Body Painting - Advanced

What You’ll Need - Supplies

 

Dish soap
Clean cloth or paper towel
Fine steel wool, or SOS pad
High quality masking tape (3M)
Permanent marker
Straight and curved scissors
Sharp hobby knife
Pencil
Lexan compatible paint
Homemade wheelwell template
Window masks, Decal sheet, wing mounting hardware

 

 

 

Wash your body

 

To remove any residue left on the body after molding, you must wash it inside and out. Use warm soapy water in your sink, paying special attention to the tight curved areas and corners. Dry the body with a clean towel or hair dryer. It must be completely dry before you paint it.

 

 

Cut off the wing

 

If your body came with a wing or spoiler molded into the excess material, you must cut it off. Some wings are molded in the opposite direction of the body. If this is the case you must remove the protective film, and paint the reverse side.

 

 

 

Marking the Body Posts

 

If your body does not have mounting holes marked for your chassis you can mark them before you paint. Drop the body over your chassis, center it and use a permanent marker to mark the body posts. You can also mark the wheel wells. Touring car and On-Road bodies sometimes have no rear wheel well outlines, this give you freedom to make a perfect fit for your chassis. (Touring Car body shown)

 

 

Marking the Wheels

 

While your body is over the chassis, you can also mark the wheel wells if neccessary. Touring car and on-road bodies sometimes have no rear wheel well outlines, this give you freedom to make a perfect fit for your chassis. A great tip is to make a wheel well template, and use it to trace 4 identical wheel well shapes. They can be made from either scrap lexan, or cardboard.

 

 

 

Window Masks

 

Using the molded in window lines as a guide apply the window masks to the inside the body. Be sure to press down all the edges to keep paint from sneaking under. The masks keep the windows clear while you paint.

 

 

Step 1: Draw your design

 

This paint scheme is quite simple, and uses straight masking tape for the design. Make sure you use high quality masking tape, and press down all the edges. First mask off the color that you want to paint last.

 

 

Step 2: Cover design with tape

 

Fill in the area you want to paint with your second color. I used blue and beige tape to show the separate paint sections. Painting from dark to light is ideal, so leave the darkest section clear, and paint this first.

 

 

Step 3: Careful cutting

 

Fill in the area you want to paint with your second color. I used blue and beige tape to show the separate paint sections. Painting from dark to light is ideal, so leave the darkest section clear, and paint this first.

 

 

Step 4: Remove mask & fade edges

 

When your first color has completely dried, unmask the second section of the paint scheme. While removing the tape, watch that you don’t remove any of the stripes accidentally.

 

 

Step 5: Paint 1st main color

 

Again spray light coats and cover evenly. You can then back it with white or silver, but in my case I will use silver for the stripes, so no need to back it separately. When the paint has completely dried remove the taped stripes.

 

 

Step 6: Unmask & fade 2nd edges

 

Now fill in the stripes with silver, and also back up the blue section in the middle, and on the bed.

 

 

Step 7: Finish flames

 

Painted window trim is very popular, and easy to create. When your final backup coat is dry, trace and trim around the inside of the window mask creating a border. Remove the borders from all the windows and spray with your favorite color.

 

 

Step 8: Chrome stripes

 

Another option is a flat black tonneau cover or bedliner. With a sharp hobby knife cut the protective film around the bed, and peel it away. Spray the bed with hobby paint, or flat black enamel. The film will protect the rest of the body.

 

 

Optional Step: PaintedWindow Border (novice tutorial photo shown)

 

An option is a flat black tonneau cover or bedliner. With a sharp hobby knife cut the protective film around the bed, and peel it away. Spray the bed with hobby paint, or flat black enamel. The film will protect the rest of the body.

 

 

Optional Step: Flat Black Tonneau

 

An option is a flat black tonneau cover or bedliner. With a sharp hobby knife cut the protective film around the bed, and peel it away. Spray the bed with hobby paint, or flat black enamel. The film will protect the rest of the body.

 

 

Step 9: Trim & test fit

 

Trim out your body using curved scissors for the wheel wells and straight scissors for the lower lines. Drill out your body post markings with either a Dremel tool or reamer. The protective film will help keep your body from getting scratched as you cut and drill.

 

 

Step 10: Remove protective film & window masks

 

Peel back the protective film, and remove the window masks.

 

 

Step 11: Decal & Detail

 

Apply the decals included with the body, add extra details with a paint pen or Sharpie marker if you wish.

 

 

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