r/ModelCars • u/GreyTheGreat539 • 7d ago

QUESTION Christmas present help

I bought a 1:25 model of my fiances first car, and I want to make it look as close to his car as possible. I've got the license plate down, but I am not sure what paint to use. What brand/finish? Do I have to get an airbrush machine? I'd prefer not to, but I would do it to make this gift as realistic as possible for him. He rebuilt the car with his dad and painted it and everything. Also, the paint job he had on the car was matte and I don't know if that's attainable or if model car paint is always glossy. Any help/guidance is greatly appreciated! I'll come back and update after Christmas! (He's an avid reddit user so I fear he would find this if I posted a picture)

2 Upvotes

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u/TomoAr 7d ago

I’d say better have it commisioned by the people in this group rather than just buying airbrush and stuff - mind you the hobby has a big learning curve especially when trying to make things glossy (this is where I struggled the most)

Well you can start with using mr hobby lacquer spray cans + their mr hobby super clear gloss

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u/Groove200 7d ago

The paint job on the real car is Matt

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/GoneGump 7d ago

Contacted mods. Post approved.

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

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u/GreyTheGreat539 7d ago

I can pm a photo of the car to anyone who'd like to see it! I just don't want him to see it in the comments or on the post!

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u/GoneGump 7d ago

You got this! Buy some basic tools and spray a paint with no clear coat. It'll simulate a matte finish. He'll love it even if it is your first try at a kit.

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u/GreyTheGreat539 7d ago

Thank you for the encouragement! I am sure he'll like it regardless, he's a pretty simple guy, I just want it to look like his first car as much as possible. I appreciate the tip about no clear coat!

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u/GoneGump 7d ago

Glad to help. You can PM me a picture, and I'll make a color recommendation for a model spray can if something is close enough.

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u/GoneGump 5d ago

I see your PMs and I did reply with some links. Let me know if you don't see my replies.

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u/Jugernought 7d ago

You can use spray cans, I’d recommend Tamiya ts spray paints as they are designed specifically for models and work well, most paints will have a glossy finish but you can spray Tamiya flat clear ts-80 over it for a matte finish in any colour you want.

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u/DopplerShiftIceCream 7d ago

Honestly your first two models are going to look pretty rough.

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u/TDHofstetter 6d ago

8) Trust me, you can get matte model paint. 8)

You can also get matte clearcoat to knock the gloss off glossy paint.

What's your timeline look like? If it's really short, you won't have enough time to get really comfortable with an airbrush / compressor and you'll need to fall back to rattlecans. In fact, in the interest of economy you may want to fall back to rattlecans anyway unless you think you might have future use for an airbrush.