MUNCLE MIKES · CASTING GUIDE
Shadow JetStart with the wing lettering
Shadow Jet puts most of its character above the wheels: a long canopy, exposed engine detail and a broad rear wing. That wing is a useful place to start identifying a loose car. F3, Getty and later racing graphics lead to different releases.
Yellow F3 and blue Getty cars
The 1988 Speed Fleet yellow car has red Intercooled wing lettering and either blue or magenta F3 decoration. It uses blackwall wheels and an unpainted Malaysia base. Similar yellow cars appear as collector number 19 in 1990, so those details alone do not settle the year of a loose example.
The blue 1989 Getty promotion has Getty lettering on the wing and was supplied bagged. If the bag matters to your collection, check that it is actually included; a loose blue car cannot supply the missing packaging history.
What the 1995 Hot Hubs car actually looks like
The Hot Hubs release is bright green with glitter in the finish, magenta and red decoration, and purple-and-yellow Hot Hubs wheels. It is series number 3 and collector number 310. Black, dark-blue and teal cars should not be assigned to that release just because they look futuristic.
Get a close photograph of both wheel faces on each side. A replaced wheel changes the comparison, even when the swap looks tidy. Keep repairs and modifications in the description.
The purple car pictured here
The photo shows Circuit Racer graphics, a dark canopy, gold-colored engine detail and five-spoke wheels. It is useful for seeing the shape of Shadow Jet, but it is not a photograph of the yellow first release or the green Hot Hubs car. The 1998 Techno Bits family uses the purple racing-and-circuit graphic scheme.
For condition, look across the canopy in soft light and along the front edge of the nose. Check the rear wing for damage and glue. Photograph the underside before assigning a country or release to an individual car.
The original design has a separate plastic nose; a 2011 retool incorporated the nose into the body and separated the interior. That documented change should not be moved back to 1995. Shadow Jet II is a different casting with its own guide.
