# Painting an RC Car Body, need some help



## BTCC Collector

Ok so I just purchased a Tamiya 1/10th Volvo 850 BTCC RC car. From what I know the body is clear and I need to paint it.

I want to paint it white and then apply the provided decals.

Now what kind of paint should I buy for this? And how should I prep the body for painting?

Thanks


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## mcRacing

clean out the body with rubbing alcohol to prep..

the best paint to use is pactra paint go into your local hobby store and ask for lexan paint and they will get you what color you need.

good luck painting your first body!! i know i had fun :drunk: :drunk:


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## BTCC Collector

How would you recommend painting it?

What type of brush? Thin, wide, narrow?

Thank you for the info.


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## Rusty22

ask for pactra paint. it should come in a small spray paint can. just prep the body than spray the body. dont paint the body in one shot. shoot the body a little bit, let it dry and rapeat until all white.

Rusty NutZ


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## BTCC Collector

So other then swabbing the body down with rubbing alcohol and letting it dry do I need to do anything else like sanding the body before painting it?

Also should I sand the body after painting it.

Yeah I was planning on doing like a few light coats of paint to cover it, then a few medium coats too.

Oh should I clear coat it? And if so should I put the decals on the car and then clearcoat it to keep them fresh/ clean/ and possibly safe from some harm?


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## Rusty22

ok...rub the inside with rubbing alcohol to clean it, let it dry. spray the paint on the INSIDE of the body lightly until white with no clear lexan other than the windows and other parts that you dont want paint on. you do not have to clear coat anything. put the decals on the outside of the body. and you do not have to sand the body

Rusty NutZ


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## mcRacing

ohh most in portent get reg white not undercoat white it will crack and breck off it is for coating other colors so MAKE SURE YOU GET SPRINT WHITE that is the only white by pactra that sticks to the body


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## BTCC Collector

So just paint the inside of the body not the outside of the body. Also mask off the windows so they don't get paint on them.


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## Rusty22

yes. mask the windows off, paint the inside

Rusty NutZ


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## BTCC Collector

I know I am new and the questions sound stupid to more experienced people.

1. Why do you just paint the inside of the body? Is it because it wont get damaged the paint job that is when painted on the inside.

2. The decals will go on the outside is there anyway to protect them from damage?

3. How much does paint usually cost?

4. What do you guys think of this idea. Well two ideas really. 
- Painting the windows black for a tinted look.
- Or leaving them clear to see the chasiss.


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## Rusty22

1.exactly
2.no there is basically no way to protect them, just try to not hit other people lol
3.paint here in canada is about 4-5 bux for the pactra paint of choice
4.some people do paint the windows black for a tinted look but for most, they cant because they race and when racing you cant paint the windows. only maybe a strip on the top and bottom 

Rusty NutZ


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## BTCC Collector

Question: Why can't you paint the windows if your racing?


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## IndyRC_Racer

1. The reason for painting the inside of an r/c car body is to protect the paint. R/C paint has a flex agent in it to prevent it from chipping. It is important to buy the right paint - paint designed for polycarbonate (lexan) bodies. Tamiya and Pactra both sell paints for R/C bodies in spray bottles. 

2. If you want to protect the decals you have 2 choices. First choice would be to buy 2 bodies and use body (a) for racing/ body (b) for concourse or display. The second choice would be to have custom decals made that go on the inside of the body. You then paint over the decals.

3. Depending on where you live, a can of R/C spray paint should be aroun $6.00 US. If you are only going to paint the body white, you should only need 1 can. Remember, many light coats are better than 1 heavy coat of paint.

4. Window tinting can be tricky. There are many ways to tint windows with paint so it is see through or you can go with a solid color. Some kits come with decals to cover the windows. You can also use real window tinting material. Find a local car window tinting business and see if they will give you some scraps. If you are going to tint the windows with paint, remember to lay down darker colors first. For example, if you are going to tint the windows black and the body white, paint the windows 1st. There are other ways to tint windows, do a little research on the internet may be useful.


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## BTCC Collector

Thank you


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## IndyRC_Racer

There are many different ways to prep/paint a body. Here on some basic rules.

- Clean the inside of the body before painting it. Regular liquid dishwashing soap and rinse with hot water. This cleans out any chemical residue from the body.

- Paint darker colors first and work your way to lighter (when possible). When painting multiple color bodies, try to use the same brand/type of paint. Let the 1st color throughly dry before moving to the next color to prevent bleed through. Some paints require backing such a flourescent's to achieve best results.

- Some people like to use a scotch brite pad or fine sandpaper to scuff the area to be painted. This helps to rough up the surface which gives the paint more places to stick to. Remember to not scuff anything you want clear (windshield). Also with chrome paint you will not want to scuff the body where the chrome is as it will show the scratches.

- Work in a well ventilated area or outside. Use an air mask to protect your lungs. Wear rubber gloves/dishwashing gloves to prevent overspray from getting on your hands.

- If the body doesn't come with over-spray film, make sure to cover the outside of the body before painting.

- If you are in a hurry, spray light coats and use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process. R/C paint dries fairly quickly and a hair dryer speeds up the process.

- You can use a bottle of paint and a brush to paint small areas, but I've found a spray system works best.

- Lastly, you are going to make mistakes. Don't sweat it. If it is a body you are going to be racing with accept that it will soon be damaged anyway. If it is a concourse/display body, consider having an "expert" paint it. There may be someone locally or online that would be willing to paint it for you. However, for a beginner a single color scheme should be a good start.


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## BTCC Collector

I will not be racing this car, just using it for my personal amusement and for showcasing it.


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## BTCC Collector

I looked at two websites last night.

http://www.rchobbies.org/rc-body-painting.htm

http://www.rctech.net/articles/painting_hauntedmyst.shtml


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## IndyRC_Racer

Both of those are good resources. I forgot about the rctech.net, that has good info.

Good luck on your new body.


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## BTCC Collector

Thank you


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## BillH

*Good luck you will love it*

I thank you for your questions and new-ness in the hobby, It brought back my first experance with the lexan body and I will admit I painted the outside. It has been years and years since (not to mention 100s of bodies). And remember there are NO stupid questions. This is a great web site and there are many who will give good advise when asked.


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## BTCC Collector

Thank you


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## trackman

I do the washing with warm water with dish detergent and rinse really well with hot or warm water ...

Then on the outside on the protective film we roughly sketch our windows or any other design we may desire to get an idea what it may look like...(If no protective film on the outside of the body we use liquid masking on the outside of the body) ...

When painting on the inside try to do your darker colors first ...

We usally use FASKOLOR liquid paint by parma...

It is water based and will easily wash off if you don't like the results...Or just paint it white for a week ,then soak the painted body in warm soapy water and wash off the paint and paint it another color or design...

This paint can be stored for a long time and can be used on LEXAN ,metal,wood ,fiberglass and ceramics...It is also non-toxic and can be sprayed or brushed on the surface...

My 8 year old daughter has used this paint on lexan bodies ,pinecars, and many other projects...

FASKOLOR also has a sealer for when you are satisfied with the results and will protect your inside paint job ...But when using for an external paint job like on models ,wood or any other material you can easily protect the external paint job with a coat or two of clear spray laquar...

For detailed windows I like to take painters tape and put it on wax paper and then cut out the desired design for the windows , tear drops , flames ,etc.


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