A bit of a ramble to start. I am no expert, just saying this now, as you read this you will know. lol. I plan to share my paint and body journey. I hope I can make it to the finish by doing all the work myself without spending stupid money on a old bike. I want to keep it real. My goal is to get close to a professional looking job from 3 feet away. Please add your knowledge if you are a painter. Colour choice is another thing. I would like black but it shows everything so I am leaning to a Kawasaki or Porche shade of blue but that changes weekly.
I have a few bikes that need cowl stays straightened along with body and paint. I have done the plastic repair and stays straigtened but have never painted. Getting the paint done by a pro would cost porhibitive to me and I would guess to most. I have done the plastic repair on 3 cowl parts with Plastex and an ABS base repair. Thanks to tech and the internet plastic repair is now easier than ever.
There are a tons of videos on paint and can be confusing on which way to go. I do not want to do a rattle can job. As I have a realively mid sized compressor I have decided to go with a R500 low pressure, low volune paint gun. As I understand it the guns are okay for the DYI guy and are not expensive. I'll give it a go and poslish the shit out of any panels that get orange peel.
I think I am looking at a clear/base type paint but I am still researching what paint to use and who supplys it here.
The other thing is not having a spray booth. You can buy the fan blow up type portable unit but I want to build a "shed" where I can store 2 bikes and paint if this works out. My plan is to start with a foundation and floor this year and for now use plastic for the rest. Plans change (PC), I may find another spot to paint but we will see. I don't see me painting inside as my garage is full so I am looking at summer as a timeline but again PC sometimes.
So sanding, filling and sanding is next. I have a electric sander, pneumatic sander and a block to take that on. So this part of the rebuild begins.
Picture one is the worst of the plastic damage. Picture 2 is removing the side cowl decals defore sanding.
As was mentioned already it's really all about the prep. That's why pro jobs cost so much. Many hours of sanding, and priming.
The fairings on my ZX600A were badly broken, and "repaired" with fiberglass which has a different expansion rate than ABS so they began to crack again. I stripped all the glass off, and got some thin ABS sheet stock I used to make patches on the inside. Used common ABS pipe glue sometimes juiced up with bit of MEK. Lots of sanding. Did I mention lots of sanding? Eventually I ended up with this:
If you have any question, just ask im a hobbyist painter 😛
I'd add that with yellow 5th gens Honda struggled to match the different fairing panels. The side fairings on my yellow '99 were noticeably lighter than the the front cowl and the fuel tank.
That is a lovely set of M68 wheels, just like the set on my '06 325Ci. Though mine look like the 'before' photo.
To prove it to my friend who was painting his tank, I sprayed out a piece. DupliColor Lacquer and 2 coats of 2K. The shape allowed a puddle of fluid to stay in the center. I poured gas on it and sat it in the sun until it evaporated on its own, then only wiped it with my t-shirt.
[image: Dominion Sure Seal Plastic Surgery All-Purpose Sealant - Ideal for Dewalt Tools, JB Weld Epoxy, Bondo Kits, 2K Clear Coat, Leather Repair, and Plastic Welding Applications - 440 g]
Going to give this flexible filler a go. I could have used regular filler (cheaper) but with all the work going into this a guy might as well limit problems down the road.
End of thread · 13 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 22 Apr 2026