SFC paint

F

Franco58

Junior member
Location
New Brunswick, Canada
Hi folks,

It's been a while since I've posted here. I hope all are healthy and as happy as life allows.

I have a question regarding the paint on my 1974 750 SFC rebuild.

I spoke with Wolfgang Haerter today about having my alloy tank, swingarm, and triple clamp repainted. He said to ensure that the parts are not "over painted". He said that the original paint/gelcoat has more of a satin finish without clear coat.

He said that adding a glossy paint job may actually detract from the overall value of the bike and it may be seen by collectors as needing to be repainted.

I still have the original tank, but opted to go with a replacement tank for riding.

I trust Wolfgang's experience explicitly, but my curiosity lead me to ask about it here as well.

Thanks in advance,

Franco58
 
If a collector looking for an original 750 SFC can't afford to repaint it, he should downgrade his choices. Or put a more subdued lighting in his living room.

Paul
 
Mmm - I understand where Wolfgang is coming from. A new paint job can look very shiny. Adding a few layers of clear will certainly detract from what was the original ex-factory appearance. I'm not sure that equates to a satin finish though - albeit that might be what it looks like now, bearing in mind we're talking about what an original finish looks like after nearly fifty years!
 
I remember seeing a couple of new (unused) SFC's being wheeled out of Oro's shop (the first one, fairly close to Piazza Mazzini) every day in the late 70's and sitting outside whikle he worked, I never realy understood why that was happening, but sightings were a year or even two, apart, the bikes looked "less than shiny" but still clearly brand new old stock, and I thought that this was caused by exposure, but mabye not?
CLEM
 
Paul Marx said:
I think that it was tinted gel coat.
Marnix, where are you?

Paul
Click to expand...
On the disc brake SFCs all the fibreglass parts were orange gel coat, which was not very glossy. Since NOS parts are a rarity, when doing a restoration there is no other option than to repaint which will always look glossier, but without a clear cote the result will be a little closer to the original. Riding the bike a lot is the best way to let the glossiness fade In an even way. It’s a fun process!
I never do a clear cote over the (tank) badges.

Marnix
 
CLEMTOG said:
I remember seeing a couple of new (unused) SFC's being wheeled out of Oro's shop (the first one, fairly close to Piazza Mazzini) every day in the late 70's and sitting outside whikle he worked, I never realy understood why that was happening, but sightings were a year or even two, apart, the bikes looked "less than shiny" but still clearly brand new old stock, and I thought that this was caused by exposure, but mabye not?
CLEM
Click to expand...
That was purely for practical reasons, not much room in the old shop.
In the late 70ies, Oro’s shop hadn’t started yet. The only shop at that time Elizio’s, which was located opposite the street.

Marnix
 
Thanks very much to all for your input and advice!
It will be great to be able to start reassembly at some point, hopefully with enough time to allow me to take it for a ride this year! 🤞
 
must have been 80's (my forst trip was 75) then or maybe even 90's, which makes new unused SFC's being pushed in and out of the shop even harder to explain, because they were older, why were they being allowed to deteriorate and not sold, or storede elsewhere? at some point in the same era that we are talking about he told me that he and his dad have 80 strored Laverda's, very sorry but |I didnt beleive that, but when he opened the new shop with its two level display area, I suddenly did! When did the shop start Marnix, Elizios may have been the house that I was trying to buy miniscooter parts from, it had a basement garage?
CLEM
 
Hi Franco58, I had very good results with a silk matt clear coate instead of glossy. Or even no clear coate. Most of our old bikes look to shiny after restoration. I don't like that ...
Ciao, Gert
 
CLEMTOG said:
must have been 80's (my forst trip was 75) then or maybe even 90's, which makes new unused SFC's being pushed in and out of the shop even harder to explain, because they were older, why were they being allowed to deteriorate and not sold, or storede elsewhere? at some point in the same era that we are talking about he told me that he and his dad have 80 strored Laverda's, very sorry but |I didnt beleive that, but when he opened the new shop with its two level display area, I suddenly did! When did the shop start Marnix, Elizios may have been the house that I was trying to buy miniscooter parts from, it had a basement garage?
CLEM
Click to expand...
Believe Ricardo Oro started the shop in 1984. Don’t remember finding new SFCs in or in front of his shop. He had a beautifully restored 1974 SFC in his shop in early 90ies though that he sold to a German a few years later.

Elizio’s shop was basically a workshop with him doing the work on the bikes, you would always see his wife and an older woman sitting in a chair while assembling small metal parts in massive numbers. He did not carry a big stock, but sent his son off to the factory to fetch the parts required instead. Very friendly people they were.
Marnix
 
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