Tremclad Paint Job

[Mark M]

Inspired by the information on this thread, I have decided to try the Tremclad and roller paint job on my 1100E.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=131638

I went to Home Depot last night and bought supplies. A bunch of rollers, a new roller handle, some disposable trays and 3 quarts of Tremclad rust paint (white, red and primer) along with some turpentine (mineral spirits for our US members) came to just under $60. So far, the price is right...

I plan to test paint the side covers first, since they are off the bike, easy to work on and don't match the OEM paint anyway.

Questions so far:

1) How should I prep the sidecovers for primer? Just scuff with 220, then 400 and give it a coat? Is washing the covers off with dish soap enough of a cleaning or do I need to go further?

2) I have a couple of spots that need filling, will standard body filler work OK on the plastic?

Progress will be slow, I am swamped with work for the next 6 weeks at least, but I will putter as I can. I will post pics as I go.

One pic of the bike as it sits, in all it's ugly glory...



When completed, it will be white base with red trim.

Mark

[Calvin Blackmore]

what exactly are you painting with tremclad?
the frame? or the body I woul dnever use the stuff as it does not seem to cure

it stays soft and laquer will cause it to wrinkle

that bike is gorgeous btw

I would buff hte hell outta it then step bacvk and consider my options

[Mark M]

what exactly are you painting with tremclad?
the frame? or the body I woul dnever use the stuff as it does not seem to cure

it stays soft and laquer will cause it to wrinkle

that bike is gorgeous btw

I would buff hte hell outta it then step bacvk and consider my options

Calvin,

Bodywork, frame paint is not bad.

You have to read the info on the Mopar forum that Nastyjones posted. They had a whole thread on a painting cars with Tremclad, with very good results... If this fails, I have a buddy who paints airplanes at work and he will paint the bodywork for me with urethane. But I just had to give it a shot myself first, before I admit defeat and have him do it.

You can't tell in that pic, but the paint is horrible. The clear has peeled from the top half of the tank, the paint is several shades of maroon to a sort of dingy brown from weathering and is in general in rough shape. It is way beyond buffing. I think the bike lived its entire 22 years outside before I rescued it and put it in a proper garage.

Mechanically it is very good, however and runs beautifully.


Mark

[jmanz6]

The tremclad paint job technique has been tried with great success on cars many times and is a tried and tre way of paintin on the cheap. The only thing I would worry about on a bike is the fuel resistance of the paint. Maybe test a small sample to see if it wrinkles after curing when exposed to fuel. If it's good then it should be a great way to paint your bike on the cheap.

The reason you had problems with it curing may be that you put it on too thick. This process has the paint very thin and in very thin coats. You then sand between the coats and recoat. It's very time consuming but the results are excellent when it's done properly. I've personally seen a Camaro done this way and it looked great. I had thought of painting my Datsun 240Z this way as well, but I think I will have it done professionally.

[Calvin Blackmore]

sorry guys
all I have ever used is their rust paint which produced bad results
my bad should have read the article

its a shame that so many bikes are parked in weather
a smear of grease and a simple tarp would have saved so many and even maintained them in good shape.

hell anything is worth a shot especailly considerin the cost in terms of dolalrs and time a good home job costs

there was a sad tale on here about a guy who had his tank spill fuel onto his sweet apint job

beware gas on anything after you invest all the time and effort.

[Billy Ricks]

I know as recently as the '40s cars were painted with brushes and you couldn't tell the difference between it and a spray job. I have a brother with a 1940 LaSalle that the original paint was brush applied on.

[Mark M]

For fuel resistance, I will put some gas on one of the side panels after I get a couple of coats on and see what happens. I know the Mopar thread specifically said that someone had spilled fuel with no problems at all. I hope to repeat that experience.

I realized that I forgot to get sandpaper last night, so I need to run out for that and some spray flat black for doing the inside surfaces of the side covers and tail section (assuming I get that far with it). I will primer the entire inside and outside of the side covers, then spray the black, then do the white base. Hopefully before Christmas...

Mark

[Mark M]

The reason you had problems with it curing may be that you put it on too thick. This process has the paint very thin and in very thin coats. You then sand between the coats and recoat. It's very time consuming but the results are excellent when it's done properly. I've personally seen a Camaro done this way and it looked great. I had thought of painting my Datsun 240Z this way as well, but I think I will have it done professionally.

Jmanz6,

Any idea how much to reduce the Tremclad? I was thinking of starting with 3 parts primer to 1 part thinner and 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner. Sound reasonable?

I love the old 240Z's, they are my all-time favorite sports car. Great choice!

Mark

[jmanz6]

That sounds like a good start. I remember hearing it needs to be very thin so the bubbles will break easily. You will get a fair amount of bubbles when using the foam rollers. The reason for thinning so much is to reduce the surface tension so they can rise up and pop on their own. It helps the paint to self level. Try it like you say and see how it goes. Remember, very thin coats. I heard one guy talk about how he only painted for about 15 minutes a night because the paint went on so thin and so fast that he would go out, paint, then go inside and wait until the next day to sand and paint again. Take your time and you should have good results.

[80GS750]

i have read that whole thread and it does seem to be a very cheap and effective way to paint,

you just gotta take your time and do it layer by layer....

as long as you do it the way they say to, you will be fine and it will look good....

[nastyjones]

Here's my original post concerning Tremclad paint job. It's about half way down the page.
I'll be trying it to!!!!!

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=2331682&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1

Nastyjones

[greg78gs750]

i have read the mopar thread, i will be watching your progress!!! good luck!

[argonsagas]

Jmanz6,



I love the old 240Z's, they are my all-time favorite sports car. Great choice!

Mark

Nice cars they were, but DO NOT E V E R drive them without the front air dam: they have a tendency to lift, with a loss of directional control.

I vividly recall being on the inside of a rising left curve at 70mph when the front end lifted and the car began to redirect itself towards the steel side barrier. With brakes hammered momentarily the car dropped and regained traction within only one or two inches of the side rails. Had I been taking the curve wide a crash would have been unavoidable.

The same car, on the same curve, but with air dam mounted, was a different handling machine.

[jmanz6]

They are stable until about 105 MPH then the air dam makes the difference. At normal highway speeds they are quite stable and a ton of fun to drive. Mine used to get regular laps around the twisty roads near my house. I live near a ton of small lakes and all the roads go around the lakes. I've had it out on a track once and it was fun but I had street tires and poor brake pads. And to clarify by track I mean a real road course - NOT a drag strip. It's a fun little toy just like the GS is going to be.

[rudy]

The key to Tremclad curing is to thin it. For some reason when you use the paint un-thinned, it doesn't cure for a good couple months. If you thin it to about 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner, it can be sprayed easily with a small paint gun as well, but then you get a lot of fumes and paint floating around. Same results with the rollers, but no inhalation or wasted paint.

This is good stuff and it works. Once cured, it's tough as anything.