How to make a car look burnt out for Post-apoc?

[mikedemana]

I am planning on buying some of the die cast metal cars available at stores and modifying them to look abandoned and burned out. Does anyone know of any tutorials or tips for doing so?

Thanks!

Mike Demana

[Digits]

Set fire to it?

[Eric the Shed]

I coated mine iin white spirit and set fire to them then gave the wreck a wash of brown ink....

The heat can actual contort the metal

[SotF]

I know some people who did some where they took heavy duty aluminum foil and essentially created a mold of the car with it, and then used plaster in that, with the deformation working to look like the ruined cars and the plaster adding weight and support. Then they just painted them as wrecks

[mikedemana]

I laughed at Digits' reply, then when I saw Eric echo it, I was like...wow! 

I might have to try that...of course, neighbors are going to think I'm a pyro...

Mike Demana

[JollyBob]

Set fire to it?

No, seriously... when Dark Future came out I spent an entertaining afternoon round at my mate Alex's house setting fire to Matchbox cars to make wrecks.
Poke the windows out, stuff em with cotton wool soaked in lighter fuel and stick a match in.

We didn't at the time, but Eric's idea of a wash of brown ink would really help the end product.

[Digits]

Yup, sorry….it sounded flippant but I was being serious……

Next time you have a bbq, try chucking one in the coals and see what happens….

[Ragnar]

Forum member Gunbird, who does not seem to pop up here anymore, does amazing wrecks.  Check out some of them on his blog here https://20mmandthensome.blogspot.com/search/label/Wreck

I do remember years ago seeing one of his wrecked tanks that had obviously been half consumed by fire and then left to rust out, it was really brilliant.

[Pattus Magnus]

Gunbird still posts on LAF - posted a completed corrugated iron tower in the post-apocalypse section within the past couple of days. That’s a great example of a burned wreck that he did, too. There seem to be a few methods that get good results!

[Ragnar]

Gunbird still posts on LAF - posted a completed corrugated iron tower in the post-apocalypse section within the past couple of days. That’s a great example of a burned wreck that he did, too. There seem to be a few methods that get good results!

Yep, just saw that after I posted.   

[has.been]

I must try the 'set light to it' method.
Poking out the 'glass' bits is a good idea,
I would also remove any tyres, not just to avoid the toxic fumes,
but also to use (post apocalypses) in barricades.

[modelwarrior]

I suddendly have this vision of hundreds of people burning toys cars in their gardens on Easter weekend   and the neighbours saying he`s at it again

[_Si_]

Bloody fickle internet, this took a bit of finding, but Terragenesis had a good article:

https://web.archive.org/web/20160405003042/http://www.terragenesis.co.uk/infopages/page423.html

[Aethelwulf]

I suddendly have this vision of hundreds of people burning toys cars in their gardens on Easter weekend

I would try it now if I had the right scale car and it wasn't pouring with rain.

[mikedemana]

Just played pyromaniac on the back patio 



After the first one, I found that the fire was much more controllable if I pulled out as much of the plastic infrastructure of the die cast model as possible. A pair of pliers and wire cutters did a pretty good job.



Cotton ball material is soaked in 91% alcohol and stuffed into various portions in and under the truck. Flames begin to sprout up quickly...



The flames begin to engulf the vehicle, causing the black charring that I was hoping for. Note that the second two photos are of a different vehicle. The burning did not change it from bright yellow to pale!



Burn, baby, burn! 

I found that some parts came off as the thinner metal melted. One or two doors fell off, and the roof of one of the pickup trucks came off. Also, two of the models separated altogether, but that is easily fixed by gluing them in place once I go to finish them.

All in all, I'd say the experiment was a success...thanks everyone! I'll post pictures once I have them completed and based up...

Mike Demana