Topic: Frame powder coat or paint

[Vintage wheels]

I have recently purchased a early diecast cb 750  10/69 build date. I want to cosmetically restore the bike to close to original as possible. The bike only has 6250 miles on it so I dont think I will need to take the engine apart but I want to take it down to the frame and freshen every thing up. Do I want to powder coat the frame or paint. what are the pro @ cons. Your comments are appreciated.
thanks    vintage wheels

[swellguy]

Powdercoat will outlast paint, no question about that. But you have to strip the frame bare to to do it, If you're doing a partial resto, then paint.

[SanDogDewey]

+1 on powder coating

[Kong]

While powercoating is far more durable than paint its good to remember that there was no such thing in 1969.  That bike is rare, low milabe, and from what you've told us I assume its at least mostly original.  My inclination would be to see if a real good clean up might be enough, but if not my second choice would be to take it back to exactly stock, which for the frame means paint.

[guitarkev66]

I'm restoring a k2 and I was very supprised how well the frame cleaned up with a little elbow grease and patience.  Remeber its only original once!

[flopshot]

a 69 sandcast ?  the last thing i would do is repaint unless it was a victim of some catastrophic damage.   i've seen the value of more than one firearm plummet at the hands of an owner with a desire to "clean it up".   if paint is the only option i would try my best to match the original finish as closely as possible.  may seem weird but there's more than one shade and sheen of black paint.   just my opinion.

[lone*X]

" a 69 sandcast ? "
No, it is a Die Cast, re-read the original posting.  Still a fairly rare bike, but not so much as a Sandcast.

[flopshot]

" a 69 sandcast ? "
No, it is a Die Cast, re-read the original posting.  Still a fairly rare bike, but not so much as a Sandcast.

right...  i get all giddy when i see "1969" and "cast" in the same sentence. 

[lrutt]

can't touch up PC, but you can with paint.
You can do paint yourself, can't do that with PC
you can do all the little parts at your leasure, not so with PC so easily
If corrosion gets under PC you have a real mess as large portions will blister, no so with paint.
PC looks thick and heavy on parts, no so with paint.
PC requires a ton of masking of threaded holes or retapping etc. not so with paint.
Good enamel paint is very tough and has worked for 100 years.

[swellguy]

can't touch up PC, but you can with paint.
You can do paint yourself, can't do that with PC
you can do all the little parts at your leasure, not so with PC so easily
If corrosion gets under PC you have a real mess as large portions will blister, no so with paint.
PC looks thick and heavy on parts, no so with paint.
PC requires a ton of masking of threaded holes or retapping etc. not so with paint.
Good enamel paint is very tough and has worked for 100 years.

You touch up PC, oddly enough, with paint.
You can powdercoat small to medium parts yourself with readily available kits.
If you get corrosion under PC, it's probably from inadequate prep work by the shop.
PC probably does look a bit heavier than paint on smaller parts but it's usually the smaller bits that get handled more and the paint might be more vulnerable to damage.
The "ton of masking" is usually done by the shop and, really, if you're doing a frame, how much masking is there? Probably the same amount if you were going to paint it. Wouldn't you retap holes if you didn't mask them before paint, or would you paint without masking?
Good enamel paint is very tough. Powdercoating is tougher IMHO.

[charlevoix418]

I am working on my frame right now, I don't want to do the big job, just repair rusted spots, mostly over welds.  I found ColorRite, their Canadian distributor is in my area.  The same black color seems to apply to all Honda frames, since the seventies:  NH1Z, perfect match!  I bought the paint Touch Up jar, the primer Touch Up jar and the clear coat Touch Up jar.

Unfortunately, they don't have my bike color (Candy Bachus Olive)...

Raynald

http://www.colorrite.com/matrix-colors.cfm?CFID=3620703&CFTOKEN=81923590

[lone*X]

The original enamel is pretty tough.  Does anyone know what a current equivalent might be?  Most rattle can paints are pretty wimpy compared to the factory enamel on the  frame.

[singedebile]

the paint would have to be really bad to ever think of doing that, call it patina.. its something you cant fake. Clean up the bike and enjoy it, but i would certainly not paint it.

post some pictures too,

[DarcyCB400F]

Kong +1

Vintage Wheels = Vintage leave it alone...
I would clean it up, don't mess with history... don't powder coat, dont' strip and paint!
Clean it up nice, and leave is as stock as possible. No need to start ripping and painting something unless you want to modernize it. JMO...

How about some pics??

[gane]

Vintage, Do yourself a favor, & note your' vin & eng #'s  and bop on over to www.sandcastonly.com.   Unless your' cases are smooth, there's always the chance your' late '69 production date  is a sandcast.  My Title says mine is a 1970, but eng # & frame  are cb75010014xx which makes it  fairly early sandcast. Possibly an unsold '69 which was sold "as a New 1970.  In any case on an "early" bike I prefer paint. & here's why.... 1, if the original "sticker" is present (no matter what condition) It can't be preserved w/ PC'ing. & its a selling point. 2nd if there has ever been any damage/dings done (say a set of hi-way pegs/case savers have creased tubes) unless repair is done w/lead, you can't PC, 3rd, while PC is indeed hardier, most of the damage done to frame paint is done by pulling/installing eng. 4th its not original, and belive me, removing PC is not fun.. Napa carrys a Dupli-color paint, which is "ceramic base", "500 degree" in satin & gloss black.which I've used & has stood the test of time. luck G

[Vintage wheels]

Thanks all for all your imput! After reading all the posts, I will first detail and clean the frame and if required I will paint the frame .  The bike is all original and I  want to be careful not to over restore.        vintage wheels