Original Message: ----------------- From: ADP aphillips9@mindspring.com Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 08:31:02 -0400 To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]questionable behavior! and clear coats on British bikes
"I'm getting ready to get my Claud Butler Torino repainted. This is fun because the British seemed to be pretty adventurous when it comes to color and metallics and the Torino was paint to order originally so there isn't much I can do wrong. I'm curious as to how glossy their clear coats were in the 1960s?"
Ann Phillips, Decatur GA
Ann... I'd be surprised if your Torino or any British lightweight of the period was clearcoated. I've never seen one. The process was paint, line and transfer (decal) and send it packing. None of the Raleighs made by Carlton were ever clearcoated and I am pretty sure none of the ones by at Ilkeston were either. Clearcoating makes plenty of sense to me but it just seems to be one of those "modern" innovations you either dread or desire.
Paint: British bikes had wonderful finishes; to me that's what sets them apart from all others. Colour. Quality. Taste. Even fun. But today's paints, whilst you can match them to the original colour, are by formulation, modern auto paints which means they have that wretched "glass" finish that's much glossier than paints of the classic era. If Dupont Dulux were still produced, you'd get a prototypical finish with that, but it's been sadly gone for two years now. Imron is ok but the newer stuff is glossier still. Hopefully professional cycle restorers can weigh in on this and maybe suggest alternates.
Peter Kohler Washington DC USA
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