Painting the "Slug"

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mcgovern61

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Location
Kingsport, Tennessee
My Bike Models
Former '82 GL1100 "The Slug"
Prepping my '82 for sale this spring. I have wanted to get her fully painted for quite a few years. I have performed a rattle can paint job to hold me over in the past, but not a strip, sand, prime, color and clear paint job. I have replica OEM decals and all OEM NOS emblems and want to get her looking as new as possible before selling.

The "Slug" does not have her original shelter or side covers. The shelter was really rusty and one side cover had a broken pin when I got her.

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Purchased a wrecked '81 for all the goodies including the mentioned parts:

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The owner of the '81 listed it as an '81 Standard since it did not have side bags or a faring, but he got it from his brother who actually did the conversion (if you will). His brother sent these photos which show that the '81 started out as an Interstate:

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It had a nice glossy black paint on it, but no decals. During restoration, I added Pep Boys two stripe decals just to have something:

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With time and lots of use, the Hondaline bags started to crack. Lucky for me, in 2015 I had found NOS Hondaline quick release saddle bags and a NOS GL1100 trunk all already painted Cosmos Black Metallic the same as the '82 should have been when delivered.

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My friend Brian in PA had a GL1100 trunk rack that I was able to modify to fit the Hondaline rack:

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The whole ensemble went together nicely:

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Before I got these bags, back in 2008 I had two unfortunate accidents (layed the bike down) caused battery acid to spill on the left side cover and brake fluid spilled on the shelter (tripped and lost the grip on the bottle while filling the front master) which destroyed the paint job on the '81 shelter and cover. I did a quick prep and rattle can paint job on those pieces plus the front fender. Redid the pinstripe and polished the clear. It wasn't perfect, but passed for now:

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In 2017, I polished the paint again, but did not replace the bad striping.

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Even though the new saddle bags were Cosmos Black Metallic, the gloss black covers did not look too bad.

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Now is the time to make it all match as best as I can.
 
1st step in my book is to strip the old paint off. Easy right? I used paint stripper on the front fender and within an hour I was down to the original grey plastic! Used the same stripper on the shelter and, not so fast! First off, the stripper was not penetrating the gloss black. Hmmmm.....

3 applications of stripper later and 2 layers of clear, 2 layers of Duplicolor gloss black, 1 layer of primer and I reached the underlying gloss black from the previous owner. Strip and shove and finally I break through that gloss black (must have been polyurethane paint?) I find a real heavy yellow primer. Under that primer, low and behold, I find WINEBERRY paint!!

Darn, the wrecked '81 Interstate must have been Wineberry in color before he painted it gloss black. Once through the Wineberry is another 2 layers of primer, a yellowish color and a dark grey primer before you get to the original white plastic shelter. Man, that was a lot of paint! I think the shelter lost 6 lbs in the process! :hihihi:

I know, many might be thinking, "why remove all of that paint and primer"? Well, remember the brake fluid spill? It cut all the way down to the primer back in 2008. The shelter was rippled and not smooth. I also found that the '81 owner filled in the shelter top hatch where the Goldwing Emblem belongs with Bondo. Heat gun and a chisel and the Bondo is gone!
 
Time to start the side covers:

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Emblems off. The left cover will not give up her striping. The paint on this one is the same paint that was on the shelter (tough as nails).

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(NOTE TO SELF..........When using this paint stripper, do not use on ABS plastic....) :head bang: :shock: :oops:

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ABS plastic tends to melt when you use paint stripper. Lesson learned. :oops: :crying:

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No fear. It is sanding smooth again. Just more work.
 
Found the original rear fender stored in the shed. This is going to be my test piece to get the painting right. I have another fender on the bike so this should work good as a test.

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Quite a bit of paint, primer and Bondo came off everything;

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[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=215828#p215828:i42ointb said:
pidjones » Thu Feb 20, 2020 6:28 am[/url]":i42ointb]
What are your plans for striping?
I have already purchased replica OEM decals for an '82 1100 (3 years ago). They are vinyl decals.
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=215831#p215831:356ir6hn said:
Dusterdude » Thu Feb 20, 2020 8:18 am[/url]":356ir6hn]
Where did you find them?

I bought them from Diablo Cycle back in 2016. They are quality decals. At the moment, their website is not showing the Honda decals, but if you contact them, I am sure they can still make them (They already have the templates).

https://www.diablocycle.com/Recently-Ad ... -Graphics/

Here is another site that has them, but they cost a bit more:

https://kz900.com/decals/decals-honda-go ... 84.html#81
 
320 grit tonight and Bondo on low spots and holes. No pics because you cannot see the difference. Next step is sand the Bondo flat, 400 grit to smooth, clean everything with soap and water, then adhesion promoter on the ABS and plastic parts and etching primer on the metal.

After the adhesion promoter tacks up, 2 light coats of primer filler. Wait to dry and then a 400 grit wet sand. If all looks good, clean, tack off and then 2 light coats of primer. 600 grit wet sand, clean, tack off and then primer sealer. Once dry, I'll be ready for the 3-4 color coats and 2 coats of 2K clear. Once cured, then I can add the vinyl decals.

Once the decals are applied, 600 grit wet sand and a light coat of clear on the decals. Once it tacks up, then 2-3 more coats of 2K clear. Wish me luck, this is a bit of a process in my small workspace!
 
Looking good, excellent project for the colder season. When you mention adhesion promoter is this the SEM product? I mention this because I just painted the panniers (polypropylene - PP) on my V-Strom. One place here in town had no products to do the job. Down to the local auto supply place and the SEM Adhesion Promoter and SEM Trim Black was recommended. Worked a treat. Final top coat was Eastwood Plastic Resurfacer. Now that I know what to do, thinking a refresh of the plastics on my 1500 is in order.

Keep up the good work.
 
I am using a Rustoleum automotive adhesion promoter specific for plastic and fiberglass. All of the reviews I looked up claim this product works well for getting primer to stick to ABS and fiberglass. It is the same formula that Duplicolor and VHT use, but neither were available locally. One other recommendation is Bulldog adhesion promoter, but after more research, that seems to be more specific for use on plastic bumpers and not ABS plastic.

The 1100 has three different plastics on these parts. The shelter is fiberglass and steel, the front fender is flexible plastic and the side covers are ABS.
 
Bondo finished, sanded smooth:

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Next is a wash and grease remover. I will need to move the Slug outside and blow the dust out of the garage before setting up a makeshift paint booth. Then I can start priming.
 
Makeshift paint booth ready!

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Metal parts first. Cleaned and primed with self etching primer 4 coats:

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Plastic and ABS next. Cleaned, 2 coats adhesion promoter, 4 coats primer filler. Also 3 coats primer filler on the metal parts:

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Nest step is wet sand with 400 to get rid of spots and smooth out the surfaces. Bondo needs a bit more sanding. Then onto the next coats of primer. The shelter will be done later.
 
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