Panning on painting the PowerBronze belly pan.

[Chackster]

So, since I'm a destitute med student and don't have a couple hundred dollars to drop on a top quality belly pan I've come up w/ the following. I want to order the black w/ silver mesh PowerBronze pan which is only $90 with shipping . Since I want it to be Cobalt Blue, I was going to get the base and paint from Colorite for around $60. And make myself a cobalt blue belly pan. It seems simple enough in my head, but I just wanted to run it by you good people to seem if I'm missing something.

 

[Boneman]

As long as you are set up for automotive painting. I've done some in the past and you will need at least the following:

HPLV mini spary gun (I got mine for like $20 shipped on eBay)

Compressor
Reducer
Clear coat (can be expensive to buy as sometimes you have to buy a certain quantity)

Make sure to sand down and prime the belly pan first. Then 3-5 coats of colour, followed by 2-3 coats of clear coat. If you don't clear coat, it will chip very easily. You have to clear it!

Then you preferably want a clean, dust free place to apply the paint and especially the clear coat! Any dust or dirt will show up like crazy!

It might be more cost effective to take your paint and belly pan down to an automotive paint shope and have them shoot it for you. Basically you just pay them for booth time and basic materials.

 

[Chackster]

I was just going to get the paint in spray cans, but I actually have access to a brand new auto paint sprayer. Would the sprayer work out better that the spray cans.

 

[Boneman]

I was just going to get the paint in spray cans, but I actually have access to a brand new auto paint sprayer. Would the sprayer work out better that the spray cans.

I personally prefer using a proper auto paint spray gun.

Even if you got it in spray cans, it still dosen't solve the clear coat issue. Unless it's a special mix of paint?

Best double check with the guy suppling your paint and see what he says. From my limited experience with automotive paints, it's a two part process of painting then clear coating. The clear coat is a two part epoxy like coating that provides the hard protection for the paint underneith. Automotive paint on it's own will not stand up as well and will tend to easily chip and flake.

With something like a belly pan that is going to take a fair amount of abuse being located where it is (by road grime, flying pebbels, etc.) I would want several coats of clear on it!

 

[Chackster]

I'll look into it. Thanks.

 

[Damnitsjeff]

As long as you are set up for automotive painting. I've done some in the past and you will need at least the following:

HPLV mini spary gun (I got mine for like $20 shipped on eBay)

Compressor
Reducer
Clear coat (can be expensive to buy as sometimes you have to buy a certain quantity)

Make sure to sand down and prime the belly pan first. Then 3-5 coats of colour, followed by 2-3 coats of clear coat. If you don't clear coat, it will chip very easily. You have to clear it!

Then you preferably want a clean, dust free place to apply the paint and especially the clear coat! Any dust or dirt will show up like crazy!

It might be more cost effective to take your paint and belly pan down to an automotive paint shope and have them shoot it for you. Basically you just pay them for booth time and basic materials.

Don't forget the "tack rags" :spank:

 

[ITSME]

If you plan on doing the spray cans get more then one can of the top coat, one can will not cover it enough, i know this because when i shot my tank i fell a little short of covering it enough to color match the rest of the bike, As for clearcoat take it to a local body shop and have them lay on a couple coats of clear for ya it has better protection qualities then what you can get in any can. This is what you get with Colorrite paint.

 

[Chackster]

Looks beautiful. Can't wait to give it a try. Ill be sure to post pics, but it probably won't for at lease a month or two.

 

[dturpen]

I want to order the black w/ silver mesh PowerBronze pan which is only $90 with shipping .

Where did you find it for that cheap? Mine's already black, so that would be a great deal for me.

 

[Chackster]

It's right on the PowerBronze site. It's $70 plus $22 for shipping to the states. I don't know why its so cheap, but it looks pretty straight forward.

http://www.powerbronze.co.uk/Shop/Product.aspx?PROD_ID=900926&MC_ID=818263

 

[Tremulant]

Let me know when you get it how it turns out. It's a great price and I've been wanting that mod, but it looks kinda bulky from the pics they have. Let us know and post some pics when you get it done!

 

[CrazyBiker]

At that price it is worth getting it. ebay has it for like $130

 

[Chackster]

Ya, it is a little less slick that some of the other pans out there (I would love to get the Yamaha one). But like I said, I need to compromise since I'm living off of loans. (ie. I'm paying my bike loan off with my student loans) How's that for financially stable.

 

[CrazyBiker]

^^^ That is called living on the edge

 

[Chackster]

^^^ That is called living on the edge

...of defaulting on my loans.

 

[CrazyBiker]

Someone buy my bellypan please!