I need advice!

[r34Fan]

I need help deciding whether or not I am ready to buy and put together a Tamiya Supra 

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000WN57YE/sr=1-26/qid=1489617191/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1489617191&sr=1-26

Im a girl IN LOVE with cars, and im really interested in buying the Supra model kit and to put it together. Also, can i use real car paint on the model? I sound dumb right now but everyone starts somewhere Do we require alot of knowledge on engines and assembly.. will it be really hard for me to assemble one and paint one?? how much of an expert do you need to be to put one of these models together?

Edited March 15, 2017 by r34Fan

[talon63]

First of I'd say, Welcome to the forums, and to the hobby. Then I'd say if you are really interested, go for it!  

Before you start assembling it, read over the instruction sheets carefully. Researching the subject car on the internet is also useful, to see how things look on a real car. Dry fit all pieces before gluing them.

Treat each section of the build as its own model. The Engine, the frame/chassis, the interior, the body, then bring all the pieces together. Yes, they can be painted with real car paint. They can be built with as much or as little detail as you feel comfortable with. So, no, you don't need to be an expert, but don't rush yourself.  

You'll find a lot of amazing and helpful information on this board, and see some incredible builds. Take a look around.

Most of all, just have fun with it.

[Geno]

Hi Amani, Yes, we all have to start somewhere. If you like it, get it and go for it. You can use real automotive paint on models. Most I build are painted with real car paint. It's best to do all your painting first, at least I do, then you can concentrate on the assembly. They're not all that hard, just follow your directions that come with the kit. I'm sure there are other experienced modelers that can give more feedback as well. I never had anyone show me how to build, I just bought one and started it, I was maybe 10 yrs. old, it was an AMT '71 Thunderbird. It didn't turn out the greatest but I got better with each one I did. You CAN do this. You're fortunate enough to have a place like this to come to for advice, when I started there wasn't an internet LOL. The main thing is just try it and have fun. That's what it's all about. Good luck and show it to us when you're done or even progress pics if you like. I'd love to see it.

Here are a some of my builds painted with real car paint.

 

Edited March 15, 2017 by Geno

[DrKerry]

First off there are no dumb questions and I'm sure others will chime in on this. If you follow the directions you may do ok with it. Tamiya kits are well thought out and fairly easy to build. If you run into problems you can ask here and members will help you out through the process. Some Tamiya kits can be intimidating but if you take your time and follow along it should come out ok!!! 

On the matter of paint, most times this can be the most difficult part for a first time builder. If you've had experience using aerasol spray paint from doing crafts in the past you could be ok with painting the model. If your unsure try to paint something else, like a milk carton or something similar. Also if you're using automotive paint you will want to use a primer under the paint. You may want to use an automotive type primer as a base coat under your final paint...

i will say from a dad having his ten year old daughter into modeling it is awesome to see you and others into model cars and cars in general!!!!! 

[r34Fan]

Most useful forum!! Thank u guys so much ill keep u updated

[afx]

Tamiya kits included excellent step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow.   They even tell you what color to paint each part. Here is an example.

 I would buy the kit then make a list of the paint colors you need.  Tamiya makes excellent acrylic bottle paints.  These work well for the smaller detail parts and they clean up with water.

 

 

If you wish to paint the body I would recommend Tamiya spray paints.  Painting the body with a brush is time consuming and the results are typically not very good.  Don’t use the spray paints in your house.  Spray outside on nice warm/calm day.

[Ron Hamilton]

If you can, attend a model car club meeting near your home and join. You will be hooked.

[MeatMan]

Above all else, be careful with all the sharps and paint, and have fun!!

[DrKerry]

Most useful forum!! Thank u guys so much ill keep u updated

can't wait to see your build come to life, have fun take your time and it'll happen!!!!!

[CometMan]

You don't have to be an expert on cars to build a model, you'd be surprised at how much cross-over there is from other hobbies you might have!

[microwheel]

Hi and welcome. Most of us that have been around a while started out young building models. Back in the day before there were video games lol. And I dont know about others, but my first few builds were a real learning curve. My first one was a real mess when completed, but it was fun and I learned a lot for the next one. If you dont have and cant afford to invest in a air brush for painting, I would stick to the Tamiya line of spray can paints for a first build. And they make a primer that works well as a primer for almost any type of paint, including automotive paints. It seals the plastic well and is extremely thin which is a plus as far as primers go. Most automotive primers are pretty thick as far as using them on models and can hid detail if not applied carefully.

Another piece of advice, I would try, would be to go to a local hobby lobby and find a cheap skill level 2 kit that you don't care as much about how it turns out and use it to practice building and painting. Tamiya kits are well molded and go together nice, but they are on the expensive side and you wouldn't want to spend your hard earned money on it and mess it up while learning. A good hobby knife and some model kit sanding films are also a good investment, as you'll want to cut the parts off the parts trees and then carefully clean up the spots where the parts were attached to the parts trees otherwise the parts may not fit together well when you assemble them. A good model cement such as testers or tamiya's cements to assemble things are also a needed investment. The more advanced you get when building models the more supplies you'll end up with. But the things I recommended here is a good starting point.  Most importantly, don't try to be perfect your first time building a model, just try to have fun and enjoy it as it comes together and starts to look like the car you are trying to build.

Good Luck and Happy Modeling.

[crazyjim]

You can use real car paint but you'll need to use a suitable primer.  I use Duplicolor primers exclusively.  You'll want to wash and sand the body before the primer.  Can't wait to see what you do with that Supra.

[oldcarfan]

Welcome to the hobby, I hope you'll enjoy it! Tamiya kits are some of the best as far as ease of assembly. If you want to practice painting and detailing on something less expensive you might get a couple of Revell snap kits. They are easy to assemble but respond well to paint detailing and look really nice sitting on the shelf. They are a good way to practice techniques. A friend's daughter wanted to start building and so we got her a Jeep and Mustang. It gave her a lot of confidence to move on to more detailed things.

[62rebel]

Be aware that  the process of sanding is best approached early on with a "less is more" attitude. It is very easy to remove too much detail or introduce unwanted contours and difficult to remove sanding marks. Primer can often be suitably smoothed by rubbing down with paper towels. The main trick to painting is to let the paint cure properly.  Many good jobs are spoiled by rushing them.