rickd13

What was the process you used on your latest project? Did you sand in between coats of base paint? If so, what grits did you use and how long did you wait for dry time between coats of paint? Did you do any sanding after your final color coat? If so up to what grit did you use? Did you spray your Krylon crystal clear over any of the foil or decals you may have done? Can you apply foil and decals over the crystal clear? Finally, after you clear coat with crystal clear, do you have to polish it after it dries(sanding up to 12,000 grit and then using a rubbing compound) or do you just leave it alone? I'm sorry if I sound like I'm interrogating you but I'm just trying to pick your brain so I can improve my own techniques. I feel totally lost and confused sometimes.

I don't have an airbrush.

What line of Duplicolor base paint do you use? All I seem to find is their Perfect Match automotive paint. Is that any good? Do you clear coat the Duplicolor or do you just polish it out. I'm finding what you say about the Tamiya paint being delicate true with Tamiya paint and Model Master.

Where do you buy Plasti Kote? I can't find it. I really like the DupliColor primer, however. p.s. I just found a few retailers near me that carry the Plasti-Kote line. What primer do you use? The plastic primer or the sandable primer? My guess would be the sandable primer.

What is your opinion on what brand of spray paint from a rattle can do you think is best? I love the Duplicolor primer but I was wondering about their Perfect Match spray paint and Perfect Match clear coat. Does Duplicolor have something better than their Perfect Match product line that you would recommend? If you were going to use spray paint from a can what would you guys recommend? I know a lot of people on here like Tamiya spray paint and Tamiya clear and I was wondering how it compares to the Duplicolor three part system (primer, Perfect Match color, and Perfect Match clear). My other question is, I have never used a clear coat before and I was wondering what the process is? Do you clear coat first and then foil the car? Also, do you do your detail painting (emblems, front grill, engine compartment parts like the battery) after you clear coat? If you get paint on an area you didn't intend to while detail painting how do you fix it? Do you wipe it away immediately with mineral spirits for enamels, and water or alcohol for acrylics?

Obviously there will be an outline of the hole. Will it sand and rub out okay? Thank you for the tip.

The situation is this. I was just finishing up a car. I was gluing something and the toothpick with glue on it slipped out of my hand and hit the body of the car just above the front fender. It left a small ridge in the paint. I'm sick over it. The car looked great. The paint is Model Master lacquer (classic white) out of a spray can. I did not clear coat it. The car already has decals and foil on it so I really can't repaint the whole car. I sanded the spot down with 4,000 grit and 6,000 grit paper. It actually doesn't look too bad. It is completely smooth now, but there is just a tiny spot where the paint looks a little thin. My question is, can I spray some of the same paint (Model Master lacquer from a spray can) into a cup and touch up that spot with a brush? I know it won't look great when first applied, but can I sand and rub it out after the touch up paint has dried? If this won't work, can anyone suggest some other solution to the problem? Thanks,Rick.

Thanks for your reply. Actually the classic white Model Master lacquer I used looks glossy enough to me without doing a thing to it. Do you think if I polish it a little and then wax it that it will be okay or should I just wax it without polishing? If I do wax, what would you recommend? Can I wax after I apply the decals? From now on, if I want to paint without using a clear, that the Tamiya paint is the way to go? As you can tell I'm really new to this and I'm learning expensive lessons as I go along. Thanks again for answering all of my stupid questions.

I would like to see the pictures if you have them. Thank you.

What does one to one mean? I see that on here a lot. Do you mean a real, full size car when you guys say 1:1?

I don't have pictures, but I have a link so you can see what they look like. http://www.mooresmopars.com/modregistry.html

How about a 1970 Plymouth Cuda with a "mod" top?

Has anyone on the forum ever tried to do a "mod" top on any of their Mopar projects? Mod tops were vinyl tops that Chrysler offered as an option up until, I believe, 1970. They came in psychedelic floral patterns. You could get matching interior inserts also. They were fairly rare. I loved the way they looked, especially on the 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda. I was wondering if anyone on here has ever built one or knows of any builds on here that had them.

Is it the consensus that clear coat is necessary? I guess what I want to hear from somebody is, "Sure. You should be fine without the clear coat." The problem I have is I already completed the hood, grill and back bumper without clear coat on them. They are already detailed (emblems, hood pins, hood vents, grill, and the trim around the grill) and I'm really happy with the way they came out. If I clear coat the body of the car now, won't it look different than the other parts that I didn't clear coat? Plus, I really do not want the car to be too shiny. I do not want it to look like the custom cars that I see on here. I want it to look the way the muscle cars of the late '60's and early '70's looked.

I'm using Dupli-Color primer. I do wash the body of the car with soapy water, and I do lightly wet sand and rinse off in-between coats of primer and paint, so I do not believe that is the problem. I would rather not use a clear coat because I am using white as the base color and I read that clear coat tends to yellow over time. Thank you for the tips guys. Keep them coming.

I have a few questions about Model Master (lacquer) spray can paint if anyone can help. My first question is, on the can it says that it is a two part system to be used with Model Master lacquer clear coat. Is it necessary to use the clear coat or could I just polish the base color (white) to the desired finish? My second question is, I have been having problems with the paint "nicking" when I have tried to scrape away excess foil with a tooth pick, after I cut around small details on the body (fender vents on '71 'Cuda). Is that because I am not using a clear coat over the base color paint to protect it? Could it be because the paint isn't completely cured? I waited 24 hours before I tried foiling. Should I wait longer? I have read on here that you do not need to clear coat solid, non-metallic colors. Is that the case with the Model Master lacquer paint I'm using also? My last question is, is there any way to touch up a nick in the paint without having to repaint the whole car? I already stripped the the body of the car twice and started over because of this. If it happens again, I would like to know if there is a technique I could use to fix the small problem instead of starting all over again. Thanks for any advice you guys can give me.

Does anyone have any tips on how to do the fender vents on a '71 'Cuda. I tried chrome silver Model Master enamel paint around the vents and ruined the paint job twice already. I tried foil, but the area is too deep and small and had no success. Should I try an acrylic silver paint and an acrlic black wash after I get the silver outline around the vents? I'd appreciate any advice or if anyone knows of any picture tutorials.

It looks awesome. I wish the pictures were a little clearer though. I love the old Mopar muscle cars. I just completed a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T (panther pink) and I'm in the middle of a 1971 Hemi Cuda convertible (white). The white Cuda is going to look like Bill Wiemann's 1971 Hemi Cuda convertible. It is supposedly the most valuable muscle car in the world ($5 million).

Thanks guys. This forum is great.

What is the best way to strip off paint so I can get back to bare plastic? I do not like the way the hood of the car I am doing came out and I need to strip it. Is brake fluid a good way to do it? Will it remove all of the color coats and primer also (all of it is lacquer)? Will it damage the plastic? How do you go about using brake fluid if that is what you suggest? Would you just soak the hood in it, and for how long? Thanks for the help.

Can you apply Future over everything including bare metal foil? You can apply Future to your windshield and chrome also?

Once again I'm new to this. The question I have is, when you foil a wind shield area in strips, what do you do at the corners? Do they overlap? Doesn't that look weird? How do you make them look right? Should I try to cut a piece of foil so it is like the strips but is all connected and slightly bigger than the wind shield area (like a thick outline of a rectangle shape) so that the corners are all connected?

Thank you. I'll give it a try.

What do you suggest that I do with the car the way it is now? Should I just wax it? If that is the case, will the dull spots I talked about go away or do I have to do something before waxing it to get rid of the dullness first? Should I do foil before I wax it or will waxing it after disturb the foil? I can remove the decals because I have an extra set. Is that what you would do? If that is what you suggest, how do you remove the decals without ruining the paint? Sorry for all the questions , but my head is spinning. Thanks for the help. Thank you to everyone for your advice and suggestions.

Will the clear coat take away the dull spots I talked about? Did I use too rough a grit sand paper? Is there anything I should do or know before I clear coat it?