Hot Wheels and Matchbox Customizing Thread

[Cano]

Ah,very cool! What car did you stole them from? A Vintage Racing? They'rethe only ones to have the lettering if memory serves me well.

Also, pics of the detailed engine! You haven't closed the car yet, na?

 

[CodeRedR51]

Somewhat step by step on the CRX:

 

[VspecZR1GT2RS89]

Not bad the wheels do fit the two tone nicely. I can't wait to see more of the project.

 

[M-POWER_FTW]

It's looking good. Paint the exhaust.

 

[CodeRedR51]

It's looking good. Paint the exhaust.

Negative. Ceramic coated exhaust.

Plus one of the tips is kind of messed up and I'd rather not highlight the imperfection with some shiny silver paint.

 

[f1reb1rd]

I'm gonna try to do a 458 Spider... off to the hobby store for me! I checked and I have a can of pearl white Testors lacquer (I honestly don't know how to spell it). What's the difference between paint and it?

 

[M-POWER_FTW]

Negative. Ceramic coated exhaust.

Plus one of the tips is kind of messed up and I'd rather not highlight the imperfection with some shiny silver paint.

Ahh ok, gotcha. Btw, it's sporting Japan's flag colors. JDM, 🤬 yea! Lol.

I'm gonna try to do a 458 Spider... off to the hobby store for me! I checked and I have a can of pearl white Testors lacquer (I honestly don't know how to spell it). What's the difference between paint and it?

No clue. I always see a whole row of Testors lacquer at Michael's here, but never tried it. Research the paint. See if anyone uses it on diecast cars. Ah screw it, ask Cano.

 

[Cano]

Why me? I don't even paint my cars

 

[AOS-]

What are you good for then I ask you?

 

[Cano]

What are you good for then I ask you?

hahaha everything else but paint

 

[photonrider]

I assumed he's talking about painting the whole car. Paint pen won't work.

To each their own.

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Where can I find information on how to do some of this stuff and how to tear apart some of these cars? Also, do you use regular model paints with this or something else?

A lot of info in the first post.

And in the rest of the thread, too; read the thread through and you will find many hidden gems of advice and other quick-tips to help you get going. And welcome to the addictive world of customising. 👍

.......XsnipX......

And on the topic of detailing I encourage anyone to stop using tooth picks and grab some higher end brushes from a hobby store. They might be expensive, but trust me they are so much easier to use and you can use one for a long while if you just keep it clean. For detailing like this you would obviously need the smallest ones.

Good advice. Look for 00 or 000 brushes. Sometimes a single hog-hair on a brush (cut away the excess bristles) will work. Avoid soft bristles like sable or squirrel.

Remember also that some brands of automotive touch-up paint pens come with interchangeable tips - from felt, to brush, to fiber-point. Ad-agency Sharpies work well too, and come in a range of points - from extra-fine to broad. The broad works on two-tone paint jobs as well as doing bonnets or roofs, wheel-fenders, etc. The broader-brush pens, in a deft hand, and because the paint is self-levelling, can be used to paint even large areas of a real car in a smooth finish, much like spray-work. Paint Sharpies in super-fine point can be easy to use when detailing wheels; remember to shake well before use and get a smooth strong flow. I found even the yellow quite opaque - which anyone in the paint industry will agree is hard to make.

Takumi-Fujiwara - in the case of air-brushing - if it's a .05 mm tip you are using, then there are paints you can buy in a bottle, which you will probably be pushing at around 40-50 psi. Smaller tip and you may have to thin it - but then you will have to layer several coats. That's a nice effect because you can mix colours for a sort of 'reflex' or translucent pearlized look. One bottle goes a long way - but if you buy 3-4 colours you can also mix up custom batches.

Here are some palettes and a few shots from my local art store - if you have one in your area go in and talk to them; there may be some customisers working as staff in there!

There are various primers available at auto stores - get the good one - it not only works better to prime and seal, you can use it on any metal around the house that needs attention (rusty bike?)

Sandpaper and clear finishes (lacquers and poly-urethanes) will be available at auto-parts stores too. Remember the higher the number the lower the grittiness of the paper. #60 means 60 grains per sq. in. so big grains and therefore more scuffability, or more grittiness. A high number - say #400, (400 grains per sq. in. will mean a smoother sandpaper (very low grittiness) and good for final sanding before a prime - numbers as high as #2000 - #3000 can be used between coats of lacquer.

Oh! The difference between paint and lacquer? Way back in time craft paints came in little half-pint cans and they were oil-based (mostly linseed-oil) and had a brilliant gloss, commonly referred to as 'Chinese lacquer'. As time went on alkyd (man-made oil) paints were formulated and paints in various sheens (as in high-gloss, semi-gloss, satin, eggshell, flat (matte), etc) flooded the market - and not just from China. Eventually clear lacquer - (which is basically paint without the pigment, tints, fillers or titanium-dioxide that give it opacity) came to be referred to as lacquer, and paint just referred to as paint - though paint can still be a lacquer paint.
The word lacquer is also used by some (mistakenly) to mean varnish or poly-urethane or acrylic urethane - which are all different clear protective finishes.

That's it - except to say that THERE ARE SOME AWESOME CUSTOMS IN HERE!!!

Yes, I screamed that last part.

Cheers,
Harry.

 

[CodeRedR51]

^^^ I just don't see painting a whole car with a paint pen and it coming anywhere near the quality of a spray job.

 

[diabolicwyvern]

Took apart 5 cars last night. On the destruction line were a shelby cobra, an Ice cream truck, a '57 chevy, a science friction and a porsche 930.

 

[AOS-]

Took apart 5 cars last night. On the destruction line was an Ice cream truck

Where am I going to get my sprinkled vanilla cone now?

Anyway, I'm probably going to start the Stealth Fast Fish project tomorrow if I can grab paint remover from work tonight.

Still can't quite decide whether or not I should go flat black or gloss black.

 

[diabolicwyvern]

There's always...

 

[VspecZR1GT2RS89]

Where am I going to get my sprinkled vanilla cone now?

Anyway, I'm probably going to start the Stealth Fast Fish project tomorrow if I can grab paint remover from work tonight.

Still can't quite decide whether or not I should go flat black or gloss black.

Aww no ice cream?!?!

But I would go with glossy black for the Fast Fish, it will blend with the lines of the car though.

 

[AOS-]

How's semi-gloss sound?

Was going to do gloss, but I forgot I used the clear tamiya for that, but I had already glued the car back together and well, it's too late now.... same goes for the wheels.​

 

[CodeRedR51]

Did you paint the windows too?

 

[Cano]

haha, it seems so. The photography style works very well with such a dark car.

 

[AOS-]

Did you paint the windows too?

Better than red tinted windows, no?




Does anyone feel the surface looks like cast iron?

 

[raz_10]

​

haha, it seems so. The photography style works very well with such a dark car.

Very Dark Night looking speacially the first pic. I like your work! indeed it does look very cast iron-y, makes it look like its a heavy car! 👍

 

[VspecZR1GT2RS89]

I'm really feeling the black paint. It brings out the car's shape and I love the dark background with the car.

And the car does look heavy.

 

[homeforsummer]

Love the look of that CRX on the last page. Nice work 👍

 

[diabolicwyvern]

Question:

I'm missing the exposed engine in a 57 chevy and rather than look for a replacement I thought I'd just fill the void. Ideas?

 

[M-POWER_FTW]

Question:

I'm missing the exposed engine in a 57 chevy and rather than look for a replacement I thought I'd just fill the void. Ideas?

I guess fill it with putty and sand it down for a flush, even finish. Or a hood scoop?

I say hood scoop.

Seems like your only two choices other than another engine.

 

[diabolicwyvern]

Progress Picture forthcoming

 

[photonrider]

^^^ I just don't see painting a whole car with a paint pen and it coming anywhere near the quality of a spray job.

Neither can I. Nor can I find the phrase "Paint pens won't work!" even repetitively toned with territorial tyranny, especially following a post that mentioned them for use in detailing, objective. If it's comparisons we're after I would advise powder-coating, of course. Or at the least an electro-static process.

Question:

I'm missing the exposed engine in a 57 chevy and rather than look for a replacement I thought I'd just fill the void. Ideas?

DW - mayhaps you should look at some modelling paste if you are into constructing body or engine parts; Liquitex has a gel that is made with a mix of marble dust and polymer emulsion, and can be carved or sanded after it is dry. Can also be mixed with acrylic paint before you shape the object or painted after it's dry.
Looking forward to pics of your progress. 👍

 

[Antonisbob]

EDIT: Absolutely the wrong thread.

 

[diabolicwyvern]

New rule: Before stripping car, make sure its not a rare variation.

example:
Do strip a 7sp Sports car series Shelby Cobra.
Dont strip a 5sp version. (like I did)

Paid a quarter for, stripped it, primed it, then when looking for other cobras on Southtexasdiecast to see the colors it came in... Discovered mine was worth $15 loose and $35 carded.

 

[CodeRedR51]

*facepalm*