Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Restoring original paint & logos

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Restoring original paint & logos

Old 06-14-21, 02:46 PM
  #1  
Wilbur76
Full Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: California
Posts: 213

Bikes: 2020 Lynskey GR300, 1987 Diamondback Ascent, 1991 Skykomish Marble Point, 1994 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, 1996 Specialized Stumpjumper M2 FS, 1992 GT Karakoram

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Liked 226 Times in 84 Posts
Restoring original paint & logos

Picked up these two 1989 Specializeds. Really sunfaded with a milky finish. I’d like to restore some shine back to the original paint and logos. Heard about cutting compound but would that be too harsh/abrasive or is there a way to use it in a gentle way? Thanks in advance!



Wilbur76 is offline  
Old 06-14-21, 02:52 PM
  #2  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18319 Post(s)
Liked 4,487 Times in 3,337 Posts
How much of it is paint, and how much is decals?

I've heard that a good polishing compound can do wonders for oxidized paint on cars.

The fork should be easy enough to remove, and polish up as a test.
CliffordK is offline  
Old 06-14-21, 03:30 PM
  #3  
genejockey 
Klaatu..Verata..Necktie?
 
genejockey's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 17,651

Bikes: Litespeed Ultimate, Ultegra; Canyon Endurace, 105; Battaglin MAX, Chorus; Bianchi 928 Veloce; Ritchey Road Logic, Dura Ace; Cannondale R500 RX100; Schwinn Circuit, Sante; Lotus Supreme, Dura Ace

Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10243 Post(s)
Liked 11,596 Times in 5,943 Posts
I've been using Meguiar's Scratch-X. It does an amazing job on paint that hsa lost its gloss, but I've heard you may want to go light over the decals, unless they're under clear coat.
__________________
"Don't take life so serious-it ain't nohow permanent."

"Everybody's gotta be somewhere." - Eccles
genejockey is offline  
Likes For genejockey:
Old 06-14-21, 04:36 PM
  #4  
Wilbur76
Full Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: California
Posts: 213

Bikes: 2020 Lynskey GR300, 1987 Diamondback Ascent, 1991 Skykomish Marble Point, 1994 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, 1996 Specialized Stumpjumper M2 FS, 1992 GT Karakoram

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Liked 226 Times in 84 Posts
Originally Posted by genejockey
I've been using Meguiar's Scratch-X. It does an amazing job on paint that hsa lost its gloss, but I've heard you may want to go light over the decals, unless they're under clear coat.
This looks like clearcoat flaking off so I can assume I only have the basecoat left.
Wilbur76 is offline  
Old 06-14-21, 05:37 PM
  #5  
jamesdak 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,824

Bikes: Paletti,Pinarello Monviso,Duell Vienna,Giordana XL Super,Lemond Maillot Juane.& custom,PDG Paramount,Fuji Opus III,Davidson Impulse,Pashley Guv'nor,Evans,Fishlips,Y-Foil,Softride, Tetra Pro, CAAD8 Optimo,

Mentioned: 154 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2300 Post(s)
Liked 4,764 Times in 1,725 Posts
Meguiar's #7 works very well to restore dry powdery paint.
__________________
Steel is real...and comfy.
jamesdak is offline  
Old 06-14-21, 05:49 PM
  #6  
randyjawa 
Senior Member
 
randyjawa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada - burrrrr!
Posts: 11,672

Bikes: 1958 Rabeneick 120D, 1968 Legnano Gran Premio, 196? Torpado Professional, 2000 Marinoni Piuma

Mentioned: 210 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1370 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,743 Times in 934 Posts
Were those bikes mine, I would start with the less aggressive approach - Mother's Cleaning Wax, to see if that achieves the results that I seek. Polishing compound would be next on my list but only if there is a clear coat over the decals...
__________________
"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
randyjawa is offline  
Likes For randyjawa:
Old 06-14-21, 06:32 PM
  #7  
Kabuki12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 3,404
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 863 Post(s)
Liked 2,225 Times in 1,248 Posts
I would try a wax based non abrasive approach as bike paint is very thin and decals can be damaged easily. The wax will bring shine where possible without too much damage , in my experience of dealing with old bikes.
Kabuki12 is offline  
Likes For Kabuki12:
Old 06-14-21, 08:15 PM
  #8  
Charles Wahl
Disraeli Gears
 
Charles Wahl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: NYC
Posts: 4,162
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 504 Post(s)
Liked 364 Times in 213 Posts
I restored a Specialized Hard Rock from about 1993 that didn't have much paint damage at all (it was a bike that's always been in this family), and I remember it as having a clear coat. That may be what is "milky" in your case. And if it's flaking off, then that's a double-whammy, because my bet is that you won't get it all to peel off. While the product suggestions above are good, for a finish that just needs "renewing" (removal of oxidized material), the results involving some-flaking, some-adhering clearcoat may be "uneven"; probably fine for a rider, so long as that level of patina is OK with you.
Charles Wahl is offline  
Old 06-14-21, 10:23 PM
  #9  
dbhouston 
Full Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 250

Bikes: 2005 Orbea Spirit + 2018 Specialized Diverge + 1974 Raleigh Competition + 1983 Centurion Pro Tour 15

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 82 Post(s)
Liked 211 Times in 93 Posts
Beautiful bikes, and totally deserving of some love. Did you see that era of Specialized MTN bikes getting some retro-love at Unbound Gravel this year? https://www.gravelcyclist.com/bicycl...lized-diverge/

Veterans and experts can pick the right level of aggressiveness and work their way down to a pretty finish. The rest of us need to work our way up, from gentle to more aggressive and then back down, and bikes are harder than cars because the decals are not all equally protected by the clearcoat. I think most vintage bike people in the US seem to be working with Meguiar's products, but your local auto parts store will be happy to show you the safest order of attack. Anything called a "compound" or "polish" should work by gently grinding into the surface of the paint, so work slow and excercise care around decals. Surface treatments like waxes or silicone finishes work by filling in the gaps, and really can work wonders on old paint without the danger of rubbing something away. Good luck with those great looking bikes.
dbhouston is offline  
Likes For dbhouston:
Old 06-15-21, 07:17 AM
  #10  
Mr. 66
Senior Member
 
Mr. 66's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 3,439
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1124 Post(s)
Liked 1,704 Times in 941 Posts
I would wipe it down with windex maybe, I would wipe it down with oil. I go nonabrasive first and work my way to wax, if that's not enough I'll use rubbing compound.

This was in dreary state at the time of acquisition. I did use rubbing compound on the Trek but it left white everywhere the clearcoat chipped, I used motor oil after the rubbing compound. Came out sharp!
Mr. 66 is online now  
Likes For Mr. 66:
Old 06-15-21, 08:05 AM
  #11  
tendency 
Full Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 469
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 236 Post(s)
Liked 170 Times in 104 Posts
Looks like the clear coat is shot. I'd remove what's left and re-clear it if that's the case.

Try using a nice microfiber cloth and a polishing compound like Meguiars Ultimate Polish or Mothers. I wouldnt worry too much about damaging the finish if you polish by hand. It's next to impossible to take off or damage the clear by hand polishing.

Last edited by tendency; 06-15-21 at 08:11 AM.
tendency is offline  
Old 06-15-21, 08:37 AM
  #12  
leftthread
Senior Member
 
leftthread's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Land of Cheese
Posts: 1,162
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 111 Post(s)
Liked 213 Times in 105 Posts
I've been using Meguiar's Ultimate Compound lately. It works really well.
leftthread is offline  
Old 06-15-21, 03:17 PM
  #13  
Wilbur76
Full Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: California
Posts: 213

Bikes: 2020 Lynskey GR300, 1987 Diamondback Ascent, 1991 Skykomish Marble Point, 1994 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, 1996 Specialized Stumpjumper M2 FS, 1992 GT Karakoram

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Liked 226 Times in 84 Posts
Originally Posted by tendency
Looks like the clear coat is shot. I'd remove what's left and re-clear it if that's the case.

Try using a nice microfiber cloth and a polishing compound like Meguiars Ultimate Polish or Mothers. I wouldnt worry too much about damaging the finish if you polish by hand. It's next to impossible to take off or damage the clear by hand polishing.
I’ve been thinking about reapplying clearcoat since it looks like it’s peeling off. If I apply a polish to remove the milky clearcoat, wouldn’t I have to remove the polish so I can apply new clearcoat. Don’t I want to have a clear basecoat surface to apply new clearcoat? I would think the polish will not allow the clearcoat to adhere over it.
Wilbur76 is offline  
Old 06-15-21, 03:20 PM
  #14  
Wilbur76
Full Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: California
Posts: 213

Bikes: 2020 Lynskey GR300, 1987 Diamondback Ascent, 1991 Skykomish Marble Point, 1994 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, 1996 Specialized Stumpjumper M2 FS, 1992 GT Karakoram

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Liked 226 Times in 84 Posts
Originally Posted by Mr. 66
I would wipe it down with windex maybe, I would wipe it down with oil. I go nonabrasive first and work my way to wax, if that's not enough I'll use rubbing compound.

This was in dreary state at the time of acquisition. I did use rubbing compound on the Trek but it left white everywhere the clearcoat chipped, I used motor oil after the rubbing compound. Came out sharp!
I had the same Trek Jetta edition bike when I bought a VW Jetta in the late 90s. I loved that car.
Wilbur76 is offline  
Old 06-15-21, 04:26 PM
  #15  
tendency 
Full Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 469
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 236 Post(s)
Liked 170 Times in 104 Posts
Originally Posted by Wilbur76
I’ve been thinking about reapplying clearcoat since it looks like it’s peeling off. If I apply a polish to remove the milky clearcoat, wouldn’t I have to remove the polish so I can apply new clearcoat. Don’t I want to have a clear basecoat surface to apply new clearcoat? I would think the polish will not allow the clearcoat to adhere over it.
It's hard for me to say w/out seeing the bike in person. You'll first need to either remove what's left of the existing clearcoat (which can be done by gentle sanding or using a clear coat removing chemical) or try to repair the clear coat if most of it is still good. That would involve sanding off any damaged sections of the existing clear then blending those sections in using sandpaper (wet sand) with the existing good clear. You can then re-apply a good 2K clear or, at minimum, 1K clear. You can spray clear over clear as long as the underlying clear has been cleaned.

As for removing polish just give the bike a good wash with warm soapy water then a good rinse. Allow to air dry in the sun or (while wearing gloves) wipe down with clean microfiber.
tendency is offline  
Likes For tendency:
Old 06-15-21, 04:51 PM
  #16  
Wilbur76
Full Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: California
Posts: 213

Bikes: 2020 Lynskey GR300, 1987 Diamondback Ascent, 1991 Skykomish Marble Point, 1994 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, 1996 Specialized Stumpjumper M2 FS, 1992 GT Karakoram

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Liked 226 Times in 84 Posts
Originally Posted by dbhouston
Beautiful bikes, and totally deserving of some love. Did you see that era of Specialized MTN bikes getting some retro-love at Unbound Gravel this year? https://www.gravelcyclist.com/bicycl...lized-diverge/.
I did see it. Also saw the Gravelcyclist picked up an 89 Rockcombo in Florida with plans to bring it back to full retro.

All this reminded me to get off my ass and start working on the Stumpy and RH I had sitting in my yard.
Wilbur76 is offline  
Likes For Wilbur76:
Old 06-18-21, 09:32 AM
  #17  
Deepcherry
Off grid off road
 
Deepcherry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Spain
Posts: 198

Bikes: Corratec Xvert, Peugeot Origin 30, GT Outpost, Kona Cinder Cone ‘93 Specialized StumpJumper, Ritchey mtb

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Liked 123 Times in 72 Posts
The finest cutting compound I have used is Tamiya Polishing 'Compound', it is a liquid paste cutting compound designed for plastic scale model polishing. Absolutely incredible stuff, and much more delicate than the automotive alternative. It comes in three grades.



Should be available in your local hobby shop or eBay.

Last edited by Deepcherry; 06-18-21 at 09:36 AM.
Deepcherry is offline  
Likes For Deepcherry:
Old 06-19-21, 02:34 PM
  #18  
capnjonny 
Senior Member
 
capnjonny's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Saratoga calif.
Posts: 1,047

Bikes: Miyata 610(66cm), GT Vantara Hybrid (64cm), Nishiki International (64cm), Peugeot rat rod (62 cm), Trek 800 Burning Man helicopter bike, Bob Jackson frame (to be restored?) plus a never ending stream of neglected waifs from the Bike exchange.

Mentioned: 28 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 339 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 623 Times in 225 Posts
I have spruced up quite a few bikes with faded paint. Here is what I do

strip everything off frame and fork
wipe everything with paint thinner or wd 40 to remove the heavy grease.
Wash with simple green and rinse well, making sure you have cleaned off ALL the grease and dirt
Rub out with 3m white polishing compound. this will remove embedded grease , light scratches, other contaminants like tar or latex paint.
clean with alcohol wearing rubber gloves to keep finger print oil off bike
set up frame for painting. I do a rotisserie with a dowel sttached to a table and the seat tube pushed onto the dowel
wipe down with tack cloth to remove any hair/ dust on metal
Spray frame with Rustoleum Automotive clear , using paint can warmed under hot water . Paint on warm day
As you spray - chain stays first, then seat stay, down tube, top tube, and lastly head tube, rotate the frame on the spit so it never stays in the same position
This will help keep the paint from running.
For best results paint in shade on warm/ hot day using full can of paint that is shaken 1 minute and warmed under water.

working on cold day with cold frame makes paint run much easies. using almost empty can also seems to increase runs. possibly the paint is thinner then.

Do not spray automotive clear on any paint that is not thoroughly cured, as in a few months old at least.

You will be surprised just how much better the paint will look after this treatment.
capnjonny is offline  
Likes For capnjonny:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.