How to Modify a Die-Cast Car

This instructable covers how to take an ordinary die-cast car and modify it using basic tools. It will cover how to properly repaint it, add a carbon-fiber hood, add a carbon-fiber splitter, as well as create a carbon-fiber spoiler. This is my first instructable, and I hope you all like it. Make sure to put pictures of your modified cars in the comments.

 

Step 1 Step One: Materials

Here is a basic list of materials:

1) Die-cast Car
- Try to get a simple, stock-looking one with smooth surfaces and a low ride height.
- Good brands include Tomy Takara and Matchbox.

2) Rotary Tool
- You will need a drill and saw attachment.
- You can use the sanding attachment as well.

3) Spray Paint

4) Clear Tape

5) Hobby/Utility Knife
- Box cutters, X-Acto knives, and pocket knives will all work.
- It is a good idea to sharpen them beforehand.

6) Superglue

7) Staples

8) Black Permanent Marker
- Sharpies work the best.

9) Clear, Hard Packaging Plastic
- Easily obtained.
- If not available, cover card stock with clear tape.

10) Sandpaper
- Be sensible about the grit

11) Scissors

12) Ruler

Comments

[DAV706]

can i add decals too if i want?

[I luv Duct Tape]

no. your not allowed

[pmet]

Yes, just print them out and glue them to the side.

[noob006]

what color do you recommend/your favorite colour for a honda nsx-r? this might sound unusual to you cuz planes is more your hobby than cars. and what other ways to remove the paint?

[FrozenIce]

still one of the best instructables on the site

[pmet]

I wouldn't go so far as to say one of the best... but still many thanks :).

[DAV706]

if the window cannot be removed from the body,can i cover the windows with a tape or something that can be used for covering it?

[pmet]

You can try it, but I highly recommend that you do not. The tape job has to be perfect, or the paint will seep through and stain the edges. A good method is to cut out the windows and then re-glue them on (very carefully) afterwards with some clear glue. If the car and windows are all one piece metal, paint over the car AND the windows, and then paint the windows with blue or black permanent markers or paint.

[DAV706]

what sharpies marker is that?sharpies or super sharpies?

[pmet]

Its just regular sharpies. You can use most permanent markers.

[DAV706]

if the car is white,can i paint it without removing the current paint?

[DAV706]

what is the difference of metal rivet to metal stud?

[pmet]

Both are two different words for essentially the same thing.

[DAV706]

can i use illustration board covered with clear tape if both clear hard packaging plastic and cover card stock with clear tape are not available?

[pmet]

Yup. Anything that is thin and study, easy to cut, and can be covered with tape can be used.

[DAV706]

its too difficult to modify a medium die-cast car?

[pmet]

Yes, it is very difficult. I've tried it with a BMW M3 and it didn't turn out too well. Start with smaller cars.

[DAV706]

where can i get the Clear, hard plastic?

[pmet]

Electronics are usually packaged in them.

[FrozenIce]

is there an other way to remove the rivets

[pmet]

(removed by author or community request)

[FrozenIce]

u did not exsactly answer my question and im sure a sharpie marker is not a drill

[pmet]

Sorry about that, must have been an error. Anyway, you can try digging the plastic around the rivet. If the rivet is a screw, then you can remove it with a screwdriver. Other than that, there is no way to remove them without drilling them out.

[HardCoreHacker]

can anyone help me find a Ford Shelby GT500KR? Doesnt matter if its ebay or hobby lobby or anything in between

[pmet]

Never mind my first comment. Hotwheels now sells both the 1976 and 2008 GT500KR at Walmart.

[pmet]

Jada is the only brand that sells the GT500 KR. These are 1:18th scale and are incredibly detailed to begin with, so it will be extremely difficult to modify them with the methods shown in this instructable and make them look good.
For the 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR:
http://www.diecastfast.com/diecast/DCF/PROD/DC124-08MUS-S
For the 1976 Ford Shelby GT500KR:
http://www.idcow.com/jd2031.html

[DAV706]

where can i get the cover card stock with clear tape?

[pmet]

I meant to say that if you cannot get clear plastic, you can take a postcard and cover it with clear tape such as scotch tape. You can also use an ordinary piece of plastic as long as it is thin enough to cut.

[DAV706]

how can i modify medium-sized die-cast cars?

[pmet]

I've tried it, but its pretty difficult. Your are going to need different materials to make it look good. You have any particular car in mind?

[DAV706]

(removed by author or community request)

[sheepborg]

one of the keys to getting this right is practice -- get one or to crappy cars and you can butcher them as much as you will. plus it helps to know how aspects such as the paint you intend to use will turn out i practiced on a junky bmw and junky mustang, as well as testing various methods on other even cheaper cars A suggestion also for using sharpy for carbon: make sure you have got it DONE on the FIRST coat that way it will stay smooth and not start removing and not replacing what you already did

[TFElite]

I think I will do this to my 2010 Hotwheels Camaro as a tribute to Bumblebee from the movie Transformers. Yellow with black racing stripes!

[GREYHOUNDareAWESOME]

 You could just go to Bunnings (if you live in Aussie) and buy acetone to remove all the paint without any plastic bits coz otherwise the plastic would melt.

[Lokisgodhi]

 Also, you can use DOT3 & 4, polyethylene glycol based brake fluid to remove paint. They're plastic friendly in most cases as brake systems use plastic parts and a brake fluid that melts them would be a bad thing.

[pmet]

Most brake fluids are plastic-friendly to begin with. However, it does not remove all of the paint. You need to scrape off the rest of the paint with a needle/knife/sandpaper.

 

[ferraridude]

do you still have to drill out the studs if the brand uses screws instead of rivets

[pmet]

No, just unscrew them. That is what you call a godsend, because drilling through rivets is a real pain (literally).

 

[8refyeigfye8]

I'm working on 5 cars at the moment and about to start a sixth. and i find it useful to to scrape some paint on the car and then leave in white vinegar for about a 2 days and then removing the paint with a toothbrush, sandpaper and then a needle for the little nooks and crannies

[ThEoNeS]

Does anyone know where I could get a Nissan Skyline GT-R R34? I know that Hotwheels has a lot of R32's for sale at places like Target, but I am looking for an R34. If you don't know what it looks like, google it, or its the car Brian uses in the second and forth Fast And The Furious movies.