Time to refinish my Dive Xtras Cuda Scooter

[Mo2vation]

I re-assembled the other day. Will be giving it the soak test tonight or tomorrow, and then getting it back in the water and scratching it up shortly.



I decided not to clear coat it, as I'd like to simply spray over any of the zillions of scratches I inflict on this thing - and I was only able to find clear coat in flat or gloss.... its currently finished in Satin.

So we'll see. Who knows.

These are so easy to put back together now, having done this so many times. Its always arresting how smooth the trigger rod becomes after I hit it with a little 600 gr Wet Dry paper and a little silicone spray.... so smoooooooov to shift!

I do know it looks better, it will fight corrosion better and this is about the last thing I've had to do to a scooter short of winding my own motor - as I've done about everything else there is to do to a scooter: from pounding out the stanchions, shift rod and replacing the cowling after running it over with my truck, to replacing motor and bearings after a couple of floods, shaft seals, installing, shaping, diving and evaluating every propeller available, re-soldered electronics, re-installed melted fuse holders, field repairs of every piece of the back end, re-programmed electronics and so so much more.

I know my way around X-scooters much better than I do my regulators, my washer and dryer or my truck.



Thanks everyone for the great tips and tricks along the way. I love this place.

Here's the finished product.


-Ken

[Valéry]

I just know how to recharge the battery.

[HBDiveGirl]

W00t!!!!!

gorgeousness!!!!

Time to DIVE!!!!

~~~~
Claudette

[HBDiveGirl]

Ha!

Anyone can charge the batt.

You know how to have FUN!

That is the best part of scootering.

~~~
Dette

[Snowbear]

Nice.

Wow...

Very, very cool!

[ppo2_diver]

I just know how to recharge the battery.

I only know how to beg to borrow my friend's scooters.

[Mo2vation]

Closing out the saga

The original inspiration for the black nose was to finish it in some type of truck bed paint / rubberized / ruggedized coating.

Yesterday while at Pep Boys, waiting for them to NOT rotate my tires (ugh...) I found a can of "Pure Rubber Coating" - this stuff was like $7.00... how bad can it be?

So I get home, and I stage the scoot, and give it a blast. This stuff comes out like Hornet Spray (anyone who's ever sprayed a wasp nest, gets it...) Its like a narrow stream that flies about 20 feet, at a velocity of about 2000 FPM.

The stuff!


I blast the nose - and this stuff is splashing all over, its running, its on my legs, my feet, the grass.

Hmmm... flying liquified rubber. Maybe I should practice.

So I wipe off the nose of the scoot. I sand it (and most of the body) and pull out a bucket. I turn the bucket over, and get a nice groove going. OK - now I know how to spray this stuff.

I mask up the scoot, hang it in my spray booth (from the tree) and get to work. Its going on very well now that I'm standing in the neighbors yard and controlling this rubber spitting firehose with aplomb and skill.



I lay 3 coats. Let it dry. In this breeze and with this sun, it isn't long.

I pull off the masking... nice! The line is a little harsh, and for the next coat I may extend it to the bump in the body tube. The line on the scoot is simply the width of the blue masking tape I had at hand, when laid against the top of the upper most body tube bump. If I was to do this again, I'd mask just off the shoulder - giving the scoot, essentially, a rubber 'cap' only.

That done, I lay a coat of purple, then bring on the black for the fade. Voila. Done.

I'll let it dry overnight, and then wet and stretch on the surf handle.

Can't wait to see if this makes any difference at all.

So happy!!

Pics below.

-Ken



New rubberized nose!





Details of the nose

[Valéry]

Superbe

[Valéry]

I love this idea do you think it'll hold well on the body? Is it possible that water goes between the rubber and the painting?

[Ben V]

Ken,
Can you post a shopping list of what you needed to refinish your scooter? Have you figured out which clearcoat is best? I think I'm going to do mine this summer.

Ben

[cys]

Not sure if this has been mentioned somewhere here... in some circles people do a couple of things before (or in place of) the zinc chromate primer, namely, alumiprep no. 33 and then alodine 1201. These items can be had from Aircraft Spruce in Corona, CA.