Ping Revolution!! Need your wisdom

[Shibumi]

I got an unexpected modest windfall, and have the urge to paint my baby to get rid of the scuffs from my tip-over in the driveway as I was getting used to her. I'm not going your level of artistry, but am thinking of something that to my knowledge is totally unique in our Busa world.

I am also a Mustang freak, and want to paint my bike 2004 Cobra Mystichrome. I have found a supplier, usually you have to OWN a Cobra and furnish VIN# before they will release it! A quart is $328, so my questions are thus:

How much paint does it take to paint a Hayabusa?

How many coats of paint?

How many coats of clear?

Anything special you have to do to use automotive paint on a bike?

Below are some pics of the 2004 Cobra in this paint-it is a color-shifting paint, I'm told it does NOT photograph well as far as doing it justice. It is a different shade at 90 degrees than it is at 45 etc.

 

[Mr Bogus]

do not know if it has changed but I had one in the shop for repairs and the rep came out with the mix for the car... escorted to the body shop, sprayed and took the balance back with him... amazingly prude.... (This was about 5 years ago, maybe things are different now?)

How about something from http://alsacorp.com ?

 

[Shibumi]

Actually I'm good to go for the paint supply, just wondered about the rest...

Paint is apparently a little complicated, has a base paint, a reducer, and a catalyzer that have to be mixed. The supplier was telling me about some House of Color custom chameleon paints that cost $2000 per gallon...

 

[Aquaman]

usually, the base is a bright silver or gold metallic. The reducer is to "thin" the paint out and make it plyable. The catylist is normally used on the clearcoat.
I will tell you now from experience that this is not a job for an amature. Not being funny here either. I have professionally painted many of cars and bike. This is what I did in trade school. I have painted House of Kolor urethane paints/candy's ect....
Not sure how much painting you have done, but this is an expensive project that you do not need to go wrong. Not trying to be an ass... I speak from experience.

 

[BusaWhipped]

Took less than a quart to do the track body. Head brendanp's words. I've done base/candy/clear paint jobs. Very difficult to get a consistent color and as you've seen they are expensive. I am mearly an amature painter, so you don't need to be a pro to do it, but you should have a couple of simple jobs single stage and base clear jobs under your belt before trying the candy colors.

 

[Revolution]

ok here we go young jedi:

i have not used the paint you are refering to but i have seen it in person and it is schweeeeeet. you can paint over your busa clearcoat as long as it is prepped correctly meaning scratches filled with primer and EVERYTHING sanded smooth but with a rough enough sandpaper for the new paint to grab on to. my basecoat guy uses 1000 grit before paint, you cannnn go down to 800 which is what i have him do for extra bite.

you'll have to wipe it with a "tac rag" after degreasing it. a tac rag is an auto body rag which is stick to pick up lint and dust. pass it over lightly as it is made with linseed OIL and rubbing would not be good, pass over lightly.

temperature control is also VERY important. the room, product, and plastics have to be at the temperature specified by the product.

you'll need about a quart of each, clearcoat, and paint, you'll also need the right amount of additives for the paint and clear. i have found body shop SUPPLY STORES to be helpful when it comes to specific product questions.

a good spray gun and a compressor that can supply uninterupted air. you want smooth even coats. fist initial coat is a tack coat or light dusting, then 2 coats of paint. the same with clearcoat. keep in mind you may have to spray an undercoat under that mystic, as a 2 stage would be sprayed. a 2 stage means first the undercolor usually a silver, then a semi transparent color over it.

man it can get crazy! i never got into the prep and base colors with "conventional auto paints", i have my auto guy do that stuff for me so i can concentrate on the art. when i do spray my own base colors i use AUTO AIR COLORS [.com] non-toxic water based auto paints, no fumes/smell. wear a mask when you spray that conventional stuff.

good luck, hope i helped some. again i never got into prep and conventional paints but i know a little and hoped it helps.

 

[Aquaman]

Make sure you strain your paint before pouring into the gun. and have a water/oil seperator before the air reaches the gun. Very importand. You can get these as a "throw away" item that screws right on to the gun. As Dave stated. Temp. is very important. Usually 70-75 deg. They also make different temp. reducers! Know what you are buying...
When spraying panels, paint the edges of the panels first, then the panel. It's called "banding the edges"
I'm not talking about all the edges of every panel first, but for each panel.
You also need to keep tract of how many coats of the candy paint you put on.
You want the same for all panels, or they will be NOTICABLY different.

 

[Shibumi]

VERY good info- Rev, may the force continue to guide your airbrush as you continue to boldly go where no man has gone before in 200 mph art...

(ewww, mixing metaphors, my bad...

)



I'm thinking, now that I know how much and that it will work on the bike, I'm taking it to a reputable auto shop and paying them to lay it down on my panels! That's if I can stomach paying that much for paint alone...



P.S.- Rev, SICK, SICK job on the 300 scheme, LOVE it!!

 

[Aquaman]

Believe it or not...Maacco does a nice job. They just suck at prep work...

 

[Zoinks!]

Believe it or not...Maacco does a nice job. They just suck at prep work...

And their paint isn't worth a crap. That's why it's so cheap. And it doesn't last very long at all. I know a few people that have gotten their cars painted there and a couple years later it looks like crap. . . Maybe it's just something with the shop here? You seem to know what you're talkin about with the paint stuff, so if you say they do a good job the one there must be different than the one here.

 

[Aquaman]

I dont know what materials they are using. What I mean is, they can lay down a decent paint job, as in no runs, fish eyes, orange peel ect....
The person painting in the booth is usually pretty good. It's the prep guys that do the sanding/masking ect. that they seem to find outta the GoodWill boxes that sukk.......

 

[Justyntym]

Man that mustang is sweet looking

 

[Revolution]

shop around, get the best price from your local body shops...and check their work. it takes a lot to paint a bike, just one color is involving. but shop around for the best price and workmanship.

forgot about "straining" the paint, good catch Brendan.

thanks shibumi.

 

[frisbee]

So what you are saying is , shake the can real good first ... right ??!!

 

[Revolution]

yeah 'B and hold it in one spot for a long time if you want that "new" textured look, also helps with aerodynamics as the wind slides over the small bumps "catching the bike and making it lighter