Great product for replicating Vinyl tops!!!

[sjordan2]

OH! This is permanent bro, I tested this on a spare body and tried scraping it and couldn't do it. It might not be permanent in other mediums but for this application, it's perfect, this thing ain't coming off!!

Good to know it works in this application, and it certainly looks terrific. Everything I've used it for always peels off, and we eventually stopped using it because of health concerns.

By the way, has anyone tried the Model Master vinyl top base coat and texturing sprays?

[mr moto]

3M Spray Mount is NOT a permanent medium. I have used it for nearly 30 years in mounting advertising presentation materials and it will eventually peel and lose its grip.

Of course it peels off! Why should it be any different from a real vinyl top!!

[Guest Sickfish]

I have to agree with Marcos, i went & got some of this stuff as there was a local artist supply warehouse 2 blocks from where i live, & let me back Marcos up here...this stuff AIN'T coming off any time soon. I sprayed it on a test body & i've let it sit ( with a quick coat of testors black chrome trim ) for 48hrs & there ain't no way it's coming off. The only way i got some of it to peel back was by using my Exacto blade!! I think a coat or 2 of good semi-gloss clear sealer will strenghten any future doubts of peel back....

Marcos....Thankyou bro!! I'm using it on my Superbees!

Cheers Cliffo!

[dodgerblue62]

this is a very good idea . it looks very realistic . im gonna try this one out soon .....

[meaneyme]

Hey Cruz, how did you get the look on the lines on top of the roof? They look just like the real ones with the overlap and all.

[cruz]

Hey Cruz, how did you get the look on the lines on top of the roof? They look just like the real ones with the overlap and all.

What I did was, once I layed down the Plastruct strips, I primed the lines a little heavier on the inside to make sure and simulate the overlap. Once you shoot the adhesive, as you can see, the other side of the strip comes out just perfect. I glued my strips with Liquid Ambroid glue. You can use any other glue, I just thought the liquid glue was perfect for this. Of course, you have to make sure to mask the other side of the strip to keep the primer from getting accumulated on the opposite side of the aforementioned strip.

[sinicle]

this is a great tip! I recently built a replica of my cousin's first car (66 Galaxie), and her car had a top. I looked through all the vinyl top posts here and tried a couple methods, and thought the adhesive method was the best. I LOVE the results! thanks again for sharing!!!

[Mr. Moparman]

Darn, I gotta go get another '68 Charger kit now.

[High octane]

Great idea and your Mopar looks awesome! I might have to try that idea myself. Thanks.

[Danno]

Great technique. Thanks!!

[High octane]

Yes!

Many thanks for the tutorial, your Charger looks great!

[Romell R]

now that's a tutorial!

[Zhu]

I can't tell you the number of times I've pondered on how to replicate a vinyl roof, then, when nothings been forth-comming shelved the build or on many occasions not even started it.

Filed for future reference.

A thousand thank you's.

[Drake69]

Another trick is to use the Testors Model Master Vinyl Top spray after using either the Fabric Gray or Fabric Tan interior as a primer. The combination of the two gives it a perfect mottling effect you need for vinyl tops....

My first attempt at vinyl with this spray method (have since learned the trick of using styrene strips for mold lines....

[dustym]

Wish I had a picture of it, but I used just the fabric paint from testors. Light coats to cover, Duplicolor sandable flat black, then testors satin clear. I know, lots of steps, but looked better that the vinyl top spray. (in my opinion only, your results can vary)

Tim

[edward smith]

Awesome tutorial, looks like the perfect material for replicating vinyl tops. The molding strips look very much in scale also, something I have seen done before without much success. Thanks for sharing bro, you are a very talented builder.

[DPink]

Walmart has vinyl real cheap. Depending on what kind you get, you might have to shave the cotton off of the back so it doesnt stick above the roof real high.

[meaneyme]

Hey Cruz, I think Dave Thibodeau stole your idea, only his was featured in Scale Auto Magazine. Same car and color, I thought it was yours.

[cruz]

I saw that Kevin but believe me, there's a lot of stuff I can learn from Dave, not the other way around...

[sjordan2]

The Model Master vinyl top spray system (base coat & texture sprays) looked just right for the leather convertible top I need for a Mercedes classic. I went to HobbyTown USA on Thursday to get some and they were out -- in fact, when I asked, they looked in the catalog and it's not listed any more. The lady said it's probably among the products that Testors discontinued last year in the overhaul of their product line.

Looked for it online and it's shown as being out of stock.

[carrucha]

Good tip. Thanks!

[sjordan2]

Now that Model Master no longer makes the vinyl top paint system, any suggestions for making a leather convertible top look like this in 1/16?

[southpier]

I got this response http://www.smartexpress.co.uk/products/U%252dPol-Aerosol-Plast-%27X%27-4-Fine-Texture.html but haven't tried it. not sure if it's available in the US.

anybody ever use this: http://www.modelcargarage.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=63&idcategory=

my thought, it's just contact paper?

Edited December 20, 2014 by southpier

[Chris D]

Hi Joe,

I just did 4 cars (the 68 firebirds in the diorama section of this forum) with the model car garage vinyl top kit. I am not sure exactly what it is but it does look good when done.

Think of it more as a tape than a contact paper. The tape is more plastic than paper so it is a bit elastic to help it conform to the body.

I used both the black and the white. The white came off the backing material easier than the black did. To get the black off I held the material on a light bulb, then quickly got a knife under the corner and started to peel it off. This takes a lot of patience, back and forth between the light bulb and peeling. The tape will tear very easily if you are not careful.

The adhesive is very strong so it bonds really good - especially to itself, so again, be careful peeling the tape off the backer!

To over simplify, it is just tape on a clear backer. Cut it to the width needed, then peel it off and stick it to the roof of the car. Trim it to the molding and your done. As mentioned above, there are some tricks and I would recommend ordering two kits just to be safe and reduce the "I only have one shot at this" pressure. The instructions explain how to get the three required strips so that you have the overlapped seam which is really needed for the proper effect.

Chris D

[Mike_G]

I have a strip of semi-gloss latex paint that I peeled off a board (for some reason it didn't stick to the automotive primer I used) that would be perfect for replicating vinyl, it's really thin, and also has a bit of stretchiness to it.