Customizing: Modding
I want to start painting my modded cars. Could y'all help me?
-What paints do you recommend?
-Any tips or tricks?
Thanks guys!
Discussion
Stripping and axle/wheel swapping is pretty straight forward. For paint I just use Home Depot spray paint, gloss. I usually put a primer coat on the metal and then color. I haven't done anything fancy though. Just paint and then some decals maybe. Can't wait to see what you create!
I put the bodies in stripper.
Spray them with any cheap grey auto primer.
Sand.
Paint with and can of spray paint color I like.
That's the basics. If I don't like the way the paint job looks, I might sand it down a bit and paint it again. ONce in a while if it warm weather and I have plenty of time I might repeat with the sanding and painting a couple more times. Like anything, it requires patience. Quite a bit of patience. (For good results that is).
-TIP ALERT This time of year people are wrapping presents. When the wrapping paper is gone. You can use the cardboard core as a light saber...or you can pinch it a little and put the car on the end and use it as a holder while you paint. You can get at all kind of angles that way. Works great I must say.
Thanks guys. Hopefully my entrants to come are a little more personalized!
I'd be careful with going too crazy with the painting. I made two really gorgeous cars for the second lightweight challenge but the paint job didn't survive very long. They came back with a lot of paint removed and scratches. I even clear coated the both of them, but it didn't seem to help. I was a little upset cause I spent a lot of time on the two of them. What i'm really saying is, you should be sure that the place you're sending your painted up cars to has a good enough stop box to accommodate them.
Like WorpeX I stripped and painted a batch of cars for the first series that I entered and was surprised at how much paint was chipped off when I got them back.
I have found that it is difficult to get new paint to 'stick' to a car that has been stripped of its original paint. IMO the original paint is the best base coat. Scuff it up then repaint. These racers are going to get 'handled' quite a bit during a series and no matter how careful we are they are likely to 'rub' at some point.
Try this before you send your newly painted cars to a race series. Stick a piece of masking tape on a repainted car and another piece of tape on one fresh out of the package. Now pull the tape off and see which one has paint on the tape. If your paint job won't pass this test it is highly likely your cars will look beat up upon their return from a series.
The comments above are for racer builds. If your build is for a static display the paint need not be as durable. As always, your mileage may vary!
I agree with EconoCarl. I am learning this the hard way. with all my test and tuning for the delivery series. One of my cars looks pretty rough allready. even after clear coating, etc
That being said I spent more time on my "show" car. stripped, primed, 3 light coats of paint (let these dry a day between) then a single coat of clear.
I've had decent luck with Testors spray paints, one stage Enamel. Comes in flakes and solids.
I'll scuff or strip a car with a chemical stripper. Then primer with spray automotive primer. Let dry and then I'll scuff it with a paper towel to smooth out the primer. I'll also heat them under a shop light with a 100w bulb. Temperature and humidity play a huge role. I'll spray outside and then bring the car inside under the light to dry. Then the color with a couple of light coats and then one heavy finish coat. then clear. Then detail paint.
But like Carl mentioned, the original paint is the best. Remove tampos with some fingernail polish and q-tips.
It's fun, I got really into it for awhile, before furniture took over.
i try to have my cars resemble shelf queens... but the little rascals come home as vetrans of the diecast wars... love it !
i tape a 1" and 1/2" cardstock pedestals to a chunk of paneling, i let the bodies set down over the peds.... if the body sits on the "palet", the palet will pull [like a wick] the paint off the lower 1/16"...
1st coat= just enough to make it sticky...flat paint will keep the latter coats of gloss from shining...
engine paint [dries in 20 min.], shines, fills to an extent, and is sandable...
if painting dark colors make the final coat shine a mile deep by useing ;
spraybomb KRYLON, SPECIAL PURPOSE X METALS, only 3 colors; red, purple & blue...
if painting over a chrome or [polished] body this paint is spectraflame [redlines]...
notice the colors of most restored redlines...