can you paint plastic tank...to last? or cover it with leather?

**oldskool83** · 07-25-2007, 09:08 AM

i am just wondering if you can paint a plastic tank to last? i wanted a white plastic IMS gas tank but couldnt aford to drop $225 on one...so after a week i finaly scored a red used IMS gas tank for almost nothing.

i am sure its gonna look ok, i saw pics of it on a 200x that i got it from but i was wondering if painting will cause it to chip off since the plastic breaths.

if this wont hold up does anyone make leather tank covers? i saw a guy on here with a 86 T3 with a blue tank and i think it was a cover but it looked so good it didnt look like a cover?

**ScottZJ** · 07-25-2007, 09:43 AM

With a plastic tank, they are "breathable". Meaning if you paint them, it will bubble off no matter what type of paint, due to the fuems. What you can do, is coat the inside of the tank sealer (red kote, or kreme). This will keep the fuems from the gas from bubbling the tank up after you paint it. Also clean the tank super good and prep it nicely before painting.

**SYKO** · 07-25-2007, 12:10 PM

I have covered this many times in the past, the plastic on the tanks is polytheylene and like scottzj said its breathable, most paint will either instantly bubble or bubble later, you can however seal it with a water based primer, and then paint it, this will last for a good while as water based paints are impervious to any forms of solvants once dry, but even then the funes will settle below the primer and make it weak, my tank on my R lasted about 8 months before it was scratched up by myself and decided that it looked like crap to I just sanded and buffed my tank back shinny. You can get a cover, or just take your tank to a local automotive upholstery shop and ask them to make a vinyl cover for it.

**ceaserthethird** · 07-25-2007, 12:47 PM

I saw a plastic camo. cover for the tank but can't remember who had it ...

Nice Pointers guys !

**oldskool83** · 07-25-2007, 02:48 PM

there was a leather on on ebay while ago, i think new in the plastic. to nice to use to ride with. my gramother worked in a factory for years, even has the machines yet, maybe i can get her to design a cover....just not sure how to get the honda wing on leather?

**don250r** · 07-25-2007, 04:58 PM

my tank on my 85r was badly oxidized and the previous owner took a grinder to one side of it(wish i had took before pics).
after blocking with 100 grit, i stepped wet sandpaper down all the way to 600(started with 220, then 400, and then 600).
old school body shop trick: paint with cheap black spray in between grits, then sand until you see the black disappear.
then using a power buffer, i buffed for about an hour. looks as good as the factory finish, if not better.
DO NOT waste your money on PlasticRenew on anything you plan to keep.
after 1 day in the rain, it looked worse than when i started.
wet sanding and polishing is laborious and time-consuming, but in the end it's worth it!!

**RedRider_AK** · 07-26-2007, 07:42 PM

You might be able to use some "tank stickers" that have been perforated to allow the tank to breathe.

**rally4x4racer** · 07-26-2007, 10:31 PM

I have a question about this beathing tank - I am working on a BW80 tank and it is supposed to be white. It looks tan in some places and yellow in others. However, behind the stock stickers it is bone white and on the underneath is bone white. the only place is is "tanned" is where the sun hits it on the top sides. because fuel vapor rises? or because the sun?

the stickers on the BW tanks have a metal reverse that may keep the tank from breathing..... maybe I could seal the topside with something and it would breath from underneath - depending on what is used to seal it, I could paint it

has anyone tried fuel impermeable paint?

the water based paint seals it because it has latex? lead?

**SYKO** · 07-26-2007, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by rally4x4racer

has anyone tried fuel impermeable paint?

the water based paint seals it because it has latex? lead?

it seals well, becouse.....its water based.. completely you need to reduce it? then use distilled water, clean up your gun? kitchen sink! easy

as for yellowing, I have no real idea why it changes color
and as for covering, I will be soon experimenting with puting a light coat of fiberglass resin and fiberglas (no more than 2 sheets) over a plastic tank, this of course is going to be a custom job so it really isnt feasable to do it for a daily rag.

and its not really the paint that is failing, its the fact that the holds the fumes wich collect under the surface and form the bubbles, I havnt tried it but i may get some oldschool laqure automotive paint (very hard to find now) and spray a tank with it, since laqure is porous and is never trully dry, it may alow the fumes to escape and not destroy the finish....we'll see

**riverrat** · 07-26-2007, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by oldskool83

i am just wondering if you can paint a plastic tank to last? i wanted a white plastic IMS gas tank but couldnt aford to drop $225 on one...so after a week i finaly scored a red used IMS gas tank for almost nothing.

i am sure its gonna look ok, i saw pics of it on a 200x that i got it from but i was wondering if painting will cause it to chip off since the plastic breaths.

if this wont hold up does anyone make leather tank covers? i saw a guy on here with a 86 T3 with a blue tank and i think it was a cover but it looked so good it didnt look like a cover?

Put a white lace stocking over it, and rob a bank, then you can get your new tank

You could get a sign guy, to make you up some white vinyl graphics, and cover most of the tank. Leave some red sticking out in a design, or something. Was just thinking out loud.

**rally4x4racer** · 07-27-2007, 01:10 AM

yea I was thinking spray a gelcoat on it

you lost me on the water-based syko... im not understanding the applied science

arent there still some spray bomb laquers left? Also, I think hobby shops have laquer - maybe

**SYKO** · 07-27-2007, 08:32 AM

http://www.martinsenour-autopaint.co...ucts/5005.html

maybe that will help ya out

yea there are some spray bombs, but they dont work as well as the real laqure does, and some hobby shops still have it, but you may have to order it through eastwood tools or someplace like that.

gelcoat is brittle and wouldnt last long on a flexable tank, but that just brought me to an idea of mine again, I have a large amount of boat building facilities around me, and I know for a small fee they will use a chopper fiberglas gun and cover whatever you need coverd, and thats industrial strength fiberglas there, but it may go on a bit thick, but I guese it can be sanded down to a smooth finish as well.

**riverrat** · 07-27-2007, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by sykolincoln

gelcoat is brittle and wouldnt last long on a flexable tank, but that just brought me to an idea of mine again, I have a large amount of boat building facilities around me, and I know for a small fee they will use a chopper fiberglas gun and cover whatever you need coverd, and thats industrial strength fiberglas there, but it may go on a bit thick, but I guese it can be sanded down to a smooth finish as well.

I don't thjink chopped glass is a finished product. You would have to sand smooth, then apply mat as a finish. By the time your done, you might has well just spent $225 on a new IMS tank.

**rally4x4racer** · 07-27-2007, 03:15 PM

IMS does not make a tank for the BW80

I believe you can sand out the sprayed glass and then skim some filler over it to fill the pinholes - not sure

I have some CREATEX auto air airbrush paints that are water based.

**riverrat** · 07-27-2007, 10:30 PM

Epoxy paints wouldn't work?

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can you paint plastic tank...to last? or cover it with leather?