Josey - great point about priming. Craig and Philo - what do you prime with? I stopped at an Ace, but they only had 17027 and 17028, no 17029.
Great idea from joseywales. If I were to do it again I would use that. This was some years ago but I used Floquil solvent based primer and airbrush because of the fine pigment to minimally obscure detail. I used a common paint stripper first and thoroughly cleaned the diecast shell with dish detergent and a LOT of rinsing. So far the finish has held up quite well. In comparison to my other engines I think only an expert could tell if this was a repaint using the satin black. The giveaway would be the dry transfer white numbers.
Phil