Detailing And Custom Zips Or Others Help

suspence411 · #1 12-01-2002, 04:06 PM

i chose this forum because it seems to really get results. anyway, i have the silver 911 zip, and i want to paint it a couple of different colors. my problem is this, do i need to sand and use primer? or should i do that anyway? im using krylon gloss. and what would be the best way to mask the project? masking tape or frisket? im not sure, i tried both on hotwheels to get an idea, but niether turned out anywhere near what i had hoped. i think its because i didnt sand or prime. if someone could tell me how to do this well, i would really appreciate it. im not really a mini rc fanatic, but i would like to have a dope car. i also got the F and F kit, so if my porsche turns out well, i might have a couple of whips to show. i have some really nice paint schemes. i think you guys would like. very original (i think). also i read a porst somewhere on this site that someone had created their own colors using a MAC program, i would be interested in that too. well thanks reading. any help is appreciated. and if anyone out there would be interested, im a dj, and i make mix tapes and cd's. full of hip hop, reggae, rock, more hip hop, and just about anything else that sounds good, (similar to Z-TRIP).
PLEASE HELP.

Go0ty · #2 12-01-2002, 07:12 PM

well im not sure about the masking but sandpaper is definately best for taking the initial coat deal of paint off

sessiz10 · #3 12-01-2002, 07:47 PM

I used decal remover (you can find at a hobby shop) to strip the original paint. <<<WARNING>>> the decal remover could leave the plastic cloudy, must have some patients.
For masking I used plain old masking tape.
To achieve a nice high gloss I put a couple of coats of acryllic spray sealant over the top.

Azimov · #4 12-01-2002, 08:59 PM

I've painted a couple of these Zips and this is the way I did it. I didn't remove the old paint. It's just to hard to remove paint with solvents from plastic. I just lightly sanded the body, being careful not to scuff the windows. I didn't primer, as that would make the paint coats to thick and I didn't want to obscure the panel seperation lines on the body. I cleaned the car thoroughly with water and dish soap and allowed it to dry completely. I masked the car with painters tape. The blue kind, but regular masking tape will do. Just be sure it is pressed into tight spots real well. I found that putting a piece of tape on that is bigger than the windshield, for example, and cutting around it carefully following the edge of the windshield with an x-acto worked best to mask the windows. I then painted the body with the finish coat in several light applications. A clear coat isn't really needed with a good quality paint unless you are adding decals. But, it does help protect the paint, especially the corners that get scuffed when driving.
Oh, and one more tip. This was my daughters idea. I recently chopped the tops off of both my Mustang bodies. If you are very careful with your dremel and sanding, you can end up with a very neat line of clear plastic around the windshield and tops of the doors. I then painted just the clear line with a sharpie permanent marker and added a bonnet to the back from sheet styrene painted flat black. The effect looks like blacked out trim just like a real car and you don't have to paint the entire body. Looks very finished with much less work. I gotta get some pics to show these babies off.

suspence411 · #5 12-02-2002, 02:28 PM

Well that will def. help. And what about lets say, i want to put a thin stripe down the left side, front to back. And the spoiler is there, i will have to wrap the tape around the spoiler, hoping the tape stays in place while i spray. Is there a better way to do this?

Azimov · #6 12-02-2002, 03:06 PM

This one stumped me too. I suppose the best way would be to remove the spoiler, and paint the stripe on the car and the spoiler seperately being very careful to ensure they match up. If you can't remove the spoiler, I suppose you could tape under it, and then tape the spoiler seperately. Small pieces of tape would help, and getting some of the 1/4 in. masking tape might make it easier too. Another idea might be to do the stripe in automotive pin striping.