My personal preference is that a kit be molded in light to medium gray plastic.If it is molded in color,I do what I always do and primer it with Tamiya neutral gray.

Yes,that's why I use the light gray Tamiya stuff.

White also comes in handy before painting white

I've recently held some Trumpy tiny airplanes that were molded in several colors per part.

I've always had a soft spot for the old Matchbox kits that used to come in two colour tones. It might even have been two sprues - one of each colour. It was a little wierd, but at the time they were a nice set of models. And they used to come with a little diorama base. It looks like Revell have the molds now as their Comet, Jadgpanzer, and Panzer II have the same bases I remember from the Matchbox models. It doesn't look like they've kept to the two tone plastic though.

I think Bandai pioneered the multiple-colour parts on one sprue concept on their Gundam kits. Some of them are pretty complex- up to five or so shades on just one sprue. 

I have two "kits" that I built that were pre-colored and decaled...an F-4E and an SR-71.  They're Smithsonian kits that I bought when I was at the SAC Museum.  Not all that accurate, in fact I'm not sure they're really any particular scale.  With those, it wasn't really about the kits themselves, but more about where I was when I bought them.  Its really not a big deal, and I can't say that I'm seeing any kind of trend toward "lazy" modeling.  If what you're looking at buying isn't up to your standards, then don't buy it.  Still plenty of kits out there that get built the old-fashioned way, and more being released.  Paint isn't much of an issue, since there are so many new manufacturers that are filling the void that others left...you just have to look around, and try new things.  The new paint I'm trying right now makes me wonder why nothing like it was available until now.

I am just starting a Tamiya Ferrari that is molded in red. The problem with spraying red paint over red plastic is that it is difficult to see how good the coverage is, and if everything is being painted. So I'll need to sover th red plastic with a primer.

JohnnyK

I am just starting a Tamiya Ferrari that is molded in red. The problem with spraying red paint over red plastic is that it is difficult to see how good the coverage is, and if everything is being painted. So I'll need to sover th red plastic with a primer.

 

I have a Macross Valkyrie kit (actually, several of them) which when finished is red and white. Some of the white areas are quite prominent.

Can you guess what colour the plastic is?

Yep, red....  

Tanker-Builder

You know:

        After answering a post from ED Grune I got to thinking ...

Which post?

when my wife says she has been thinking, it will cost me time, or money, or both

On the subject of colored plastic, the Academy MCP - multi-colored plastic kits are nice.   Advanced snap kits that will be good for an advanced novice colored plastic & stickers.  Or for a intermediate & up modeler good molding & detail that can be painted & decaled with a full suite.   Their F-35 A is quite nice

Phil_H

 

 

JohnnyK

I am just starting a Tamiya Ferrari that is molded in red. The problem with spraying red paint over red plastic is that it is difficult to see how good the coverage is, and if everything is being painted. So I'll need to sover th red plastic with a primer.

 

 

 

 

I have a Macross Valkyrie kit (actually, several of them) which when finished is red and white. Some of the white areas are quite prominent.

Can you guess what colour the plastic is?

Yep, red....  

 

Here we go again , people taking a dump on stuff because it doesn’t meet their exact preferences. Who cares if them there multi colored kits get some young ‘uns interested in the hobby and maybe give it a future? My need to whine and cry about it exceeds any thought that it might be good for the hobby, or simply not targeted at me! So instead, I’ll just be an old crank on a message board, and shout Get Off My Lawn! at anything that is scary and different from exactly what I want. 

MJames70

Here we go again , people taking a dump on stuff because it doesn’t meet their exact preferences. Who cares if them there multi colored kits get some young ‘uns interested in the hobby and maybe give it a future? My need to whine and cry about it exceeds any thought that it might be good for the hobby, or simply not targeted at me! So instead, I’ll just be an old crank on a message board, and shout Get Off My Lawn! at anything that is scary and different from exactly what I want. 

 

Hmm,I didn't  see any real complaining going on here, just a discussion on a discussion forum. 

Who cares what color it might be,we usually prime anyway.

Yeah most of us prime first anyway.  JohnnyK mentioned the Ferrari molded in red.  I finished the Ferrari 640 F1 car not long ago and it was molded in red.  I'm guessing manufacturers do this so kids can build their models without painting.  This is a good thing.  

Hello!

I remember when I was about 10 years old, I bought an ESCI 1/72 M48A2C (later known as "Old glue") - the box art had a tan (!) istraeli tank, and the parts were molded in tan plastic. Finished it in one afternoon while watching TV at the same time (no painting of course). Encouraged by the success I've bought ESCI 1/72 M901 ITOW. The box art was just so prettty:

I remember the disappointment after opening the box at home and finding the parts molded in grey!

Of course today I'd be perfectly OK with it, but in the days when young modellers were the main target for the model manufacturers I guess molding parts incolour made perfect sense.

I also remember feeling the same about two-colour Matchbox kits - they even had a drawing on the box showing the model without paint but with decals on - it kinda gave the young modeller "thums up" on not painting the model.

Thanks for reading and have a nice day

Paweł

I've got the revell t-6 Texan air racer "Miss Behavin" molded in red.  I want to do it as a chrome yellow trainer 

I was just thinking last night that my favorite part of modeling is the assembly, and least favorite is painting and weathering.  I'd be all for a prepainted kit with the detail of several hundred part count.

But if pigs had wings we'd all carry umbrellas.

I'm the opposite.  I love painting.  Well, I love building also.  I really in 60 plus years of modeling, I never prime, unless the model is resin or metal.  Colored plastic may be great for youngsters, that's fine.  What ever it takes to get them into the hobby is a good idea.  

Speaking of youngsters, I just remembered that the Blue Thunder model I built again as an adult was molded in the same dark blue plastic that it was molded in 36 years ago when I built it the first time as a kid.  The first time I built it, I brush-painted everything with Testors in the little square bottles.  The second time I primed and airbrushed everything with Model Master primer and enamels.  Even though it was colored plastic targeted for young modelers, it still built up into a fantastic model with really good detail right out of the box.  I did reengineer some parts of it and did a little slicing and dicing, but it wasn't to improve detail...it was to make things like the main rotor go on last so I didn't have to constantly worry about breaking it.  Cockpit detail was superb for its time, and actually exceeds a lot of what is out there now.

keavdog

I've got the revell t-6 Texan air racer "Miss Behavin" molded in red.  I want to do it as a chrome yellow trainer  

Yellow is a notoriously hard paint color, especially over a dark base.  Pigment is not dense.  Airbrush, spray, or hand paint. Your path here is to assemble the red plastic then prime overall.  I would recommend Tamiya's white primer.  Then apply the yellow using your choice of paint brand.   The white gives a good base and will minimize the number of color coats needed for coverage. 

The only advantage I find for molded-in color is for small parts.  Occasionally, if the color is correct, I will spray a small part with dullcoat or glosscoat, whichever is appropriate.  This brings the sheen to the surface and removes the plastic look. Don't have to paint part then.  I don't do this very often though.

Philo;

 I do agree with you.

How did you do That?

      Mine was or is, I  should say, Yellow! Funny That. I got a Ferrari once from a well known Mfgr. Color. British Racing Green! 

To; MJames70, Hey, Chill Dude! 

      I was just making an observation on what I have seen at my local Hobby lobby. The little plane was bought Knowing it was pre-painted. But, It did make me look at others. There were just a lot more than I expected.

     I still have many Pre-Colored kits in my stash because they were what I wanted. The GR-7, was an easy build for a memory! Even if the Snap-Fit rocket pods didn't want to stay on!

I wish there was a neutral gray plastic color. I need a little contrast between paint and surface in order to judge coverage.

I have a Privateer molded in three colors.

Bill

Imagine if all kits were molded in black. That would be super fun to find all the errors that need fixing before paint. Who's with me? Anyone?

BK

I will say Tamiya motorcycle kits I've done mold the frame etc in black and it's spot on for their semigloss black.  I'll admit I didn't paint some parts. 

keavdog

I will say Tamiya motorcycle kits I've done mold the frame etc in black and it's spot on for their semigloss black.  I'll admit I didn't paint some parts. 

 

BrandonK

Who's with me? Anyone?

Nope, not me (flashbacks to 70s Airfix P61 in black plastic - uuuurgh!)