painting

barr toy

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Hi Barry here. Question I live in Atlanta ga. and I am building a tracker. Trouble is I can not find anyone who will paint the bike. I just want the tank and omars filber seat painted. One color base coat clear coat. Nine out of ten shop say NO WAY. The one that will wants $1,500.00 $700.00 up front. Will take about 30 days to do it.. I was hope to spend some wears between $300.00 to $500.00. Does anyone know of a shop in Atlanta that paints bikes? Thanks
 
Hey Barry, this is not just a Georgia problem. I live in Phoenix and looked and looked for a shop willing to paint my bike in the the original factory style. Automotive painters don't want to touch motorcycles and painters that specialize in motorcycles all want to do crazy airbrush paint jobs with skulls everywhere and naked women with eagles flying out of their butts and they want to charge you thousands of dollars for the privilege of displaying their crappy paint job! It's a gas tank and two little side covers for Gods sake!
 
Indeed - what's the big deal?

I was coming out of a store the other day and a guy was looking at Lucille's stock (but worn) paint job. He asked me if I liked it and when I said "yup, but I will likely do some work on her sometime", he went all gaga on me. He waxed eloquent about the $5400 (holy sh!t) paint job on his hog and recommended that I call his buddy who could do "awesome / killer / f@ckin' incredible" skulls, demons, flames, knives, devils, etc etc.

NOT A CHANCE buddy - not even the remotest chance.

She may not be the prettiest XS650 around, but she is mine and I think she looks great for a 41 year old bike that sat covered in hay and cow shit for many years. Even if I had that kind of money to blow, I sure wouldn't spend it on the sort of visual cats breakfast he was talking up.

Oh well, to each his own I guess.
 
Hey Barry, this is not just a Georgia problem. I live in Phoenix and looked and looked for a shop willing to paint my bike in the the original factory style. Automotive painters don't want to touch motorcycles and painters that specialize in motorcycles all want to do crazy airbrush paint jobs with skulls everywhere and naked women with eagles flying out of their butts and they want to charge you thousands of dollars for the privilege of displaying their crappy paint job! It's a gas tank and two little side covers for Gods sake!
paint
Indeed - what's the big deal?

I was coming out of a store the other day and a guy was looking at Lucille's stock (but worn) paint job. He asked me if I liked it and when I said "yup, but I will likely do some work on her sometime", he went all gaga on me. He waxed eloquent about the $5400 (holy sh!t) paint job on his hog and recommended that I call his buddy who could do "awesome / killer / f@ckin' incredible" skulls, demons, flames, knives, devils, etc etc.

NOT A CHANCE buddy - not even the remotest chance.

She may not be the prettiest XS650 around, but she is mine and I think she looks great for a 41 year old bike that sat covered in hay and cow shit for many years. Even if I had that kind of money to blow, I sure wouldn't spend it on the sort of visual cats breakfast he was talking up.

Oh well, to each his own I guess.
Hi the question is why?. The time that it would takes to paint a tank and some side covers Is about the time someone take for lunch. That would be a quick couple of hundred dollars. So I guest your wright to each his own.
 
Why, Barry? Because as in most big cities, Atlanta body shops get enough high dollar insurance jobs that they can cherry pick. You need to look closer to home. Did you like the paint job on my tank? I did the prep and primer, local body shop did the color, stripe, and clear for $115. There's a local guy who'll prep and shoot a tank and side covers in solid base and clear coat for around $150. He does great work, but you won't find him or guys like him in the yellow pages. He has a day job, paints part time and gets all the business he wants by word of mouth. Talk to John and Marty, ask around, you'll find a painter who's reasonable.
 
Go mingle around some of the car or bike guys on their weekly stops, or Cruise Nights or whatever they call them. Wealth of knowledge with those guys, and I'm sure you would get a handful of names of people that would take a side job.
 
Thanks for the help. But you see I am gun shy. Years ago had a great neighborhood guy build a engine for truck. BAD idel I was hoping to find a mom and pop body shop. I live in Decatur Hell let me in the paint booth for a hour. And I will pay booth time. Please keep a ear open everyone. If you heard of anyone. Thanks
 
Set the dial on your wayback machine to 1962, and:

EarlScheib1962.jpg

Remember to ask for leaded paint:

LeadPaint1930.jpg
 
Haha, my dad had a pickup truck painted by Earl Scheib back in the sixties, they painted everything but the windows! Tires had overspray on them , door handles , exhaust, leaf springs, all the trim moulding. I'm sure all they did was give it a pressure wash before painting it. It was pretty hilarious! Although I'm sure my dad didn't think so.
 
Mom had her Corvair painted by them. They didn't have the time to bake it, so they told her to just park it out in the Texas sun.

The next day her gloss turquoise turned into a very strange wrinkle paint...
 
I looked and looked for a place that would paint my tank and side covers and was having no luck. Mentioned my dilemma to a guy that owns a local, independent cycle repair shop and one of his customers told him about a place that did his bike. I checked it out. Turns out the painter is just a couple miles from my house! They did an absolutely fabulous job, including flawless bodywork, pin striping and "650" on the side covers (custom made stickers...he has a sticker guy). $425.00!

I guess what I'm saying is, check with your local, independent, cycle shop/mechanic. They may be able to hook you up.

John
 
I looked and looked for a place that would paint my tank and side covers and was having no luck. Mentioned my dilemma to a guy that owns a local, independent cycle repair shop and one of his customers told him about a place that did his bike. I checked it out. Turns out the painter is just a couple miles from my house! They did an absolutely fabulous job, including flawless bodywork, pin striping and "650" on the side covers (custom made stickers...he has a sticker guy). $425.00!

I guess what I'm saying is, check with your local, independent, cycle shop/mechanic. They may be able to hook you up.

John
How about some pics of that paint job!
 
Hi Barry here. Question I live in Atlanta ga. and I am building a tracker. Trouble is I can not find anyone who will paint the bike. I just want the tank and omars filber seat painted. One color base coat clear coat. Nine out of ten shop say NO WAY. The one that will wants $1,500.00 $700.00 up front. Will take about 30 days to do it.. I was hope to spend some wears between $300.00 to $500.00. Does anyone know of a shop in Atlanta that paints bikes? Thanks

Try posting a want ad on the local Craig sList under motorcycles....(if you haven't found anyone yet)
 
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