Reasonable '75 Commando paint jobs, New question

I'm about to start the cosmetic restoration of my '75 Commando with the white, blue/red striped paint scheme. The estimates of a couple of the painters are as much or more than I paid for the entire bike 20 years ago. Now granted, EVERYTHING, except some electronic goods, is more expensive now, but paying one large or thereabouts for paint on a bike that'll not be a concourse candidate but a rider doesn't make financial sense to me. Anyone out there with this same paint scheme or just have a nice reliable painter that does reasonable work that they'll share with me (preferably in a pic or 2) in the public site or on a PM to my email address ??? If I'm just really out of bounds and should expect to pay that much just let me know that too.

Re: Reasonable '75 Commando paint jobs

Have heard good reports about http://www.vintage-vendor.com/. No personal experience, however.

Re: Reasonable '75 Commando paint jobs

I'm sure what Brent charges is about as good as you will get for a very good job. Just take the stuff down to your local auto repair and see what they want. It won't be pretty and they don't have the experience with the colors.

If you're a cheapskate like me, I used MetalSpecks Blue and a clear coat, but it is certainly not perfect, but looks good from about 10' for somewhere much less than $100. I always mess up the paint jobs anyhow.

Dave
69S

Re: Reasonable '75 Commando paint jobs

If you select the red white and blue colors off the flag, you can't go far wrong ?

Thats where Nortons got them, afterall. (The British flag though, of course).

Re: Reasonable '75 Commando paint jobs

I actually have the official British "colours" filed somewhere nicely in my laptop; just need someone I can send the parts to for a reasonable respray.

Re: Reasonable '75 Commando paint jobs

My black and gold paint is pretty decent. Disregarding that fact, I'm sending my parts to Brent for paint. I've seen the quality of his work and it's beautiful. His prices are fair, and when you consider the quality, his prices actually seem pretty low. You should check out his work and at least get an estimate. Getting an estimate doesn't mean you have to send your work his way.

Just my two cents.

-Jordan

Re: Reasonable '75 Commando paint jobs

Brent is as good as you will find, especially in his price range....

Chris

OK, looking at examples of his work, Brent does great work and it seems, from other quotes, at a reasonable price. Lets go from the other end.......can any of you PM me ( or just post it here if you're pissed enough) about any painters to avoid for bad jobs, inaccurate estimates or any other reason. I've got a number of suggestions from folks and some who've emailed me themselves, I just want to make sure I'm not reinventing the wheel as far as bad painters are concerned...thanks

Just wanted to add my two cents worth. Brent did my black and gold commando 2 1/2 years ago. After 2K miles the paint is still perfect and draws comments wherever I go. He'll be doing the paint on the '74 850 I'm about to begin. I recommend his work highly.
Tim

I would not expect many on this forum to badmouth anyone. It is rare. Go to Triumph Rat and look in the archives for one good long thread about a painter.

You might get more specific responses if we knew where you're located.
Assuming you're only painting the tank and side covers and they are not in need of "body work".
Low Buck choices:
1. Rattle can paint DIY. Get automobile paint like Duplicolor and some super fine wet or dry sand paper and rubbing compound. Get one of those HP books that teaches painting and read carefully about prep! Years ago when in college I repainted a Bultaco Metralla this way and it turned out pretty good.
2. For about $100 you can get a decent HVLP spray gun and compressor. It will do an admirable job just apply the same advice as in #1.
3. Find a local Finish Masters or other (Dupont?) body shop paint supplier and ask them if they know of any small shops or painters that do small jobs on the side that may want to do your job.

The cost of paint today is fairly expensive depending upon what your looking for. I haven't bought any in a while so this may not be correct but if I recall it seems like two pack was about $100 per quart and if you need primer, base coat and clear coat it can add up fast. If you aren't too picky about color some of the small shops can use left over paint from bigger jobs to save some money. Prep is the next big expense so if the parts need to be stripped and have dents the cost will be higher too.

Nothing like a great paint job will make you feel better and make the Norton run better though!

Hope this helps,
Scooter

There is a 2-pack spray clear coat can you can get. I've lost the name, but it comes in a can, you puncture it somehow, mix it, and you have a couple of hours to kill your lungs. I understand it will spray over some decals, not the thin glue one ones from OB, and is pretty oil and petrol resistant. Costs about $20/can. I'm still looking for the name, I know I saved it somewhere. But you want to use a forced air respirator with it, not breathe it.

Dave
69S

http://www.spraymax.de/index.php?id=361&L=1

JD

I've actually found a painter locally in Atlanta and have seen some of his work which is adequate for my needs and in my price range. If it turns out ok I'll post his name for the forum.

One thing I've noted with just about every paint job that I've seen regardless of cost is the fact that the logos on the sidecovers appear crooked with respect to the horizontal line of the bike. My original sidecover logos aren't in line with the top of the cover, it's at a slight angle so it's in line with the horizontal, whereas most of the ones I see after painting are in line with the top of the cover. Is there a certain standard angle that the logos and stripes are supposed to be?

Oh, I really wasn't trying to get folks to publically dis some painter, which is why I asked to be PM'd.

Depends on the year for the panels, the early ones had the logos parallel to the ground, I think it looks rather good. The later ones had different panels, so I can't speak to them.



Dave
69S

I personally think it looks uneven for the Norton logo on the tank to be parallel with the ground and the logos on the covers not.

I'll agree, here's the panels from the 70 brochure. Of course the later ones were very different.





Dave
69S

Whatever you do, you WILL regret it if you go cheap on your paint job. Think about it. It's the most visual aspect of your bike....period.

Use brent at Vitage Vendor and you smile every time you look at your bike. If you use rattle cans and decals, you see nothing but flaws every time you look at your bike. Your call.

*look real close at the quality.







Or rattle can & decals:

You can do a half decent job if you're careful, and use clear coat and polish it up. It doesn't have to look like junk. It just doesn't hold up like a pro job. The DupliColor High Performance Wheel Coating clear is not bad as long as you don't pour fuel on it or get carb cleaner on it either.



Dave
69S

Jon,

Rattle can spray jobs simply will not hold up over the years and you will have to live with inferior looking paint. Do it right the first time and you will have no regrets.