Do Hot Wheels Glow in the Dark? How to Make Them Glow?

Some of us would want a glow in the dark Hot Wheels. But is it possible? Are Hot Wheels glow in the dark? If not, are there Hot Wheel lines that are glow in the dark? If you don’t have these lines, how do we make them glow in the dark?

Generally speaking, Hot Wheels don’t glow in the dark. However, there are special Hot Wheels car lines that glow in the dark, such as the Glow Wheels and their glow in the dark monster trucks. You can also apply glow in the dark paint on models to make them light up in the dark.

This post will talk about if Hot Wheels glow in the dark, the scientific principle behind the glow in the dark, and some simple steps we can do to make models glow in the dark. Let’s start!

Are there glow in the dark hot wheels?

There are glow in the dark Hot Wheels such as the one from the Glow Wheels and the Dark Monster Trucks line. These special lines glow in the dark without any additional modifications. However, most Hot Wheels don’t glow in the dark.

When you go to a hobby or toy store, most of the Hot Wheels you will see for sale aren’t glow in the dark.

In fact, in my collection, I only have two glow in the dark Hot Wheels, and they are both from the same Glow Wheels line.

Here is the photo of two of my glow in the dark Hot Wheels.

The Glow Wheel line is a special line from Hot Wheels that focuses on glow in the dark models.

As you can also see, their wheels have a different color from other model lines.

This is because these models glow in the dark without any additional modifications. Their wheels are made with glow in the dark materials.

This is also true for another Hot Wheels line that glows in the dark called the Dark Monster Trucks line.

These model lines have this unique feature, and their glow-in-the-dark parts are made of different materials rather than the typical diecast metals and plastic.

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Here is a photo of my Glow Wheels in a dark environment. As you can see, the wheels glow when the lights are removed.

But what’s the difference between a glow in the dark and not a glow in the dark? What makes them glow?

What’s the basic scientific principle behind glow in the dark? Let’s find that out in the next section.

Scientific Principle Behind Glow in the Dark

Glow in the Dark glows by the process called phosphorescence. This process comes from a special material used in these products called phosphor. The phosphor absorbs light and emits its absorbed light which can be seen in dark environments.

The scientific principle behind the glow in the dark comes from the process called phosphorescence.

All glow in the dark objects is made with a material called phosphor. This material has a unique property which is why it is used on glow in the dark objects.

To make it simpler to understand, think of phosphor as a sponge.

When you expose a sponge to water, it will absorb water. Therefore, even if it is placed in a dry environment, it will remain wet as long as the water isn’t fully evaporated.

That’s the same with phosphor. Phosphor is a material that absorbs light and emits it gradually for a long time.

Phosphor emits light regardless of whether the environment is bright or not. However, since it only emits light on a small scale, we can only see the light it emits when we put it in a dark place.

As long as it has time to absorb light, it will continue to glow in the dark.

Since this material emits light, it is often called a luminescent material.

However, since it only stores the light it absorbs, it isn’t true that a glow in the dark lasts forever. It still needs to absorb light from the sun, LED, or lamps.

But how do phosphors store light?

Phosphors stores and emit light using a principle called excitation. The light alters the electron properties of phosphors, which means that they store that energy inside their molecules.

Thus, when this happens, phosphors have excess energy that can release with a process known as electron excitation, also known as electroluminescence.

When they use this energy, they release light which we can see on glow in the dark objects.

The good news is that since we now know the principle behind the glow in the dark, we can make all models glow with simple steps.

That’s what we will talk about in the next section.

How To Make Hot Wheels glow in the dark?

You can make Hot Wheels glow in the dark by applying glow in the dark paints. The easiest way is to use glow in the dark nail polish on models since these liquids are usually clear, dries quickly, and are inexpensive.

So, how do we make Hot Wheels glow in the dark if we don’t have those glow in the dark lines?

Well, it is as easy as applying a phosphor-based paint or glow in the dark paint.

Thus, you can make all Hot Wheels or any diecast model glow in the dark by applying phosphor-based paints.

But where do we find these paints? Well, we can use glow in the dark nail polish.

These nail polish can be bought anywhere where makeup is being sold.

If you’re shy about going to makeup stores, you can even get them online.

If you want to buy online, make sure to get the clear colored ones so they won’t affect the color of your model.

Another good news is that the nail polish can act as the topcoat to protect the model from scratches and oxidation, which leads to lead rot or zinc pests.

I know it can be hard to find a glow in the dark nail polish that will work on your model, so I found one for you that you can buy here: Glow in the Dark, Clear, Nail Polish.

Recommended Read: Do you want to preserve the value of your Hot Wheels and at the same time open their card? How about learning how to open Hot Wheels without damaging their card? I made a simple How to post here for you to follow: How to Open Hot Wheels without Damaging the Card.

Note: The recommended post above is about opening Hot Wheels without using a drill. But I made some bonus tips at the end of the post on how to open the packaging without damaging the card.