I get the impression the bodywork is ABS? I painted plenty of steel stuff back in the day, but the only plastic I've ever painted was the fairing repair on the early-90s BMW (using GRP, and paint supplied by the BMW dealer). So can anyone tell me what filler and paint (and shade of red) I should use? Essentially we're talking scoring. The work doesn't look hard, but I wouldn't want to make the original paint craze or bubble.
If you have any cracks in it then you can plastic weld abs. For the filler you want something suitable for plastics with a bit of flex to it, I used to use one called plastic padding but I’m not sure it’s still available.
If you've never done it, just watch a few Youtube vids. Assuming there are no holes? The main points to remember Filling Always use a sanding block, & wet & dry paper Start with 320 and work up Thin layers of filler are faster and easier than thick ones Apply filler with an old credit card & don't put too much catalyst in the mix. It will be unusable quickly with the correct amount... Mix the filler & catalyst until its an even colour, applying it sparingly and quickly Painting Scrub everything at least 3 times before spraying (warm water & washing up liquid) Always wipe down with a clean kitchen toll soaked with paint prep fluid (with super clean hands), Never attempt spraying it in less than 15C or 60F and if you get it wrong wait until the paint is 100% dry before you try to sort it out. Very gentle sanding between coats is essential for a great finish wet & dry 1200 -last coat 2000 When you spray with a rattle can the danger is making the coats too thick and getting a run. Until you get proficient, many thin coats are better than a few thick ones! Repeat all the above for the clear top coat Leave the top clear coat for at least 24hrs to properly harden -its not the same as paint. Use cutting compound cutting paste, followed by T.Cut, then car polish Get the best tape Remember always use the block no matter what. Get your local auto paint guys to colour match the paint into rattle cans. Your paint is not now the same colour as what came out of the factory. I hope this helps, and post again if you have any other points or questions. Goodluck!
Plastic Padding! My Dad used to have that when I was at school ! Brilliant, if you can use that. If it's still available.
Very useful post Jez - and for anyone in the entire world that comes here, of course (as all posts are for). But, personally, yes, I've done it before. Five petrol tanks and two chassis. Took much pleasure from the deeply lustrous gloss I achieved on the tanks. All but one, solid colours, and the remaining, bi-colour Triumph tank showed me that I can't do pinstriping worth a bollock. One of the other tanks was a gold, coffin tank for a Triumph chopper. I had to fill it first where the owner, initially trying to do it himself, had got frustrated and stamped on it. I'd use an emoji here but I don't think they'd do it justice. Not so much a facepalm one, more almost-but-not-precisely schadenfreude. That last was the one on which I finally realised the futility of doing coat after coat after coat trying to remove an imperfection that no-one else could see until you directed them to it. That if you strive for perfection you'll always be disappointed. Spraying bikes was also about the action most likely to put my back out, all that twisting from side-to-side. But where plastic's concerned, metaphorically-speaking I'm not a virgin but I've only got my applicator away the once. And the idea of putting the wrong chemicals on plastic bits that cost several hundred squiddly diddlies fills me with trepidations. Though you guys have eased them somewhat. It's fucking pissing down. I also painted my Telecaster red - with rattle cans from somewhere like Halfords. I haven't painted anything since '96 or '97, though I've been meaning to spray a Stratocaster yellow. You know: to make it go faster than that Telecaster.
Great! You're probably better at this than I am... Its absolutely slashing it down here too, so hard that the noise, as it hits the roof, sounds like a waterfall. Which prevents me from looking in my rearview mirror and seeing all the yellow everything behind me!
I doubt it. Anyway, here's a first for me: The yellow I bought online for spraying a Strat, 2 or 3 years ago. Just sat in the house, untouched, all that time. I thought I'd dig them out and wondered what jellylike thing I was touching. See the can on the right's been leaking?
This is the only one I've got left - the one on the left - I'd consider repainting: https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/attachments/clipboard_03-23-2025_01-jpg.334872/ I'm far from sure though. Firemist Gold. In pictures it can seem underwhelming, but up close it has a particular magic. Anyway I've got to finish the 999 first. The garage is the only place I could spray it in. It'd be pretty unique though.
