787 - Decal, or paint the green?

So... waiting for paint to dry on the "Big G" made me bust out a kit I've been wanting to dig into for months, my Mazda 787B. So, goin' through the instructions didn't show any surprises, even with the SMS photoetch and CF templates... all pretty straightforward stuff. But... the green decals that are supposed to be laid over the orange paint... they don't seem to me like they would be able to lay into all the nooks and cranies of the racecar. Tamiya doesn't even list the green color in the paint list! So... I'm considering painting all the green areas green instead of the decal, to make sure it all looks right. What are ya'll opinions? If you built the kit, what did you do? Did the decals cover everything? Super dilema, I want this thing to be parfait. No expense or time spared for this thing.

I will Paint!!! The result is much bether!!! Decals cant curve like these complexes shapes!!! In fact Im ready do this car for friend and the green paint is very easy to do! Well the result is good enought to me...

Parfait - a French dessert of frozen pudding, either ice cream or mousse layered with fruits or syrups and whipped cream.
:lol2:

I'd say either method would work. You'll be surprised how well the decals can be made to snuggle into nooks and crannys. I've seen a bunch if reference pics for this car and it is quite astonishing how rough the paintwork is. In fact like most race cars the livery is mostly precut vinyl stickers!

I love this car. Glad to see someone doing it. :iceslolan
Hope this helps.
Reference pictures for Mazda 787B.
Warning! Very picture intensive!
Mazda 787B - LeMans Winner (http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/787B/)

Magwhell - What color paint are you using to match the green?

Rallyraider - I find myself using franglais a lot these days, as my formal French training fades from memory but while I still retain the latent desire to use it... you'll probably find words like "fantasmagorique" show up here. I know these racecars are vinyl graphics, and I'd rather use the decals. But there are spots that I worry about, most notably the two smaller inlets on either side of the wide nose vent. I'm worrying if the decal will fill the entire area. I know Tamiya is good about this sort of thing, but I worry.

Cychalen - Thanks! I have a load of reference photos already but that site is great! Thanks again!

Anyone else got an opinion? What color green is that, anyway? Park green looks to light... is it just normal green or a darker version? Thoughts? Hold my hand, I'm skeered!

I have built this kit awhile back and the decals fit perfectly and were not a problem at all. A few spots around the front brake ducts in the nose needed minor touchup with X-28 Park Green acrylic. The kit decals are green over a white base, insuring a brilliant color. If you paint the green over the orange directly it may not look as vivid and nice as Tamiya's sprays do not have a strong pigment that covers well. Just my opinion for what it's worth.

I have built this kit awhile back and the decals fit perfectly and were not a problem at all. A few spots around the front brake ducts in the nose needed minor touchup with X-28 Park Green acrylic. The kit decals are green over a white base, insuring a brilliant color. If you paint the green over the orange directly it may not look as vivid and nice as Tamiya's sprays do not have a strong pigment that covers well. Just my opinion for what it's worth.

I agree... even if you were to lay down a thin layer of white primer below the green, it would probably be a thicker layer of paint than if you used the decal. I have the same kit and I intend to use the decal if i ever get to it. Hopefully the decals are still usable since the kit i have is pretty old.

I found the decals to be on the brittle and hard side of the scale. Not a big problem but care should be taken applying them so they don't crack up. Use some decal solvent in the difficult areas.

Niclas "who still have to finish his 787" Proos

[QUOTE=willimo]Magwhell - What color paint are you using to match the green?

Hum...I buid this car long time ago and I use automotive paint(cant remenber the reference buth is acrilic) The problem after green and blach are airbrushed over orange they are litle thick (to do the green brilhant needs several shots) and i add a cout of clear - polish - decals and finaly clear over decals!

I say Pick those nuts up, jump in the box and use those decals boy! Even though i would paint the whole thing! Paint it backwards! Do the orange last. Hit the whole car with white. Tape off the white doted lines with fine line.greea areas, use a airbrush feather it a little past the doted lines that are taped out. then again use the fine line and run 1 solid strip along the dotted line but dont cover the dotted line all the way. cover half the width. cover the green area and touch up white where u feathered the green and spray your orange. remove all tape and your done. apply sponcer decals and clear. Thats what i would do! Good luck with whatever path you take.

Reference pictures for Mazda 787B.
Warning! Very picture intensive!
Mazda 787B - LeMans Winner (http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/787B/)


whoa!!! that page is awsome, thanks.

yeh willimo i got a bit of advice from you about plug wiring for this kit, n e way i did a bit of decaling. The green decals are fine. It would save u a bit of time as it will take a while to mask the kit off. At the front there are a series of holes or gaps where the green decal strugles to adapt to the surface so i covered the gaps with tamiya park green. The roof is my only majour problem. The large decals to go onto the roof struggle to adheare to the aerial moldings and roof. I have aplied a series of microsol coatings but progress is slow. That is how it has been for me. But i still love the 787b its been re released once in 99 i hope tamiya re release it again. The tamiya r89c and sauber c9 and xj-9lm are to be re released soon cant wait.