If you’ve ever grabbed a tin of household aerosol to paint an RC bodyshell and wondered why the result looked a bit off, you’re not alone. General-purpose spray paints like Plasticote and even Halford’s car sprays all have their uses, but theyaren’t formulated with RC car bodies in mind – and it shows. The Fastrax Fast Finish range is different. These are specially formulated spray paints designed for RC car bodies, and the colour selection for this particular range has been specifically chosen for RC crawlers.
That’s a small but meaningful distinction. Crawler builders tend to lean toward terrain-realistic, functional-looking colour schemes — earthy tones, dusty neutrals, military-influenced greens — rather than the bright racing colours you’d reach for on a touring car. Fastrax has clearly thought about that, which is why the palette here reads like a list of proper off-road and scale colour choices rather than a generic spray tin selection.
- Formulated specifically for Lexan/Polycarbonate RC car bodies — not a generic aerosol repurposed for the job
- Colour palette chosen with RC crawlers in mind — earthy, terrain-appropriate tones plus Atlas Blue
- Seven colours available — mix and match for multi-tone crawler builds
- 150ml per can — a practical size for bodyshell painting
The 7-Colour Fastrax Crawler Range: On-the-Bench Application Tips
When painting clear polycarbonate crawler bodies, the paint goes on the inside of the shell, meaning you must paint in reverse: darkest colours first, lightest colours last, finishing with a backing coat to seal it and provide opacity.
Here is how each specific Fastrax Fast Finish colour behaves on Lexan and how to get the best result.
Atlas Blue (FAST2950-01)
A solid, purposeful blue, but dark colours can often reveal inconsistent spray patterns if applied too heavily.
- Application: Lay down 3–4 very light dusting coats, letting the paint flash off (dry to a matte finish) between each pass.
- Backing Advice: Back this with a coat of silver. Silver backing prevents the dark shadows of your crawler’s chassis and electronics from showing through the blue under direct sunlight, while keeping the blue deep and rich.
Desert Ivory (FAST2950-02)
A warm, pale neutral that reads convincingly as a dusty, sun-bleached finish. Because it is a very light tone, it is highly susceptible to bleed-through from darker colours.
- Application: If you are masking a camo or multi-tone pattern, spray Desert Ivory last. If you spray it before darker colours, they will bleed through the pale ivory and ruin the tone.
- Backing Advice: Must be backed with solid white to ensure full opacity and to maintain the bright, sun-bleached look.
Dust Orange (FAST2950-03)
A muted, earthy orange with a baked-dirt quality. Oranges and reds are notoriously translucent on polycarbonate.
- Application: Focus on getting even coverage in the tight corners and creases of the bodyshell first, as these areas naturally pull paint away and can look thin.
- Backing Advice: Back this with white rather than silver. A silver backing coat will muddy the flat orange finish and make it look dull, whereas white backing makes the earthy tone pop exactly as it looks on the can cap.
Canyon Brown (FAST2950-04)
A natural, mid-tone brown that is essential for layered or camouflage-style finishes.
- Application: Because this is a darker pigment, it should be one of the first colours you lay down in a multi-tone scheme after masking.
- Backing Advice: Backing Canyon Brown with black or gunmetal gives the shell a heavy, utilitarian look, completely blocking any light from shining through the wheel wells.
Dune Yellow (FAST2950-05)
A subdued, sandy yellow that sits comfortably in a scale off-road scheme. Yellow Lexan paint is the most translucent colour on the spectrum and requires the most patience.
- Application: Resist the urge to spray heavy coats to achieve colour density; it will run. Apply 4–5 micro-fine coats. It will look terribly thin until the backing coat goes on.
- Backing Advice: Always back yellow with pure white. Any other backing colour will completely alter the yellow tone (e.g., silver backing will turn it a murky green-grey).
Combat Olive (FAST2950-06)
A classic military olive green. Perfect for tactical, expedition, or military crawler builds.
- Application: When masking a woodland or desert camo pattern, always lay down Combat Olive first. It is the darkest colour in the range and will overpower any lighter colours if sprayed over them.
- Backing Advice: Back with black to seal the shell and give the olive green a deep, heavy, armoured appearance.
Utility Grey (FAST2950-07)
A clean, functional grey that works beautifully as a base for exterior weathering.
- Application: Grey can be deceivingly translucent on Lexan. While it might look solid on the bench, holding the shell up to a window will often reveal streaky spray lines. Check your work against a strong light source before unmasking.
- Backing Advice: Back with silver or black to ensure total opacity and to stop the chassis components from casting shadows through the body.
