Prepping vintage model car for restoration

[chicane]

I have a couple of model cars that need restoration. The bodies are extremely yellowed from age and I would like to prep them in a bath to restore them to  their original white base.

I have seen other modelers soak in various baths to clean and prep and remove any varnishing.

What do you suggest?

[Plowboy]

If they're yellowed from age, there's nothing you can do for it. Just primer with white primer and paint as usual.

[Mark]

Sometimes the yellowing is due to the display area being contaminated by smoke (being in the home of a smoker) or even fluorescent light.  I'd treat the parts as though they were painted, and clean them the same way.  You'd clean even brand new parts before priming or painting, these would be no different.

[Tom Geiger]

I’m assuming we’re talking unpainted parts. Per Mark’s advice check to see if the surface is sticky or gritty, that’s environmental contamination, either nicotine or even cooking grease. Give it a good soak in a degreaser. 

Nicotine can be nasty.. I came into a Budweiser clock that had been hanging in a bar for decades. Nicotine actually started dripping from it! 

If the plastic is just yellowed, I’ve had success soaking stuff, including yellowed clear plastic in 91% alcohol. 

Edited December 13, 2020 by Tom Geiger

[StevenGuthmiller]

Most of the vintage kits that I have acquired in recent years have yellowed to one extent or another.

There is no need to worry about this coloration, and no real way that I know of to get rid of it anyway.

As long as the model is clean, just treat it as you would a new one.

Prime and paint and you will never know, or care what color the plastic was.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[440 Dakota]

good advice above just scrub clean and prime, I will ad this I've had very good success whitening the whites on vintage RC10 and Traxxas R/C parts with just regular over the counter hydrogen peroxide in a sealed clear container placed in the sun, I've never tried it on plastic models but maybe if you had a yellowed white promo or something it might be worth a shot