Instructions
The original 1969 Mattel Hot Wheels Factory box was yellow with a picture of a blond boy in a green T-shirt in front of his factory making and racing cars. Directly under the name, bold black text stated "Make Hot Wheels Custom Cars.'' At the bottom right corner of the box front, there were three lines of text: "Make 10 Different Custom Bodies with Plastik," "Make 'Em with Real Hot Wheels Axles and Wheels," and "Race 'Em on Any Hot Wheels Track.'' The factory itself was blue with a black handle and sat in a red plastic base. The back of the box had a light orange background with black and white lettering and pictures of the 10 Hot Wheel cars that you could make with the factory: the Overtaker, Vampire, Hot Pipes, Rattler, Firecracker, Marengo, Dominator, Spirit, Double Threat and Mean Streak.
The Hot Wheels Factory originally came with a 4-page set of paper instructions inside the box called, "Hot Wheels Factory Customizing Instructions.'' You can download copies of these on the Internet for free from the site ToyCarCollector.com. Based in Vancouver, Washington, this site also carries vintage Hot Wheels parts, accessories and instructions for other Hot Wheels products. If you want original instruction sheets for the Hot Wheels Factory, you can order them by calling 360-896-2045 (See Reference 3).
M. J. Thompson's site "Creepy Crawlers," at austinthompson.org (Reference 2) also offers tons of vintage Mattel toys and accessories, including copies of Hot Wheels instructions for $2.
Beware of imitations! There was a Hot Wheels Factory reissued in 2001 by RoseArt, not Mattel. It came in a bright blue box. The date and manufacturer are clearly displayed, so there is no mistaking it for the original 1969 Mattel version.
Thanks to the Internet, vintage toy collectors all over the world can now share pictures and information about their prized collections. Thankfully, there are some mothers out there who never threw things away, or some kids who held onto their stuff. With the advent of online auction sites like eBay, it is possible to buy back your childhood memories. Toy collectors are generally both proud of their collections and willing to help others who share their interests and passions for the toys of yesteryear. There are now online collector sites where they frequently post pictures of and information about their treasures, and you can pretty easily find missing parts and pieces for just about any toy.