My adventures in bodywork with pics!

[Guest]

All pics 100k or under.

Well, its been a lot of work (I love sanding..:x ....) but my bike is all painted, clear coated and waxed. It looks sweet. I used the painting guide here in the garage as a rough guide, thanks Frank! Here are some pictures of the bodywork. I even managed to scratch it a few times already!

These pics are before the clearcoat & sanding, rubbing compound and wax.

Here is the orig tank with blue house paint and the worst bondo job I have ever seen!





Ground out all the bondo and remaining traces of paint. This tank at one time took a spill, looks like a potato chip under that bondo! No rust through it or holes. Cleaned up real nice with the drill and grinding attachment.

Apply, resand. Apply, resand. Apply, resand....



8 coats of blue metal flake and I'm done, no runs! This is before the clear, sand, compound and wax! Now its like glass!






My $99.00 GS is starting to shape up! Total cost to paint it myself was roughly $200 and a ton of work. Would have been about $40 cheaper but I had to repaint the tank after the 1st time. The humidity oxidized the paint as it dried leaving an ugly mess and the metal flake doesn't like that! Check the forecast and humidity 1st next time before painting!

-D

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/gs1000sidecover.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/gs1000craptankbluepaintsheeeit.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/grindtankgs1000.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/grinddentstankgs1000.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/flowersandgs1000tankhangingout.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/dogschillingprimerrear.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/bottomtankgs1000.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/bondotankgs1000.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/blueturdhousepaintgs1000tank.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/bluemetalflakesparkling.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/bluemetalflakerear.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/bluemetalflakebeoreclear02.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/bluemetalflakebeoreclear01.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/gs1000sidecover3.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/gs1000tankmessystripper.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/hangingmetalgroundedtank.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/markerbondotankgs1000.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/masdentstank.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/primertankbeforesanding.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/shineymetaltankgs1000.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/wetsandsidecovers.jpg

The night I got it.

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/tail1000.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/tach1000.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/rearright1000.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/10001000.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/2gs1000.jpg

http://www.dominorosi.com/jpg/GS1000/sidecover1000.jpg

[Hoomgar]

Cool Thx for sharing.
I am painting my pieces as well but may end up having it done professionally after all as I am going to have the stock scheme redone in a new color. Not sure I want to try that myself 8O

Great job!

[GSJoe]

Great job! I'm loving that blue and probably gonna do something like that over the winter. May I ask what products you used and the cost?

[Dink]

Superb job Domino!!!!
Dink

[Anonymous]

nice

Nice lookin job, one minor word of advice though, watch what you mark with a felt marker, a lot of times they'll bleed thru anything. Didn't happen to yours because of the sanding but if you marked a part that didn't require much it could mess you up.....Mike

[bgmart450]

Looks good! What blue is that? It looks alot like the Dodge Intense Blue we used for my wife's S. I am slowly thinking about redoing mine too. Your prep work looks alot better than what we did.

Did you sand/primer the platic bits?

[wrench]

Great job..i'm impressed 8)

[80gs1000e]

Cool Thx for sharing.
I am painting my pieces as well but may end up having it done professionally after all as I am going to have the stock scheme redone in a new color. Not sure I want to try that myself 8O

Great job!

It could have gone either way for me. A few days I was ready to take all the pieces to a shop, other days I was determined to do it myself. The last $600 quote I got was the end of it for me. I'm sure the pros use the best quality stuff but I am happy with my job even though its not a show bike.

Great job! I'm loving that blue and probably gonna do something like that over the winter. May I ask what products you used and the cost?

Thanks. I used industrial paint stripper on the tank only, Krylon automotive spray cans, Rustoleum primer, wet sandpapers, sanding soft cubes/blocks, 3m polishing compound, turtle wax, and lots of time. Costs were $200 but could have been about $40 cheaper if I didn't spray the first coats of the metallic flake blue when it was so humid out. Had to resand and redo it when the humidity was lower. DOH!

Superb job Domino!!!!
Dink

Thanks Dink 8)

Nice lookin job, one minor word of advice though, watch what you mark with a felt marker, a lot of times they'll bleed thru anything. Didn't happen to yours because of the sanding but if you marked a part that didn't require much it could mess you up.....Mike

Thanks and yes, true. I knew that massive sanding was taking place. Those markers are nasty and in reflection I could have used a pencil.

Looks good! What blue is that? It looks alot like the Dodge Intense Blue we used for my wife's S. I am slowly thinking about redoing mine too. Your prep work looks alot better than what we did.

Did you sand/primer the platic bits?

That's Krylon "Specialty" paint/Blue Metallic Flake. I couldn't find it listed on their site unfortunately........

I fortunately have my 77gs550 so I had a bike to ride which let me take my time to do the prep somewhat. I sanded all the plastic bits by hand through various grades and yes I did prime them and sand the prime up through 1500 as well. Lots of fun! 8)

Great job..i'm impressed 8)

Thanks John. Wait till I show y'all the finished bike before and afters! 8)

[Anonymous]

Awesome, awesome, awesome!

I'm getting around to doing this with the less beat up tank I got from ebay and you're inspiring me to greatness!

[skreemer]

mind if I bug you for a "crash" course in bondo, sanding and painting? I now have two bikes in the house that need fixing and if I can do the tanks up nice as a start it would be pretty cool....

Any other advice on doing bondo on a tank? I don't think either of them leak but i know Greg's bike has some rust on it... Would you reccomend a "wire wheell" on the tank or is thet not advisable?

[80gs1000e]

mind if I bug you for a "crash" course in bondo, sanding and painting? I now have two bikes in the house that need fixing and if I can do the tanks up nice as a start it would be pretty cool....

Any other advice on doing bondo on a tank? I don't think either of them leak but i know Greg's bike has some rust on it... Would you reccomend a "wire wheell" on the tank or is thet not advisable?

Whatever trial and error knowledge I have I'd love to share (got plenty of error...hehe). Let me know when you're thinking about getting started. As for the tank, a wire brush should work. Ryan used that on his frame and it seemed to do a great job. I used chemical stripper first, then a hardened foamlike grinding attachment for my cordless drill. That thing was so amazing! I went through 2 of them. They are about 1/2 inch thick, porous and really take all the paint off. I bet I could have avoided using the stripper and just used those wheels but stripper made it ease. I sanded after the wheels using 1500 and then wiped the metal down with denatured alcohol to get all the dust off.

[Anonymous]

very nice!!

like many others, i am about to embark on a simular journey. i have been pondering the best way to support the tank and such as i painted... your "bungie on a stick" looked like it worked out swimmingly..

nice color choice! i have heard a lot of good things about the "Krylon" line of paints. it looks like they worked well for you. i have to admit that i was kinda grovin on the original "blue turd house paint." LOL

best of luck with the rest of the project..

van

[crayonjota]

Son,

I wish you had let me know, as I would have come over and helped you out a bit, you know, got a bit more shine going on.....

As I would have helped you, it is only fair that you come on over to my place and help me with mine, after all after that practice run you should be up to doing a nicer job for me. I want a metalic pink, no really.. With a white frame and wheels.

Seriously nice job, with more photos that I can absorb in one hit..

Lovely.

CJ

[Dink]

Dont use a wire wheel to strip paint , it "work hardens" the metal and may lead to stress factures etc.
Use a quality stripper and sandpaper, unfortunately bodywork is always labour intensive.
Dink

[80gs1000e]

Son, I wish you had let me know, as I would have come over and helped you out a bit, you know, got a bit more shine going on.....

As I would have helped you, it is only fair that you come on over to my place and help me with mine, after all after that practice run you should be up to doing a nicer job for me. I want a metalic pink, no really.. With a white frame and wheels.
Seriously nice job, with more photos that I can absorb in one hit..
Lovely.
CJ

Metallic pink, no sweat. It'll probably take all winter to do it right and since I've always wanted to see Panama....I can just stay with you! I'll ride down. Keep hitting that "refresh page" button! 8)