Some plastics simply refuse paint. Nylon and polypropylene have a slick, low-energy surface that gives paint nothing to key into — you get a coat that looks fine for a week, then chips at the first knock or peels away in a sheet the moment it flexes. No amount of surface prep on the paint side fixes it, because the problem is the substrate.

This colourless primer is the fix. It bonds to nylon and PP where ordinary primers can't, then gives your colour coat something it can actually hold onto. Tamiya's own examples cover the usual suspects: R/C car mirrors and nylon hardware, Mini 4WD wheels, and the flexible poly tracks on 1/35 armour kits — the parts that have quietly defeated everyone's paint job at some point. Because it dries clear and thin, it doesn't tint the part or soften moulded detail, and you paint over it exactly as you normally would.

• Bonds to nylon and polypropylene (PP) where standard primers fail
• Stops paint chipping, peeling and lifting on slick plastics
• Colourless and thin — no tinting, no loss of detail
• For R/C parts, Mini 4WD wheels, poly tracks and nylon hardware
• Overcoat with Tamiya lacquer, acrylic or enamel colours

How to use it: Degrease first — PP and nylon parts often carry mould release, and it will defeat any primer. Warm soapy water or an isopropyl wipe, then handle by the edges. Apply one or two light coats, let each flash off, then paint as usual.

One honest caveat: this dramatically improves adhesion, but it can't make paint elastic. On a part that flexes hard in use — a bending track run, a bumper that takes real impacts — expect some cracking eventually. It's the difference between paint that survives handling and paint that survives nothing.

Which primer do I need? This one is specifically for nylon and polypropylene. For normal styrene and ABS kit parts, use Surface Primer (87026 100ml, 87042 180ml, or Fine 87064). For bare metal — brass, photo-etch, die-cast — use Metal Primer (87061).

Specifications

Brand: Tamiya
Item No.: 87152
Type: Clear primer / adhesion promoter, aerosol
Colour: Colourless
Volume: 100ml
Suitable for: Nylon, polypropylene (PP)
Sandable: No — not a filling primer
Use in: Well-ventilated area; wear a respirator