xvz12 paint & compounds ?

[6m459]

Hi,

 

My '84 has some places (where the P.O. had some stickers that I have removed) where the silhouette of old stickers is still evident. The paint hasn't faded the same where the stickers had been, as on the rest of the bike. The paint looks newer and shinier where the stickers had been.

 

Also, the top surfaces of my side bags are quite faded, the worst areas on the bike. The sticker spots are on the vertical surfaces of the side bags.

 

Seems to me that some polishing or buffing compound might be called for, but I have no experience in this realm.

 

What do the venturerider experts recommend in such cases?

 

Thanks,

 

Brian H.

[friesman]

I dont think there is anything you can do with faded paint as the color is under at least one coat of clear, so buffing wont brighten the paint, it just wears your clear coat thinner. I think I am right, but I am not a painter, i am sure others will chime in if I am wrong.

 

Brian

[RedRocket]

I think you're done. Repainting would be the only way. The paint has just faded at different rates and there will be no way to correct it.

[skydoc_17]

Hey Brian,

Go to Wally Mart, in the auto section, you will be looking for a yellow bottle, the name of the product is called "KIT" $1.89 here in Pa. Rub it on the area you want to clean up, use circular motions and keep rubbing until the paste dries up. Then with a soft cotton cloth, (I use old T-shirts) buff the area to a shine. For a buck 89 it's worth a try. Let us know how it comes out,

Earl

[timgray]

Use a good quality rubbing and polishing, then a glazing compound you can make it shine like a diamond IF it has not been done before and it's too thin. I use only the 3m products you can get at finishmaster stores. the small bottle they sell will do about 30 bikes.

 

The color will never come back. The metalflake paint under the clear faded. The old bikes never had any UV blockers in the clear so the color would fade through the clear. A repaint is in order.

 

also do NOT use a high speed buffer if you dont know how to use one. you can burn through the paint in a heartbeat. A bufing pad in a drill chuck set on low speed will work well and you will never burn through.

 

Stock there is 1 coat of sealer, 1 coat of paint and 2 coats of clear.(from what I experienced on my 83) I believe it's very thin to allow the lacquer to flex easily with the panels.

[Ballplayer60410]

I am planning a repaint, and would like to use a lacquer for speed and ease. Was planning 2k urethane, but really like the ease of lacquer.

[bongobobny]

Ummm, lacquer and plastic generally don't mix. Unless the surface is properly sealed you're going to have problems...

[dna9656]

Seal the substrate (the body) with a "sealer" or epoxy primes. I like the epoxy primer best. Once it's FULLY cured it's pretty inert.

[djh3]

I dont think youll get it to match either. Any good paste wax (one that dries to a film and then buff off) should help, but wont make it match. Its kind of like when your out working in the yard and your arms get sun burned but because you had a shirt on your back aint. Maybe "clay baring" it would help some also. I dont know as I havent tried a clay bar yet, but a couple of the guys I work with have used on thier car and liked the results.

[gscbertrand]

My 84 was the same, faded into a grey colour. The old clears did not have UV protection so the paint under it would fade. The only cure is to repaint every thing so it all looks the same. As far as using lacquer it would depend on where you live. GM used lacquer paint for a long time and the lacquer painted vehicles around here would crack. I haven't been in the paint shop as a professional in 20 years so I am really out of the loop when it comes to the new materials out there nowadays. All the body shops around here are changing to water based paints for obvious health and environmental reasons.

[dna9656]

I agree, lacquer isn't the best choice any more for lots of reasons. The new 2 part paints cure out pretty fast and don't have the disadvantages of lacquer. Lacquer can be pretty hot (softens exposed ABS substrate) so as you have a ABS substrate without a well cured epoxy primer over any exposed ABS substrate I would really recommend staying away from lacquer.