Cycle Tourist

I love old bikes and every once in a while you get one that needs painting,.. badly. Is careful prep and priming, cureing and sanding in prep of a rattle can spray job a good or bad thing? Now, I realize a rattle can job may not be as impervious to uv. Bikes that get kept outdoors have more to worry about than getting struck by uv. One question is, what's the life expectancy of a properly done spray can job. I've put together bikes that looked great and lasted for many years and many hard tours without chipping or scratching. I could see my paint job outliving me so..... would you see a problem with including a rc paint job on a cl or eBay "for sale" site. You certainly can't lie if asked a question but other than providing lots of photos, what obligation does the seller have to disclose a bikes paint history? I know it's more of a ethics question than a biking one but I enjoy breaking down a abused classic bike and bringing it back to life. If the only ethical solution is to desist from painting then so be it but generally people don't think a rc is a respected paint procedure and paint jobs that are respected cost hundreds.
No "right" answer but I'd like to know your opinion?

gaucho777 

If a seller knows there is a dent, which might be overlooked by a prospective buyer, the seller should note the dent. Similarly, a non-original paint job should be noted. Some people can live with dents and non-original paint, others can't and will feel duped.

For the most part, it's hard to justify a repaint on a flipper. If it's a low- to mid-range bike, the buyer will be glad it looks new and you'll invest too much time repainting it. If it's a high-end bike, the buyer may regret the new finish and you will also likely invest too much time/money repainting. My 2 cents.

bark_eater 

I've found my self looking at farm implement paint with the idea of brushing it on. But I've got a pile of nice frames with lousy paint that I'd like to send back out into the world with out a lot of cash invested.

randyjawa 

Should I Paint My Bike is a question that crops up all the time and, before doing so, you should get an understanding how doing so can negatively impact the value of the bike in question.

Painting will cost considerably, in cash, time, effort and frustration, even if you do the work yourself and with a brush. This old Peugeot's paint work and art was gone, covered up by different coats of paint and then uglyfied by adding and leaving paint stripper. I painted it with a brush...

BigChief 

That is an exceptionally good job. A nice bike like this that has been over painted is positively a candidate for refinishing. Not economical perhaps, but a very worthy project in other ways. Excellent restoration!

Jicafold

I repainted this aluminum Trek and sold it. I had only the frame and a carbon fork which I got for $10. The frame was badly scratched. So I stripped it and used etching primer and Rustoleum paint, Ebay decals, and a clear coat. I had to sand and spot paint 5 times because I suck. In the end it looked ok. I had a buyer before I even hung any components on it. I try to make it as durable as possible...baking it in the hot sun against the garage door for a few days.

Cycle Tourist

Very good and thoughtfull answers. I guess disclosing a new paint job will be my new policy. I only do it when I think there is no other way and add decals as well. A recent buyer gave me a negative review in spite of getting a great price on a nice looking bike but I can see where some might not want or expect it.

randyjawa 

Yup, new paint/art should be disclosed when selling.

GeoffroyFromLux

I did the paint job myself on this frame :
Mohibel aerosol 2k and epoxy clearcoat 2k.
it costs around 100$ just for paint and clear coat (2 cans of each)

after wet sanding and polishing the result is great but not resistant as a professional powder coating epoxy I think and cost almost the same at the end

BigChief 

Paint may not be as strong as powder coat, but it can be stripped off again without removing any rust resistant finish that was applied to the frame before painting. In fact, I'm not sure just how you would remove a powder coat. Bead blast, I figure.

Goofball

What means "paint"?🐴

DaleEArnold

I've had 3 frame sets repainted 3 decades ago using the then high tea 2 part IMRON Paints by DUPONT...Due to the High Toxicity of exposure these paints were toned down a lot.. But that paint really worked as it still on those bikes and they look like new after 30 years of of and on riding..Rain, Salt & dirt !!!

phobus

You might want to look at spray.bike. It's essentially a powdercoat-in-a-can, specifically for painting bikes. I haven't used it myself yet, but from my research, it seems to be much more forgiving than traditional spray paint and doesn't require all the prep, sanding, and additional coats. It's a matte finish out of the can, but they also sell clearcoats to give a glossy finish.

markk900

I’ve done two bikes now with rattlecan (mostly because in my area repaints run $600+CAD and powder coat (including prep) can be $400+ CAD so professional help is out of the picture for a bike only worth $200 at best);

@randyjawa’s site was extremely helpful; I did one bike spray only and did have trouble with runs and good coverage (ie too much here too little there); the second was a combination brush and spray.

Brush was hard to keep dust free (takes longer to cure). Both worked out better than I expected in the end but it takes a LOT of prep and care in the doing. I probably bought $100 in sandpaper’s/clay/buffing products.

In the end I found paint to be much softer than original and you need to let it cure waaaaaay longer than the instructions on the can say. For spray -
minimum of a week between coats (due to solvents that allow the paint to be sprayed); brushed I could do another coat within a couple of days but if you plan to sand between coats (and you should) also wait a week or you’ll probably hit uncured paint pretty quickly.

Overall though you can get a really satisfactory result.

bark_eater 

How far back does spray technology go?

Kinda wondering what the state of the art was for brushed on paint?

mstateglfr 

re spray.bike paint - I've done 3 frames with it. My first still looks the same as almost 2 years ago. I'm guessing it has 1000mi on it since painting and been ridden in rain/wet grit pavement.
The second is in good condition still and owned by a teen(so not easy on it) who rides the bike to school.
The third is a kids mtb frame that my youngest uses. It's been 4 months since paint and she has rubbed/scratched the top tube a bunch due to swinging her leg over. It's a bit big for her still, so that's partly why.
The rest of the frame's paint is great and has held up as expected to all the brush/sand/dirt on river bottom single track trails.


Prep is most important. 85% prep 15% paint.
It wont look like a professional wet paint, but it is durable and looks as good as I care for it to look.