Need Paint Advice

[ch9862]

Hello everyone,

My first post here. I'm normally an airplane modeler, don't think I've ever built a car model. My wife bought me a car kit, which has obviously gone straight on top of "to do" pile. It's Tamiya Ferrari F50. The only "problem" I have with it is that it's a yellow version. Since this will very possibly be the only car model I'll ever make, I'd rather paint it red - to me Ferrari needs to be red .

My question is: is there appropriate red color available in any acrylic paint range? We live in an apartment, and my better half would kill me if I tried using enamels (forget lacquers!).

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

[cruz]

I believe Testors makes Italian red in their enamel line of paints. Personally I would go with the Tamiya brand on this, they are a little stronger when it comes to the odor but it dries quicker and better than the enamel.....

[Raul_Perez]

Testors makes an "Italian Red" in a spray lacquer. It's one of their earlier two-part lacquer products, so you'll need to use the clear, too. Trust me on this one, use the clear. I've sprayed a lot of the models with this stuff. If you simply follow the instructions on the can, you'll get a great paint job.

Regards,

[Raul_Perez]

I believe Testors makes Italian red in their enamel line of paints. Personally I would go with the Tamiya brand on this, they are a little stronger when it comes to the odor but it dries quicker and better than the enamel.....

Marcos is correct. The Tamiya acrylic spray is also better than the Testors enamel and comes in a red that should look close to what you want.

Edited March 14, 2008 by Raul_Perez

[Zoom Zoom]

Testors Modelmaster Acryl acrylic is good stuff, either guards red or italian red should work fine. It's a bit tricky to thin. Tamiya X7 red acrylic is also good. Testors dries faster/harder, Tamiya might airbrush a bit easier. Even acrylics do smell as they dry, but not as strong as enamel or lacquer.

Flat acrylics spray smoothly, and you could topcoat w/Future which smells kind of lemony, if you don't have as good luck spraying a smooth coat of gloss acrylic. Unfortunately I've yet to shoot a gloss acrylic that's as forgiving as enamel or lacquer. They just don't flow the same way.

[ch9862]

Thanks for all the answers. It looks like I need Testors Acryl paint then. I'm pretty sure that Tamiya doesn't have any car colors in their spray acrylics range, only in lacquers.

Which exactly Testors color am I after? Italian red?

Thanks!

[FactoryStock54]

Tamiya TS 8 (rattle can), Italian Red; this is an ACRYLIC SYNTHETIC LACQUER and is the best bet for a smooth, good-looking finish with the least fuss. . .

If you are painting red over yellow you should consider applying a coat or two of Tamiya Gray Primer before applying the red. This is especially important if you opt to use the MM Acryl Italian Red as, in addition to issues of "bleed-through" with the underlying yellow, MM Acyl paints can sometimes resist adhering to bare plastic.

The Tamiya rattle cans, including the primer, do produce some fumes, so be sure to spray in a well-ventilated area and wear a good-quality cartridge respirator, a simple mask is not sufficient for safety's sake.

Hope this helps

Edited March 14, 2008 by FactoryStock54

[ch9862]

Thanks! Italian red it is.

Tamiya can call it what they want, but their TS range is definitely solvent based. I'm sure it's a great product, but I'd get killed if I tried to bring it home .

Thanks for the advice on priming.

[Zoom Zoom]

If you are painting red over yellow you should consider applying a coat or two of Tamiya Gray Primer before applying the red. This is especially important if you opt to use the MM Acryl Italian Red as, in addition to issues of "bleed-through" with the underlying yellow, MM Acyl paints can sometimes resist adhering to bare plastic.

It is not necessary to spray gray primer to cover yellow plastic when spraying red. Red Acryl covers very well-it has dense pigment, and yellow plastic will not shift the color of the topcoat, and Acryl won't leach color out of the plastic. You're giving good advice for lacquers in general, but it's simply not necessary for Acryl paint. There's an Acryl primer as well if he needs to prime ahead of painting if there's been any kind of bodywork.

In addition, red is much better sprayed over white primer than gray.

[Ken]

You might want to look for the MM 'Guards Red' it is closer for a newer model Ferrari. The 'Italian Red' is a bit more orange that is better suited to the older Ferrari models. Now this is how it used to be. I don't know if Testors changed the formulas or not. Both are available in the Acryl range. One other hint... If you think you will only need two bottles, buy four. Double your paint amount, trust me, it is better to have too much than not enough

[ch9862]

ZoomZoom: Actually I was going to use Tamiya acrylic white in lieu of a proper primer. That's what I do when I paint yellow recognition stripes on an airplane model. It covers very well, and makes painting yellow (I'm guessing any light color) a breeze.

Ken: thanks for the advice on the amount of paint, I haven't thought of how much I need. Luckily I have a hobby shop nearby, hopefully they'll have what I need if I need more of it . Too bad I haven't read your post yesterday, I just bought Testor's 'Italian Red' this morning. I guess I'll start with that, if it really looks off, I'll go hunting for the 'Guards Red'.