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BODY PAINTING
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Fig. 210
in the kit box you will find the #6132 T2 clear
Lexan Truck body and the #7198 T2 truck decal sheet. Fig.
210 shows a side view of the truck body after it has been
trimmed, painted and decals added. The optional #7185 rear
deck spoiler is also installed. This gives you an idea of how
a finished body can look. You only have to follow this section
if you need help in trimming and painting your body.
Fig. 210
TRIMMING THE BODY. The body can be painted before you
cut out its holes; however, it's easier to install the body while
it is still clear, because it will be easier to locate and cut the
holes for the body mounts and antenna tube. Fig. 210 shows
the side trim lines for the body. If this is your first attempt, only
trim a little off at a time until it clears or fits. Cut out the body
mounting holes.
Racers Tip: Mark the areas with a marking
pen that you want to trim, then use an X-acto® knife with a
new blade to score the lines you just marked. You can then
flex the body at the score line and peel off the part you want
to remove. Be very careful around any sharp corners to
prevent the body from tearing where it is not supposed to.
MASKING THE BODY. Make certain that the body is thor-
oughly clean. Because you will paint the inside of the body,
you will mask the inside. Now mask the body off according to
your paint scheme. Use automotive masking tape for the best
results. Take the time to press all edges of the tape down with
a Popsicle stick or your fingernail. To prevent overspray from
getting on the outside of the body, put masking tape on the
outside of the body at the body mount and antenna tube
holes. When painting, you should apply the darkest colors
first and the lightest last. This prevents the darker color from
"ghosting" through the lighter color. So first mask the section
to be painted white. The next color you mask is the next
darker color nearest white, and so on.
PAINTING THE BODY. Now that you have the body fitted, it
is time to paint it. The truck body is made of Lexan polycar-
bonate and is painted on the inside. There are two different
ways to paint the body, by either brushing it on or spraying it
on. You can find special Lexan or polycarbonate paints made
to be brushed onto the body. Brushing the paint will always
leave streaks in the paint job but will look satisfactory from a
distance. If you want to spray the body, one of the best brands
of spray paints, for Lexan bodies, is
Pactra R/C Car Racing
Finish, available in most hobby shops.
Apply the paint in very thin coats, letting the paint dry
between coats.
WARNING! If the paint is sprayed on in
heavy coats, the thinner in the paint stays liquid and attacks
the Lexan, then the body becomes brittle and will crack
easily.
Spray your darkest color first. Then peel off the next
layer of masking tape and paint the next lighter color, and so
on. If you make a mistake, the only product that we have
found that can remove the paint without damaging the Lexan
(if used properly) is Synthetic Reducer, which can be pur-
chased through a automotive paint supply store.
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Fig. 211
In bag #7-5 you will find four #6332 body
clips and four #7320 nylon body washers. The body clips are
used to hold the body to the body mounts. You can use the
body washers to protect the finish of the body by trimming
them to fit the location you choose.
Fig. 211
# 6332
b od y c lip
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Fig. 212
Here the front of the truck body is shown with
the two body mounting holes drilled. It also shows some more
of the decal details.
Fig. 212
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Fig. 213
Here we see the rear of the truck body
installed on the chassis with the two body clips installed. You
will also see the optional #7185 rear deck spoiler installed.
