Box art or Personalized bodies?

[RC_Hobbyist]

That is what makes the RC hobby great.

When it comes to painting bodies, you can be as creative as you want or stick to the original.
In the end, its all up to you how you want to express yourself through your RC bodies

[compass]

i have the patience to make very nice bodies. But i am terrible at making color choises and color schemes. So the best thing for me to do is stick with the box art. i only make bodys for on road cars. And i like the original race liverys of the cars i buy. I never make off road model due to the lack of an off road track in the eara. I wish there was one. 

[Busdriver]

6 hours ago, markbt73 said:

This is as close as I get to box art, and even it's not exact:

Otherwise, I just do my own thing.

I did one of those and a delta in box art but sold both!!!

[Andreas W]

When I think about it none of my cars are box art. 

 

If it's a buggy I either get an MCI or RC Decals sticker set in alternative colors going with the paint I have chosen, or I use the original stickers and use a different paint color. I also skip most of the sponsors and just do the stripes. 

 

If it's an M-chassis or touring body I mostly make them looking like road cars- often inspired from cars that made an impact on me earlier. Lately I have been inspired by cars I have met in the traffic and gone by that. F.ex. Last summer I met a Renault Alpine A110 on the way to work in blue with orange roof. Dang! The color choice for my Suzuki Swift was given. On Friday I met a Mini in blue with white roof. I now have an M-07R on the way,  so if I only can get a 256 wb Mini from L&L without paying the double in freight and VAT I'll go with that. 

[ZED32]

I am almost always in the non-boxart group. I want my cars to stand out with loud colors / custom designs. Most box art schemes are just to mundane for my taste. The only chance that I'd want boxart is if its replicating a real car, like the TA-02 IMSA 300zx (personal grail)

[njmlondon]

When I was in my rally / race car building stage it was always box art.

But for buggies, never box art. I enjoy using my creativity and working out colours that suit the shape and overall vibe I am going for. I often find buggies to be pretty poor at maximising the looks, Grasshopper aside.

[Tamiyastef]

22 hours ago, ADRay1000 said:

picking out your own paint color(s) is the second thing that drew me into the hobby as a 9 year old. (first being that they were cool cars). I think the only box art body I ever did was a Mini Cooper Monte Carlo, as a display only body. I also remember all of the rad sticker sheets we had to choose from at the LHS. 
 

also, has a phase been coined for this move? Livery appropriation? 

So it's called "Livery appropriation"?  I love it 

Very much

[ADRay1000]

I also like box art with alternate colors. Always liked maroon on a lunchbox after they did it in Car Action magazine. (I can’t find a pic of it, but here’s one of my old LB)

[MadAnt]

When I like box art, I usually do box art, sometimes I want to do something different because I think it would look better. Sometimes I will stick with the box art theme and just change the color, like on my hornet evo, because the flame stripes just look real good with gun metal.

The CC01 Bronco I have is just a simple green with a white top, because I like it.

Of course those paint jobs are just very simple, I like the simple stuff sometimes with no clutter from graphics and sponsor decals, just a simple normal looking road car will do.

[urban warrior]

Although there are a lot of opinions already mentioned, I like to share my own two cents too.

There are cars which are literally crying to get painted in box art (The further above mentioned Lancia Delta Integrale for example, and would there be a color other than red for a Ferrari?). But as I already stated elsewhere, I like to be a bit more individual with my models. One reason is, that I would like to distinguish my cars from others. And I believe there are enough models painted in box art, So I don't have too. Nevertheless I occasionally bought a Lunchbox in box art and think it's looking great. But if I can, I like to be a bit different. It's clear that Tamiya's box art is mostly outstanding. Especially with the older models. Other companies are lacking this fine detail.

For example: I bought a TRX-4 1979 Bronco years ago. We don't need to speak about real box art regarding Traxxas, there are some photographs and that's it. But I decided to deviate from the "production livery" which was black with two types of stickering when originally released. So I got me a plain body and painted it like the Bronco was in 1979, in a two tone livery in red and white.

So it also depends on the car/model. I guess I would never paint an Avante other than the metallic blue color of the box art, because I believe that it's looking great in that livery. I personally cannot think about another color, making it look better. But that's just me. I'm weird anyway. Also the Honda CR-V is looking great in it's blue color. I've seen some in real life and here also metallic blue was the nicest color choice.

At the end it always comes down to the personal taste. Box art painted models are great. And Tamiya had the right touch getting a suitable paint job for most of their models. That's another reason (apart from the worlds best manuals) for what I really like Tamiya as a modelling company.

 

[Re-Bugged]

It’s the Box art that got most of our attention as kids. But I do enjoy coming up with something original as well.

Seeing something I can do with a car in my minds eye often gets me more excited than the car itself inevitably leading to its purchase, then seeing it to fruition is a nice feeling. In instances where I’m torn between Box Art or an idea I’ve had I’ll pick up a spare body and just end up doing both. 

The Super Champ was the one I never got and had sat in the back of my head for a long long time. Eventually some years later I pulled the trigger on the re-re Fighting Buggy, and did my own thing with it, with some help from fellow member @yogi-bear printing the Motul & KC decals for me. I computer skill I envy 😉

A few years after that at happy as I was (and still am with it) I felt I needed to scratch the box art itch and bought a spare body from another fellow member @toyolien, this then made life perfect 😄

The Sand Scorcher is just Custom Paint heaven, there are sooooooo many around but rarely do you see two the same.

Daunted by Box Art for my first one a more  simple 2 tone was the way to go at the time,

 

Then as confidence grew a spin on Box Art was to follow

 

 

And a few others…

 

I have a few various chassis now with multiple bodies for them, just depends on the mood I’m in at the time.

 

[MadAnt]

@Re-Bugged those cars you have are stunning. One of the reasons why this hobby is so awesome is building the skills to make such beautiful creations.

[magnumcyclonex]

I like using the lines and contours Tamiya builds on to their body molds as part of my canvas, so to speak. For some of the initial bodies I did, I went box art colors, box art stickers. But as time progressed, and as my spray can inventory increased, I became more daring and creative. Sure, masking is a pain, but holding strong to that vision and seeing it through to the finish when you peel off that protective film makes it all worth it! Sometimes, with bodies meant for running/racing, I always feel that tinge of guilt/sadness they are going to get battered, dirty, and scratched up - which is why I always take photos before they go on their first runs.

Anyways, down below, I've posted these in the What Have You Done Today thread before in 2024...

For the TT01 Fat Fox, I did a multi color scheme, utilizing some vibrant colors, and played with some translucent ones. The translucent yellow stands out a lot. On the rear, I used the translucent red and blue to paint the layout of the Nintendo Switch Joy Cons. Even harder to see are the rear fenders which were painted in translucent red and blue (and pink and green - but those are really hard to see from this angle). I also installed white wheels instead of the kit supplied black ones, and bought the white bumper set to match in the rear (which you can barely see in this photo).

For the M-06 VW Type 2 Van, the Corsa Grey color scheme was deliberately picked to not be so flashy. This way, what really pops out (at least to me) are the numerous Peeps related stickers plastered all over the body. You could say that I took some inspiration from the M-05 VW Flower Power Van, which has since been discontinued. I'm particularly proud of the fact that I spent the time lining up the masking tape for the silver portions on the body. The VW logo stands out very well against the white and the PS silver matches the TS silver plastic bumper. Finally, what's a van if it isn't carrying any passengers? Peeps Bunnies took a ride with some cheap Amazon LED lights to shine through the front and back.

[Wooders28]

Rarely do box art, 

The last one, was a Novafox, and it took longer doing the body and decals, than building the thing! (Built it pretty much twice, as I figured I'd crack on with the build, and then just bosh the servo in when it arrived...🤦‍♂️)

 

Kind of gone close with my recent Avante build, but not the PS16 blue it should be.

Still to paint Paranoid Perry , and lay the decals though..

 

One that I'd like to do, isn't box art, but cover art (?) 

Not sure I've got the skills to paint a solid Brat body that well though...

[njmlondon]

5 hours ago, Re-Bugged said:

It’s the Box art that got most of our attention as kids. But I do enjoy coming up with something original as well.

Seeing something I can do with a car in my minds eye often gets me more excited than the car itself inevitably leading to its purchase, then seeing it to fruition is a nice feeling. In instances where I’m torn between Box Art or an idea I’ve had I’ll pick up a spare body and just end up doing both. 

The Super Champ was the one I never got and had sat in the back of my head for a long long time. Eventually some years later I pulled the trigger on the re-re Fighting Buggy, and did my own thing with it, with some help from fellow member @yogi-bear printing the Motul & KC decals for me. I computer skill I envy 😉

Then as confidence grew a spin on Box Art was to follow

 

That Fighting Buggy is outstanding. The way you have combined the physical lines of the body with your chosen stripes is spot on.

And as for that Scorcher… beautiful! 

[Re-Bugged]

Thank you kindly @MadAnt & @njmlondon 😄

[Saito2]

On 6/11/2025 at 10:29 AM, ADRay1000 said:

Always liked maroon on a lunchbox after they did it in Car Action magazine.

Don't happen to remember the color you used? I'm thinking of painting up my LB to look like the RCCA one as well. I think Steve Pond used automotive lacquers in the article.

[ADRay1000]

47 minutes ago, Saito2 said:

Don't happen to remember the color you used? I'm thinking of painting up my LB to look like the RCCA one as well. I think Steve Pond used automotive lacquers in the article.

I want to say that I used TS-11, but I don’t remember exactly. If I were to replicate mine I’d use TS-11. 

[Ray_ve]

Typically box art, as I'm not creative enough to do things differently unless it's a really special project.

[El Gecko]

RC is one of my creative outlets, and I honestly can't leave anything factory stock anyway, so mine are all customized or personalized somehow.

As a kid I remember thinking that box art was too similar to a toy RC like Nikko, Radio Shack/Tandy or TYCO/Taiyo, and if the option was there, I was almost obligated to create something unique, even just to differentiate my "hobby-grade" RC from all the "toys" out there.

I've also been influenced by various 1:1 custom car cultures where the car is a canvas to explore your creative urges. I'm just doing that on a smaller scale.

The "Reader's Rides" section in issues of RCCA magazine was also a big inspiration. You never saw a box art vehicle in there.

[Josie]

Ah, thankyou all for sharing your creative artwork for your cars. Many great ideas here too. 

I personally got so much more satisfaction in creating something unique and which i like too, than the box art.

But do still understand others who prefer just  box art, especially with maintaining the history of RC Cars too.

Its freedom of choice of course, and thats a positive good thing. x