[InsanePyro]

Is it possible to find pre painted kits with a metal shell anymore? All I can find is kits like that but they assemble in 15 minutes. I remember when I was 10 or so my dad and I put together a General Lee that had a metal shell, very detailed engine and interior and was by no means a 15 minute project. I also had a few more of that sort but over the last few years I've seen them disappear.

The reason I ask is because I'm terrible at painting models. I can paint anything else but the moment I touch a plastic model it all goes down hill.

 

[Rondo]

I did an ebay search on "prepainted". Some of these might suit you:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Automotive-/2580/i.html?_npmv=3&_nkw=prepainted

The AMT Custom Shop kits always looked like a nice line to me. Not metal bodied, but some of their nicer kits. If you foiled the chrome and clear coat the body, I think you'd have a real nice model.

 

[InsanePyro]

I can live without the metal. Its the needing paint that kills me. Just can't make the body look nice for some reason

 

[Baskingshark]

I have a Testors Lincoln Mint '69 Dodge Charger Daytona that's metal, pre-painted and very detailed, but I'm not sure if their range is/was very extensive.

 

[InsanePyro]

Yeah they seem to have gotten quite far and few in between

 

[swflyboy]

If you are into American muscle, check out all the AMT Proshop kits. If you are into Nissans, then Aoshima's pre-painted series is excellent.

Otherwise...*crickets*

 

[djnick66]

The pre painted kits were big about 10 -12 years ago with Revell, AMT, etc. doing various versions. Revell had some with metal bodies. Even Polar Lights had some. But that trend has largely (thankfully) died out and companies are back to regular, kits where you have to do the work yourself.

To be fair, I did build an AMT pro-shop Edsel and it was not half bad. But you are still stuck with seams on parts that you can't remove without damaging the finish, and the body itself was not in a scheme I really liked.

 

[InsanePyro]

I honestly loved the pre painted kits with metal shells. Heck I'd settle for metal I had to paint myself

 

[71 Charger 500]

AMT had four different pre-painted Dodge Challengers last year but you would have to order them through a Hobby Shop. I've never seen them at Hobby Lobby.

Mo

 

[InsanePyro]

Back before Walmart gutted their hobby section I got a few from them. A Peterbuilt semi and the Duke's Charger were the two I can think of off the top of my head. Oh well...I guess I'll just have to really start honing my painting skills. Primer on big parts seems to help alot

 

[bert model maker]

I have 2 Vanishing point Dodge Challengers with metal bodies that screw together that i picked up at a grocery outlet store for $6.00 each. they are Revelle and they each came with a "tube of testors model cement, the good kind. the cement is for the interior seats and such.

 

[Rondo]

I wouldn't care if the model body was plastic or metal except for 2 things. First, if I'm going to do much cutting and glueing on the body, I'd rather it be styrene for cleaner glue joints.

Second, it seems like every diecast body looks kind of soft on detail. I don't know if it is inherant in the molding process or the painting. I've never tried stripping anything bigger than a Hotwheels so it may be fixable (although that would defeat your purpose).

 

[djnick66]

Die cast bodies are a bit soft on the fine details. Badgework and trim tend to be mushy and the (relatively) thick, baked on paint doesn't help. They can still look very nice but lack crispness here and there. Stripping them down is easy enough, though.