Author Topic: A10 polychromatic beige paint  (Read 2658 times)

Offline rajclassicbiker

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A10 polychromatic beige paint
« on: 24.05. 2019 21:35 »
Hi , I wonder if anyone can help advise me how to go about getting the correct colour for my 53 plunger A10 .  I want to keep the original colour - can I get the frame powder coated in the correct and matching colour ?  Having just about sorted all the mechanical/ electrical issues the bike goes well and I was hoping to ride it around with a view to a winter strip for painting - does anyone know where I can get some reasonably priced touch up to tide me over ?   

Offline BSA_54A10

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #1 on: 25.05. 2019 04:44 »
You can not match the polly chromatic  finish in powder coat.
There is a close finish in Dulux Acran isocyanate 2 pack but that is a professional only paint.
The deep greenish tinge comes from the black base coat showing through the top beige coats.
The flat beige is over white or yellow.
The finish is quite hard to do and expensive which is one reason why BSA changed from the lusterious beige to a flat beige then on to all sorts of colours.
It is exactly the same as spraying a metallic
Bike Beesa
Trevor

Offline rajclassicbiker

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #2 on: 25.05. 2019 08:13 »
Hi Trevor, Thanks for the reply which is kind of what I thought - difficult and expensive !

Offline BSA_54A10

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #3 on: 26.05. 2019 09:26 »
Nope.
use the std poxy green rubbing coat to get the tank smooth
Then 1 or 2 coats of black.
After that a beige lacquer which you just keep putting more coats on till you are happy with the finish.
No matter what colour it ends up 75% of the people you see will tell you and every one else withing 50 meters how wrong your colour is.
Polly Palmer at Brit Tie in Wales used to sell a fairly close match if you sprayed over a black undercoat but they can no longer post.
Get a touch up spray gun because they have a small fan & it is hard to overspray with one and do it yourself.
It is not hard and a small gun will run off a small compressor.
The HVLP type of guns are the best to use
Bike Beesa
Trevor

Offline rajclassicbiker

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #4 on: 26.05. 2019 10:02 »
Many thanks for the advice - I am planning on a winter strip down so it is good to plan ahead .

Offline Swarfcut

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #5 on: 26.05. 2019 13:44 »
Raj If you have any original painted parts to compare the colour, that's fine. If not a trip to your local Supermarket Car Park will give you literally hundreds of poly golds to choose. When you are happy with a particular colour take the details of the car make and model or your original painted part to your local bodyshop, or Auto Paint Supplier. They have colour swatches available so you can chose the precise colour.  Then you can get them to mix for you.

   You will never replicate the true factory colour, in fact the colour shade in production was rumoured to change by the day as successive differing batches were added to the paint storage vessels. Polycolours of this early type were in the hands of the sprayers, and because the final shade depended on the opacity of the top coat, two different sprayers would produce two different shades, depending on how heavy they were laying it on.

 In the early 1970's the nearest off the shelf colours we used were Ford Saturn or Amber Gold, very popular on MK2 Cortina's and early Capri's and so easily available then....

 Once happy with the colour, the paint type choice is down to good old homespray cellulose, if available, or professionally applied  Poisonous Two Pack.  It all depends how much you want to spend. There is a lot to be said for plain black. Rattle cans, either stock colour or custom filled acrylic will be expensive and getting a perfect finish all over with a can is difficult.

 Swarfy.

Offline worntorn

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #6 on: 26.05. 2019 14:16 »
One of the many problems I've encountered when painting bike parts, especially fuel tanks , is finding a fuel resistant clear coat.
It's frustrating to put all the work into the job then see it damaged by a fuel spill, which eventually happens.

Glen

Offline RDfella

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #7 on: 26.05. 2019 16:19 »
As Swarfy - and the Stones - said, paint it black. No worries then - although there are shades of black these days, believe it or not.
'49 B31, '49 M21, '53 DOT, '58 Flash, '62 Flash special, '00 Firestorm, Weslake sprint bike.

Offline Greybeard

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #8 on: 26.05. 2019 17:44 »
My bike was professionally done in two-pack black. It seems to be very durable. Petrol and UK white spirit don't touch it.
Greybeard (Neil)
2023 Gold Star
Supporter of THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN'S RIDE https://www.gentlemansride.com

Warwickshire UK


A Distinguished Gentleman Riding his 1955 Plunger Golden Flash

Offline rajclassicbiker

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #9 on: 26.05. 2019 17:55 »
HI , Many thanks for all the advice . It has occurred  to me to paint it in a nice black ( easy etc. ) and I have seen one done and it looked great . Then I look at mine and think ... it does look good in beige ! I well remember the 1970s and the colours especially the cortinas ( I was driving a Mk2 GT in green - wish that it had'nt rusted to nothing !) . I was thinking the gold 1600E cortina was close in colour . By the way I need a bottom fork leg if anyone has one or knows where I can source one  - not urgent but I want to change the right hand one before painting as it has a repair .

Offline RDfella

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #10 on: 26.05. 2019 18:24 »
How about black frame and rest of tinware beige? That's how I did my GF. I think the contrast sets the beige off better, but that's only my opinion.
'49 B31, '49 M21, '53 DOT, '58 Flash, '62 Flash special, '00 Firestorm, Weslake sprint bike.

Offline rajclassicbiker

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #11 on: 26.05. 2019 18:54 »
Thanks RD - not a bad idea . I saw a green A7 , recently , and this was done with a black frame and it looked good .

Offline Swarfcut

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #12 on: 26.05. 2019 19:24 »
Raj.. If you had a MK2 Cortina GT back in the day,  (flash B*s*a*d) you know that's  the colour we went for..   the rather nice 1600E Gold.  You mention the rust, they were rusting as they were built, (unpainted shells stored out in the rain), Classic Mini bodies for example at Pressed Steel Fisher (now the Jaguar Plant) at Castle Bromwich, Birmingham. Yet folks wondered why they rusted. Simple answer!! Rusting to start with and the rust sealed under that lovely black underseal. No cavity wax, and water traps in the design.

 With increasing wage demands in the 1970's all manufacturers economised on the vehicle production cost, particularly paint. What used to be a four or 5 part finish became a flash of primer and a top coat. My MK 1 Capri had the thinnest paint ever, metallic blue, and  was sold on before it folded completely....now look what the survivors fetch. I bought a Triumph GT6.....even worse for rust, let it go for peanuts. With the Oil Crisis it was hard to move on....we all thought the End of the World was coming.

  Can't believe the prices people are prepared pay for those clankers these days. Especially as the labour relations were bad and quality control was a swear word.

 Swarfy.

Sorry to drift off topic, thought it was 1976.......

Offline RDfella

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #13 on: 26.05. 2019 20:15 »
Swarfy - the benefit of hindsight. 20/20 vision. Had a Riley Pathfinder back around '67 - got so fed up with niggling breakdowns that I sent it to the dump. Around the same time or a couple of years later I pondered buying an AC Cobra (owned by a well-known racing driver) for a grand. Figured it wasn't really suitable for everyday driving (road registered but full race trim) so didn't bother. What's a genuine original Cobra worth now? Bought a MK2 Jag instead. Swapped that for a MK 11 GT Cortina (alpine green) when I got tired of the Jag's thirst. And yes, did they rust.
'49 B31, '49 M21, '53 DOT, '58 Flash, '62 Flash special, '00 Firestorm, Weslake sprint bike.

Offline rajclassicbiker

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Re: A10 polychromatic beige paint
« Reply #14 on: 26.05. 2019 21:29 »
Thanks for the memories !! My mk11 GT Cortina was alpine green as well - reg. no. LBE 777F . Funny how I can remember regs. from back then but could'nt tell you my modern box's number is ! The biggest miss I had was an e type DHC . I got it going for the owner ( in my own time as I worked for a garage) and he offered me the car for £300 - I was 17 and decided I could'nt stretch to the high insurance ... Well that is right off the subject now so to finish with I am pleased to say I finished rebuilding my RE Cont. Gt  , today and it turns out to be the earliest known survivor - it is as uncomfortable as it looks and my bones much prefer the A10 .