Scorpion Paint Question

[ddub]

I have a question for you scorp guys.

How do YOU handle painting of your sleds?

Do you buy repop hoods when available?

Do you paint yourself?
If so, aerosol/paint gun?

Do you gelcoat as original if fiberglass?

Do you take it to a bodyshop/paint technician?

Just lump it with the best that you can find used?

No wrong answer. Research purposes only. I have been working on a vintage line of snowmobile paints. Just getting going for prime time.

vintagesledpaint.com/

You are seeing it here first. I will be making further announcements elsewhere within a few weeks. Please keep it here for now.

Small group here and just trying to get some feedback since you have larger hurdles than most when it comes to refinishing a hood.

Your hurdles.
Large metalflake and multiple colors.
Polycarbonate/ABS plastic hoods.

I can come up with the metalflake. I have the red in stock at reasonable rates as I purchase it 5 pounds at a time direct from the manufacturer. I can come up with other colors that are reasonably close BUT there has to be a market. I don't really want to sit on a bunch of flake.

Polycarbonate/ABS hoods. They prove to be a bit more of a challenge to paint if necessary. Some say they can't. I say they can ;D



I will be working on simplifying the process for the 1K guy. (aerosol and no hardener in paint). As you can see, painting with hardener is possible.

Obviously black is something that isn't an issue to come up with! So I am not even going there, I want the challenging colors!

But how do you guys handle your refinishing needs if you will take the time to post.

I am wondering how far to take color development for you Scorpion guys.

I don't think metalflake will ever be a aerosol operation for what it is worth.
But I am going to try it!

Metal flake will always be a multistep process.

The early colors, buckskin/green/red will be fairly easy, but not that big of a market.

Thanks for your input.

[pararailer]

On one of the chassis I sandblasted and repainted, I used a basic primer and used a epoxy enamel refrigerater gloss black aerosol. This worked very well. It made a very durable coat that is fuel resistant. The bad thing was it is had very very strong fumes. I made a small poly paint booth in my garage and even with a resperator that epoxy enamel paint was nasty. The other bad thing was I had to wait a long time between coats.
I brought a 71 red metal flake hood to the body shop to get a cheap clear sprayed over the original finish. It only cost me 50 bucks and turned out AWESOME! That clear covered scratches and fading supriseingly well. I did not take the time to wet sand it though and it does have some orange peel but not to bad.
The next metalflake 71 hood I did I tried to rattle can clear coat it. big mistake! It looked fantastic for about a month, then all the clear started to flake and peel. Now I dont know how to get that off of it to fix it. Luckily I have another hood for that machine. It has been repainted at one time and is kind of interesting, they must have sprayed it with a candy apple red translucent type of paint. It looks pretty good but has gotten a little beat up since then.
I have also mixed glitter with wifes large selection of red fingernail polish and epoxy resin to fix cracks in a hood. This seems to work ok but really only on small cracks.
I have purchased two repop red metal flake hoods from Jack Palokangas and these things are freakin amazing, worth every penny from the looks and comments I get.
I know a guy who had a 71 super hood "repainted " to red metalflake. It turned out good and some guys thought it was a repop but the guy reluctantly told me he had about 800 bucks into the thing. Wow!! Could have got two repops for that price!
I took a hood to the body shop to have sprayed with a hi build epoxy primer once. That stuff works good. It made a really thick 1/8th inch coat that was easy to sand out myself. When I finished sanding, I brought it back to the body shop for a Gloss black. This hood is on a 71 super I have posted pics of.
Real thin coats of black plastic specific paint works good on engine cowls and headlight pods.
Also, black vinyl upolstery spray paint works suprisingly well on seats. I even painted a blue seat black and it looks great.
One more thing, I used a flexable two part epoxy body filler on a hood I did, that stuff worked good to. I couldnt believe how fast it dried and was able to be resanded / recoated.
Crazy how much time, money and late night in the garage over the years. It all pays off with the dozen or so trophys and plaques I have earned! Sometimes though, when restoring multiple sleds every summer, ( I usually build em in the summer- gotta ride in the winter) I just cant be so picky on every one. (wouldnt get em all done)
LONG LIVE SCORPION!!!!!
Pararailer

[ddub]

Pararailer,
so it looks like you vary on your procedure and probably have more resources than many at your disposal.

The next metalflake 71 hood I did I tried to rattle can clear coat it. big mistake! It looked fantastic for about a month, then all the clear started to flake and peel.

First I'd use a high power pressure washer. You'd be surprised what they will take off. If that doesn't work, then you might want to try some oven cleaner in a small area, that might take the clear off without harming the original gel coat. If that doesn't work, than I'd try the fiberglass paint stripper. It may "damage" the original gelcoat slightly but it doesn't sound like you have much to loose. I think the pressure washer will do the job.

The bad thing was it is had very very strong fumes.

All paint is bad for you. Please use some ventilation.

It also sounds like you have the capability to use all 2K products. Why do you choose to use aerosol? Again, no wrong answer, just research.

I have purchased two repop red metal flake hoods from Jack Palokangas and these things are freakin amazing, worth every penny from the looks and comments I get

If a repop hood is available, they will always be the CHEAPEST route to go especially if you put a value on your labor at all. It's not hard to get $200 in materials involved in a hood repair without custom paint. Also the repairs add weight. Not that skipping a couple Big Mac's wouldn't be a better way for me and my sled to loose the weight! But really, there isn't a large percentage of hoods available as a repop.

[admin]

ddub, I would like to help but I've never sprayed anything with a paint gun.

Now, spray cans, I have used.

[ddub]

Admin,
That is exactly the info I am looking for.

I will be custom filling aerosols.

[pararailer]

ddub, you must be the guy who has the stock of metalflake. I am very excited to see what you come up with. definatley keep us guys posted. We can keep a secret!
Thanks for the advice on my hood. A power washer is a good idea.
I also wanted to tell you about my buddys purple artic cat hood. His body man friend painted this thing metal flake and I am totally blown away at how good it looks. It can be done. man do they have some time into it though!
Go for it! I will spread the word for ya down here in the twin cities, remember, vikings have metal flake and there are quite a few of those goofy things around too!
Pararailer

[ddub]

Yes flake can be done. I did this one.



My goal is to find a recipe that the average Joe has a hope to succeed with.

It will require a ground color as this shows through where there is not flake and of course the flake. On the Silver one I used a light grey color first and then the flake. A darker gray would have made the color darker. You will never have "full coverage" with the flake.

As for the vikings, I think most of them are repoped. I won't be going there first because of that. Scorps first. I will say again, if a repop is available, that is the way to go. I have a NOS Viking hood that might become Scorpion red just to say I did it. ;D It is severely faded and no one wants it.

I'll be doing a 71 and a 74 Red hood this summer. I'll keep you guys posted.