Disassembly of 1:18 model for repaint? | FerrariChat
Buy

Disassembly of 1:18 model for repaint?

Discussion in 'Collectables, Literature, & Models' started by Mike C, Mar 2, 2005.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Mike C

    Mike C F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 3, 2002
    6,081
    Southeast USA
    Full Name:
    Mike Charness
    #1 Mike C, Mar 2, 2005
    I just bought at Hotwheels 1:18 Ferrari 250GT. It's burgundy, and I'd like to repaint it rosso red. I know how to do the airbrush work. What I *don't* know and am having trouble figuring out is how to disassemble the model and get all the little pieces separated such as door handles and wiper arms. Any tips?
     
  2. 360 Spyder

    360 Spyder Formula Junior

    Feb 7, 2004
    379
    Near the Cows....
    Full Name:
    Rob
    #2 360 Spyder, Mar 2, 2005
    Hey mch..what part of the "Southeast" U.S. are you in? If you are close enough to N.C., and it would be cost effective, if you wanted you could ship it to me, I'll disassemble it and try to get a buddy to paint it, then I'll reassemble and ship it back to you. If my buddy can't get the right color or does not have the time, I could ship it back unassembled with very detailed instructions as to how to reassemble it. Just an offer/thought.
     
  3. 360 Spyder

    360 Spyder Formula Junior

    Feb 7, 2004
    379
    Near the Cows....
    Full Name:
    Rob
    #3 360 Spyder, Mar 2, 2005
  4. Mike C

    Mike C F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 3, 2002
    6,081
    Southeast USA
    Full Name:
    Mike Charness
    #4 Mike C, Mar 3, 2005
    That's a beautiful job you did!!!! I'm in Huntsville AL. That's too far for a quick drive to drop it off, but mailing isn't a problem. I paint helmets (www.helmet-painting.com) so I know how to do the painting part, but I'm somewhat clueless on how to get this model apart. Of course, I wouldn't mind someone else doing the job!
     
  5. Martin308GTB

    Martin308GTB F1 Rookie

    Jan 22, 2003
    4,286
    Black Forest Germany
    Full Name:
    Martin N.
    #5 Martin308GTB, Mar 3, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Michael, I assume that you are talking about the HW California Spider, since this model comes in burgundy.
    I have recently 'upgraded' and repainted the 250 GT Lusso and assume that it's assembled in a similar way.
    I think the dissassembly is straight forward, but like you say, the bits like wipers or door handles represent a small problem.
    In most cases the pins of these parts are attached with a little glue on the backside of the corresponding body part or with the help of melting the tips of the pins.
    So it's best to remove the glue or melted pin tip with the help of a Dremel tool. Then you can push the part off from, for instance the door, with the help of a small screwdriver or similar. Don't pull the part. Do ever push it from the inside.
    On the Lusso the wipers were attached not only on the body, but with additional pins on the windscreen. There you have to be very cautious not to damage the screen.

    At this occasion I would like to attach a picture of my HW GT Lusso painted something similar like 'Blu Sera' and with scratch built wire wheels.

    Best Regards

    Martin
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  6. Greg G

    Greg G F1 Rookie

    Jul 5, 2003
    3,902
    northern New Jersey
    #6 Greg G, Mar 3, 2005
    Damn Martin, that paint finish looks like glass, and those wheels make the car! Any idea where I cld get a set of wires in 1:12 scale?
     
  7. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    #7 snj5, Mar 3, 2005
    Martin - a fantastic Lusso. How would I get a set of those wheels in 1:18? would like to put them on several of my 1/18 Ferraris.
    Great job!
     
  8. Martin308GTB

    Martin308GTB F1 Rookie

    Jan 22, 2003
    4,286
    Black Forest Germany
    Full Name:
    Martin N.
    #8 Martin308GTB, Mar 3, 2005
    @GregG:

    thanks for praising my paint job :)
    sorry, don't know who currently offers 1:12 wire wheels. I plan to manufacture some for my 1:12 250 GTO and have finished the drawings so far.

    @Russ:

    the wheels on the Lusso are manufactured by myself and I thought about offering some sets via ebay. But then I discovered a german seller, who offers them too at a price significantly lower, than what I would ask, because the job is soooo time consuming :)
    But if you are interested, here's the link. Maybe you can negotiate a discount, when you guy several sets.

    http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9140&item=6949514250&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

    BTW, Russ, are you that Russ Turner who met my friend Robert R. on the Nurburgring in '99 ?

    Best Regards

    Martin
     
  9. NoJo

    NoJo Karting

    Aug 15, 2004
    191
    Jerusalem
    Full Name:
    Noah Joseph
    #9 NoJo, Mar 3, 2005
    That is one damn good lookin' Lusso. Wish I had one of those. It would go perfectly in my section of blue grand tourers: (Ferrari 456GT and 612 Scaglietti, Maserati 3200 GT and Quattroporte).

    Very nice job.
     
  10. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    #10 snj5, Mar 3, 2005
    Thanks for the link - did not see if it was 37 Euro for four, or for each wheel. I assume it is for all four as 'raeder' is plural for 'wheels'.

    If you mean 'Herr 308 GTB Register' Robert R., then yes, that would be me. It was one of my car's proudest moments to be at Ferrari Racing Days at the Nurburgring.
    And Robert is such a high class guy with such a classy car. We also hooked up with the world famous Edvaar Van Daalen and his brother - another class act (except for the Ferrari wooden shoes :) ) Es war viel Spass - am besten!
    Tschuess!
    Russ
     
  11. robbie308

    robbie308 Formula Junior

    Mar 2, 2005
    344
    Germany
    Full Name:
    Robert Retzlaff
    #11 robbie308, Mar 7, 2005
    Hi Russ & Martin,

    Aaaaaahhh, I love that!

    Seriously, I also still remember the fun we had at the Ring. What a nice weekend - beautiful weather, so many nice cars, the expensive food cooked by Momma Schumacher ;-)

    I assume you still have your beautiful (and roomy) Mondial?

    Best regards,

    Robert

    www.308gtb.de
     
  12. Mike C

    Mike C F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 3, 2002
    6,081
    Southeast USA
    Full Name:
    Mike Charness
    #12 Mike C, Mar 30, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    With the information and encouragement from others here, I did start taking the model apart today. I've got four questions, three of which are illustrated by the photos below.

    #1 -- I can't figure out how to take the door panels off. Could these be the only parts that are glued on? Or do they snap or slide off?

    #2 -- The headlight assemblies look like they're fixed on by a metal rivet. Is that right? If so, that's the ONLY place a metal rivet is used, and if necessary I can grind it off.

    #3 -- Do the hood and bonnet come off without damaging the hinge? If so, how? The holding fittings look like they are all cast metal, and they certainly don't seem to want to easily bend out of the way to release the hinge rods.

    #4 (no picture) -- I see that some things are hand painted, such as side markers and reflectors... I can handle that. I can even remake the front nosebadge and Ferrari script as waterslide decals before clearcoat. What I don't know how to duplicate are small elements of the main body casting that appear to be chromed (which looks quite different than the painted silver elements). Any tips on how to deal with those? An example is a small chrome line at the front of the hood scoop, and a chrome strip below the doors connecting the two fender wells.

    Thanks for the help and advice!
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  13. Rexcoltrain

    Rexcoltrain Formula Junior

    Nov 6, 2003
    671
    Oahu, Hawaii
    #13 Rexcoltrain, Mar 30, 2005
    Would it be easier to tape over the headlights and door panels and leave the body as in tact as possible? You painting will come out more even I think if you do it this way.
     
  14. 360 Spyder

    360 Spyder Formula Junior

    Feb 7, 2004
    379
    Near the Cows....
    Full Name:
    Rob
    #14 360 Spyder, Mar 30, 2005
    #1 Doors - There are usually two points of connection behind them. Using a very small flat head screwdriver, very, very slowly and carefully pry the panel away from the skin. Looking into the opening you are causing, you should be able to see these points of connection.

    #2 Light - Either a) tape over the light from the outside, or b) using a handheld, battery powered drill, select a metal drilling bit that is the exact size of the rivit. Very slowly and with light pressure, drill the rivit out only until enough is removed to be able to snap the piece out. If done slow enough and cautiously enough, the piece should snap back on after you are done.

    #3 Hinge - Not having one in my hand to look at, it looks as if that one is pretty much a permanant part. However, what is the screw seen in the photo for? Could that loosen the whole attachment assembly? If so, that could be the answer. If not, just paint it like it is.
     
  15. Mike C

    Mike C F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 3, 2002
    6,081
    Southeast USA
    Full Name:
    Mike Charness
    #15 Mike C, Mar 30, 2005
    I just put some of the screws (the ones that were different than most) back into the casting so I could keep them straight. Those don't hold anything at this point.
     
  16. Mike C

    Mike C F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 3, 2002
    6,081
    Southeast USA
    Full Name:
    Mike Charness
    #16 Mike C, Mar 31, 2005
    I don't think so... think about how a car is painted or repainted. The best job is a bare body with everything removed, so paint gets down in all the crevices. On the doors, masking the panels would be fairly easy, but it's the mirrors and door handles that are a bear to paint around! I need the panels off to be able to remove those chrome items from the rear, but it looks like the door panels might be glued most of the way around their edges.

    I've already taken EVERYTHING else apart from the body panels, so these things are all that's left.
     
  17. Gimme Fuel

    Gimme Fuel F1 Veteran

    Mar 15, 2003
    9,428
    In my 348
    Full Name:
    Paul (Norway)
    #17 Gimme Fuel, Mar 31, 2005
    Mike.

    IMO the HotWheels models are very difficult to repaint, cause they got all these "welded" parts if you know what I mean - I have repainted a lots of models, all Bburago, they are sooo much easier to work with.
    You can strip the Bburago model completly apart, and leaves you only with a naked body.
    I once had a "How to repaint" thread but all the pix were deleted in the Fchat Hdrive crash in December(?)
    I'll take a few pix soon to show you some of my repainted models.

    Ill be back.... :D
     
  18. Mike C

    Mike C F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 3, 2002
    6,081
    Southeast USA
    Full Name:
    Mike Charness
    #18 Mike C, Mar 31, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I did get the headlight assemblies off (and indeed those are the ONLY two metal rivets in the entire model). All the other "heat-bonded" parts came off easily enough once I could get to the melted backs, so the main body is indeed completely apart except for the bonnet and hood, and I can deal with those still on the body.

    But I'm still at an impasse with the doors. The panels are apparently glued all the way around (or may as well be) rather than just in one or two spots. So I can't get to the backside of the door handles and mirrors to facilitate removal. So the question for you expert modelers... would you attempt to mask them anyway, or would you cut them off from the front and try to reglue them after painting?
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  19. Gimme Fuel

    Gimme Fuel F1 Veteran

    Mar 15, 2003
    9,428
    In my 348
    Full Name:
    Paul (Norway)
    #19 Gimme Fuel, Apr 1, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  20. Mule

    Mule F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 25, 2003
    3,758
    Alaska
    Full Name:
    Mule
    #20 Mule, Apr 1, 2005
    I would spray the whole door, then hand paint the handles and mirror. If they are plastic chrome, paint the door and remove the paint from the mirror with a little thinner on a Q-tip. It will come off the slipepry chrome surface fairly easily when fresh.
     
  21. Martin308GTB

    Martin308GTB F1 Rookie

    Jan 22, 2003
    4,286
    Black Forest Germany
    Full Name:
    Martin N.
    #21 Martin308GTB, Apr 1, 2005
    but unfortunately most likely the chrome will come off as well.
    Actually it's possible to remove the door panels. You can break the glue with something like a thin spatula. When you have done this all around the door panel you can carefully pry with a larger screwdriver or similar.
    That's how I removed the panels on my HW Lusso shown in my previous posting.

    Best Regards

    Martin
     
  22. Richy

    Richy Karting

    Oct 18, 2004
    111
    Netherlands
    Full Name:
    Richard
    #22 Richy, Apr 1, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  23. Mike C

    Mike C F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 3, 2002
    6,081
    Southeast USA
    Full Name:
    Mike Charness
    #23 Mike C, Apr 30, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  24. Mike C

    Mike C F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 3, 2002
    6,081
    Southeast USA
    Full Name:
    Mike Charness
    #24 Mike C, Aug 27, 2005
    Some added "technical notes" to answer a couple of recent PMs generated by another thread where I referenced this one...

    I did take apart the car as much as possible, which really included everything except for the the doors, though I did separate them from the body. I lightly sanded the original burgundy, and then went over it in white primer out of a spray can to cover and seal it and to provide a base for the red. The red also came out of a spray can, but then I clearcoated it with an airbrush using the same catalyzed urethane I keep around for helmet painting, since the red finish wasn't smooth and shiny enough.

    Regarding the chrome pieces on the doors (mirrors and handles) I couldn't remove, I ended up masking them off, rather than repainting them in silver, since the chrome looks so much better and more realistic than silver. I went to the local craft store ("Hobby Lobby") and bought some 1/16" chart tape, which along with 1/8" 3M Blue Vinyl masking tape (automotive paint supply) worked wonders there, also for doing the masking the door panel I couldn't get off. I also used the 1/16" tape to mask off the chrome strip at the bottom of the doors and along the leading edge of the front hood scoop.

    Mike
     
  25. 285ferrari

    285ferrari Two Time F1 World Champ
    Sponsor

    Sep 11, 2004
    20,977
    MD and NE
    Full Name:
    Robbie
    #25 285ferrari, Aug 27, 2005
    Awesome job Mike--looks better than when it was new..
     

Share This Page