Print Page - Spray Can Restoration

I'm just finishing up what I would call a spray can restoration on my 75 Penton 250. I purchased the bike this past summer at Mid-Ohio from a fellow POG member. It was a good bike as purchased, but it was pretty rough looking. The tank was faded and looking pretty bad under layers of old pealing decals and dirt stuck to the glue. The frame and side cases had plenty of scrapes and paint worn off from riding it. Since I already have two Jackpiners spread all over the garage. I thought I should resist taking this one apart and doing a full restoration. So,I purchased some PJ1 silver frame paint and went at it. First, sanding all the frame I could get at and then priming and paintig after masking all the other bits off. I also cleaned and painted the engine side cases . The tank looked like a lost cause but once I got the old stickers off ,I was able to wet sand it and then buff it out. I was surprised how good the original paint was ,under all that dirt and decal glue. A new set of deacls from AL B. finished it off.
The plastic fenders were close to new ,so a little cleaning and some polish brought them back into shape. My last task is to paint the pipe and install a few new fasteners to finish off the cosmetic stuff. Since it had a 60 tooth rear sprocket , I have decided to replace it and the front one (54/12)and go to a 520 chain. According to Al .B. that is a better set up for racing.

Even if I do say so myself, the thing looks pretty good. It is amazing what ten dollars worth of paint and some nuts and bolts can do. If your not looking for a show bike,this approach works out pretty well. She is pretty close to being ready to go racing. Now if I can only remember how to ride the thing.

Randy Lamp
Massillon ,Ohio

Congratulations, Randy, I'm sure you'll enjoy your project as much as if you would have paid for a $1,000 restoration (maybe more:)). Two years ago I sprayed my tank with Fusion yellow spray paint. It's designed for plastic, but it has held up very well on the fiberglass. Enjoy!

Randy, Good to hear somebody else use the spray can besides me. I have 20+ restorations and 90% of them have been done with an aresol can. I sandblast the frames and prime with 98 cent Walmart gray primer then PJ1 KTM gray and then put a clear coat on with another spray can. Works for me. I'm still in the process of making a video of a step by step restoration of two Pentons, a 72 Jackpiner and a 72 Six-day. All that's left is recording the bikes being started and ridden for the first time. And about the spray cans, I have a place near home called Colormatch that mixes the right colors. As a X-dealer, the ones that I took out of the crate are not as nice as the ones that are being restored now. And after the first ride, they sure weren't. Later, Dave

Randy, I just used the PJ 1 , KTM Silver for the first time on a 72 Six Day frame. It worked great. The paint is sticky and applies superbly.
We are happy with the results.
Conrad

Conrad Pfeifer
1972 Penton Six Days

Count me in as a "rattle can" vet, guys. I'm with Conrad on the PJ1 KTM silver for the frame. Great stuff. As with any paint work, prep is always the key. Invest in a can of "virgin solvent - wax and grease remover" from a paint store, for use as your final surface prep, after blasting and/or sanding. Remember too, to work in warm, dry conditions. I've really messed up by trying to paint with too much humidity present. Also, beware of condensation, created by painting cold parts in a just-heated garage. Leave plenty of time for everything to warm up and dry out. Besides the PJ1 brand of paint, I've had great luck using Rustoleum "Professional Grade". I even used some of it to do a Six-Day tank. That brand's GREEN matched up really well, looks great, and has held up. Got some questions for you guys, though. Mick, where did you get that "Fusion" brand? Guys, I've seen the tank Mick is referring to, and it looks pro. Also, for Randy: What brand/type of paint did you do your pipe with? I tried investing in some expensive stuff from the Eastwood Company, but it didn't look right or hold up at all. Finally, if you guys ever want to do up a motor to really look neat, consider another one of PJ1's offerings. It is "Yamaha Silver Barrel" paint. It's hi-temp (made for cylinders and heads), is metallic, and looks awesome! Might be a bit too much for the Penton motors, but I've done others with it, where I was hoping for a fancier look, and was really pleased with the outcome. Thanks for the tips, everyone.
Ted Guthrie

Hi Ted, Fusion paint by Krylon. Available at your nearest Wal Mart. Have Fun!

Ted,What's the name or part # of the rustoleum match for 6 days green?Is it close to the cmf bikes green or steel tankers?Thanks,
Ric (soon to drop a spray bomb)Emmal

I've got the can right here in front of my own, personal eyeballs, Ric. It is "Hunter Green", #7538, and I applied it to a CMF tank. It may not be a perfect match, but I see in color darn near all the time, and it looks pretty good to me. You might want to play it safe and do a test spray, before you commit it to a tank, but cannot imagine that you would be disappointed with the results. Good luck.

Hi Guys,
I have acouple of questions I hope someone can help me with..I just purchased 3 can of PJ1 KTM Silver paint to do my Husky frame with..I also got a can of PJ1 Clear Coat..my first question is..Do you spray the Clear coat on after the frame paint has dried & cured or do you spray it on after you spray the frame paint? second question is I also bought afew can of PJ1 Satin Black case paint to do the engine with..my question is a guy told me that after he sprayed his Cylinder & Head, Clutch cover he puts the parts in his wife oven and bakes them for acouple of hours at 100 degrees(I think that's the temp he said) and that there wear very good(almost like power coating them)..Have any of you guys ever done this? Thanks for any info..maicobuddy:D

Ted,I've got quite a few "close but no cigar"cans of green paint in my garage.I'm just wanting it for side cover touch ups anyway.I may try it on an old tank as well and see what happens-though i'm no Picasso!
Thanks,Ric

ric emmal

My experience in the automotive body shop, "limited training" was that clear coat should be applied once the color coat had "flashed" or dried to the point of still being slightly tacky for best adhesion. The clear coat tends to "meld" into the color coat slightly almost to the point of becoming one and the same.
Be very cautious about even any slight amount of humidity in the air, or not only will it turn milky, it may even craze or crack and crinkle up on you. With automotive paint gun use, a retardant additive is mixed with the paint to avoid humidity problems, but with a spray can, you don't have the luxury of adding the retardant in with the paint. I hope this helps. Mike

Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Pentons-1980 KTM 250'S

It's been my experience that I am the retardant additive when I use spray bombs........[:p]

I have managed to overcome my short comings and turn out a couple of pretty good finished products using PJ1 in spite of myself though.....

Tony

Randy,
The trick to most hi temp paint for exhaust's Is heat. Not many of us have an oven big enough to pit a pipe in to cure the paint so we use another method. Use an Oxy Accet. or Propane torch to heat the pipe up befor you paint it. dont get it red hot but 2 to 300 degs would be fine.
Hang the pipe out side after it is clean and wiped down with thinner. Heat the pipe up as best you can ( should be hot enough to need gloves if you were to handle it ) and spray it down. Dupla Color works good but other brands work well also. The Paint should smoke a little as it contacts the Pipe.
Call Eastwood and let them know the trouble you had. They are very good about backing up what they sell and can give you any extra tips on the paint you bought.
Hope this helps,
John D.

Maicobuddy,
I'm very curious how that PJ1 KTM silver paint matches the Husky silver, have you tried it yet?
I've used PJ1 Clear Coat Epoxy on another Husky restore and it turned yellow on me, so be careful. I won't use that again.
How does the PJ1 KTM silver paint compare to the Husky silver BEFORE you clear coat it?

thanks

Ohio Ted. I used Dupli - Color 500 degree gloss engine paint on my pipe. I got it at Auto Zone. Someone on this sight suggested it at some point, so I gave it a try. It came out pretty nice. I don't know what it is going to look like after riding it for the first time this past weekend. If I rememebr right ,the same person who suggested using that paint ,said you should run the bike a few times to heat the paint up and them let it cool,before getting it all muddy and dirty. I think that was sound advice. I will find out when I try and clean my bike up tonight.

Randy Lamp
Massillon ,Ohio

I have been using Hammerite silver on all my rider bikes and it holds up a lot better than the PJ paint. This i the standard finsih on the Wassel trails bikes. I am still looking for a good rattle can black for a DKW I am restoring. I was using Black John Deer tractor paint but it runs and does not hold up as well as I would like it to.

Hey, lot's of great info flyin' back and forth here, guys! This is great! Let me chime in some more: Desmond, for your Deek's frame, try the Rustoleum Professional that I mentioned. It's the best rattle-can black (gloss or semi-gloss) I have found. Easiest to work with, too. Goes on great. Randy and John, thanks for the pipe-painting suggestions. I never heard of heating the pipe up first. I'm tryin' it! Maicobuddy, I've also heard of "curing" painted parts in the oven - with good results. However, because of the reported odor involved, I've never been brave enough to try it in my wife's kitchen. Proceed at your own risk. (Do you have a place set up to sleep in your garage?) Mike, thanks for the tip on applying clearcoat to still-tacky paint. I've never done that, but I have added clear to odds and ends which, although it doesn't result in "correct" appearance, does add a surprising amount of additional durability to the finish. I used that method on a non-plated kickstarter, for example.