Racing Models with "Custom" Livery - generic question

[Lipko]

Hi all!

This is a more general Lego question, but I think Technic suffers from it a bit more, and I also think that it is a fairly typical question.

So: I'm building a Dakar car modeled after a specific car and there is a big design problem: there are some key parts that are not available in the correct colors. The car only existed in black and one racing livery (I have found another livery but I couldn't find out what was it about, and that's not doable either). What would you do? (I don't like the black Lego version for many reasons).

• come up with a custom livery and try to get away with it (if it was Formula One, this would not be an option, but maybe Dakar is not familiar to that level of detail for most people. so maybe the model would be enjoyable that way too)
• paint/sticker the parts (100% cover, which itself would trigger pretty much all purists, including myself). The car is a car, not a truck with flat surfaces, so also technically this is very difficult.
• hope and wait for parts become available in the right colors....
• call it a generic Dakar car even if the shape itself is regogniseable
• discard the model

All the Lego rally models out there modeled after a real car are accurate in colors too, or are there "custom" colored models too? 

Thanks for the comments in advance!
Lipko

Edited October 14, 2023 by Lipko

[icm]

I'm not a Technic builder, but this is a pretty general Lego question. I think you should come up with a custom livery and maybe some custom stickers. I don't think you should paint the parts, nor postpone or cancel the build. You can always just call it a generic Dakar car if you don't like it when you're done.

[2GodBDGlory]

I'd also just go for a custom color scheme. I'm not too familiar with the source material, though, so I can't say whether it's actually integral to the look to have a certain color scheme, though

[pow]

Hehe, why not using it to your advantage?

If you just really wanna build this particular Model you could do something like that: Develop it in monochrome style (pure white/black/grey) and in a "fantasy" livery that every one would love and that grabs a lot of attention (maybe the Gulf livery for example or colors that really shine, like "80's Malboro-white-and-neon-red"). And then tell that story(that you had to go for that color scemes) so the audience understands your decision and can choose what they want.

If you are very lucky people start a discussion about/on(?) your decisions and you get a lot of traffic on your model.

[Jurss]

For rally cars it is easyer to find some different color livery. Yes it could be not some used by legendary driver, but there could be options. Dakar usually doesn't have options.

Use stickers as lego do it. Anyway You will need those sponsor stickers.

Jules?

[Ngoc Nguyen]

Even TLG uses custom livery. Case in point: 42153.

[MAB]

I'd go for other colours. But the good thing about black is that dye works well, you cannot fail to colour match if you leave too long. There are threads on using RIT dye here. Once dyed, it does scratch like paint.

[Seasider]

I think people are less aware of specific Dakar vehicles and their liveries.

Also remember some people like “naked” models without stickers.

So if it was me I’d see what it looked like without the stickers and then if the official livery doesn’t work with the colours of the parts you have modify the livery to make it custom.

 

[Lipko]

Thanks for the comments!

I thought about it a bit and narrowed the problem down to the following main points:

• I presonally don't care much about the livery, or Dakar in general. The main goal was and still is to have something that looks good (complies with todays standards like having no gaps) and is playable by kids. - achieved, and the model still has the chance to be successful in the Technic community.
• Having an unrealistic livery will have a big negative impact on the public success outside the Technic community. The model probably won't be blogged by Dakar sites or by the real car's manufacturer, or even by generic car sites, even if the shaping would be spot on.

Conclusion: I will go for custom livery (but change it if by any chance the parts would be available in the right colors), and accept the fact that I won't be famous... Which is only problem because I don't have much time to build, only for following my reputation. Which is a menial attitude but whatever