So you want to re-paint your seat cowl...

[BobKat2002]

I just recently purchased a Braada cowl, second hand from a fellow citizen of ,"The People's Republic of Canada".
As advertised there was cracked paint and a broken installation bracket.

Upon inspection of the cowl I'm left wondering what bwould be the best way to tackle the job of stripping and prep.ing the cowl before actually painting.

I've taken some pictures of the cowl in it's current condition for review.
As I'm not sure what its made of I'm concerned that a chemical stripper may damage the cowl. Likewise, I'm not sure what an appropriate paint preparant might be.

Obviously, it wasn't prep.ed correctly the first time it was painted and I don't want to make a similar mistake this time.

Have a look all and let me know your thoughts.

[BobKat2002]

And...

[BobKat2002]

and finally.

[meanstrk]

Start with paint stripper..............

[HS2020]

It is made out of the same ABS plastic that is on the bike. I would send Braadajim a pm and ask him since he is the one that made it. You can use paint stripper like Meanstrk stated.

[WildKat]

as long as the cowl isnt physically damaged the job shouldnt be too difficult. I for one have problems with finger paints so I let someone else handle the actual painting part

[BraadaJim]

The solo cowls are made of ABS plastic. I recommend using good old fashioned sand paper and elbow grease for stripping it down. You can use paint strippers on plastic but be SURE that it is a stripper designed for plastics or it will react with the plastic in a baaaad way and you'll end up with a half melted piece of junk that looks like it was too close to a fire. Seen it done on fairings and it ain't a pretty sight

[BobKat2002]

Originally Posted by BraadaJim

The solo cowls are made of ABS plastic. I recommend using good old fashioned sand paper and elbow grease for stripping it down. You can use paint strippers on plastic but be SURE that it is a stripper designed for plastics or it will react with the plastic in a baaaad way and you'll end up with a half melted piece of junk that looks like it was too close to a fire. Seen it done on fairings and it ain't a pretty sight

See. I knew you'd be the one to be the voice of reason.
I'll do it the old fashioned way. Just to be safe.

But what about primer?
What do you recommend?

[BraadaJim]

Originally Posted by BobKat2002

But what about primer?
What do you recommend?

I use Plasti-Kote high build primer for plastics but it's getting kind of hard to find. There are a lot of brands on the market, just try to stick with something that has a flex additive if at all possible. If you cannot find a primer that has flex to it then you can use standard automotive filler pirmer but make sure you do not sand too smooth before applying it (anything over 400 is too smooth, I like 220 or 320) so that it has something to grab to. If not using a flex paint I also would recommend that you be careful not to put your paint on too thick to help reduce cracking. That rule pretty much applies to any painting though.

[mystahagy]

I've seen a paint stripper in a couple auto supply places around here that was a spray specifically for ABS bumpers. hmmmm