To paint, or not to paint?

[nachop]

I thought I would share an experience with you fellow members. I have wanted to change the plastic on my quad for some time now so I priced what I would need from Maier. I wanted to go red and white. When all was said and done, I was looking at $503.93 plus $161.25 for a total of $665.18 to replace ALL the plastic in the colors that I wanted. And this was at "close out" prices. Needless to say, I could not justify the expense. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the plastics on it now. Possessing the ability to paint and having all the equipment needed, except a paint booth, I was determined to do it my self and save money. I think you guys already know where this is going. Since I already had the white paint, clear coat, sand paper, and thinner, my material costs were less than starting from scratch. Naturally, the paint that you use is a huge factor in determining cost. Duplicolor makes a ready to spray lacquer base coat, clear coat, and primer for $25 a quart. PPG and Dupont range from $100 to $160 a quart but is mixed 1 to 1, so basically you get 2 quarts after it is thinned. Anyway, I hope I haven't lost anybody yet. My material bill (remember, I had some of it already) came to $80 which included a quart of adhesion promoter which I used in place of a flex agent. Sounds cheap right? But now you have to factor in labor. My quad was in pretty good shape but it still took me approximately 8 hours (2 days, 4 hours per day). Most of the time was for sanding and reassembly. Now obviously you don't pay yourself for doing your own things, but I bid jobs at $45 to $75 per hour. I have already ridden it pretty hard on some rough trails that caused considerable flexing, and the paint job survived. Will it last? Is it worth it? You can decide for yourself. I will update the post regarding durability. I was hoping to include pics, but the site keeps saying it is not a valid image. And yes, it is jpg.

[oldskool83]

you don't paint atv plastics....it's that simple

[nachop]

And what is your logic behind this? Tell that to the companies that are painting many of the newer ATVs/UTVs (and there are many that come with factory paint now) or to the people that don't want to spend upwards of $500 for new plastic. I did it simply because I can and as an experiment.

[Dirtweed]

Look forward to the pics and the results.

I've got some really badly faded KLT160 plastics that I was thinking of sending out
for dipping in Camo since I don't have the set up or know how to paint them.
Don't feel like polishing and the originals are NLA. :-(

[nachop]

I understand. Polishing takes about the same amount of time as painting. Depending on how bad it is. If it is just dull, no scratches or gouges, the time involved is considerably less. Sanding and buffing can make them look new again. It does require patience.

[knappyfeet]

you don't paint atv plastics....it's that simple

I kinda agree. I understand plastics can be one expensive deal but that's part of the game.

Plus I have painted many plastic items in the past and in the long run have never had a durable finish. The only ones were plastic gas tanks in which it was new....sealed with a tank sealer and properly prepared.

[onformula1]

Scroll up to the very top of the page, there is a custom painted Tecate in the picture, from what I hear it has been around for many years, I wonder if he knows some painting tricks?

[86125m]

Well my shrouds and my headlight bucket on my 200x are both painted. However I personally would not paint any plastic piece bigger than that. However if it works and is durable great for you.

[Poco Loco]

Just think of all the plastic painted bumpers on cars. They flex to and the paint stays on. No spray can garbage there. Auto body supply shops have the real deal for painting plastic. And here's the catch, you gotta know what your doing with the products. How to use them.

[oldskool83]

Crash boom bang...then tell me how your painted plastics look. I just use brake fluid and steel wool and strip every painted set of plastics i get. Like these I got for $20...Black before, white after no paint......now nicer then most bikes out there on trails.

painted plastics are for inner city guys riding wheelies for bikes they stole. That simple. Hate me if your a real rider IDK.

[nachop]

painted plastics are for inner city guys riding wheelies for bikes they stole. That simple. Hate me if your a real rider IDK.

Truly amazing. It is good to see you had something useful to offer in this post and yet you have a "lowered Civic".

[knappyfeet]

Just think of all the plastic painted bumpers on cars. They flex to and the paint stays on. No spray can garbage there. Auto body supply shops have the real deal for painting plastic. And here's the catch, you gotta know what your doing with the products. How to use them.

Agreed....however....

plastic bumpers on automobiles are thicker and less prone to mass movement and vibration......all the things motorcycle plastics have to endure. Even with proper plastic adhesion promoters and flex agents in any primer and top coats....it's very difficult to maintain its look for the long haul. Sure if the vehicle is going to be indoors and barely used perhaps. But typical exposure ...not so much.

[nachop]

Even with proper plastic adhesion promoters and flex agents in any primer and top coats....it's very difficult to maintain its look for the long haul. Sure if the vehicle is going to be indoors and barely used perhaps. But typical exposure ...not so much.

Very true. But the difficulty is in whether or not the paint job will handle the flexing of the plastic subjected to off-road use. Maintaining "the look" is no different from anything else painted with automotive grade paint. As stated earlier, most of the ATV/UTV makers are now painting many of their vehicles. But, as Poco Loco said, it is NOT your average Joe paint job with cheap material. Also, many bumpers have cosmetic plastic covers that are much thinner than ATV plastic that have to withstand wind, water, bug/rock impacts, washing, etc. I agree that it is probably not as bad as what most ATVs/UTVs go through, but they still have to be durable. My machines get ridden hard (when I am not riding wheelies on my stolen ATVs through the city). And like I said, I will post updates on how the paint is holding up.

[danbur55]

One thought I have is the chemical makeup differences from the 80's plastics to modern stuff. It seems the older is a little "waxy" compared to newer plastics. Not at all sure but that is an observation after trying to fix some stuff

[knappyfeet]

Just a thought as well....


I really wouldn't sand too much if any and if I did I would probably never go below 400 grit. Keep on mind adhesion promotors act as an etching of the plastic. That's why you have a short window for applying the primer or topcoat. I've always used ppg dpx801. My friend swears by SEM but I don't recall ever using it. I'm a PPG man....you know Ford or Chevy........Honda or Toyota. For me a basic cleaning and 801 and that's it......a better finish. Let us know how its going.

Just had to edit....some will swear and recommend a light sanding. It doubles the adhesion surface i know......but plastic is funny....it is extremely resistant to any finish. And the times I sanded were the times it cracked or flaked or something. Maybe I prepped incorrectly though....idk.

[oldskool83]

Truly amazing. It is good to see you had something useful to offer in this post and yet you have a "lowered Civic".

I see this is a personal attack after i provided an option about painting plastics. $20 in brake fluid and steel wool and you could of had nice plastics even with wire tires holding them together which is not a bad thing.

What does my lowered civic 2" have to do with anything? You think i'm some inner city kid? wait i guess thats why i see a windmil across the street and a nice lifted truck out front also.......

You are the one who spend so much on painted plastics....didn't say anything about your riding style or if this is just a garage or sand dune queen. What kind of responses to you expect?

But hey at the end of the day you hate me and IDK. I simple said paint does not belong on off road toys that simple. I'll report ya now to the mods....

Have a great night sir.

I ride in coal and climb hills and flip my machines...why would i spend $400 in paint do destroy it in 1 lay over....these are not street bikes

[nachop]

painted plastics are for inner city guys riding wheelies for bikes they stole. That simple. Hate me if your a real rider IDK.

No sir, it is not a personal attack but a response to one of your posts. How did your remark above offer anything useful? You have already made it clear that you do not believe in painting plastic. Why was that not sufficient? You could have done so without being insulting. If you go back and read all of the other posts, not one member wrote anything offensive. The "lowered Civic" comment was an immature response on my part in retaliation to the quote above. I don't believe in lowering vehicles. That simple. Yet I am not insulting those who do. What do you mean by IDK? Are you implying "I Don't Know" or I Don't Care"? Either way, I hate nobody. And please report me to the mods and let them judge what was out of line.

[nachop]

I've always used ppg dpx801.

Knappyfeet, I just wanted to confirm something...You do not sand plastic when using the adhesion promoter? I sanded my plastic because of surface damage but I would have sanded it anyway, even if it was in good shape. It would be great to skip this step if not needed.

[Racer-X]

Well I would be a little weary about painting an off road machine that's going to see a lot of rocks, mud, and scuffs but I heard that adhesion promoter for plastics is really good stuff and is really flexible and durable. I painted fairings on a crotch rocket a while back and used that adhesion promoter as a base and it worked great but the difference is those fairings don't ever get stressed , scratched, or dirty. I'm curious to see how it holds up for you. Did you do the underside of the fenders too? Im not sure how long it says it will take to cure but in that situation I would let it sit for more than a week before I even touched it. Make sure that the paint is definitely cured all the way. Post some pics when yo can. I tried to post a few pictures of a project I had now that its finished and I had the same problem you had with 3 different devices. Its gotta be a problem with the site?

[knappyfeet]

Knappyfeet, I just wanted to confirm something...You do not sand plastic when using the adhesion promoter? I sanded my plastic because of surface damage but I would have sanded it anyway, even if it was in good shape. It would be great to skip this step if not needed.

Yes....very often I just clean then go straight to the adhesion promoter. This for a couple of reasons......usually the plastic piece is scuffed up enough to be fine. If it were say...a new Maier piece then I might be tempted to sand but probably with at least 800 grit.

Of course this would not apply to areas that are cracked, gashed, or in general need of stronger sanding and prepping.

[83ATC185]

I just use brake fluid and steel wool and strip every painted set of plastics i get.

Oh if id known this. I spent 10 hours sanding and polishing a set of fenders because someone just had to have a camouflage 185. I probably could've eliminated all that.

Looking forward to the results/ durability testing. I understand this ain't krylon but I've never seen painted plastics hold up for more than 3 rides or 1 crash, whichever comes first.

[nachop]

Thanks for the feedback knappyfeet. Racer-X, I mostly encounter sand and mud where I ride. When I do ride where there are rocks, they are usually too big to kick up. And no, I did not paint the underside. I already have 2 rides on it. First ride was sand dunes. Second was a 4.5 mile trail consisting of sand and hard pack dirt. Lots of turns, whoops, jumps, waterbars, washouts. Rode 8 laps (not consecutive...too out of shape) before I called it a day. So far no visible cracking. Whether or not the paint could handle the flexing was my concern.

[tripledog]

Post #16 had me wondering if this discussion was about spraying paint or huffing paint.

[Dirtweed]

Nachop....any pics of the plastics and the paint job?

[nachop]

Nachop....any pics of the plastics and the paint job?

Yes sir. I have pictures and I tried to post already but cannot. I have taken more at the lowest resolution that I can, but they are still beyond the maximum size limit. I will keep trying.

[nachop]

Finally! I had to include the 250R so it would not get jealous.

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[tripledog]

Looking good there, nachop!

[nachop]

Thanks bro. Time will tell if the paint holds up to the flexing. I will post an update after the next few rides. We will be going to the mountains this week.

[knappyfeet]

Finally! I had to include the 250R so it would not get jealous.

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Let me tell you...your line of off road warriors looks great. And the paint job looks wonderful. You did a fabulous job. I hope it holds up well.

[nachop]

Thanks Knappy. The first two are mine, the TRX250EX is my son's, and the KFX700 is my wife's. We enjoy them very much. And yes, hopefully it will hold up, but if not, no big deal. Not all experiments turn out well.

[nachop]

Update on paint job. Well, my paint job survived up until November of 2017. And it did not fail under normal use. It took my stupid, fat ass falling off a ladder (while getting Christmas decorations down) onto my quad to cause the damage. And for 270 lbs. falling on the left rear fender, the damage was not that bad. Now obviously, the paint did crack, but the fender survived. Needless to say, I was pissed, but I should be grateful that my Honda put itself in harms way to try and break my fall. Isn't that stupid? I was not relieved that I did not get hurt, but I was pissed off that I cracked the paint. Anyway, the paint job, in my case, was a worth while project. As stated previously, I am not gently on my ATVs. The paint job was able to survive everything I put it through. I should include that I do not ride on trails so narrow that branches or thick brush come in contact with the machine, but I do ride in dirt, sand, snow, and rocky mountain trails.

[knappyfeet]

Thank you for the durability report of the paint and good to hear you weren't hurt too bad.

Just to refresh our memory.......did you ever sand the plastic first? Did you use an adhesion promoter? I understand some adhesion promoters on the market today are much more friendly to TPO, PPO, etc style plastics than just ABS.

You still have a nice lineup of toys!

[nachop]

Yes sir. Wet sanded with 600 or 800 grit, followed by adhesion promoter, primer, base coat, and clear coat. When I am out in the shop next, I will post all the material brands.