Some people ask me, Aries326, how the heck did you make that shell? Well, it's no secret. It only takes time, patience and following "How To Make A RC Drift Shell."

Start off with your inspiration.
Find your favorite 1:1 car. Get pics of it from every angle. Sit back and think, does this have too many colors? Are the patterns too complex? Can I successfully make a replica? Buy the shell that closely resembles your favorite 1:1. Clean the inside with soap and warm water to remove oil and fingerprints then let dry. Here's the one we will work on today:

How do I now take the designs from the 1:1 and put it on the shell?
With this project, I had my buddy Oski83 help me. He took the pictures of the car, isolated the tribal lines using a CAD program (you can use Photoshop as well) and made a separate file with the pattern. Alternatively, you can draw out the pattern on paper and scan into your computer.

 

What do I do now with these designs that I have in my computer?
You now need to print out the designs on some Parma blank masking sheets. These sheets are around $4 a piece and I buy mine from TowerHobbies. Make sure to print it on the the white side of the paper. If you're on a budget, you can take yellow masking tape, apply the tape onto some wax paper so that it doesn't stick all over the place and draw your pattern/design directly on to the masking tape.

Design/Pattern now printed. What now ?
Carefully cut out the pattern and apply them onto inside the shell as you cut them out. You don't want some loose pieces of masking laying around for it to add to the confusion. Cut a section of the mask, apply to the shell. Don't to forget to mask off the windows and the lights (if you plan on using light buckets).

 

You now have a cleanly masked off shell. Time to paint!
As simple as this sounds, you will be painting the INSIDE of the shell. Remember, when you start painting a shell, the dark colors go on FIRST. If you apply a light color, applying a dark color after it will alter the way that color looks.

For this project, I started off with Tamiya Frost Red. Make sure to paint in THIN COATS. Over zealous painting will cause running an uneven appearing surface. A big no no. If you think guys on the forum won't notice, guess again.

After 4 light coats of frost red was applied, I backed it up with 4 coats of Spazstix chrome. I wanted to see if I could get a different looking red, but in retrospect, I probably should have just done Tamiya Metallic Red from the beginning.

Base color finished. Time to paint the design.
I then cut away the tribal mask leaving a small perimeter behind that will later be painted gold. For this shell, I also removed the mask I had used for the rear lights.

I then sprayed on 4 thin coats of Tamiya Metallic Black, letting it dry for 15 mins in between coats. The final coat, I allowed it to dry overnight, then I removed the rest of the mask to reveal the remaining area to be painted with the gold trim. With a toothpick moistened with CitriStrip, I removed any black that may have seeped under the mask. After everything looked clean, I then sprayed on the gold until I was satisfied with the results.

 

Time to paint the window trim.
As I've told people time and time again, if you want a clean looking shell, and you want it to remain clean looking after hours of fun, paint in the window trim. It looks cleaner and it doesn't peel off like supplied window trim. Check out this tutorial on "How To Paint in Window Trim."

Now that painting is complete, remove the protective shell covering.
Your shell probably doesn't look too pretty at this point because of all the overspray and the dull finish. Remove that protective shell covering and reveal your shiny new shell! Now it is time to apply your favorite sponsor decals.

If you don't want to use the sponsor decals that came with your shell, you can jump on The Decal Depot thread and find other sponsor decals that you can print on your own on clear water slide decal paper or clear avery decal sheets. Check out the tutorial from D-Style on How to Make Your Own Decals. You can even have vinyl stickers made by Fozz18. Just PM him on DRC with your request.

Time to add the extra sexiness!
Now that your shell is completely painted and the decals applied, time to add the extra stuff to add realism to your shell. You can add your light buckets and use Shoe Goo to hold in in place. Using double sided tape just doesn't cut it. You can even add license plates using this tutorial.

What other things can I add to make my car realistic
You can add an FMC if you'd like to make your car look even more realistic. You can make it yourself using Mike Villena's FMIC tutorial or purchase an FMIC from one of the various entrepeneurs making and sellling FMICS.

You can even add LEDs to your shell! They can be purchased from various companies, or if you're like me, running on a budget, you can make your own set using this tutorial.

Your car is now ready!!!
Ready for what!?!? Your car is now ready for submission to DRC Central's Body of the Month contest where you can win fabulous rc drift prizes from our sponsors! More importantly, you're ready to drift with style!

Updated Pics: