painting an anodised frame?

[bigfatron]

I have three Cyfac 'Raleigh' frames, two of which are built and are my daily rides.
Summer is Jean-Claude Garde's 753 frame from 1989 and winter is a 1990 653 Castorama frame.
Obviously my winter bike gets some stiff treatment given the dreadful weather and roads spread with salt, and I'm wondering about a harder-wearing winter bike.
To this end I'm thinking that one of my unridden bikes, a mid eighties Vitus badged by Partington Cycles, might be the bike.
You might think it sacrilegious, but since many pro riders had it done, I think I might have it repainted in white and badged as a Super U Raleigh.
Has anyone had an anodised alloy frame resprayed, and have you any tips for me?
It keeps me in the jersey, Super U of course, with no bike clash, and as Prince wrote 'nothing compares 2 U'!
Richie

 

[Midlife]

Painting stripped aluminium shouldn't be a problem using a good self etching primer so the paint bonds to the aluminium.

Shaun

 

[COUPES]

Re:

Would need a good key for the primer or self etching as Shaun says. Could you just clear coat the frame?

 

[FatLaurie]

Being a naturally cautious type - and having a Vitus Seven - I would do a fair bit of research (eg: http://www.anodizing.org/index.html) before doing anything with the finish. All my bike sees is Autosol Anodized Aluminium Polish (no link to the company).

Best wishes

Laurie

 

[bigfatron]

thanks for your suggestions, it's obvious I need to do some more research before I start on this refinishing/rebadging.

I should have said that the frame is a Vitus 979 with black anodised tubes, so a strip to bare metal and repaint to get to white will probably be needed.
richie

 

[FatLaurie]

Re: painting an aluminium frame

I remember reading that duralumin/dural is more prone to corrosion than other aluminium alloys, hence the anodised finish perhaps. Also I was thinking about the effect of possibly aggressive chemicals on the bonds. Somewhere in webland is a posting from an owner who used oven cleaner to remove the anodised finish from his Vitus frame. Hmmm.
How about wrapping it (tubes only) with one of those fancy plastic films?

Yours

Laurie

 

[Robbied196]

Be very careful how you get your 979 repaired. If there's any temperature involved in curing the paint it will mess with the epoxy joints.

To badge a 979 as a Raleigh is a SIN!

 

[bigfatron]

haha, I knew someone would be unhappy about it!
perhaps I should get a TVT and refinish that instead, a la Lemond?!

I got into conversation with someone who'd had a Raleigh Dynatech refinished, it had been baked at low temperature to cure the paint.
On his first ride all the lugs came loose and he ended up walking the bike home.
If I do proceed it will be with great care indeed.
richie