A question about matching paint

Well, not so much about matching the color as the finish...

I picked up this NOS Mojave tank for my KZ250 project. It's one of his "first quality" tanks and, while not perfect, is very, very nice.


I'm not even crazy about the color, but it seems such a shame to paint a perfectly good tank. Especially one that's been in a crate for the last 30-some years.

I have no doubt that a good paint shop can match the color. My question is about the gloss of the clear coat that will be on the tail piece. It would obviously be much shinier than the tank. (What kind of paint/finish do you think would be on a nearly 40 year old Italian tank, BTW?)

Can the tank be cleared over to make the gloss match? Is there a way to match modern paint to the finish (not color...the gloss or finish) on the tank?

Lastly, what do you think of silver side covers with a white number circle? (The frame will be black)

Paint has changed a lot in quality over the last 30 years. Painting a motorcycle gas tank is nothing really.

If you do not like the color and the tank needs no body work AND you are gonna have to have other pieces repainted, why not get a color you like with a really good quality urethane paint? It is not going to hurt the value.

That's sorta where I'm headed anyway....it's just a nice tank as-is and I was wondering what my options were.

Take the tank to a good painter. They should be able to come up with a matte clear coat that matches the finish. They may need to hold onto the tank for a few days so they can experiment on a scrap piece and compare it to the tank. If they can come up with a good color/finish match for the tail piece the bike may look better in matte than in high gloss as it will seem to match the rest of the bike's competition look. BTW, I still vote for black side covers (as if my vote means doodly squat :laugh: ) In any case, it's going to be an interesting, unique bike when you're finished. Ed

Yup I am also in search of good paint shop
so can i got it right
anyone here know one?

paintworkz.com/index.html

if you want that paint color take tank to paint supplier and they can take a scan of the present color in the present light condition and match it up for ya to a 99% match ..steve

hi Scott,
Raven is right auto/bike paints have changed tremendously over the last 30 years.
primers/tinted primers,basecoats,topcoats,clearcoats numbering from 1to6,8,10+ layers.
and all off the binders,fillers,reducers,and all the other chems that have evoled over the years can get quite complicated.And the bodyman has to wet sand in between each layer of primer ,paint and clear coat.
It can get all to confusing after awhile........and explaines the high cost of getting your tins redone,alot of time and prepwork for good quality.
Thats not to say Im not a fan of shooting a single stage paint or even a rattle-can if the results are good!
It would help to find a good autobody supply store or company in your area,they won't steer you wrong if you explain to them what your trying to get done (it would help to bring the tank with you).
And on the plus side they will have a endless supply of color charts to choose from.
So good luck,enjoy the build.......Tariff