Lunytune wrote:Just bought a can of Dupli-Color PAP at parts store for $6.79 plus tax. I wonder about that guy that paid $25 in the cycle forum.
Gray Scotch pad costs $1.16 plus tax.
And Walmart has the Fusion paint for around $5.50, can't remember exact.
So a good paint job can be had for under $15.
Here's the steps a professional painter friend told me.
1. Prep (sand) with gray scotchbrite pad.
2. Wash with liquid dish soap. Once washed, be careful with oily hands. Even body oil will ruin a paint job.
3. Spray 1st coat with Adhesion Promoter.
4. Final coat with Fusion paint
We didn't discuss 2nd coat, but I guess you can. I asked at parts house about clear coat, and he said it would give it depth and serve as a protector against scratches and make it easier to buff out minor scratches.
Hey Everyone-
I just wanted to share my painting experience from yesterday which was similar to Lunytune's post above. I'm not a professional painter or even a good painter for that matter. I just wanted to make my spree look a little better than it did (old stickers on the sides, some scratches and scuffs, dirt, grime, etc), really as good as possible for as little $ as possible. I read a bunch on this forum over the past day or so - and thanks to everyone for posting about paint, etc - b/c it was a huge help for me, but I noticed that noone really posted results, which are helpful to gauge with, so hopefully this helps.
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Supplies (all purchased at Lowe's):
1 can Valspar plastic primer (clear) (sku# 282394) - $6.20
1 can Valspar plastic paint (black) (sku#282385) - $4.97 (gloss finish - not by choice)
1 can Valspar clear flat interior/exterior (sku#282329) - $3.44
1 packet 320 Grit 9x11 sheet sandpaper (sku#96409) - $3.97
Total- $18.58 (before tax)
(bought 6 cans, only needed 3)
Prep/Paint:
Removed all body plastic except front fender and bottom faring. Removed all stickers. Hosed down, sprayed with hondabrite, rinsed, polished w/damp rag to remove tar, deposits, let dry.
Dry sanded all panels with 320grit until a dull finish, wiped down with a damp rag.
Taped and papered front wheel, steering column, seat and frame for overspray (too lazy to disassemble further just to take those parts off the bike).
One coat of clear plastic primer, let dry (~15min) (bottom panel has primer only, top panel has primer and one coat of black gloss)
Two coats of black plastic gloss, let dry in between coats (~15min)
Two coats of clear flat enamel to dull finish (I wanted flat) and protect paint.
Reassemble.
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All the indoor / painting shots were taken with my cell phone camera - sorry for the low quality. Once reassembled, I took it outside the following day and used my 35mm digital for better quality.
I don't have many pics of what it looked like before, but regardless, it looks much better now than it did. I'm not sure if this paint job will last a day, a week, a year, or even through a rainstorm. But for less than $20 and about 5-6 hours (and beers) on a Saturday, it was worth it to me. If I run into any issues in the future, quality or otherwise related, I'll be sure to post them so people know how it's holding up.
On a side note, I also changed my transmission fluid yesterday and put on a new seat cover from ebay user "comboguy" which fit really well and looks much better than the old tattered original.
Next on the list is to black out the rims and repaint the rusty muffler.... as time allows
Thanks to everyone - this forum rocks!
ction