Restoring a KZ900 to a different color?

DK900 wrote:

PaintWorkz wrote: If you are going to sell it, original color paint will add to it's value for sure.

That 76 Brown Tri-coat color is not that difficult to spray, I sell it to a lot of amateurs and they have good results.

Thanks.
Your web site says...
"Urethane Basecoat and Topcoat colors in pints cans of unreduced paint along with one ounce of Midcoat Flake powder.
1976 Kawasaki KZ Brown Urethane "

Does that mean everything I would need is included except the clearcoat?

No.....you would also need reducer and a Basecoat clear for the dry Midcoat flake. PM me and I can reply with the instructions which details everything. Or just look on eBay, I have all the 75 and 76 colors listed with all the instructions added in the descriptions. I do not offer single stage colors since a metallic car color is a poor match for a Kawasaki Candy color.

PaintWorkz wrote: PM me and I can reply with the instructions which details everything.

PM sent

I found some instructions on eBay. Does this sound like what I need to do for the Diamond Brown?

I need to buy:
PPG DPLF (What color?)
DP401LF Epoxy Primer Catalyst or DP402LF Epoxy Primer Catalyst to mix with DPLF. Which one?

PPG K38 PRIMER
K201 Primer Surfacer Catalyst, Hardner for the K38

PPG DT reducer for the supplied paint.

DBC 500 clear
DT870 reducer for the DBC 500.
The instructions say The colors blenders are not intended for a durable top coat clear and must be must be clear coated for exterior use”. So I need some other kind of clear for final clear?

I don’t see most of this stuff offered in small quantities? Looks like this could get pretty expensive.

1. Shoot PPG DPLF
2. Shoot Urethane Primer (PPG K38) and sand
3. Shoot PPG DPLF again

4. Mix one part supplied paint (Purple Base Coat) with one part PPG DT reducer, apply. (I have never done this so I have no idea what “to suit shop conditions. Adjust reducer percentage to suit your spraying style if necessary” means.

5. shoot the purple base coat. Probably two coats color should provide adequate hiding. allow 10 minutes between coats.

6. Mix silver flake with one pint of un-catalyzed, reduced DBC500 clear. Allow to dry 10 minutes between coats.

7. Shoot the Candy Yellow. Three or four coats should get the Gold dark enough. Use medium coats and allow to set up 10 minutes between coats to eliminate any sags or runs.

8. Follow with two medium coats of uncatalyzed clear on tank, side covers, and tail section. Allow to dry for two days before applying stripes.

That's an ambitious project for a first time painter. Lots of different materials needed which will cost some bucks.

I'm no cheapskate but I moved to Transtar Epoxy primer after my PPG DP was all used up. The DP is illegal in my area anyway. I used Kustom Shop primer/surfacer too (the catalyzed stuff) which is fine. You only need a small bit of that stuff (hopefully) so no need to go back over it with the epoxy.

Regarding spraying the color, steps 4-8, I've never heard of spraying uncatalyzed clear. How is it going to harden? Basecoats are not catalyzed so I get that part, but step 8 seems just plain wrong to me.

It may be wrong; that’s what I was wondering about. Those are my interpretations of some instructions I found in an eBay ad and just wondered if I'm way off base.

DK900 wrote: It may be wrong; that’s what I was wondering about. Those are my interpretations of some instructions I found in an eBay ad and just wondered if I'm way off base.

Please don't take instructions from ebay unless you can validate the source. Most paint suppliers will have instructions on how to lay down base coats, including the tri color and candy varieties. That would be a MUCH better source of information.

On my last couple projects I used House of Kolor paint. Good stuff, and cheaper than PPG. www.houseofkolor.com/products/kolors/

That sounds like my eBay listing instructions you read. To answer a few of your questions....shop conditions for picking a reducer are mainly the air temp....so a PPG DT870 would be for 70 degree shop temp, or DT860 for a faster dying. I use PPG Shopline products to save a lot of money over the regular PPG products. They have an epoxy primer to use in place of the DPLF and you can skip the K38 primer step since you are not doing a show job. Any color primer will work for the purple base.

Okay, I have my plastic parts and tank stripped. I have no damage or scratches to repair. I’m still not sure what I’ll be using as far as paint or color, but I need to get something on the raw steel tank.

Is there a primer that I could use on both the plastic and steel tank, for now, regardless of what I decide on paint?

Do the plastic parts need to have an adhesion promoter or something before primer?

PPG Shopline epoxy primer will work on steel and plastic. No adhesion promoter needed on plastic parts.

PaintWorkz wrote: PPG Shopline epoxy primer will work on steel and plastic. No adhesion promoter needed on plastic parts.

I can’t find much PPG on-line to order; House of Kolor is everywhere. Would this work?
House of Kolor QUART KIT BLACK Color KD3001 DTS
www.walmart.com/ip/House-of-Kolor-QUART-...-w-Hardener/39130554

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationNo eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configuration

DK900 wrote:

PaintWorkz wrote: PPG Shopline epoxy primer will work on steel and plastic. No adhesion promoter needed on plastic parts.

I can’t find much PPG on-line to order; House of Kolor is everywhere. Would this work?
House of Kolor QUART KIT BLACK Color KD3001 DTS
www.walmart.com/ip/House-of-Kolor-QUART-...-w-Hardener/39130554

I've never used that House of Kolar DTS stuff. It's higher build I think than a pure epoxy primer.
As mentioned earlier, I'm using Transtar epoxy primer and it's good stuff. A quart kit will do your whole bike and more. Stick well to plastic or steel. Available on ebay for good prices.