Mattel Hot Wheels Action Pack Scum Chums Hot Seat and Sudzster Mattel, 1999
Day #2,739: August 7, 2024
Action Pack Scum Chums Hot Seat and Sudzster Action Pack - Cars with Removable Figures
Hot Wheels Action Pack
Item No.: Asst. ??? No. 21253 Manufacturer:Mattel Includes:2 cars with removable rat and alligator figures Action Feature:Opening toilet seat, articulated plunger shifter, articulated spigot and fixture Retail:$4.79 Availability: ca. 1999 Other: One of the most expensive Action Packs at present
I remember seeing Hot Wheels Action Packs in stores, but I do not remember seeing Scum Chums. I remember looking for the Mars rovers and NASA sets, and the Home Improvement set, but the others? I don't remember. They've got some amazing licensed and non-licensed sets that might appeal to fans of lines like Adventure People. There's a "Towing 2010" set that envisions future tow trucks, bikes, Fire 'n Rescue, and typical kid play patterns - but when I was searching for "weirdest Hot Wheels cars," this came up. The Scum Chums Hot Seat and Sudzster is weird and unique in this particular sub-line, which has more in common with modern indie figures or 1980s gross-out toys than anything else in the line at the time.
The Hot Seat was sold individually in various colors without the rat figure. Sudzster is exclusive to this set - and quite heavy, even without the 15g figure. When I bought this set, I got mine on eBay for about $30 - I didn't see any Action Pack sets at collectible shops or antique malls, so I figured any driving around to find these would probably cost me more in gas than just shelling out the money. Also, most sellers were asking $100, but not getting it. If you have a lot of weird indie toys, especially designer vinyl figures or October Toys' excellent O.M.F.G. mini-figures, this is something I'd recommend. Even at $30, for a 25-year-old set of cars with mini-figures, it stung only slightly. I'd have paid $30 to get this if it were a new Kickstarter toy. $30 on eBay for instant gratification is not a stretch.
Last month I bought about $6 worth of track to connect to an old launcher, and this is one of the best performers. #1 was a "Faster Than Ever" Shelby GT500, but this guy is a close second - and supposedly the engineering on the 1980s original release of the Sharkruiser is even better. (I'll buy one if I see one.) I like this one a lot just because it's nice and weird.
This set makes no sense, yet makes total sense. Action Pack sets were usually based on licensed properties or real-world situations (and people!) which makes it seem silly, but it also fills a void in the line. Mattel never made Rat Fink cars with figures. The famous mascot character, somehow, never got produced as a Mattel Hot Wheels toy - so now you've got a rat, with a plunger on his head, driving a toilet car next to an alligator zooming along on a sizable tub toy.
The Hot Seat was released as an individual car as well, and is pretty much the same for its first releases. It's a cracked toilet with a plunger, and while this one has a red Hot Wheels logo, it was originally black. If it weren't for the figure, it's the very definition of "just different enough to make you mad." It's got a massive engine on the back, which "cracked" the tank to get it in there. The seat is patched together with sculpted elements, and it has plenty of pipes underneath. The figure is more or less loose, he can fit in the bowl and hold the plunger but will fall out if you shake it.
The figure is cartoony without being gross, complete with a long rat face and a longer, painted plunger as a hat. The gray molded figure has blue eyes, white teeth, a mostly unpainted tail, and some black paint rubbed in his grooves to bring out detail. He can also stand on his own. What's remarkable is that you're unlikely to see this level of paint on pack-in figural elements today, and even in the 1990s this is pretty amazing. Most toys with slug figures had sidekicks that were completely unpainted - which probably accounts for the higher price point. These were around $5, when a single car was around $1. It's not a good deal, but just look at it. Does it matter?
Joining our rat pal is the Sudzster with his gator driver. The little guy has painted eyes and teeth, plus scales filled in with lighter green paint. I really like these figures - the sculpted detail is pretty good for a toy of this size, with above average paint and a lot of personality in his wavy tail, determined grimace, and his hand reaching out for the shifter - a tub's control valve. The actual nozzle acts an exhaust, with lots of pipes making up the fanciful mechanics connected to an engine on the back. It also has gator feet for thematic reasons, and has a ton of fake sculpted plastic cracks in it. It's also once of the heaviest 1:64 scale (or close enough) cars that I own. It looks amazingly good despite being almost old enough to run for president. He, too, just sits there - there's no plugs or ways to get him fastened in there.
Take note: these old toys had clear rubber bands on them which crack and decay, and also absorb (and dispense) colors from other pieces. My sample somehow got some green discoloration on the pipes, which seems to have been transferred via rubber band from the figure. They were cracking and shriveled, which is typical after 5-10 years. The twist ties were all in good shape, though.
Aside from that, these look great and feel surprisingly fresh. The figures had a tiny bit of oil on them, but the wheels spin nicely and nothing is squeaking. While Mattel has made other tubs, they've never made one like this - and of course they've done a lot of toilets too. If you just want the Hot Seat without a figure, there are any on eBay and it's basically worthless. (You're paying for shipping, though.) As a not-hardcore fan of toys, I like this a lot and recommend it to anyone who wants a goofy toy car set but doesn't care about realism. Admittedly, it's not cheap, but it's arguably a lot more exciting than and priced about the same as any mid-tier collector figure you may open, pose once, and let collect dust until you sell it.
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