What does it cost to respray a Colnago?

[FastforaSlowGuy]

I’m considering getting my C50 EP repainted this off season. Before I run around getting estimates I thought I’d see what kind of coin that kind of job runs (ballpark range) from someone who can do justice to a Colnago’s paint scheme. Anyone have this done in the last few years and mind sharing?


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[Matthew]

Allan Wanta did my EPS last winter. PM me if you'd like.

[Matthew]

I have a thread on it in the production bike section. Roblj has also had a Colnago done by him.

[rwsaunders]

I’m considering getting my C50 EP repainted this off season. Before I run around getting estimates I thought I’d see what kind of coin that kind of job runs (ballpark range) from someone who can do justice to a Colnago’s paint scheme. Anyone have this done in the last few years and mind sharing?


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Lots of folks like Noah's work and there are other decent painters out there as well of course.

http://velocolour.com/portfolio/colnago-mapei-c60/

[OtayBW]

I have been very impressed by A. Wanta's work. I have also seen some of Noah's work in person and was blown away.....FWIW.

[Alaska Mike]

I had a couple Madones done by Allen Wanta after I had some carbon repair done, and was less than impressed. It was a simple gloss black paint job, and what I ended up with was orange peel in several noticeable places. One frame was better than the other, but I could have done better myself. The costs to ship them back and forth made a return cost-prohibitive. Lesson learned. Maybe he just doesn't like working on carbon frames.

The powder coating I had done locally on my steel BreakAway was superior in terms of how even the finish was and overall durability, but I would say powder coating is not for everyone or every project.

[sailorboy]

I'd put in another vote for Noah and Co. at Velocolour. He's a perfectionist and turning out some of the best paint-work I've seen in a while. Added bonus is that the US dollar should get you a bit more value north of the border.

[Spaghetti Legs]

Duane Waller at Chester Cycles did some nice refurb paint matching and touch up in my old DeRosa. He does custom paint, complete bike jobs, but he is one of the few that will do paint matching and touch up.

[likebikes]

it costs whatever the painter charges.

[RobJ]

I had a couple Madones done by Allen Wanta after I had some carbon repair done, and was less than impressed. It was a simple gloss black paint job, and what I ended up with was orange peel in several noticeable places. One frame was better than the other, but I could have done better myself. The costs to ship them back and forth made a return cost-prohibitive. Lesson learned. Maybe he just doesn't like working on carbon frames.

The powder coating I had done locally on my steel BreakAway was superior in terms of how even the finish was and overall durability, but I would say powder coating is not for everyone or every project.

Powder coating places are a dime a dozen and these are generally not skilled bike painting places (auto, metal accessories etc.) so totally apples-oranges.

The Madones had repair - so were they a total repaint or trying to blend the repaired area to the rest of an already painted frame? Again might be a different comparison based on what the painter is being asked to do.

Alan has done two frames for me - both Colnagos. There's a thread here on my C50 Mapei. He absolutely nailed it with literally no direction from me except one image confirming that I wanted the original Mapei scheme. This is a very complex paint scheme with fades etc. The decals were dead matches too. The other I haven't built yet, but again, a direct match of what was asked and the quality was spot on. In both cases the frames were stripped of all paint to bare carbon, one brand new and the other years old, and repainted. And his prices will blow away any of the other places; I would venture to say nearly 50% less than the others.

https://i.imgur.com/WmyMd8Sl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3VppkT2l.jpg

[Alaska Mike]

Powder coating places are a dime a dozen and these are generally not skilled bike painting places (auto, metal accessories etc.) so totally apples-oranges.
Very true, and I'd never suggest it on a classic frame. However, on a "utility" frame it's a real contender. I originally tried a rattle can paint job (prime, color, clear) but I think the original paint has soaked up some oily frame protectant somewhere along the line and the new paint wouldn't bond- despite some extensive prep. $100 to the powder coater got a stripped and coated frame that wasn't a glob-job. He protected all of my threading and did a really nice job overall. Certainly more durable than rattle can, and probably more than what I could have accomplished in the paint booth.
The Madones had repair - so were they a total repaint or trying to blend the repaired area to the rest of an already painted frame? Again might be a different comparison based on what the painter is being asked to do.

Both were total repaints, one covering a white Trek-Livestrong scheme (really not a fan of white bikes, Radio Shack, or Lance). Minor repairs to the carbon. The orange peel actually wasn't anywhere near the repairs, but in totally noticeable locations (top tube, head tube, down tube...). I didn't ask for any decals or other graphics. Plain old gloss black.

Yeah, I was disappointed.

[CSKeller]

I don't have a Colnago (yet) but I recently had my lugged steel Gängl repainted with all the proper decals. It is a 'simple' 2 color (green with white panels) job but it was expensive...about $1,100 but worth every penny.

Rich did an amazing job that is absolutely perfect! Not only did he do multiple coats, he also did 3 coats of clear with hand sanding in-between each.

He also painted my ti bike when he built it in 2001. The paint is perfect even after 17 yrs of use! No chips, scratches or nicks (there is a small chip on the rear brake bridge when my errant wrench slipped :( but nothing from normal wear and tear...even the underside of the downtube is perfect!).

Not all painters are equal. You get what you pay for. A perfect, lasting paint job will be a bit expensive but well worth it.

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[FastforaSlowGuy]

it costs whatever the painter charges.



Super helpful. Thanks for posting.


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[nesteel]

Powder coating places are a dime a dozen and these are generally not skilled bike painting places (auto, metal accessories etc.) so totally apples-oranges.

The Madones had repair - so were they a total repaint or trying to blend the repaired area to the rest of an already painted frame? Again might be a different comparison based on what the painter is being asked to do.

Alan has done two frames for me - both Colnagos. There's a thread here on my C50 Mapei. He absolutely nailed it with literally no direction from me except one image confirming that I wanted the original Mapei scheme. This is a very complex paint scheme with fades etc. The decals were dead matches too. The other I haven't built yet, but again, a direct match of what was asked and the quality was spot on. In both cases the frames were stripped of all paint to bare carbon, one brand new and the other years old, and repainted. And his prices will blow away any of the other places; I would venture to say nearly 50% less than the others.

https://i.imgur.com/WmyMd8Sl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3VppkT2l.jpg

You get what you pay for. I had him refinish a Merckx for me once. Came back looking great, paint never fully cured however.
He did offer to repaint it, which I took him up on. Came back painted a color we did not agree upon, work less than satisfactory (poor decals, and a hole in the DS chainstay had not been filled in), and the return packing job was a travesty. Why would a professional ship a fresh repaint wrapped in a plastic bag, with minimal tube protection, and before removing all the blasting sand from inside the tube? Was not pleased to find out that the frame traveled halfway across the country in a bag full of white silica sand.
In the end, with shipping both ways on both trips, I was within $25 of Kvales quote on the same bike.

[CSKeller]

Dark Matter Finishing
http://www.darkmatterfinishing.com

The owner worked at Spectrum Paint & Powder Works before it was sold.

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[Louis]

In the end, with shipping both ways on both trips, I was within $25 of Kvales quote on the same bike.

Years ago Chris repainted my Colorado LT and did a great job. It's been so long, I don't know if he's still painting or not.

[KidWok]

Wanta did a great job on my C40.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hp3mhCWvYNVxYq7S7

Tai

[weaponsgrade]

Here's some info on a few:

https://www.rivbike.com/pages/repaints-repairs-re-brazeons

A friend recently had a frame/fork painted by DD. I think it came out to about $500 (single color including decals and clear coat over). I've had Wanta do a paint and thought he did a good job considering the cost. I'm thinking about having DD do a repaint of an old Colnago Super.

[Matthew]

As I mentioned above I had Wanta do mine. Though overall I am pleased I honestly thought it would come out better. It's more the finished product than anything. I have a couple spots of overspray to the point the paint ran. And down by the bottom bracket the clear is very rough as though it was never sanded down. The panels and decal work are great. And there are a couple spots with specks of dirt or marks below the clear. And on the seat tube there are lumps of some sort. Most people will not see these issues, but it's my bike and I'm incredibly anal when it comes to how they look! In fairness I've gotten many compliments on it and overall I am pleased with how it turned out. He charged $425 plus shipping. If I had paid more I may have been tempted to send it back. In conclusion, I just expected a bit better from someone who has been painting bikes for many years.

[DCilliams]

Does anyone have any experience with the guys at Black Magic Paint?

[DuddyJ]

Powder coat should not be done on carbon, it has to cure at 400 degrees which you don't want to heat the resin up to.

It's a good cheap option for steel and aluminum but not for carbon.


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[Alaska Mike]

Powder coat should not be done on carbon, it has to cure at 400 degrees which you don't want to heat the resin up to.

It's a good cheap option for steel and aluminum.

Excellent point, and one I’d hope any powder coater would highlight should the question arise.

As for my issues with Wanta’s work, I wish I would have known beforehand, so I could have gone with another vendor. I don’t like talking bad about a small business, but with the cost of shipping a frame included, people should be aware of what they’re getting.

[nesteel]

Full disclosure: I was estatic about the quality in the first repair/refinish by Wanta. The color was spot on, IMHO, and the decal work was great.. The man's communication is great also. It's the second go around that I was displeased with.

[Matthew]

I kind of hated to post my thoughts on Wanta too. Communication was great and he's a super nice guy. As others have stated they have loved the work he's done for them. That's cool, I just didn't expect the few minor issues I had with my paint job. Again, I love riding the bike and it gets a ton of compliments. But I would not have shipped the frameset to an owner if I had done the paint. His costs are very reasonable though. And he replaced a cable stop I mucked up during the tear down of my bike. Another painter the OP may want to check out is Matt Assenmacher in Michigan. He did a Serotta for me and did a nice job. He was very reasonable too.

[oldpotatoe]

Aaron who owns Mosaic now owns Spectrum, moved the whole gob to the republic...I’d give him a shout.

Are Colnagos still full paint including the ‘Colnago’ graphics?

https://www.spectrumpaintandpowderworks.com/

[velomateo]

Does anyone have any experience with the guys at Black Magic Paint?

I was referred to them by Moots to have my carbon fork color matched to the frame. They did an excellent job. Price and turn around time was very good as well. It was a small job, but I do follow them on IG and see some beautiful work on complete frames.

[Dave]

Lots of folks like Noah's work and there are other decent painters out there as well of course.

http://velocolour.com/portfolio/colnago-mapei-c60/

Real nice paint, but 60 hours of work would cost a fortune is it was someone doing paint repair on my hot rod. Most shops charge $65 per hour and up. That's why I did all of the 500 hours of paint and body work on my hot rod myself.

I see that velocolour charges $100 per hour for art creations.

http://velocolour.com/services/

[Dave]

Are Colnagos still full paint including the ‘Colnago’ graphics?


Current paint schemes on most models are much simpler and cheaper to apply.

The Colnago clover on the front is definitely a decal that's cleared over. I suspect the most of the rest is stenciled paint, except for models with fades that are air brushed. Even the Lowest priced C-RS has a nice paint job, considering that the frame only retails for $1700.

http://www.velomine.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=597&products_id=4854

https://www.colnago.com/it/

[Bentley]

So I thought you were (are) looking for a respray of an Art Decor frame which is way different than just a paint job with a few panels or pin striping.

I had a local guy respray my Colnago Dream (Art Decor) and Master Piu because there was only a small amount of chips scratches. He photo documented the entire bike and then he airbrushed the areas he touched up to match the original paint and then re-cleared the entire bike. Honestly you cannot tell where he touched things up.

I think an entire repaint with Arte Decor would be more than a regular paint job because all of the air brushing that is involved. Also, the painter would need to be more of an artist since it is "art" that is being put on the bike.

I have a good guy that will give you a fair deal, PM if you are interested

Ray

[scoobydrew]

I was referred to them by Moots to have my carbon fork color matched to the frame. They did an excellent job. Price and turn around time was very good as well. It was a small job, but I do follow them on IG and see some beautiful work on complete frames.

If you don't mind, how much did it cost you? You can PM me if you don't want to post it here. I was looking at them to paint a carbon fork to a certain Pantone color.

[mnoble485]

After reading this thread I realized Alan Wanta was in my back yard. I sent him an email to ask about a repaint on my Hampsten but it was kicked back as not able to deliver. Anyone know if he is still active?

Mike

[RobJ]

Hey Mike. Yes Al recently painted two of my Colnagos. His email is allan.wanta@hotmail.com

[Polyglot]

Please keep in mind that it has been over 10 years now that Colnago specifically advises against repainting any of their carbon frames. All warranties are likewise automatically voided when a frame is even partially repainted. This all stems from a number of frames that Colnago tested after they had been repainted and the carbon characteristics were massively affected. Removing old paint from carbon frames is not the same as removing it from steel, aluminum or titanium. You must be aware of certain limitations. Apart from esthetics, there isn't really a good case for repainting a carbon frame. There is not the issue of rust propagation that might exist with steel.

[Jef58]

After reading this thread I realized Alan Wanta was in my back yard. I sent him an email to ask about a repaint on my Hampsten but it was kicked back as not able to deliver. Anyone know if he is still active?

Mike

Yes he is still active. He just finished repainted my LOOK. He is close to me so I was able to drop the frame off and pick it up and work directly with him. He does do a lot of Colnago frames but mainly steel ones that I seen there. He does do carbon for sure...

[Matthew]

So my Colnago may fail because I had it repainted? Anyone had any issues after a respray?

[Jef58]

So my Congo may fail because I had it repainted? Anyone had any issues after a respray?

No, that sounds like a myth unless you used some kind of solvent to get the paint off. Allan does not use or recommend any type of paint remover on carbon frames, just sanding the clear and decals in my case. I did a lot of the sanding myself before dropping it off to Allan to save some time.

[Polyglot]

So my Congo may fail because I had it repainted? Anyone had any issues after a respray?

No, that sounds like a myth unless you used some kind of solvent to get the paint off. Allan does not use or recommend any type of paint remover on carbon frames, just sanding the clear and decals in my case. I did a lot of the sanding myself before dropping it off to Allan to save some time.

When Colnago first stopped repainting their customers' frames they stated that it was virtually impossible to not cause some kind of damage to the underlying carbon, either to the resin or worse the carbon fibers. If you have ever been in a refinishing shop you will realize that most use some kind of media blaster to remove old paint. The precise media makes a huge difference but there are very few media that can differentiate between paint and carbon fiber. Sanding is simply not the way that most remove paint, try and sand around a BB shell and you will see just how difficult it is. The damage is real, the sole question is how bad the damage is and how overbuilt the frame was to start off.

[Matthew]

Wanta did my respray so maybe I am good. And it's an EPS so maybe over built a bit. Not going to worry about it anyway. And bought it secondhand so the warranty was no good to start.

[Tompho]

I called past year to Colnago, to repaint my C60 frame, and they do not make paint works.
If you want to repaint a Colnago Frame, you will have to do with other.

[Dino Suegiù]

Please keep in mind that it has been over 10 years now that Colnago specifically advises against repainting any of their carbon frames. All warranties are likewise automatically voided when a frame is even partially repainted. This all stems from a number of frames that Colnago tested after they had been repainted and the carbon characteristics were massively affected. Removing old paint from carbon frames is not the same as removing it from steel, aluminum or titanium. You must be aware of certain limitations. Apart from esthetics, there isn't really a good case for repainting a carbon frame. There is not the issue of rust propagation that might exist with steel.

When Colnago first stopped repainting their customers' frames they stated that it was virtually impossible to not cause some kind of damage to the underlying carbon, either to the resin or worse the carbon fibers. If you have ever been in a refinishing shop you will realize that most use some kind of media blaster to remove old paint. The precise media makes a huge difference but there are very few media that can differentiate between paint and carbon fiber. Sanding is simply not the way that most remove paint, try and sand around a BB shell and you will see just how difficult it is. The damage is real, the sole question is how bad the damage is and how overbuilt the frame was to start off.
Paint paranoia, now, wow. Talk about Chicken Little!

These things are bicycle frames, that get ridden and re-painted all of the time, many lasting for decades (i.e. see some of the (many) gorgeous C40 re-paints that are still perfectly intact at least 10-15 years later)...not space shuttles fretting over the effects of uv-rays on their man-in-the-moon mums.

OP et al: Find a good, reputable painter; discuss the job; decide; proceed; re-build; ride and enjoy life a little more.

[Satellite]

Here was my Colnago refinish story:

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=184661

Long story short, would I have done it all again? NO way! The cost I have into the completed bike is ludicrous. I bought a Serotta Meivici during this whole process. I haven't turned a pedal on the C50 since I got the Serotta. I should of got the Meivici from the get go and had it custom painted by Billy Mac.

I have never ever fretted over any decision as much as I did on the custom paint job for this C50. Then my wife stacked my bikes in the garage and put the Meivici handle bar on the top tube of the Colnago and nicked the Top-Tube. I was so mad. She offered to have it fixed for me but since I don't ride it I didn't worry about it.

Good luck on your quest. Wanta is a super nice guy I would really like to meet him in person sometime.

[Matthew]

My responses were mostly tongue in cheek about my Colnago. Bikes are repainted all the time. Have never heard of this being a source of failure and certainly not going to lose any sleep over it.

[Dino Suegiù]

My responses were mostly tongue in cheek about my Colnago. Bikes are repainted all the time. Have never heard of this being a source of failure and certainly not going to lose any sleep over it.
Yes, that was clear.
I just edited my post above in order to be more clear myself.
Sorry if there was any confusion.

[Dave]

Although decals must be removed, not all of the paint needs removal. Everyone uses catalyzed urethane these days, which can be scuffed, then repainted.

Car repairs are also easier these days. New body fillers can go right over urethane paint that's been adequately scuffed.

[earlfoss]

Evidently actual prices are a state secret. I get it. Wanta's name keeps coming up as a great option though. Judging by the pics I've seen, he does a decent job.

[Matthew]

No need to apologize Dino! I appreciate your input. Matt

[Satellite]

Evidently actual prices are a state secret. I get it. Wanta's name keeps coming up as a great option though. Judging by the pics I've seen, he does a decent job.

Prices aren't a state secret, they are just between the Painter and the Customer. Many factors go into the price and prices change over time. What cost me $550 in 2016 for a multi colored/panel frame may cost you more or less. If you go to the painter and say, "Well you only charged Satellite $550 for his paint job why are you charging me $750" Is that fair to the painter? Even if his hourly rate has stayed the same materials have certainly gone up. Plus I don't recall exactly how much I paid. If you went though my whole ordeal/thread I did in fact throw some extra money his way. I think I was at $650 before shipping both ways. Shipping if I recall correctly was $70/75 each way. I insured the holly heck out of it!

[mhespenheide]

Evidently actual prices are a state secret. I get it.

While I get that it's frustrating not to be able to get an accurate price quote, keep in mind that the amount of labor (and therefore price) can vary tremendously depending on the amount of detail work, masking, and separate coats. The price of a single-color repaint like a solid celeste for a Bianchi is going to be massively different from recreating a Mapei Colnago. The only real way to get a price on a difficult job is to email each painter directly and ask for a quote.

[enr1co]

If the existing paint is in fairly good shape (and not looking for a entirely different paint color) light sanding and new clear coat can make a frame look brand new again.

I had Rick at D&D cycles do this to a used Colnago M10 for ~$150 and it came out looking brand new.

[Satellite]

If the existing paint is in fairly good shape (and not looking for a entirely different paint color) light sanding and new clear coat can make a frame look brand new again.

I had Rick at D&D cycles do this to a used Colnago M10 for ~$150 and it came out looking brand new.

Good point mine had to be sanded all the way down to the carbon to start with a clean slate. I wasn't trying to keep with the original Colnago Paint Schema. A fresh clear coat can make it look like a new frame and be much cheaper.

[dancinkozmo]

velocolour has his prices clearly on display on the website ...no secrets

[Dave]

One thing to keep in mind with painted carbon bikes is the layup underneath the paint may not look as pretty as you think. Early cf bikes mostly had the 90 degree cross hatched fabric, but since the bike was to be painted, the layup didn't have to look pretty.. Frames like the LOOK 585 began using unidirectional cf that had many different fiber angles. That's mostly what you see in modern frames.

[Jef58]

Although decals must be removed, not all of the paint needs removal. Everyone uses catalyzed urethane these days, which can be scuffed, then repainted.

Car repairs are also easier these days. New body fillers can go right over urethane paint that's been adequately scuffed.

That is all that was done...for the most part, to my frame.

[GonaSovereign]

Yes, Vélocolour does Colnagos, fancy and simple. This is my EPS. It's killer.

And yes, you get what you pay for with paint and all the service that goes with it.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4579/38228885906_fd3125d500_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/21fa2Uw)Velocolour Colnago 1 (https://flic.kr/p/21fa2Uw)
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4400/35550700033_2dce81b006_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WauCy2)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/WauCy2) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffrideshisbike/]

[C40_guy]

I asked Toby Stanton (Hot Tubes, central Mass) to repaint an older David Rourke 'cross frame for me.

Ended up costing almost $1K, but I got a new frame out of it.

Longer story...

Toby asked why I wanted to paint the frame. I had just bought the frame and didn't like the yellow color. Toby responded that he could paint the frame but it would still be too large for me!

So...I ended up buying a new paint job from Toby, covering my new custom Hot Tubes 'cross frame. :)

That was 15 years ago. I did sell the frame at one point and then bought it back a year later. Paint still looks good.