Description[]
The Bye-Focal is a Hot Wheels casting designed by Larry Wood which debuted in the 1971 Hot Wheels range of vehicles. It is based on a '70 Dodge Challenger with heavy modifications,l includingtwo Injected V-8's under a glass on an elongated front end, and a stubby shortened rear end. The Bye Focal is a fairly hard to find and desirable casting overall.
All Bye-Focals were manufactured in Hong Kong and featured blue-tint glass and 'Capped' Redline wheels. Mostly produced with a clear blue hood, some can be found with a clear hood. Some can be found with a hard to find variation where the injectors on the engine are missing. Decals featuring a pair of glasses with "Bye-Focal" written on it are factory-applied on the driver's side, with an extra optional sticker to be applied by the user, also included in the package was a plastic 'Collector's Button'.
It was painted in various Spectraflame colors, of which Purple is the hardest to find and is regarded as one of the rarest of all Redline Hot Wheels from the Spectraflame Era (1968-1972). Due to shade differences in the Spectraflame painting process, the existence of a Spectraflame Olive version receives skepticism by collectors and is generally believed to be merely a regular Spectraflame Yellow which has 'Toned' (dulling of the metal) rather than a completely separate color.
The Bye-Focal is known to have issues with a metal fatigue called 'Crumbling' where the body or chassis develops cracks and literally crumbles into pieces.
In 1973, the Bye Focal was released with the clear hood removed and was renamed as the Show-Off.
In 2003, the Bye-Focal was re-tooled for the HotWheelsCollectors.com Series 2 Super Chromes.
Original Versions[]
The Bye-Focal has come out in the following 1/64 scale versions, :
| Year | Series | Color | Sticker | Base Color / Type |
Window Color | Interior Color | Wheel Type | Toy # | Country | Notes / Variations |
Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Blue | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Gray or Black | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | 
| |
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Light Blue | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Gray or Black | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | Rare | 
|
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Aqua | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Gray or Black | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | 
| |
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Green | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Gray or Black | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | Hard to Find | 
|
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Light 'Apple' Green | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Gray or Black | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | 
| |
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Yellow | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Gray or Black | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | Rare |
|
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Red | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Gray or Black | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | Rare | 
|
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Magenta | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Gray or Black | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | ||
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Purple | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Gray or Black | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | Extremely Rare | 
|
No Injector Versions[]
The Bye-Focal has come out in the following 1/64 scale versions, :
| Year | Series | Color | Sticker | Base Color / Type |
Window Color | Interior Color | Wheel Type | Toy # | Country | Notes / Variations |
Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Green | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Dark Gray | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | 
| |
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Blue | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Dark Gray | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | Hard to Find |
|
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Magenta | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Dark Gray | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | Hard to Find | 
|
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Aqua | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Dark Gray | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | Hard to Find |
|
| 1971 | Mainline | Spectraflame Red | 'Bye Focal' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Dark Gray | Capped RL | 6187 | Hong Kong | Extremely Rare |
|
Retooled Versions[]
| Year | Series | Color | Tampo | Base Color / Type |
Window Color | Interior Color | Wheel Type | Toy # | Country | Notes / Variations |
Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | HWC Series 2: Super Chromes 4/4 |
Chrome | Blue & black "BYE", "FOCAL", & glasses graphic on sides, "4 EYES" on rear California license plate, painted headlights, fog lights, & taillights | Chrome / Metal |
Tinted (Blue) | Cream | NCRL | B2199 | China | 12,500 produced | 
|
| 2005 | 5th Annual Hot Wheels Nationals Convention - RLC Party | Spectraflame Pink | Chrome / Metal |
Tinted (Blue) | White | NCRL | H9272 | China | 
| ||
| 2007 | 2007 RLC sELECTIONs Series 3A/4 |
Spectraflame Light Blue | Blue & light blue ghost flames, RLC logo, & "Bye-Focal" on sides; "2FAST2C" on rear California license plate; painted taillights | Chrome / Metal |
Tinted (Smoke) | White | RLRR5SP | L2112 | China | 7,716 produced | 
|
Similar Castings and Names[]
Gallery[]
