the C/K before being officially called Silverado for the Chevy truck line in 1999.

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Hot, Hot Wheels

The Silverado was born in 2008 in the Modern Classic line, a Modern spin-off of the Hot Wheels Classic series of 2005-2007.  As usual with any premium Hot Wheels line, it is hard to find in retail and they never finish the series completely.  Luckily for me I was able to run across one six years ago, and I glad I did because the metallic red with stock white stripe on the sides, Silverado badges on front fenders, and black grille with detailed bowtie looks fantastic.  As does the metal base and the lower stance on blacked-out 5-spoke wheels giving this casting the heft and aggressive look.  Also customized is the billet front grille, the dual exhaust at the smooth rear bumper, the bed cut-out for the air bag suspension system (with tank in bed), and racing seats with 5-point harness inside.  A green recolor was planned but never released.

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Now there were several variations later on, including a 2009 Valentine's Day Wal-Mart version in beige (seen it but passed on it), Slick Delivery series in 2010, and Hot Wheels Collectors.com special versions that I passed, along with the recent Super Treasure Hunt's, but mostly I found all of the mainline versions.

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In 2011 it appears in blue with Hot Wheels racing decals, reappearing later on in the Wal-Mart only Black recolor.  As I must say it looks fantastic in racing livery.  In 2012 in the Wal-Mart-only Cars of the Decade is this fabulous red with white and yellow graphics that look very close to the stock truck's real look, topping it off with 5-sp. wheels and a very cool "CHEVROLET" on the tailgate.  It ranks second behind the Modern Classic for the best version by far in my opinion.  2013 saw a re-entry in the mainline in purple with green and black flames, followed by a recolor in orange with black flames.  I must say I was unimpressed with this variation and almost force me to quit collecting future 1983 Silverado's all together.

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Until 2014 with the yellow and white scallop decals look shockingly impressive and much better than the 2013 version, and as a boot the Super Treasure Hunt features a darker yellow paint with hood graphics and rubber tires.  Just shortly after that release was the Wal-Mart only (see a pattern here?) Road Trippin series in brown with tan two-tone; a good purpose since it's based on the California Redwoods, complete with logo's, hood stripes with tree bark pattern, gold chrome base, and a big bowtie on the tailgate.  After the 2013 failure, the 2014 recolors put my confidence in getting future variations, just as long as they look as good as these and if I have the room for more?

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