Paint options
I have the paint kit for the CS3C now fully sorted and safely stored out of harm’s way, and wrapped in soft blankets at the back of a cupboard in the house. Over the years I’ve learnt the hard way that paint kits stored in workshops or garages seem to be targets for bad luck. Therefore it all stays ‘out of sight and out of mind’. Actually finding someone to paint the various parts proved to be harder than I’d expected. Because the bike runs candy paint a fair number of the more commercial outfits simply didn’t want the work, firmly stating that they didn’t handle that sort of paintwork – fair enough. I also had another business decline the job because they weren’t prepared to paint the broad pinstripes that are a key feature of the bike. Apparently if I wanted to supply them as decals then they’d think about it! Yeah right lads, crack on. Perhaps the oddest response was that the business in question didn’t like working with green paint…really? The other issue I was up against was some sprayers insisting on using modern water-based paints due to Health & Safety legislation. I get that this is where the industry has been driven for environmental concerns, but I’m still not convinced the finish and appearance are correct for older bikes. Thankfully, I’ve found a small family business that understands candy paint, old bikes and is permitted to use traditional solvent-based paints for restoration jobs. There’s a sneak preview of the paint between the gauges on the headlamp shell, but the bulk of the paint kit will stay mothballed until I’ve finished spannering!