Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum
The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.

Aston Martin Diecast - Vanity Plate

DJ-99DJ-99 Registered User regular
edited July 2009 in Help / Advice Forum
I would like to buy an Aston Martin Diecast (model/toy) car. It should preferably be a Vanquish, and has to be black. These are easy enough to find. However, I need to customize the license plate.

Any ideas where I can get this? The only tricky part seems to be finding the vanity plate.

Thanks for any suggestions.

DJ-99 on

Posts

  • Seaborn111Seaborn111 Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    only thing i can thing of would be self-fabrication.

    don't think there's somewhere you can request custom plates on a model. someone prove me wrong and help DJ-99

    Seaborn111 on
    </bush>
    It's impossible for us to without a doubt prove the non-existence of God. We just have to take it on faith that he's imaginary..
  • DJ-99DJ-99 Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    You think there's any chance I could get a blank license plate, and draw in the letters myself? I would definitely settle for that.

    DJ-99 on
  • WezoinWezoin Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I really think you'll have to make it yourself - if you buy one, take a model painters brush and paint the license plate white, then you can work on figuring out how to do the letters neatly (probably will need a stencil, if you can cut the letters out of paper small enough to fit on the plate and then hold it against the plate and use black paint it should work.)

    Wezoin on
  • ImprovoloneImprovolone Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Not looking at a model myself I feel the need to ask... could you not paint over whatever is already there? Are the letters stamped and thats the problem?

    Improvolone on
    Voice actor for hire. My time is free if your project is!
  • DJ-99DJ-99 Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    The thing is I, personally, am in no way capable of doing something that small, that neatly.

    I would definitely pay somebody else to do it. What type of place/person should I go to? I would like to spend less than $50 on the license plate aspect of it.

    DJ-99 on
  • ImprovoloneImprovolone Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Call your local hobby shop, I'm sure they can put the word out or at least let you hang a flyer or something.

    Improvolone on
    Voice actor for hire. My time is free if your project is!
  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    DJ-99 wrote: »
    The thing is I, personally, am in no way capable of doing something that small, that neatly.

    I would definitely pay somebody else to do it. What type of place/person should I go to? I would like to spend less than $50 on the license plate aspect of it.
    I don't know exactly what scale you're talking here, but some of the modelers in Critical Failures may be able to put together a tiny license plate for you. Ask in this thread and they should be able to point you to someone willing to do the work, or give instructions on how to do it yourself.

    Personally, I'd suggest getting some plasticard and an x-acto knife from your local hobby shop and make it yourself.
    I mean, it's a small rectangle, not exactly a huge amount of skill needed to cut one out if you've got a straight edge. Some sandpaper to round off the corners and you should be good to go. Painting the letters on just takes patience and a willingness to go back and cover any mistakes up with a second coat.

    see317 on
  • noobertnoobert Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    If there is a Games Workshop near you (the company that sells Warhammer and Warhammer 40k) head in there and have a chat with the staff, they should be able to point you in the direction of someone who could do it, or even do it themselves.

    noobert on
  • DJ-99DJ-99 Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    For reference, this is what I'm looking at.

    http://www.idcow.com/aa2174.html

    I'm guessing the letters on the license plate are between 1/8"-1'4" tall. I will definitely look into trying this myself, but it's kind of an important gift, so I want to make sure it looks as sharp as possible.

    DJ-99 on
  • TRICorpTRICorp Extraordinaire Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    If you're trying to do it yourself, your best bet is to get a micro-pen of some sort. Practice practice practice what you're going to write, then once you feel really comfortable, go for the license plate. Its alot easier than painting it on (Ive been painting Warhammer minis for quite some time and my script STILL looks like shit when I paint it on).

    TRICorp on
    XBox Live: TRISkull
  • CenturionCenturion Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Maybe you could do it in Photoshop and print it on sticky film that you would then put on the license plate?

    Centurion on
  • DJ-99DJ-99 Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Another, related question.

    I'm about 90% sure that the Vantage is the car I am looking for (it's someone's dream car, and I'm giving him this to symbolize his goals, yadda yadda). Does this make sense, as in, the Vantage is the newest, sweetest Aston Martin there is right now? It's definitely nicer than the Vanquish, right?

    The easiest way would be to ask him, but I don't want to do that.

    DJ-99 on
  • WezoinWezoin Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I prefer the DB9 over either - slightly sharper styling than the Vanquish, still has the nice V12 in it. The Vantage is definitely the newest car in terms of being released most recently.

    Wezoin on
  • corky842corky842 Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    It sounds like you're looking for decal paper. Remember those things that came in the car model kits that you had to stick in water, then slide them onto the model? Well, now you can make your own.

    Probably your cheapest source. I looked around, and every other place sells them in packs of 10 or 25.

    Sticky film might work, but this is very likely how the factory put it on there.

    corky842 on
  • BlindZenDriverBlindZenDriver Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Wezoin wrote: »
    I prefer the DB9 over either - slightly sharper styling than the Vanquish, still has the nice V12 in it. The Vantage is definitely the newest car in terms of being released most recently.

    The DBS and the One-77 was released after the Vantage in question (plus there are some racing cars also). The One-77 is so new that I do not think there is a model anywhere but the DBS was in the latest James Bond movie which guarantees there are lots of models.

    Here is one link: http://www.minimodelcars.co.uk/list-diecast-model-cars/&T=d1&C=Aston+Martin&Start=1&Count=20

    Btw. Amalgam offers to do personalized scale model cars with all sorts of details but they are pricey. Their non-custom models usually comes in around $4000 or so and the custom ones will cost more.

    http://www.finemodelcars.com/enter/

    BlindZenDriver on
    Bones heal, glory is forever.
Sign In or Register to comment.
Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum