Paint for hard bodies that flex
 

I understand that there are special paints for polycarbonate bodies that flex a lot but what paint should I use on a hard body that also has a degree of flex to it? The paint I used on the hard body cracked at particular points where the body flexes so I am now stripping the paint off and trying again. The body in question is a vintage Tamiya Holiday Buggy. Thanks.

If the Lexan paint chips, then you are more than likely spraying the layers too thick... you want very thin layers of almost transparent film, if you can't see the shadow of your hand behind the body when held up in direct sunlight, then you've sprayed the paint too thick and it will chip/crack when flexed :(

Is it possible to spray polycarbonate paint on the outside of a hard body that flexes or will it give a dull/matte finish? Perhaps the reason the paint cracked was more to do with adhesion to the surface of the hard body. I did prepare the surface and use an undercoat but I could have sprayed it on too thick. With hindsight it was a bad idea to strip an original Holiday Buggy body and repaint it but too late now! In my defence it was a long time ago...

main problem with painting the outside of any body is there will be no protection from surface scratches... however if this is just going to be a shelf queen, then simply spray several layers of clear coat on top to get a nice glossy finish...

for example if you want a bright candy-apple red, then you want to paint the body with solid white backer first, then your candy color, then several coats of clear to make it pop.

Thanks for your advice Bill. Hopefully I can restore it to it's original glory!