distressed paint?

[John Hopkins]

I think it is like bleached jeans or jeans skirts..however if thats the look you want you can still make it look new..good airbrushing can produce the look of cracked paint but with the really high polished finish..Although for the same work you could produce some pretty wonderful effects.

John.

[jmbo]

IF you are after all this decention, you are still interested in a fake petina job, then check out the world of hot rods.  There are a number of articles on this type of paint technique.  It is as much an art as it is a technique and unfortunatly a bad job doesn't make your bike look old. It just make es the bike look bad.  If you do it yourself then it pays to practice. Good luck.,

[CDNRatMan]

  Not really what I would personally want, and lord it hurts to say it but I have to agree with GB and you would want your old ride to look like the day it rolled off the factory floor, all nice, shiny and clean.
How amny people try to take something new and make it look old and it lookss like trash when it is finished, but once more like my learned collegue from 0hi0 has stated,

But that's just my preference - like many have said, it's your bike, and you should make it look like YOU want it to look

the sign of an intelligent person is how much they agree with you.......mmmmmm

[DC]

Just as a sidebar, in the guitar world, there is what is known as "relic'd".  You can buy a perfectly brand new instrument, that's been made to look like it's been played hard for the last 40-50 years.  And yes, they deliberately put on a good finish, then weather it, in all the right places to make it look like that.  An original vintage instrument looking like that, depending on the year might go for 30-80k.  One of these newly produced relic'd versions might go for 2-3k.

[greenbarn]

Chrome=good rust=bad

I'd agree with this equation(s)....

I think making your bike look like the 40's-50's is a fine idea, but my personal preference is that it should look like it did NEW in the 40's-50's.   Not like it sat out in your fence-row SINCE the 40's-50's.  But that's just my preference - like many have said, it's your bike, and you should make it look like YOU want it to look.

[Troll]

Chrome=good rust=bad

[jmbo]

Ive seen some really good "fake patina" jobs but I have to admit I think "patina" real or otherwise has begun to run its course.  The idea of turning a rusty lawn ornament into a rat  rod or a rat bike seemed fun at first but after seeing some of the absilute junk on the road as an excuse for poor workmanship, I think its time to get back to old fashion spit and polish.

[dakuhosu]

I have given it a lot of thought myself and ultimately decided it was too risky. For all the time spent you could really end up with something that looks obviously fabricated or just butt ugly. The best way if you absolutely want to go that way it to have a professional put a paintjob over the top, maybe a set builder or a real artist from the local art district. I've got some skills but only one Drifter at the moment to screw up, but I love the look, just fearful I can't pull it off myself. Hard to find a really good example of something like that too.

[ventoracing]

Anyone seen or done a Drifter with distressed paint to give it a patina like you would see on a vehicle originally built in the 40-50s?

Converting my 2002 Ebony 800 with its shiny chrome front end and engine covers (yuck!) to a more distressed vintage look is my vision.... not sure yet just how to pull it off.