When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

A question about restoring the paint on my '61 Flightliner

-
Nice job, that looks really nice!

Someone here said this paint is just oxidized, so I'm going to rub it out and see if I can bring the Red back. LMAO My new project, to bad it's not a Z06. ;)

View attachment 1157201

View attachment 1157202

View attachment 1157204

GT, that chain guard, and frame looks a bit like mine before I started the cleaning. I'm not to sure that's oxidation, it looks more like the paint is discolored from age. The dark spots in the paint are like the paint on the tank, and rear rack of my Higgins. If that's what it actually is the best you can do is get as much dirt off the paint as possible, but the dark spots will still be there. And I'll bet the gold areas are faded because of sun light shining on it for a long time. Reds back in the day, and even some today don't stand up to sun light over time. But as it is said, "Patina is character." Good luck on the clean-up my friend. I look forward to seeing that old boy when you're finished.

BTW, as I'm sure you know if you're going to use compound on the paint, start in a inconspicuous area. I tried it on a small area on the underside of my tank first. That paint is quite thin, and even the light compound began to cut it to the metal.
 
iv had good luck with brillo and turtle wax chrome cleaner togther,brillo is best sos scatches chrome for me
 
Here is a fancy explanation about red pigment and UV light. In essence it says that UV light causes red to fade (look at those old stop signs. The only way you know they're stop signs is because they're octagonal.) If the paint on your bike is a metallic paint and the metallic has a gold base, then over time UV rays will eat the red and leave the gold. Your red paint is gone, there's no bringing it back. If you don't want your paint to fade, paint your bike blue or green. ;)

Blue light is more toward the short wavelength end of the visible light spectrum. It is a shorter wavelength and has more energy. Longer wavelength visible light (like red) is more toward the the infrared end of the visible spectrum and therefore has less energy. Because of their greater energy, the shorter wavelengths of light cause more “bleaching” of the pigments in the paint and more fading. So, why would light with a very short wavelength effect RED more than blue? The main reason has to do with what light is reflected by each color and what light is absorbed. Red pigment reflects the long wavelength red light. Red pigment also absorbs more the destructive high energy short wavelength light like the blues and greens and therefore tends to fade..
 
And here's the old boy. All dressed up, and ready for the town. Thank you to all of you good folks for the help. I also got some much needed help from Mike @bikemonkey with the kickback hub, replacing the front axle, lacing the front rim, and truing up both. It rides great, and the kickback hub is pretty dang cool. :)


100_5037.JPG

100_5039.JPG

100_5044.JPG

100_5046.JPG
 
Looks great! Mike @bikemonkey is the man! I assume your in NC? If so, you should come ride with us! Once this plague is gone, of course!

Will do Don. We live in Concord, so not too far from your club. We will be watching for the next ride. I took this one on it's maiden voyage last Thursday. I'm happy to say the shake down cruise went well.
 
Back
Top