1979 Laverda 1200 Mirage green???

Paul LeClair

Paul LeClair

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Location
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Hi all

on Michael Moore's this link to photos of an unrestored green 1200 Mirage was just posted. Gorgeous!!!!!

http://www.philaphoto.com/imageLibrary/thumbnails.php?album=1100

so, I have a complete spare set of bodywork for my presently all black 79 1200 Mirage. I love the blsack, but would also like to have a stock original colour green set of bodywork, with yellow "Mirage" badging, to fit to the bike from time to time.

so, I remember Tim referring to the Mirage green as "lizard green". Has anyone figured out the stock Mirage green paint code, or something very close that would replicate the colour? Is it a metallic with silver base, or a solid colour, or....??????

any help greatly appreciated, I found a rather pricey set of yellow "Mirage" side panel stickers on eBay but haven't ordered them as yet, I want to do this as original as possible, and if "mirage" was painted on, I will have it painted on. If the "Mirage" side panel badge was a sticker, I 'l get those ordered and clear them in.

Paul LeClair
 
Paul, it is green over a silver base.
The trick to matching the Mirage green successfully is not just the shade of green, but also the size of the metalflake.
I thought my painter did a brilliant job of matching the shade on my 1200 (seen countless times on this forum already) but he could not get the right size of flake. It is a very large flake compared to what is available over there.

Maybe in NA with all these customs you will have better luck.

I managed to source a pair of almost new original Mirage sidepanels and that is what my painter used as a reference. Hos paint codes refer to his mix only, would mean nothing to you.
Maybe someone else can advise a code but best bet is to source or borrow a painted original part.
 
Hi Paul,
Yeah not the easyist colour to match.
If your wish I can put you in touch with the guy who sprayed my Mirage up - UK based.
Or contact Gavin Spencer I believe he recently got one sprayed up and if I'm correct he had some left over  try -      gavin.ruthatvirgin.net

Hope that helps,
Andy
 
Grant said:
Paul, it is green over a silver base.
The trick to matching the Mirage green successfully is not just the shade of green, but also the size of the metalflake.
I thought my painter did a brilliant job of matching the shade on my 1200 (seen countless times on this forum already) but he could not get the right size of flake. It is a very large flake compared to what is available over there.

Maybe in NA with all these customs you will have better luck.

I managed to source a pair of almost new original Mirage sidepanels and that is what my painter used as a reference. Hos paint codes refer to his mix only, would mean nothing to you.
Maybe someone else can advise a code but best bet is to source or borrow a painted original part.
Click to expand...

Hi Grant

do you still own the pair of original Mirage side panels? If so, happy to buy them, or borrow and return.

Paul LeClair
 
KERMIT1200 said:
Hi Paul,
Yeah not the easyist colour to match.
If your wish I can put you in touch with the guy who sprayed my Mirage up - UK based.
Or contact Gavin Spencer I believe he recently got one sprayed up and if I'm correct he had some left over  try -      gavin.ruthatvirgin.net

Hope that helps,
Andy
Click to expand...

Hi Andy

I am hoping to source the paint system locally, and then paint the body panels myself, To make prep much easier, I may just purchase yet another set of bare 1200 side panels and tail piece from Wolfgang, and the extra 1200 tank is already stripped to bare metal, I have been running the bare metal tank on and off the bike, highly polished, with just a coat of wax on it, for a few years now. I have been practicing painting over the past ten years and have accumulated most of the necessary gear, including a couple of high quality spray guns. There is a rental paint booth available locally with a downdraft system, so the only weak link in the process is the hand holding the spray gun....... :o

Thanks for the referall, I will e mail Gavin and see what info he can provide.

Paul LeClair
 
Paul, unfortunatel not.
The sidepanels were sold with the bike some years ago now.
I bought the sidepanels from Ralph Allen of Motalia fame. He may have some left, but as his motto is 'these are the last ones mate' don't hold out any hope.

Rather than try to match to my match (with the wrong flake size) maybe some kind soul could lend you an original sidepanel or tailpiece?
 
Hi Paul,
I came across the Mirage pics the other day on the Bevelheads site and commented on it. The owner of the bike wrote back that it had sat in a shed since 1980 until he got it in 2002. It had 3300km showing!!! He said he had the Mirage decals made since he could not source any originals. My reaction was the same as yours - gotta have it! I will be following this with great interest.

George
 
paul, try printing an image of the color and go to an auto paint supplier
you may find a counterman whose been in the business for years that can help you recreate the shade and size of flake
grant's right about the custom guys go to a custom car and hotrod show and talk to some of the owners
flakes are readily available anywhere from fine metallic to bass boat litter
besides matching the shade, relatively easy, you have to find out the size and color of the metallic

it can be laid down a couple of ways
one is to mix the metallic with the color (easy way to tigerstripe the job)
the other is to use a midcoat with just metallic over the solid green base
both then get a clear coat

some of the custom colors are transparent and rely on a certain color base to get the right shade

the color you seek will look different under different color temperature lights
here's one i mixed indoors under a fluorescent light
same tank in the shade
and the side cover in full sun

the aynsley pics are done in  a studio
i wonder what temp his stobes are

images 5 and 7 appear to have a metallic, not a metalflake

btw anyone go backwards on his site and look at some of the other bikes?
wow

cheers,
scott


 

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Here is the best I can do for you.
The original Mirage sidepanel, almost new, no fading.
The flake size difference is subtle but noticeable if you get the wrong size.
 

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thanks Grant, and all.

I just saved Grant's Mirage sidepanel image to my laptop, as well as the 8 photos from the original link, and I am going to take the laptop to my paint supplier tomorrow to see what can be done.... I'll report back.

Paul LeClair
 
  You will only get what is on your screen that way Paul and that is only what was got by Grants camera add in all of the digital procesing inbetween and it is not the best way to get an accurate true colour match, be useful for the flake size tho'
  If you have a local high quality automotive paint supplier Grant they should be able to put the panel under their spectrometer and give you an accurate match and formula for the true colour. Be good to know what it is as I have a Mirage that would look real good in it's original green.


  Keith.
 
The painter I use did have the paint scanned and matched but gave it HIS paint reference code (to protect his interests).
I think somewhere I have a small bottle of 'touch up' paint he gave me in this colour, unused, but lost somewhere in the 80-odd boxes I have yet to unpack.
As I said the sidepanel, and bike, are long gone from me. Now living in sunny CA.
 
I bought this bike last week Paul. It has been repainted with smaller metal flakes but it looks really good in the flesh. The picture doesn't do it justice because it was taken on an old phone in miserable weather but all the same I like it. Regards Pat.
 

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Yeah, Black wheels, the colour I said I didn't like a few weeks ago ha ha! They do look good on it though. Got to get rid of the Ducati front mudguard.
 
Hi Pat

where in the world are you located?

lovely bike, I do like the black wheels, not so sure about,the Jota hump seat. I do have a spare Jota seat and have put it on the 1200 but it is much  thicker than  the stock seat and raises me even higher than I want to be.

Paul LeClair
 
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