I found this photo. This would be close to what I want. Harley tank, but don't know if it's a Harley color.


Black-Cherry paint.jpg

 

Link isn't working. I check back and see if I could send you in the right direction. I'm not trying to turn you off on custom paint. There're alot a good shops out there. Its just the stuff doesn't always hold-up to the real world, thats why its show paint.

PPG paint has a custom line too like House of color, which are two good paint companies but it takes alot of experience to do repairs to match the stuff. Even Harley's stock PPG colors and clear coats are alittle on the thick side. You go much thicker and as mention before the finishs crack alot sooner than normal paints.

 

Not surprised the photo didn't show. I don't know what I'm doing. Uploaded it but where it actually went? lol Oh well.

 

I'll check back Sunday night.
I did some show cars here that the owners kept them in heated garages just to keep the paint from cracking. They don't have that problem in Cali. and warmer climates. You might be ok were you are. The lower rider crowd goes with the real thick multi coats on paint thing but look were most of those cars are, warmer temps.
You look at some of that stuff and look at the body seams and the edges of door panels and you can se how thick that stuff is. Get a chip in it and its deep. I look that stuff and it doesn't look right. To me its paint caked on top of more paint. A recipe for trouble down the line. Remember what goes on will have to come off one day.
In some ways its like dealing with house paint. The thicker it is the more problems you will have.

 

Yes I meant cars.

 

This is the pic I tried to post earlier.

 

We did a car that was on the show ISCA cicuirt back in the early 80s. Cost of the job was was close to ten thousand when everything was done. Undercarriage, both sides of wheel wells fire wall everything that could be painted had paint on it. Candy Brandywine. All total the car had over 30 coats of paint on it to acheive that Black Cherry effect.

For the frist two years the car was never ran longer than 10 minutes at a time. Just long enough to pull on and off the transporter. After two years of showing the car the owner decides he wants to drive it on Friday cruise nights. The 55 chevy had a 454big block running injector stacks through the hood. the itake on the injector manifold almost touched the back of the hood when it was closed. Both sides of the hood were painted too. The headers sat about 3 quarters of an inch off the wheel wells.
Well you could guest what happened, most of that paint blistered from the extremme heat. The dude was sick. brought the car back to redo the blistered areas. We had no trouble doing the engine bay over. The problem was the top of the hood. In the shop it looked black with a reddish tone to it. Out in the sun it was a rich dark black wine color. We tough we had a perfect match. The problem was when his lights from the turn table display hit the thing it was two different colors didn't match the top of the fenders which had more of a gold tone to them. We ended up repainting the tops of the fenders and header panel to hide the color differences. After the car was completed he had a four thousand dollar bill which included redoing the botoms of the quarter panels that had deep rock chips in them because the paint was so thick. The owner showed the car one more season and then quickily sold it.

You look at those custom paint sets from Harley they only carry a two year warranty on them. Your better Indy custom shops will do five years at the most.
That right there should tell you something about those custom show quaility finishes.

 

pls look at my sig pic...
colormania painted it....
Its brady wine but I went couple of shades darker to achieve the blackish looking candy wine color....
Get compliments wherever I ride

 

Shrini....like that color. I can see why you get compliments. I'm wanting that color only a lot darker. I'll visit the local Harley store and a local indy shop I trust, to gain more advice/info. Not in a big hurry, but I do want that Pearl White to be gone eventually.

 

Great posts man. Question: is it possible to chop a FLD front fender and then touch it up without painting the whole fender again? Perhaps finish it off with a decorative cap of some sort? Not talking about the stick-on deco caps but a real cap that maybe re-strengthens the chopped fender? Not even sure that kinda part is avail., haven't found one yet.