# SpiderRPM's Custom Garage



## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

I've been accumulating bodies for modding/customizing. Thought I'd
start a thread 'cuz winter is here and I can see myself doing 50 cars
by spring and I didn't want to have 50 threads. 

*My first custom car

Metallic Silver Trans Am -
*










*The RX7*

This second one is still in the works. Mainly just detailing. My goal was to 
make a car that looked like a daily driver. A semi-beater that someone had
been driving since the 80's. I learned quite a bit while doing it. One thing is
that it takes a lot of work to make "flaws" look good. I know it sounds like 
an oxymoron but it's true. 

I laid a coat of dark primer down behind the orange..so as I wet sanded it, 
the primer would start to show through. I also made paint oxidation, scapes..
everything you'd expect on a car from the 80's. I need to get better photos
because it looks much better to the naked eye. 

After I got it in the mail. The roof had some big "dents" in it. I used 
JB Weld as a "bondo" to fill the dents..then sanded them down. Worked
out really well - 










*The Pine-Sol treatment -* 










*Removed this racing net with Dremel -* 










*After painting it, letting it dry for a night and then beating on the paint 
with 1000 grit sandpaper. The Daily Driver RX7 -*










Tightened windows -


----------



## clydeomite (May 5, 2004)

Good Job Spider. I never thought that body that came outta my body box could look that good.
Clyde-0-Mite


----------



## gomanvongo (Jun 12, 2010)

looking sharp!

j


----------



## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

clydeomite said:


> Good Job Spider. I never thought that body that came outta my body box could look that good.
> Clyde-0-Mite


Thanks, man! Yeah, it looked nice after some work and the initial shot of 
orange...but I wanted to dirty it up. I was really surprised at how easily 
the blue came off. It was kinda' thick so I was expecting some headaches..
smooth sailin'. The Lambo you sent will get done soon. :thumbsup:



gomanvongo said:


> looking sharp!
> 
> j


Thanks!


----------



## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

What places you guys suggest for snagging small decals? 
My next car calls for them.


----------



## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Road Race Replicas LINK has Tons of Great Decals ! Check 'em out


----------



## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

Awesome. Thanks for the link, man.
I wouldn't mind doing a little research and making some decals myself. I've 
done a lot of stuff that falls into the same area.


----------



## jobobvideo (Jan 8, 2010)

been looking for the best/cheapest way to print out my own decals also...got a few photoshop'd down to scale...ready to print...since they got white areas, can't use waterslide...been looking for cheap thin plastic ink jet mailing labels close to home...found this site a while ago...http://www.beldecal.com/decals.cfm


----------



## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Decal paper does come in a white version too!! The only issue I've had with it is the edges tend to show after you've cut and applied them. If the designs you've come up with are bordered with white it isn't a major issue.

Another option is to have white paint where the decal goes . You can't really mask off a decal and expect it to survive, but if you have an airbrush you might be able to paint the base coat white (or pearl white) and place your decal, and then airbrush around it with your color coat. I was going to attempt this with the Dark side of the moon van, but I couldn't get the decals to behave.


----------



## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

Here's an option that might work. Print your decal on white paper and apply it to your car. Now make you an outline box or circle border in black on "clear" decal paper, just a little larger than your white paper decal. Now place the black outline border on top of the white paper decal. This will hide your white paper edge and appear to be all one decal...RM


----------



## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Not saying it would work, but it might be worth a try... After cutting out your decal printed on white decal paper, brush paint the edges of the decal the color of the car. Maybe it would hold up?? If not paint, maybe a sharpie?


----------



## jobobvideo (Jan 8, 2010)

I scanned the car, then cut around the area to be decaled area in photoshop hoping to match the paint and hide the white where needed, but still need to print to see results.


----------



## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

Hilltop Raceway said:


> Here's an option that might work. Print your decal on white paper and apply it to your car. Now make you an outline box or circle border in black on "clear" decal paper, just a little larger than your white paper decal. Now place the black outline border on top of the white paper decal. This will hide your white paper edge and appear to be all one decal...RM


That is a great idea Hilltop!!

Spider that RX7 looks like fun driving!! Great job Dude!:thumbsup:

I get some of my decals from the Pay Bay people that call themselves "Finger Nail Decal Makers"...They either print them on clear (sometimes white) decal paper and they don't have white ink in their decals either. 

Some fingernail people have Auctions that you can send your image to and they will make the decals (fingernail size) for you in sets of 20.

The fingernail decals are meant to be put on white painted nails. I sometimes take white decal paper and am able to fill in the white parts behind the clear ones....not all the time but, sometimes. 

Also if it works for your car you can paint part of the body white to make the decal work or use white stripes also...

Bob...in a perfect world we would all have printers with white ink: cry:...zilla


----------



## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

Wow! Thanks for all the ideas and advice, guys. I do screen printing
too so I may experiment with popping off some sheets and experimenting
with different textile ink. Lots and lots of good ideas here.

Been working on wiring the street lights and everything else electrical 
into the track. Have a charger body I plan on working on next. 

Haven't been on hobbytalk for a bit because I was preoccupied with painting my 
real slot car. Just got done wetsanding with 1000 grit this evening. Moving on 
to 1500 grit tonight...then to 2000. I'm really, really digging on olive green. You 
don't see these cars too often..and you don't see olive green too often either. 
Really makes the black parts pop.


----------

