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Easy 'N' Inexpensive
Ways To Enhance The Herpa Mini Cooper

Steps for enhancing the Herpa Mini Cooper

The upper grille of the model is printed a solid silver, but the prototype has a lot of variation in the treatment of this feature

Color the upper grille with a black Sharpie, then quickly use a toothpick to remove by rubbing the black from the raised horizontal bars of the grille

Some upper grilles are the same color as the car body with a chrome trim around the edge.  This can be replicated by first coloring the upper grille with a black Sharpie, then rubbing the black from the horizontal bars as described above and then coloring the horizontal bars with a Sharpie that matches the body color. 

Silver paint pen, paint or Sharpie for reflective surface of side mirrors

Flat black paint for lower grilles

Decal license plates (optional)

Dust with powdered Tempera paints using a dry paint brush (can also tone down the overall shine of the finish)

Black for brake pad (or shoe) dust and tire weathering

Brown for dirt and dust

Note:  This car requires very little enhancing, but we are always trying to make a good thing better!

Black Sharpie followed by a blue Sharpie for upper grille

Black acrylic paint for lower grille

  Microscale license plate

Challenges

Finding something to enhance is difficult, even the door handles are colored silver right from the factory!

Download PDF Version

Contact: info@nscalevehicles.org

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June 24-29, 2025
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