Matching paint colour for replacement fork for donor bike (or alternatively a diy V-brake mount)

[jonathan75]

I realise this isn't quite a pedelec thing, but it has arisen in the context of my buying a donor bike to convert. It is a lovely bike, a Dahon Cadenza with an Alfine 8 rear hub gear, but is quite scratched, and I may have to replace the front fork to fit a Xiongda motor, as mine has no V-brake fittings.

Does anyone know please where to get good colour matching? Would a motor sprayer be a good person to approach? The 'try different paints' route as recommended by Dahon won't do.

Alternatively, I've read about people fitting V-brake mounts on forks which don't have them, by carving them off old suspension forks with an angle-grinder, then drilling holes in them and fitting them onto the destination fork with jubilee clips. Does this sound insane or perhaps the better option than buying a new miscoloured fork and possibly paying big bucks for it to be resprayed?

 

[john h]

jonathan , you can buy v brake bosses on ebay, drill holes and use a riv nut (ebay) as for the paint most car paint company should be able to match the color, or you could try bankrupt bike parts for forks they tend to have old stock on which most of these fitments are on

 

[Alan Quay]

jonathan , you can buy v brake bosses on ebay, drill holes and use a riv nut (ebay) as for the paint most car paint company should be able to match the color, or you could try bankrupt bike parts for forks they tend to have old stock on which most of these fitments are on

Can you really trust rivnuts on brake bosses?

BTW, I'm not being sarcastic, or intending to criticise as I've never used them.

I hate looking at a bike where the frame and forks are different colours. Even expensive bikes seem happy with this. I think it looks cheap.

 

[flecc]

I've read about people fitting V-brake mounts on forks which don't have them, by carving them off old suspension forks with an angle-grinder, then drilling holes in them and fitting them onto the destination fork with jubilee clips.

I wouldn't trust either Jubilee clips or rivnuts to hold a front of fork mounted brake under braking strain, it would be an accident waiting to happen.

However, on some fork and frame combinations there's room to fit the brake on the rear of the fork, thrusting into the fork under braking, and then rivnuts would be ok. This might be difficult to do on some suspension forks though.
.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I don't think it will be economically viable to have a paint sprayer match and spray your forks. There will probably be a minimum quantity of paint to buy.

 

[john h]

mike iv used rivenuts on brake bosses a few times in the past but having said that iv also bronze welded them to, mostly so i could fit a front carrier, d8veh is right about buying car paint i think its 1/2 ltr min.