Trumpeter 78 Monte Carlo

Thanks a lot for the advice (sorry i didnt get back sooner). I think I'm going to try the black wash as a start. Maybe dry brush the wheel wells.

Would ypu recommend mixing a bit of grey into the normal blue metallic paint to dull it out a bit?

Blacky, you missed the last part of OP's post where he asked:

Also any basic tips on car builds, especially body painting a used car, would be much appreciated.

so i used my Dodge to explain the technique of making them look used. it's nothing to do with the MC, as i said.

Sorry to burst your bubble but that's not a 1978 Monte Carlo. That's a Dodge. I should know for I owned a '78 Monte Carlo.

 The only kits I know that came out as a kit were '79 and '80 or '81 Monte Carlo my MPC. I built both kits years ago.

i've done a few 'daily driven' cars

i use acrylic brown and black washes to create a look of dirt and grime. A 'wash' is thin black paint that will flow into all the crevices and depressions. the other technique you need is 'drybrushing', if you wipe most of the paint off your brush, you can apply a very small, light amount of paint to edges and high spots. silver paint is good for this when you want scratched metal and off-white for dust.