I’ve got a number of old plastic cars. Most of them will never go on my layout, but there are a couple of panel trucks that I’d like to fix up, mostly because you just can’t find those things.
These cars are just a simple one-piece plastic molding with junky wheels put on them. The windows are completely filled in with the same plastic, so they look very silly in red. On some of these, I went over the windows with a black marker when I was a kid, 40 years ago. That made them look a bit better, but they look pretty poor compared to the Wal-Mart models that have been showing up lately.
Does anyone have any ideas of how to deal with these windows? I suppose I could Dremel them out with a very fine bit, and try to replace them with clear plastic, but is there any kind of painting which might be an easier solution? Thanks.
Paint always looks like paint [V]… which is most unreasonable of it.
drilling and filing out is a way to go but then you have to find glazing. there used to be a liquid goo that you sort of stuck on one edge of a window space and drew across a bit like a bubble. This was great for locos and passenger cars and lasted pretty well so long as the item wasn’t bashed about too much. (It dried and hardened quite quickly) Sorry, I don’t recall what it was called. Maybe someone else does? Trouble is that auto windows are mostly curved…
Maybe you can place the panel vans where the opened out windows will face away from the viewing side? I know that this isn’t ideal but at least it would disguise the lack of “glass”. A driver or crewman leaning out would be a nice touch that would also distract…
I’ve used something like that from time to time. It’s a plastic cement available from Testors. It’s called ''Testor’s plastic cement and window maker".
Thanks. If nothing else, it give me an excuse to go to my LHS. My daughter just got her learner’s permit, so maybe I’ll make her drive me there. No, that would be cruel.
I had some of those “gems” also; I believe I got mine off of one of my son’s birthday cake a long time ago. They are pretty crude. If you want to use them for a background model, I would cut out the side windows and try to find a decent color for the windshield and back glass. A light silver perhaps? This is probably the easiest way to deal with the problem.
If you really want them up close, the only thing I can think of is use some clear plastic. Get it thin enough to cut with scissors, which will ease the pain somewhat. This product will help, good for up to ¼ ", perhaps more with a little patience? Micro Kristal Klear:
Now, this is from a site for the military miniatures wargame entitled “Flames of War”, but I’ve used this trick and it’s actually pretty neat. It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, you can do it very quickly and it does look pretty nice. You can also use this same technique for small windows on houses and structures, lamps, etc.
There are also many other articles on that site that, although they are oriented towards military miniatures, are still useful in some of the detailing we do with trains.
Micro Kristal Klear is the product you need for those plastic cars. I have used it on a number of small windows and it works OK. It’s a lot easier to fit to curved surfaces like car window frames than fighting with acetate or plastic. It’s not as good as acetate or clear plastic for flat surfaces, but we are not talking about foreground models.
Its also great for gluing other types of window glazing. It sets up quickly and has not crazed any clear plastic, acetate or other type of glazing I have used. The key is not to use too much so it oozes out on the glazing. If it does, and you can catch it just before it sets, you can roll it into a ball on the end of a toothpick and pull it away.
Hmmm, G Paine from Maine agrees with Doctor Wayne. By George, I think he’s got it! Let’s all go out and rent “My Fair Lady.”
I pulled out the Dremel and took out the solid plastic “windows” from the trucks. This took all of about 5 minutes per truck, so I’ll head up to my LHS and pick up some of this stuff if he’s got any. He’s got all the Microscale decal stuff, so if it’s not there this week, maybe next.
In the meantime, I’ve pulled off the wheels and now I’m ready to spray paint the two trucks. One will be Leo DaVinci and Sons, Painters, and I’m thinking of King Arthur’s Flowers for the other. Other suggestions? I’m making my own decals to decorate the trucks, which will live in the mid-60’s.
