New understanding of the price

[jonnysocko]

I am a new return to RC - this time with a scale crawler. I love it. But, this is supposed to be about Paint & Body so I will stay on topic. I started back with a TRX4 Kit so I got to pick a body. I've picked up two so far. a ProLine '66 Chevy two piece pickup (after I practice this will be my 'good' scale show body) and a noname deal from my LHS. Yes, it would have been cheaper to get the RTR with any of the complete bodies already. Mine must be unique though!
I got done trimming and designing the paint scheme on the "test body" that will be my banging around body. It's kind of a Land Rover Discovery roofless with a rear roll cage and spare tire and 5 led lights. Not a licensed body, you know the look. I've barely ever used my airbrush so why not break it in on this. What could go wrong? I know how to watch YouTube. I watched about the specific paint I bought from my LHS. I can handle it. Boy does it go on light. I was running a size 5 tip and could not get enough paint to come through to paint the body. So, after a lot of very light coats the first color is done. A nice Wicked Laguna Blue from Createx Colors. I hand painted in some trim for the molded in semi-interior and let that all dry up. The second color for the body is just white. I bought a spray can of white backing paint to back up the Laguna and to be the secondary color. I decided I wanted to be surprised by the final look though. I masked off the exterior before spraying the white so I won't know what I've got until it's finished. My final color is Traxxas ProGraphix Mirror Chrome and I'm going to back the whole body with the brush on Chrome Backer paint. That should make it durable!
That's where it's at right now. And that brings me to the title of this thread. After buying a body and scale parts and good metal wheels and paint and trimming tapes and the time. Oh the time! I can see why a complete good looking body can be $150 to $200 now. I still am glad I'm doing my own though. Because I will never see another TRX4 on the trail that looks like mine.
Pics to come when it's all done!

Jeff

[xagoras]

I feel you. Nothing beats that feeling of satisfaction, when you sit back and observe a freshly finished body

[ferp420]

the rc hobby can get exspensive 200 for a body isent cheap but its alot better than some of the $400-$500 bodys out there depending on how complete and rare they are they can get crazy exspensive and that was before our buddy brandon killed the american dollor so there gona go up in price again real soon im sure

even lexan bodys cost more than some of my RCs now days and thats just for the body not paying someone to paint it for you or buying your own paint