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With the Cobra Motor range of colours you can paint any zone of the vehicles, not only the bodywork but also the interiors, engines, rims, tyres, lights, exhausts, trims and any other detail of your favourite vehicles.
Cobra Motor paints are acrylic based, but when airbrushed and diluted they behave like lacquers, thanks to their great resistance, covering capacity and fluidity. They also have a great self-levelling capacity which makes them very easy to use with both airbrush and brush. The biggest difference with other paints for car modelling is that they are non-toxic, which will allow you to reduce the toxic part of your hobby only to the lacquering phase. Another great advantage is that as they require dilution, the cans have a much higher yield than other brands of paints, so that one jar can be used for 4 or more models.
Application tips for Cobra Motor paints:
-Dilute Cobra Motor paints in the proportion you prefer, normally between 30% and 60%, with its thinner A.MIG-2260 Cobra Motor Thinner & Cleaner or with A.MIG-2000 Acrylic Thinner, it doesn't matter. To use them with a brush you can apply them undiluted or diluted with a little water.
-Hold the model with a support on the inside, so that you never touch it with your fingers, as this can create craters or imperfections in the lacquer. Use gloves that are completely clean of talcum powder and dirt.
-Approximate air pressure: 1.5 bar-22 psi.
-Drying time to touch at 20°C: 20 minutes.
-Curing time: 24 hours.
Application tips for 2K Cobra Motor Lacquer:
-To achieve the gloss of real car bodies use 2K Cobra Motor Lacquer. It is a two component epoxy lacquer, a special airbrush version of the polishing lacquers used on real cars, so it is applied in the same way and gets the same gloss as real cars. Mix 2 parts of lacquer with 1 part of Hardener, if you want to apply more fluid coats you can add the desired amount of 2K Lacquer Thinner and Cleaner.
-Clean the paint area from dust before applying the lacquer. You can spray a little water with the airbrush to remove suspended dust particles.
-Hold the model with a support on the inside, so that you never touch it with your fingers, as this can create craters or imperfections in the lacquer. Use gloves that are completely clean of talcum powder and dirt.
-Unlike the Cobra Motor paints, the lacquer is toxic. Use a mask.
-Spray a thin coat of lacquer first, let it dry for 2 minutes and then apply the thicker coat at low pressure, approximately 1 bar-14 psi, to leave a completely wet coat, but do not overdo it so that it does not drip.
-Try to apply the lacquer coat in one continuous pass, starting on one side of the model and finishing on the other.
-Clean the airbrush with 2K Lacquer Thinner and Cleaner.
-Allow to dry for 24-48 hours under a clean cover to prevent dust from settling on it.
-If any dust particles have fallen into the lacquer, or if it has been scratched during handling, it can be polished in exactly the same way as on real cars. We recommend Mr. Hobby's Mr. Compound Coarse, Fine and Superfine polishes.
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Factory Direct Hobbies has a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after your item has shipped to request a return.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it and in its original packaging.
To start a return, click to our Returns Center. If your return is approved, we'll send you emailed instructions on how and where to send your package. You will be responsible for return shipping costs, unless Factory Direct Hobbies made an error in the fulfillment of your order. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted and will be returned to sender.
Damages and issues
Please inspect your order upon receipt and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged, or if you receive the wrong item, so that we can evaluate the issue and make it right.
Exceptions / non-returnable items
Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns on gift cards.
Exchanges
The fastest way to ensure you get what you want is to return the item you have, and make a separate purchase for the new item on our website. Please note that we cannot process manual exchanges over the phone.
Refunds
We will notify you once we’ve received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved or not. If approved, you’ll be automatically refunded on your original payment method. In certain instances, store credit may be provided instead of a refund. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.
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Recently, our suppliers have made a major policy change and are no longer accepting product returns for non-paying end customers. After much consideration, we unfortunately must also change our policies to align with the realities our suppliers have created.
As our preorder offerings have grown, we’ve found that a large percentage of preorder reservations are canceled or left unpaid without notice. We pay our suppliers for every preorder item that arrives at our warehouse, so when a customer does not pay for their item, we are left no choice but to absorb that cost. We have tried our best to cope with the effects of this change; however, after more than a year of trying, we have found we cannot continue to do so.
We understand that this is an unwelcome change, and no one wants to pay earlier than necessary. However, this is unavoidable in order for us to be able to continue to offer the wide variety of preorder options you’re used to getting from Factory Direct Hobbies. We must now ask that customers pay a 10% good-faith down payment toward the price of their item. This non-refundable good-faith payment is applied to the price of the product, and the balance (plus shipping and any applicable taxes) will be invoiced approximately 30-45 days before the item is slated to arrive at our warehouse.
We thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have questions or would like further clarification, feel free to contact us through the gold chat bubble.
The good-faith down payment is not refundable if you choose to cancel your preorder or do not pay your invoice.
However, if a manufacturer cancels a project for which you have made a down payment, you will receive a refund for your down payment.
Yes. We know that paying ahead of time can be unnerving when delivery dates are distant, and not every project makes it to the production line. Rest assured that, in the event the manufacturer cancels your preorder project, you will be refunded your 10% down payment.
Hobbies should be fun, not stressful!
The manufacturing process involves many different moving parts, and this complexity often renders production timelines unpredictable. Therefore, some level of unpredictability in timing is inherent to preordering hobby products. Down payments are not refundable in cases of routine manufacturing, delivery, or other short-term delays.
However, we know it can be frustrating when a project gets delayed for many months. In the event a project is delayed more than 6 months beyond the delivery window originally estimated by the manufacturer, we will handle refunds of down payments on a case-by-case basis.
Friendly Reminder: Should you choose to cancel a preorder, it will no longer be reserved for you; in the event the item becomes available on our website, all customers will have equal access to purchase the item.
Nope! The policy is not retroactive: if you already made a preorder reservation before this policy update, you do not owe a down payment for that reservation. However, any future preorders you make will require the 10% good-faith down payment.
We make every effort to keep our website updated with information that reflects manufacturers' current estimated delivery schedules. To find the estimated delivery month of an item, you can visit our Preorder Section and use the filters to narrow down your selection.
However, we encourage you to directly visit the manufacturer's site for the most current delivery dates.
Approximately 30-45 days before your preorder items land at the warehouse, we'll email your invoice to you to pay in full. At this point, you'll be able to provide your shipping address and select your preferred shipping method.
Your item will be reserved for 7 days, beginning when your invoice is sent. After 7 days, your preorder will be canceled.
Recently, our suppliers have made a major policy change and are no longer accepting product returns for non-paying end customers. We have tried our best to absorb the effects of this change; however, after more than a year of trying, we have found we cannot continue to do so. After much consideration, we unfortunately must also change our policies to align with the realities our suppliers have created.
As a result, we must now ask that customers pay in full prior to the supplier finalizing shipment to FDH, about 30-45 days ahead of product arrival. This gives us the time we need to cancel with our suppliers any unpaid orders prior to shipment.
We understand that this is an unwelcome change and no one wants to pay earlier than necessary. However, this is unavoidable in order for us to be able to continue to offer the wide variety of preorder options you’re used to getting from Factory Direct Hobbies.
One silver lining is that this change will result in preorder items getting to your door even faster, as all payment processing will be well out of the way and the usual several day wait after product has arrived will be eliminated. We thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have questions or would like further clarification, feel free to contact us through the gold chat bubble.
Manufacturing schedules can sometimes be unpredictable. In the event your preorder item does not arrive at our warehouse within 60 days of your invoice payment, then you will have the option to cancel your preorder and receive a refund OR you may elect to continue waiting for the item.
Friendly Reminder: Should you choose to cancel a preorder, it will no longer be reserved for you; in the event the item becomes available on our website, all customers will have equal access to purchase the item.
We know life happens, and missing out on a great item can be a drag!
We're here to help; just contact us via the gold chat bubble and we'll do all we can to work with you!
If you have an account with factorydirecthobbies.com, you can view all your preorders, as well as your active orders. Login to your account, and select the “My orders” option. All your preorders and active orders will be listed along with the current status of each order. If you have further questions about your order, please feel free to reach out to us through the gold chat bubble.
Although we try to keep our preorder arrival estimates as accurate as possible, we encourage you to visit each manufacturer’s website to find the most up-to-date delivery information.
For instance, with Athearn and Walthers, you can enter the part number into their websites and navigate to the item. Most of the time, the delivery date will be listed there. Broadway Limited has a published delivery schedule, as does Rapido.
Yes. Rewards can be used on both your 10% good-faith down payment and on the balance of your preorder at invoicing time.
Yes! Preorders are awarded reward dollars at the same 5% rate. You'll receive your reward within several days of paying the balance of your preorder invoice.
If we still haven't answered your question, please click the gold messaging bubble in the bottom right of our site, and we'll help in any way we can!