Topic: Honda original paint formula - lacquer or enamel?

[Yamahawk]

I am curious as to what Honda used for their paint, I know they used a base silver and a Candytone Gold, Ruby Red, and Green, but what kind of paint was it? I am thinking it was an acrylic or Nitro lacquer, but since it was late '60s and early '70s, I am not sure exactly what they were using back then. Anyone have an idea?
Charlie

[jlh3rd]

It was a lacquer.

[Yamahawk]

It was a lacquer.

Cool, I figured it was. I have access to some original, unopened cans of the candy gold and ruby red, OEM Honda lacquer. This paint is old, but if it is lacquer, it still should be good. I am thinking of using it to repaint my tank and side covers, and there is Duplicolor candy base silver, which is a lacquer paint also, although modern lacquer. Would it be compatible to paint the Duplicolor silver candy base, and then use the  old OEM Honda Candy Gold or Ruby Red over the silver Duplicolor base? The cans are from 1970, and never been opened, so there is a good chance it is still able to be used, and they are both a lacquer paint.
Charlie

[jlh3rd]

I have a can of candy orange , vintage Honda, that is used as the top coat for my 75 honda 550f. It is still good, and what you have may still be good....But what I understand about paints is that mixing different brands even though they are the same base may...I said may....not work....and it may work beautifully.....so.....
I would take a bare piece of metal, spray the duplicolor , and then your Honda paint as a test piece. See how it comes out...I would not spend all the time, energy and paint on the tank and side covers only to get a wrinkled mess.......that vintage Honda paint is expensive, if you can find it.....
    Also, you do know that there are paint Co. out there that make complete painting kits for vintage Honda colors....it just that it’s not original.....

[jlh3rd]

Curious, what are you painting? Year and bike?....

[Yamahawk]

I have a 1971 CB750K1, and was looking at repainting the blue it now sports on the tank and a few other areas lol... I like the Ruby Red, and the Candy Gold colors, they are my favorite colors for the CB750. If not the Honda paint, I was looking at the Duplicolor Candy red they carry with their silver base coat, followed by a 2k clear.
Charlie

[jlh3rd]

Ruby red and candy gold are two of the stock 750 colors, blue wasn’t one of them...there’s that.....doesn’t matter, it’s whatever a person wants.....
    You mentioned putting a clear coat on , that’s what I thought you’d do....but....as Honda didn’t clear coat back then on their painted parts, I was gonna mention that using vintage Honda colors and then spraying a modern clear over them might be something to test first also......
     I think using paints from the same manufacturer  are you best bet.....

Um, 69 had blue green, is that a 69 tank you have?

[Yamahawk]

You know, I don't believe it is, as the bike was repainted and it has faded from gas leakage on top, and they painted the frame a dark blue also... along with the battery box, swing arm, etc. The one side cover was a K1, the other was missing, and it was blue also. Am thinking they just repainted it to make it presentable, and the fellow liked blue lol. I would really like to repaint the tank and the two side covers I now have that match, the original oil tank cover was broken in multiple places, and I am not going to reuse it. So, I believe the tank is a 1971. The HONDA logo on each side looks to be held on with adhesive, as I can't see any screws that would attach them! Not sure if that is stock either as I thought they would have been attached with small screws. But the logo's are in great shape!
Charlie

[jlh3rd]

I don’t know about the 71 logos on a 750.... I know my 75 550f and badges have two pins on them that are pushed into retainers on a bracket on the tank.....I also know that reproductions are being made that are a stick on, for 550’s and 750’s..
....eh, I was just curious....cause if you had an original 69 tank from a sandcast 750...and still had the original cap and was a” wrinkled” tank ( they called it)... It mighta been worth some money......

[ekpent]

 Well technically there was a 'Polynesian Blue' model of 1971 cb750 made but it was a Japanese model machine and they are very pretty in that color. Most colors ever for the CB750's and the most made in a year was  1971. Gold,green,red,brown and the rare blue.

[Yamahawk]

Cool! Thanks for the info, I think I will give it a paint job with the base silver and candy apple red lacquer from Duplicolor, I can get a quart of each for $15 from O'Reilly's. It lays down fairly well, and you can sand and buff it till it looks really good. No redcoat time, and will look pretty well. Clear coat after paint...
The Honda OEM paint i was looking at was from eBay, 9 cans of candy gold touch up paint in original Honda cans, start bid $39.99... They look like 4 oz cans, so that would have been 36oz of paint in candy gold, original lacquer.
Charlie

[jlh3rd]

Well technically there was a 'Polynesian Blue' model of 1971 cb750 made but it was a Japanese model machine and they are very pretty in that color. Most colors ever for the CB750's and the most made in a year was  1971. Gold,green,red,brown and the rare blue.

Yeah, I only post concerning U.S. import models....

[FuZZie]

This is supposedly the Honda paint suppliers, you can get the original codes and what the layers were.
https://www.scribd.com/document/109901615/Honda-SOHC-Four-Lubritech-Paint-Schedule

[jlh3rd]

Lubritech was the only official licensed Co. by Honda back in the day that was allowed to sell paint for Honda bikes. Lubritech made their own paints.
    Honda paint codes were not a formula as we understand paint codes today. It was just a number to designate color.
     This lubritech document is nice to show how Honda wanted their parts painted. Notice there is no clear coat.
     Lubritech,I believe is out of business as far as paint goes...

[FuZZie]

Yep just a starting point.

[FuZZie]

Not cheap but VMR is probably close as you can get, I've not tried it but I'd like some of the Orange.
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=121610.0