'71 paint colors

elefantrider · Mar 29, 2014

Any one know where I can find a factory color chart? My bike is black/gold but I was looking for a more interesting factory color. Metal flake never came on post '70 metal tanks, is that correct?

DogT · Mar 29, 2014

http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Broch ... chures.htm

L.A.B. · Mar 29, 2014

elefantrider said:
Any one know where I can find a factory color chart?

1971-commando-available-colors-dealer-colorchart-t13496.html
what-specs-for-roman-purple-colour-t18830.html?hilit=fireflake

elefantrider said:
Metal flake never came on post '70 metal tanks, is that correct?

No.

http://www.bigdcycle.com/books.html

B+Bogus · Mar 29, 2014

L.A.B. said:
elefantrider said:

Any one know where I can find a factory color chart?

Click to expand...

1971-commando-available-colors-dealer-colorchart-t13496.html
what-specs-for-roman-purple-colour-t18830.html?hilit=fireflake

elefantrider said:

Metal flake never came on post '70 metal tanks, is that correct?

Click to expand...

No.

http://www.bigdcycle.com/books.html

Metalflake it is, then :mrgreen:

And my favourite (sorry about the quality of the photo)...

elefantrider · Mar 29, 2014

Love it. How do you paint that? My '70 had blue metal flake but it looked molded into the gel coat.

DogT · Mar 29, 2014

Yeah, the fiberglass tanks had the metal flake under the gel coat. At least mine did. As I sanded off the gel coat, the blue disappeared and a sort of silver flake showed up. I don't know how they did it.

elefantrider · Mar 29, 2014

Golden bronze or royal blue for me since it looks like there was no red metal flake in 71.

B+Bogus · Mar 29, 2014

elefantrider said:
Love it. How do you paint that? My '70 had blue metal flake but it looked molded into the gel coat.

Some were, some weren't - Metalflake was an option up until '74, but I think the choice was limited to golden bronze and Royal blue after the switch to steel tanks (around ''73).

Painting is a bit of a pain - the flakes are applied suspended in lacquer over a basecoat using a gun with a coarse nozzle, followed by lots more coats of lacquer.
It takes ages, but it's worth the effort.

pete.v · Mar 29, 2014

elefantrider said:
Golden bronze or royal blue for me since it looks like there was no red metal flake in 71.

I like red but I don't want to ride around on Dorothy's ruby slippers.

B+Bogus · Mar 29, 2014

elefantrider said:
Golden bronze or royal blue for me since it looks like there was no red metal flake in 71.

I think the red may have been candy red over silver flake - it certainly seems that's the way the early 2-tone fastbacks were done, but as you say, not post '70.

The royal blue can be matched with modern flakes, but the golden bronze is harder to pin down - the panel in the previous post is the best match I could achieve...

Here's an original NOS to compare - this one is paint, not gelcoat.

I never tire of the blue - it still puts a smile on my face every time I walk into the garage :wink:

'71 paint colors

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