I was going to get a "real" flame custom paint job on my FXDC over the winter. I have now decided that I just want to make some mild changes.

The question;
If I get someone to paint the stock tins with just flame "outlines", can this be done without taking any of the original paint/clear off? As in, can someone just paint directly onto the stock tins, as is, and then clear over them? I have no clue, at all, about the painting process, and was just curious. If this is possible, what are the downfalls, if any, and is this a normal thing to do?

 

You do not need to remove the clear just prepare it for the new paint. This can be done by wet sanding with 800 grit sand paper. Use extreme caution when doing this, even though the paper is not aggresive it is easy to sand through. I recommend practicing on something else first.

Then do your flames, and clear. One trick I have done is to lay 2 coats of clear on my flames and lightly sand, then 2 coats of clear with slow activator. This makes for a nice smooth finish. Also use the blue 3M tape to lay out your flames. I start with 1/8" and follow up with 1/4".

 

They will dewax and wet sand and maybe an intermediary adhesion coat before they start, nothing worse than some place that skips the prep and your paint job starts pealing off down the road.

 

Thanks for replying guys. This info helps out a lot!