Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

How do I repaint a swingarm? I need to remove the current paint and then I can spraypaint it with matching silver paint from vmxracing.com.

The person that previously owned my 82 CR80 looks like they sanded it and painted it silver, but the paint doesn't stay on when gas touches it, and it's not even the right silver. I don't really want to sandblast it b/c that's about $125.

Thanks!

The easiest and most durable would be to have it media blasted then powder coated.
If the swingarm is steel, use aluminum oxide. If it is aluminum, use glass beads for media.
A small swingarm is roughly a $40 job. Any higher, look for another blaster. Powder should
cost about $50 to $60.

If you want to save some money, use a spray on paint stripper like TAL to remove the old
paint then use 120 through 320 grit samdpaper to smooth out any imperfections. Scuff the
entire surface with a green scotchbrite pad then wipe down the swingarm with acetone.
Once dry, spray it with a quality engine enamel. You should be able to find a close match
for the color and that paint is resistant to gas and other chemicals.

dogger

_________________
1973 CR250M
1979 CR250R
1993 CR250R
2008 CR500R
2009 CR250R

The real trick to making a rattle can paint job durable is to heat treat the finish. The curing fumes are nasty so you don't want to try this in your oven. The bar-b-que grill will leave a less than ideal smokey brown tint so that's out. I actualy built a solar oven out of a cardboard box lined with aluminum foil inside and a piece of glass for the top. This funky solar oven cranks up to 160-180 degrees on a hot day and makes the painted finish hard, durable, and even gas resistant. I really like Ace hardware's epoxy appliance paint for an original OEM looking gloss black finish. Enjoy! Jon

Thanks for the suggestions!

The swingarm is steel because some there is some surface rust.
So if I want it to look most like original, would it be best to get it blasted with aluminum oxide so it's at the bare metal, then wipe it down with acetone, then spray some kind of primer (??), and then the paint?

Since the swingarm is steel, use aluminum oxide or AO to strip it. That will leave an ideal surface for powder coating
but a little too rough for paint. I would follow the media blast with 220 grit wet sandpaper if you have any scratches,
pitting or gouges you need to smooth then hit it with 320 grit for final finish. Wipe it down with acetone to remove
any residues or oils, let it air dry then spray on a couple of coats of self etching primer. Follow the manufactures
recommendations for drying time then spray a good quality enamel to finish. Jon had a good suggestion about heat
curing. These paints, (engine, exhaust, etc) do become more durable with a couple of heat cycles. I use my powder
coating oven for this purpose but his solar oven sounds intriguing and a lot less expensive.

Like any kind of paint work, prep is 90% of the job and the difference between good and shoddy work.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

dogger

_________________
1973 CR250M
1979 CR250R
1993 CR250R
2008 CR500R
2009 CR250R