Project 0001 – Die Cast Color Change

If you’re just an average Joe that wants to personalize an off-the-shelf (OTS) model car/truck then this project is just what you’re looking for.  With a little patience and some common model making tools, along with some items from around your house, you can make a spectacular replica. You won’t need an airbrush, paint booth, heat lamps or even special lighting to achieve outstanding results and your keepsake will always be a proud reminder of the fun you had in the original vehicle and of the time you took to make a replica of it.

A few years back I owned a beautiful Jeep Wrangler Sport® that I wanted to “preserve” by making a replica of it for my collection. I needed a base model with good detail but I was never able to find the exact model or color combination that I needed. One day I noticed a 1:18 scale die cast model on sale and decided to “convert” it into a personalized version of the Jeep® that I had owned. The body shapes of the two vehicles are almost identical so there was little needed in the way of structural modifications. The only thing in that regard was to remove the Sahara® side emblems and denote the fender skirts of the Sport® model with a painted demarcation.

Here is the result so if you like what you see and want to learn how to do it for yourself, read all about it in the Step-By-Step section.

A list of all Project Items can be found at the bottom of this project tutorial, along with links on where to purchase all of them.

All of the images shown below can be viewed in order and in much larger, clear detail at our Flickr site for this project.  Click here to see this Project on Flickr!

Figure 1 – Before; Figure 2 – After

Step-by-Step – Die Cast Color Change

The great thing about the die cast models available these days is that they offer great detailing and features in an affordable model and they rarely use adhesives for assembly. The bad thing is that they never seem to come in the color that you need. The first thing you need to do is find a model that comes closest to what you want. For this Right On! Replica Project I used a die cast Maisto® brand Jeep® Wrangler® Sahara model #31662 in 1:18 scale Once you’ve done that it’s time to dive in and make the changes you need to personalize it to your requirements.

Step 1 – Disassembly

It almost seems a shame to take a brand new model and tear it down into dozens of pieces but that it the only way to do a truly good job of repainting your model the right way. Begin by looking your model over to familiarize yourself with the attachment points and fastening methods used to assemble the model. In this model tabs, screws, flared posts and pressed fits were used.

Prepare a place to work on your model that has ample room, lighting and ventilation then place a soft cloth under it to keep from scratching any of the body panels. Turn the model upside down and look for the attachment screws that hold the frame and wheel assemblies in place. Use a medium Phillips head screw driver to remove the six chassis screws and one deep-well body screw. Set these aside in a containers for later.

Figure 3 – Body fasteners

Remove the wheel and axle assemblies and coil springs and put them in a container for use later as well.

Figure 4 – Suspension components removed

With the rear axle assemblies removed you will be able to see the flared fasteners that hold the rear passenger section and cargo area in place. This fastening method is used extensively for assembly. Use a sharp blade and carefully cut these off.

Figure 5 – Shave off the flared ends of the locating posts with a sharp blade

Grab the chassis at the rear wheel well area and lift up and back to remove it from the body. Unhinge the tab at the front end of the chassis and set it aside.

Figure 6 – Chassis removed

At the extreme rear of the vehicle, just in front of the rear bumper are two small Phillips head screws that reach through and fasten the roof of the vehicle to the body. Use a small (2.4mm) screwdriver to remove these screws.

Figure 7 – Rear roof mount screws must be removed

There are also two flared posts that retain the roof inside the passenger compartment. These flares protrude down from the roof through the sun visors and must be sheared off to loosen the roof from the vehicle.

Figure 8 – Lift off the roof

Push the interior seating sections out from the body shell and set them aside.

Figure 9 – Remove the interior modules

Drop the steering column out of the dashboard and set it aside.

Figure 10 – Remove the steering column

Remove the two flathead screws attaching the dashboard to the body and set te dashboard assembly aside.

Figure 11 – Remove the dashboard attachment screws

Swing the doors open and use a standard screw driver to get behind the hinge spring. Lift the hinge spring up and continue to swing the door out using the screwdriver blade to ensure that the hinge clears the retaining post. Remove the doors and set them aside.

Figure 12 – Remove the door assemblies

Use a thin flat blade to get behind the door panel and pry it off the door being careful not to damage the edges with the prying tool. This panel merely snapped into place using to posts and sockets and will come off easily.

Figure 13 – Remove the inner door panels

Remove the rear access door and spare tire assembly using a medium Phillips head screwdriver to back out the retaining screw inside the body at the rear of the vehicle from the outer hinge plate.

Figure 14 – Remove the rear access door and spare tire assembly

Use a stout flat blade to remove the rear inside panel from the access door assembly.

Figure 15 – Remove the inner door panel

This reveals the wheel mount retaining screw on the inside of the rear access door. Remove the screw and set all the parts aside.

Figure 16 – Remove the wheel mount retaining screw

Position the rear of the model closest to you and grasp the windshield in the close side with your thumbs and fingers on the other side of the window frame. Using a firm pressure push the windshield down and out from the top where the two locating tabs are located at the top of the windshield. It might help to work one side loose slightly at first and then the other but make sure not to put too much twist on it to avoid breakage. Remove the window and use caution when storing to avoid scratches.

Figure 17 – Remove the windshield

Using a stout chisel-style blade shear off the post flares from the inside of the windows in the vehicle roof. Once the flare has been removed gently use your fingers to remove the windows. Place these with the windshield and use caution to avoid scratches.

Figure 18 – Remove the windows from the roof

Use this same technique to remove the rest of the flared post parts from the vehicle’s body. The bumpers, turn signal lights, radio mast, fuel filler cap, fender flares, etc., can all be removed from the body and set aside.

Figure 19 – Remove the parts from the body attached with flared posts

Place your thumbs on the underside of the engine compartment and push upwards to force the side tabs on front to dislodge. Using a slight bowing or twisting action may help. When the front tabs release the back two tabs at the rear of the engine compartment can be pushed downward slightly to release them and then remove the piece from the body.

Figure 20 – Remove the engine compartment

Remove the sun visors from the window frame by grinding or drilling the white metal post flares off.

Figure 21 – Remove the sun visors

This is what you’ll be looking at after the model is fully disassembled. use care to store the parts and keep them from getting lost or scratched while you work on the rest of the project. I opted to leave the hood attached to the vehicle for a couple reasons. The hinge pins are peened into place and removing them can cause significant damage to the mounting area. It is also difficult to get a fit when reassembling this type of fastener. Additionally, it is usually better to paint the model with the hood on to get a better color match with large parts. Just remember to remove the engine noise dampener pad on the underside of the hood. It’s attached with flared posts also.

Figure 22 – The complete disassembly

Step 2 – Preparation

Now that you’ve taken the model apart you must prepare it for that new paint job. This process follows many of the same steps you would use to re-paint a real vehicle but, on a miniature scale. The first thing to do is to wet sand the top surface areas of the vehicle body, side doors, rear access door and roof section. Because the paint is very smooth it needs to be sanded lightly with 400 grit wet sand paper followed by a cleanup sanding with a 600 grit paper to provide a surface that the primer paint will adhere to without runs or sags. Wet sand paper is available at most hobby and hardware stores and is literally dipped into water to provide lubricity and to keep the sandpaper from clogging.  It is important to dull the finish on the outside parts of the body and roof section without leaving deep scratches that will remain visible after the final paint. You can use a 500 girt paper to do this but you must rub lightly after your first sanding to approximate a finer grit. Sand the top and sides of the roof in the direction of the main panels in a back-and-forth motion. Don’t use a circular motion for this process.

Figure 23 – Lightly sand the body parts; Figure 24 – Lightly sand the roof

After a thorough sanding of the exterior surfaces run the pieces under cool water and scrub the details with a soft toothbrush to remove and debris.

Figure 25 – Cleanup with a toothbrush

After the pieces have had a chance to dry thoroughly, some cleanup steps can be made prior to priming. Turn the roof upside down and use a standard fingernail file to cleanup the two main flared posts that extend down through the sun visor assembly.

Figure 26 – Cleanup the roof posts with a sandpaper file

Do the same thing to the metal flared posts on roof line with a metal file.

Figure 27 – Cleanup the metal roof posts with a metal file

Step 3 – Finishing

After you’ve cleaned off and filings with a dry brush the pieces can be staged and prepped for priming. Turn the roof upside down and lay it flat in a cardboard box and spray a light even coat of primer suitable for plastic on the inside of the roof section. Next, after the inside is dry to the touch, use a metal coat hanger to fashion a stand for the roof arrange in such a way that it puts an outward “squeeze” against the inside the roof to hold it in place. Place the setup inside a large cardboard box. This keeps the overspray from going all over the room and once the part is primed it serves to keep dust from landing on it before it dries. At first, make a few light passes from about 18” away to put a light “tack” coat on the top of the roof. After that has had a chance to setup (a few minutes) give the top an even coat of primer making sure that the color looks even over the whole surface. Let it set until it is dry to the touch and then sand the top lightly with 500-600 grit dry sandpaper. Wipe it off with a clean soft cloth.

Turn the roof upside down again and place it in the box to spray a coat of semi-gloss black spray on the inside of the roof. If semi-gloss black isn’t available, use a flat black spray and follow-up with a light coat of semi-gloss clear coat which can found at most hobby and hardware stores. After the inside is dry to the touch use a “tack” cloth to remove any dust from the top of the roof and place the part back on the coat hanger fixture in the box. Again, start by spraying a few light passes from about 18” away to apply a “tack” coat giving it a few minutes to setup for the final coat. Finally, spray the part in even strokes with the semi-gloss black finish and let the piece dry completely.

Figure 28 – Painting the roof section

Now we can turn our attention to the main body shell. Turn the body frame upside down and place it in the cardboard box. Always begin with a light “tack” coat allowing to setup for a few minutes then spray the inside of the body with an even coat of primer suitable for metal.

Figure 29 – Prime the inside of the body shell

After the inside is dry to the touch turn the body over and use a tack cloth to remove any dust on the top surface. Prop the hood open and set the body on some set-offs that will keep the lower edges of the body up from the flat surface that it is on. Just about anything will do that raises the unit from the inside, a block of wood, even a large potato will do. This keeps the edges from sticking to whatever the model is setting on and permits the spray to reach those areas well. It also gives you something to turn the model with while painting. Spray the “tack“ coat evenly around the exterior and let it set up. Spray a light even coat of primer on the body and let it set to dry.

After about an hour examine the paint for defects and lightly sand them off if needed. Reposition the model on the set-offs with the hood up to spray a medium coat of primer under the hood and firewall area on the body. Set the body aside to dry thoroughly. Close the hood and wipe the body down with the tack cloth then spray a medium coat of primer over the entire body and all unpainted surfaces. Dry sand with 600 grit paper when dry.

Figure 30 – Prime the top and outside of the body

Follow this same process and primer the side and rear access doors. To keep the parts off of the flat surface for painting use some Blu-Tack® to mount the parts and keep the edges out of the paint.

Figure 31 – Prime the doors using a Blu-Tack® set-off

While the primers is drying on the body pieces let’s turn our attention to the vehicle’s interior. Disassemble the interior parts by using a standard screwdriver to pry up the seats from their press fit posts. Use the sharp blade to sheer off the post flares from the underside of the passenger compartment to remove the driver’s levers. The pedal assembly is a snap fit so squeeze it from the backside and it will pop out.

Figure 32 – Disassemble the interior parts

The interior on the Jeep Sahara® models are pretty much all the same but they are not like the other Wrangler® models. My Jeep Sport® had a light on dark gray color scheme. The easiest way to get those shades is to mix up some flat paint that matches those shades. When mixing paint remember that it is easier to darken paint than to lighten it up so proceed slowly until you’ve reached the desired color adding a little of the darker color at a time and mixing it in thoroughly. Mount the parts on some Blu-Tack and stick them to a flat, well-lit surface for painting. Use a small paint brush suitable for enamels and paint the light color first. Set them aside after painting to dry completely.

Figure 33 – Paint the interior parts

Color selection is a critical choice for most people. There are various sources you can use to find a color for your model. There are several companies that market good quality model and hobby paint. I would avoid using general purpose paint for the final exterior finish on your model. For this model the Testor’s® Brand Gloss Spray Enamel Yellow #1214 was a very close match to the color of my original vehicle. You can also get original matching colors in spray cans like Dupli-Color® brand products from an auto parts store or even get a matching paint from an automotive paint store. Always test your final paint for compatibility with the primer you’ve used by spraying it on some area of the spray booth or both that has already been primed. Give it some time to see if it reacts by peeling or “crazing” the underlying paint.

With the hood propped open follow the same process we used in the primer coat and begin to paint the color coat by spraying a light tack coat on the underside of the body. As you can see in the illustration some areas are not well covered but that’s OK for the first tack coat. Let this coat dry for a few minutes and spray another light coat trying to get some spray into the areas that were light the first time.

Figure 34 – Color coat the underbody with a light tack coat

After three or four passes the under body should start to take on a rich even hue with the exception of some areas that won’t show after final assembly. In some cases however it may be necessary to spray a small amount of color into a small cap or dish and brush paint non-critical areas like posts or obstructed nacelles that won’t take the spray. Let the model dry thoroughly.

Figure 35 – Underbody paint

Use the tack cloth to make sure there are no contaminants on the upper surfaces then place the model with the hood propped open on the set-offs you used earlier for the primer coat. Start with a couple tack coats for good paint adhesion allowing some drying time between passes. After several more light but “wet” coats the coverage should even out the tone over the entire model and don’t forget to spray the area under the hood. Allow the paint to dry and then  close the hood to spray the final wet coats on the upper surfaces.

Figure 36 – Upper body paint

Use the Blu-Tack set-offs to mount the doors and paint the insides with color coats in the same manner as the body. After they dry, turn them over and paint the outsides to match the body. Don’t forget to paint the rear access door hinge plate (not pictured) with the doors. Let all parts dry thoroughly.

Figure 37 – Paint the doors

Spray the engine compartment liner flat black and set it aside to dry.

Figure 38 – Paint the engine compartment liner

Step 4 – Reassembly

After the finish coat has had sufficient time to dry, 24 – 48 hours, you can gather the parts together for the process of reassembly. Reversing the steps in the disassembly section you can follow the same sequence to reassemble your model. The big difference is that you must now use an adhesive to fasten the parts together that were originally joined by flared posts.

For light pieces such as the windows, you can use a cryanoacrylate or general adhesive like Testor’s® Cement for Metal and Wood models #3505. In most cases I prefer to use a two part five-minute epoxy. This adhesive has to be mixed in equal parts and in small quantities but provides excellent adhesion on a variety of surfaces. I use a toothpick to mix and apply small amount of epoxy to the posts and holes for good adhesion.

Figure 38 – General adhesive; Figure 40 – Epoxy adhesive

Step 5 – Modifications

There were relatively few modifications to this project. The main change was applied through the use of color scheme changes for the interior and exterior. The Sahara® side body emblems were removed by wet sanding.

Figure 41 – Removing the Sahara side body emblems

The other major change was effected by adding the vinyl fenders skirts to the model. This was done through a combination of taping the straight sections with Tamiya® Model Tape and some freehand work around the curved sections of the fender walls.

Figure 42 – Taping off the fenders prior to paint

Step 6 – Detailing

One detail that needs to be addressed is the front turn signals. These “mango” colored lenses must be painted in after the fenders are dry. For this detail I used some Model Master® Go Mango enamel.

Figure 43 – Painting the turn signal indicators

One of the most overlooked areas of detailing is that of insignia and the use of decals. Great looking, appropriate decals can really enhance the look of your model. Conversely, decals in poor condition can detract so much from the model that it doesn’t matter how well it was built. I found all the insignia available on the internet for this model and used the Testor’s Custom Decal System #9198 in conjunction with a PC and Ink Jet printer to produce the body side emblems and a custom license plate for this project. Apply the decals as you would any other model being careful not to tear them and use a Q-tip to position the decal or small cotton swab to remove any bubbles.

Figure 44 – Decal placement

Step 7 – Display

Once you’ve finished with your model display it proudly. You put a lot of work into what has become a personalized masterpiece of model crafting. Find a great spot that is well lit and show your talents to the world!

Figure 45 – Display your showpiece proudly

List of Project Items

Maisto® brand Jeep® Wrangler® Sahara model #31662
#1 Phillips head screw driver
Hobby knife with #11 scalpel-type blade
Hobby knife with #11 chisel-type blade
Phillips head small (2.4mm) screwdriver
Standard screw driver (flat head) #2
Wet-Dry sandpaper (assorted grits 400-600)
Soft toothbrush
Blu-Tack® adhesive
Small paint brush suitable for enamels
Testor’s® Brand Gloss Spray Enamel
Dupli-Color® spray paint
Metal Primer Spray Paint
Plastic Primer Spray Paint
Black semi-gloss spray enamel
Black flat spray enamel
Semi-gloss clear coat spray enamel
Cyanoacrylate adhesive
Testor’s® Cement for Metal and Wood models #3505
Five-minute epoxy
Tamiya® Model Tape
Model Master® Go Mango enamel
Testor’s Custom Decal System #9198

*Clicking any of the links above will transfer you to a purchase site for that item.

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Copyright © 2009 Right On! Replicas, LLC (RoR). All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any manner without its written permission.