What type of paint do you recomend to paint a plastic car body?

[Dave Deyton]

Got an old 1/8 scale Monogram Vette model I began years ago and was wondering what type paint and primer you recommend for painting the shell.
I have an airbrush and have used it touching up real vehicles with automotive paint. With all the tips and tutorials here I think I can get back on it and do a much better job.

Just wondering, so many types of paint available.

Thanks,


Dave

[Dave Deyton]

Really,
No help at all?

I think enamels will have more shine, but brand recommendations would be helpful for paint and primer .

Still finding out how to begin this process.


Dave

[Jo NZ]

If you use a barrier automotive primer , you can spray it with 1k auto paint. I use an auto cut and polish cream to bring up the gloss and then an auto wax treatment.

[MODEL A MODEL]

Hello Dave,

A surprisingly easy and difficult question to answer.

And without being in person, there is so much that can be miss direction.

Old fashioned automotive lacquers are outlawed here in California, but if you knew how to use them, they were the best in my opinion. -modern day acrylics are fine, and in most cases you don't have a choice, but to use them.

Evercoat brand, body fillers and primers are good. PPG primers are all catalyzed and a standard. Gunze Sangyo has a nice line of model paints and they're "Mr. Primer " is very good. It is usually a good idea to stick with one brand, primer and paint.

If your airbrush has several nozzle or tip sizes available, you'll want to use the largest for such a large model.

You might consider getting a touch-up gun, as it really is important to apply as much paint as evenly as possible over as large an area as you can, so it can all dry as the same rate and be wetted out at the same time.

And just as important to all other considerations is prep. A poorly prepared surface will never be hidden by any amount of paint. And no matter how well you have painted your model, again, it is the poor preparation that will show through!

And of course, patience.

Have to have patience. Unless you have access to a professional paint booth, forced air, temperature control, zero humidity and absolutely clean air, moisture traps and . . . -even then unless your paint is of the catalyzed type, you simply have to wait for it to dry thoroughly.

There are books and videos, and lots of opinions about paint and painting. The best advise is to practice! Find a brand that is readily available to you. Find a color you like, and practice. Too many people will spend weeks, months, and even years working on a superb model and then bury it under a poor paint job.

Every body who is good at painting, either does it all the time, and does test samples all the time,(practice), or they paint only when they need to, and do test samples,(practice).

Look to the professional painters and try to duplicate what they are doing, and how they work, and what environment they work in. I know more than a few modelers who will set up a tent in their garages, as a temporary "clean room" put in small heaters, filter the air, filter the paint of course, and make sure that they're not wearing anything but dust free cloths.

Short answer? Tamiya is a good brand. The paint is acrylic , water clean up, and it is well made and readily available. Pigment particles are very fine, color selection is good, and they are mixable. They airbrush well. After drying a week or more they can be wet sanded, and polished.

That's a whole different question, polishing.

-Its too bad that hobby shops have gone away. Look around and see if there is one still in your area? or local clubs? Getting advise face to face is better?

Hope this helps!

-Don

PS, Jo and I both worked at hobby shops in our past lives!

[Dave Deyton]

Great information, thanks.

I do a lot of body work on cars, so the automative fillers and paints are great news.
I have the Evercoat products around along with base coat clear coat and single stage 2K paint.

I liked the Tamiya paint in the past with a brush.
I have the automotive HVLP guns, and was thinking of using the small gun.

I like to keep the same brands in painting cars and have color sanded and buffed them in the past.

Thank you very much for the information and preferences to practice with.

I will not rush this model, I've had it since the 70's, but painted the seats brown with a brush and was not satisfied.

Thanks,

You have been most helpful.
I have been enjoying the tutorials and I'm sure I will have more quesions as I go along.

Dave