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Painting the Body
If you’ve never painted a clear body before, there are a few things you should know. Polycarbonate paints bond to the body unlike standard spray paint which will flake off almost instantly. Your local hobby shop will have a wide variety of spray paints, but only some are made specifically for polycarbonate bodies. Traxxas ProGraphix bodies come pre-cut out of the bag so they’re ready to go as soon as you finish painting. If you do need to trim your body, check out the full line of high-quality Traxxas Tools to make the job easier. Finally, ProGraphix bodies have a protective film on the outside. Don’t remove this film until you’ve finished the body. You’ll see why in a minute.

Step 1
Multiple colors require multiple layers of paint. In order to achieve this, you’ll need to use a liquid masking material on the inside of the body. Thoroughly clean the inside of the body with a mild detergent and then dry it with a soft, lint-free cloth. Apply several coats of liquid masking to the underside of the body and try not to miss any spots. Jason applied three full coats for this body. Once that has dried, it’s time to design your graphics. This is where the outer protective film will help. Trace your designs on the film with a marker. Remember to make room for the Maxx’s clipless body frame in your design.

Apply liquid masking to the underside of the body

Trace your design on the protective film

Step 2
With the masking dry, you can clearly see your designs through the body. Carefully remove the masking material on the parts you want to paint first. In this case, Jason wanted to add black trim around the windows so he removed a thin line of masking around them. With the masking removed, he sprayed the first coat of black paint.

Remove the masking for your first paint layer

Applying the first layer: black paint

Step 3
Jason wanted to put a silver outline around the stars so that means cutting away a very thin layer of the masking material around them. Once that is done, it’s time to spray a layer of silver paint. Everything else is still masked so only a tiny amount of silver paint is bonding to the body at this stage. Once the silver paint is dry, Jason removed the masking around the hood which he wanted to paint blue. He also removed the masking on some of the stars since they will also be painted blue. Although the stars may look silver, that’s actually masking material under the paint which he will remove soon.

Applying silver paint to the star outlines

Removing masking material for the blue layer

Step 4
The design starts to take shape with the application of the blue layer. After the blue paint dries, Jason removed more of the masking material for the red layer on the sides and rear of the Maxx. He also removed the masking on some of the stars on the hood so that they would also be red.

Blue paint layer applied

Time for the red coat of paint

Step 5
With the red paint dry, Jason removed the remaining masking material in order to paint the white layer. When painting multiple layers, try to start with the darkest colors first; that way they dark colors won’t bleed through the lighter ones. Since white is the lightest color on this truck it’s also the last one to go on the body.

Getting ready for the white layer

White paint applied

Almost Finished
With the last layer of paint dry, it’s time to admire your custom-painted body. Don’t forget to remove the masking for the windows. Finally, remove the outer overspray film and watch the high-gloss paint come to life. A painted body like this will take many hours of prep work and painting. Always make sure the paint has plenty of time to dry before starting the next layer. Take your time and you’ll be the envy of the track or trail with your custom-painted truck.

Body and Suspension Accessories

Body Protection
Once Jason finished the fantastic Patriot Edition body, he sent it to Jeff to customize the truck. Jeff probably has as much experience building vehicles as anyone at Traxxas and he knows how to create an eye-catching truck. A normal Maxx wears a black tailgate protector and roof skid to protect the body in case of rollovers, but this is no normal Maxx. Jeff outfitted the Maxx Patriot Edition with a blue roof skid, white tailgate protector, and red wheelie bar for maximum effect. Not only do these parts protect the body, but they add even more vibrant color to his build.

Suspension Upgrades
The Maxx already comes fitted with our toughest heavy-duty suspension arms, but Jeff saw another opportunity to continue the red, white, and blue theme throughout. Available in six dynamic colors, the HD arms provide just the right amount of flex to resist breaking and look so good on this truck. Even the Maxx’s rugged wheels come with five different color options. Naturally Jeff chose the red beadlock rims to match the red wheel washers. To finish off the truck, Jeff chose the incredibly strong TUBES toe links in brilliantly-anodized blue aluminum.

Final Thoughts
Holidays are a great opportunity to spend some family time together racing and wrenching on your vehicles. We hope this build will inspire you to create your own custom trucks for the Fourth, or any occasion. Painting a custom body isn't as hard as you think; it just takes some patience and planning. Thanks for joining us and we hope you have a fantastic holiday!

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