its repainting time, what color should i paint the fenders and tank?

merk20

merk20

Member
#1
#1
well, my baja warrior is starting to rust (riding in Minnesota weather is taking its toll)
its rusting on the edge of the fenders (paints also peeling)
so, what color should i paint it?
i was thinking Honda red, or pearl white.
heres what it looks like now (its a glitter green color) also imagine a bit more rust on the bottom of the fenders. ( these photos are about 3 weeks old)
mini bike 2.jpg mini bike 3.jpg mini bike1.jpg
 
H

Havasu Dave

Moderator
#6
#6
Yes, paint it pearl white. Assuming you have shop air, separator, ventilation, booth, paint fixtures, dust free environment, respirator, knowledge of catalyzed paint coatings, and some experience using the above, a three stage pearl paint job on a mini bike would be a great choice. Assuming of course that you're not going to be riding it in the rain, snow, or mud very often.

I used a House of Kolor primer sealer in white for my current project. It was $51 per quart, plus a few more dollars for the "hardener" and "reducer" so it was probably $80 for that. Then the base coat, you could use a flat white, urethane enamel, and use the same hardener and reducer, so another $35. You can get the pearl pretty cheap from "Paint with Pearl" maybe $10 to $20, and you add that to clear, probably $50 or so per quart if you go with the cheap stuff. You'd want it to be compatible with the hardener and reducer you already bought for the earlier stages. Then you'd shoot a few more coats of clear over the pearl coat.

So yeah, another vote for pearl white here too. :)
 
merk20

merk20

Member
#7
#7
Havasu Dave said:
Yes, paint it pearl white. Assuming you have shop air, separator, ventilation, booth, paint fixtures, dust free environment, respirator, knowledge of catalyzed paint coatings, and some experience using the above, a three stage pearl paint job on a mini bike would be a great choice. Assuming of course that you're not going to be riding it in the rain, snow, or mud very often.

I used a House of Kolor primer sealer in white for my current project. It was $51 per quart, plus a few more dollars for the "hardener" and "reducer" so it was probably $80 for that. Then the base coat, you could use a flat white, urethane enamel, and use the same hardener and reducer, so another $35. You can get the pearl pretty cheap from "Paint with Pearl" maybe $10 to $20, and you add that to clear, probably $50 or so per quart if you go with the cheap stuff. You'd want it to be compatible with the hardener and reducer you already bought for the earlier stages. Then you'd shoot a few more coats of clear over the pearl coat.

So yeah, another vote for pearl white here too. :)
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Yeah, the only thing I have is a respirator and a no dust envirment lol.
I'll try my best to paint it, (probably going to be spray paint) I'll do the 3 stage the best I can (I have to clean up the rust with my angle grider). Wish me luck!
 
H

Havasu Dave

Moderator
#8
#8
merk20 said:
Yeah, the only thing I have is a respirator and a no dust envirment lol.
I'll try my best to paint it, (probably going to be spray paint) I'll do the 3 stage the best I can (I have to clean up the rust with my angle grider). Wish me luck!
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You wont be doing a three stage paint job with rattle can. I would not use my angle grinder to clean rust. If it's that bad, strip down the paint with paint stripper, the use a wire brush on the end of a drill, or a hand wire brush, then sand paper, then primer.

Something else I was thinking about with your project is to maybe try something else first. Some of the folks here have used oven cleaner to remove spray paint. I can promise you the original red paint on that bike was better than that green stuff. You could remove and clean your tank and fenders with a good soap and water. Dry, hose down with EZ Off Oven Cleaner with the YELLOW Label, put it all in a large plastic trash bag, and let it sit over night in as warm of a place as you can find.

Next day, hose it all off with a good high pressure hose, and see what you have left. Chances are, you could rub a decent coat of wax over the original red painted parts, even over any remaining rust, and end up with a decent looking bunch of tins.

Just tossing some ideas out there. I'm a painter, a perfectionist, and an opinionated old man, so if you're heart is set on painting it again, nothing I say will change your mind. LOL, so I do wish you the best of luck and have fun.
 
merk20

merk20

Member
#10
#10
Havasu Dave said:
You wont be doing a three stage paint job with rattle can. I would not use my angle grinder to clean rust. If it's that bad, strip down the paint with paint stripper, the use a wire brush on the end of a drill, or a hand wire brush, then sand paper, then primer.

Something else I was thinking about with your project is to maybe try something else first. Some of the folks here have used oven cleaner to remove spray paint. I can promise you the original red paint on that bike was better than that green stuff. You could remove and clean your tank and fenders with a good soap and water. Dry, hose down with EZ Off Oven Cleaner with the YELLOW Label, put it all in a large plastic trash bag, and let it sit over night in as warm of a place as you can find.

Next day, hose it all off with a good high pressure hose, and see what you have left. Chances are, you could rub a decent coat of wax over the original red painted parts, even over any remaining rust, and end up with a decent looking bunch of tins.

Just tossing some ideas out there. I'm a painter, a perfectionist, and an opinionated old man, so if you're heart is set on painting it again, nothing I say will change your mind. LOL, so I do wish you the best of luck and have fun.
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Yeah, sorry, the red paint is only on the inside if the fender (it was painted over black, its flaking as well) the fake gas tank had no red, and the rear fender has chips of it.
Ive already bought the paint so let's see how bad it will look lol.
 
merk20

merk20

Member
#11
#11
Alright, just got the mini bike stripped for paint! Also included a before shot for reference. (Also probably going to need a new back tire soon lol)
 

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merk20

merk20

Member
#12
#12
I'm going to call it a day, I've stripped 90% of the paint, and I did some tweaking on the fenders, also a correction. The tank had red paint, the front fender did not (should have looked beforehand) I tried to hit out a couple of dents in the fender with success, tomorrow I will finish sanding and start priming! 20181222_145047.jpg 20181222_151814.jpg 20181222_171738.jpg 20181222_171743.jpg 20181222_171752.jpg 20181222_172451(0).jpg 20181222_170004.jpg
 

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bikesisbikes

bikesisbikes

#20
#20
Since it's still winter, in most of the country. You could put some gloss on those tins with a little effort. There are a few good, You Tube, videos on how to achieve a nice gloss surface from a spray can. It takes a little effort, some careful sanding and more sanding and some clear gloss paint. Look them up, it works and can make it look like a good Maaco paint job.

Do those two words go together, (good and Maaco)?
 
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