Cozy Coupe Makeover

My daughter has an obsession with cars.  Well, not just cars, pretty much anything with wheels.  Maybe she'll be the next Danica Patrick or maybe it's just a developmental stage, but either way I couldn't pass on this cozy coupe when I found it for $5 at a yard sale.  Sure it was plastered with Dora stickers, but in my mind I had grand ideas for this little car.  

It took me a while to decide what I wanted it to look like.  Should it be gender neutral in case we have a boy one day?  Should I make it look like something non car-ish?  Should I follow in Kristin's footsteps and make it a Minnie Mouse Car?  I finally decided on making it into a car that looked like a cupcake, a cupcake delivery car.  I can't take credit for the idea, my mom actually came up with it.  Once she mentioned it to me I knew that was the route I wanted to go.  

I started by taking it apart.  There are basically just two screws holding the top portion on.  Unscrew those and you are good to go.

Then I gave it a really good scrub down with some comet and a scrub brush to get rid of all the sticker residue and other nastiness.  It also helped get some of the sheen off of the plastic which I figured may help the spray paint to adhere, couldn't hurt.  Then, I pretty much stopped taking pictures of the progress but you get the idea.  I did cover the wheels with plastic bags to make sure they wouldn't get covered in paint too.

For the paint I decided to use Rustoleum's 2x coverage spraypaint.  It says on the can that it bonds to plastic.  This is Rustoleum's brand of plastic spraypaint according to the guy at home depot.  I was originally looking for the Krylon Fusion paint but couldn't find any locally after checking several stores and didn't want to have to order it online.  I can't attest to the longevity of this paint since I just completed this project, but I know others have used the Krylon Fusion with good results.  It does recommend to wipe down the surface with paint thinner for even better adhesion. 

Here are the deets on the car:

Top of the Car: Rustoleum Berry Pink in Gloss (1 can)

Base of the Car: Rustoleum Kona Brown in Gloss (1 can)

Sprinkles: I cut pieces of vinyl adhesive into the sprinkle shape and stuck them on the car.  I ordered the vinyl from this ebay seller.

Red Cherry on Top: Red foam ball from Quill.com

Whipped Cream: I used insulating foam sealant from Home Depot.  It's used to seal gaps around windows and doors but it worked great for this project and looks just like whipped cream.  It does have a yellowish tint to it but you could always paint it white if that bothered you, I don't mind it.  One thing I'll say about this stuff is that it grows so use it sparingly.  Even if you think it's done growing it's not, it will grow a little bit more after it cures.  After I sprayed the foam on top I just set the ball in it so that when everything cured the ball would be held in place by the foam.

Decal on side of car and license plate:  I used my Silhouette machine to design and cut out the decal.  I used gold adhesive vinyl.

Taillights: Reflectors from Lowe's

Headlights: Plastic Caster Cups, also from Lowe's.  They are clear, but I just spraypainted the back side orange.

Rear view mirror: purchased from a local automotive store

I think that pretty much covers it, but if you have questions feel free to ask away!