Category: Paint

Posted on by

Hutchinson Cycle at Mods vs. Rockers Chicago 2013

We were thrilled to have two of our restorations at the 2013 Mods vs. Rockers rally in Chicago this year.

The first was our 1968 Triumph Bonneville which was featured on a recent blog post following it’s completion.  The second was our newest restoration – and focus of an upcoming blog post- a 1970 Triumph Daytona T100R finished in a very correct Jacaranda Purple and Silver Sheen.

Photographer Keith May was on hand at the show taking photos of bikes on display.  We were thrilled that he was able to grab a few snaps of our bikes late in the day, after the rain had subsided.

All in all, it was a fantastic rally, and lived up to the hype.  Thanks to Larry Fletcher, Martin Cimek, and Steel Toe Press for putting such a great event together.

 

Posted on by

1968 Triumph Bonneville T120R for sale

We were pleased to come across a fantastic 1968 Bonneville over this winter, and have her ready to hit the road.

This bike has undergone a total refresh, includes many new components, and runs just like you’d expect after undergoing our tune up.  With a new ’68 Bonnie paint job to match, this is a great chance to own one of our favorite classic machines.

Read more in our bikes for sale section.

[fb-like]

 

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Gorgeous ’68 Bonneville tank restoration

Our paint shop has been fortunate to enjoy a very busy off-season this year. As a matter of fact, we’ve been painting quite a few tanks for the 1968 Triumph T120R Bonneville – one of our favorites.

Recently, a valued customer came to pick up his tank, and we were able to give him a quick tour of the paint room where we have a number of ’68 tanks in progress.

As part of our extensive collection, we have a pristine NOS ’68 tank which has only seen the light of day one or two times in it’s 45-year lifetime. The color and pattern we use for our customers matches this tank perfectly.

In the first of three photos below, the NOS tank is closest to the camera. Next to that hangs one of two ’68 tanks which have been prepped with a gold base coat over which the Hi-Fi Scarlet is applied. Between those two gold tanks is our customer’s finished tank. Also, note our NOS ’70 Daytona tank in Jacaranda Purple on the shelf in the background.

This tank was prepped extensively prior to applying the Hi-Fi Scarlet, Silver Sheen, and hand-applied gold pinstripe. Before he left with the tank, Hutch made sure the mounting bolt holes on the bottom were properly cleaned out with a tap, and that the bolts fit without issue.

Needless to say, our customer was pretty thrilled by our results and the behind-the-scenes tour.

[fb-like]

 

Posted on by

Prepping a fuel tank for paint

We’ve been doing this for a very long time, which means we’ve learned from our mistakes over the years. As we value our customers’ safety, we can’t stress this point enough…

DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF. EVER.

We don’t use tank sealer on our tanks. It’s only a temporary solution, as it fails, cracks, and eventually crumbles over time. We find leaks the old-fashioned way by filling the tank with water or air, rinsing the outside, and looking for bubbles. When we find holes, we weld them closed.

That said, we have a good many tanks that come in to our shop with sealer having been used at some point. So, often the first step towards prepping a tank for paint means stripping the old paint off the outside, and the old sealer off the inside.

Here’s our method in action on a 1967 Triumph Bonneville tank. Note the tank is empty, with zero remnant of fuel inside, and there’s no cap, either.

Again, please don’t try this yourself. If you need this done, bring your tank to us and let professionals handle it.

[fb-like]