Hey Fred,

Have you thought about the color-changing paint? It doesn't come in orange though.

I used to do contract work back when I lived in Napa for the company that makes the pigment that is then sold to the various paint companies. A company called Flex Products, based in Santa Rosa. I worked for them off and on for several years. I was really fascinated by the technology that made the paint change colors. One day, only about a mile from their office, there was a car for sale at a body shop ... it had originally been a blue car, and it was painted with the teal-to-purple paint, so it actually had 3 colors. Normally, you use a black undercoat before you paint, so there are only two colors ... the kid who worked at the body shop was the one who owned the car. Everytime I went to the office (several times a week) I drove past that car and it was still for sale. I finally couldn't stand it any longer, so I stopped in and asked about a test drive. It was a '90 Mitsubishi Turbo Eclipse and it was a whole lot more fun to drive than my '80 Subaru!!! I bought it.

Here's the story that I like to tell about my car. I paid about $6500 for it (this was back in '99). Basically, I paid for the paint job and got the car for free!! <g>

I don't know if I have any good pictures of it (by "good" I mean something that shows off the 3 colors) ... I'll have to check my pics and maybe post one if I have one.

~~Bonnie



>>>>Love the color ;-) http://www.sportster.org/thebikes/images/livers-1419-1.jpg
>>>>
>>>>>with one of my '73 that I had there: http://www.suncountrycorvette.com/2006vettes4vets/pages/100_0436.htm
>>>>>
>>>
>>>Kuhl! When it comes time to get it painted, I want to do a metal flake orange, rather than just the stock orange. Could be along time before that happens, though. :(
>>
>>I hear ya, Fred. A good paint job today is outrageous. At the time I painted this bike, I just went to NAPA and asked what they had cheap. $40 a quart for Omaha Orange. On it went ;-) 2 weeks ago I checked with our local bike artist on a straight color job, maybe a couple of decals, and I'd do all the strip/prep work - $1000. Can't imagine what he'd do a cage for - boggles the mind.
>
>I've not gotten an actual estimate from anyone yet, but with talking with friends that have had it done, it appears it will be $6K to $20K. $3500+/- if I do the prep work. Yikes!