The FAQ and Tips section contains our most asked questions along with answers. You will also find some tips that will also help you decide on a painter or paint shop to choose to paint your bike. Have a question you don’t see listed? Feel free to contact us.
Car and Truck Painting FAQ's (4)
Yes we do. Our main forte` is motorcycles, but if you check out our Auto Painting page, you will see some jobs we have done.
We cover the Tampa Bay, Florida area.
Yes we can. If it’s minor, we will sandblast the rust. If it’s major, we will need to cut out the area and weld in a patch.
Yes we do. We can do paint and bodywork on the older cars. You can see some of the cars and trucks we’ve done here.
Don’t need the complete car painted? No problem. We can paint, one, two, three, or as many panels as you need.
The most common problem we see with 5-10 year old paint jobs is that the top surfaces have the clearcoat getting thin and peeling off of the basecoat. Sometimes, we can get away with just taking care of those panels and blending into the adjacent panels. Of course sometimes, the cost will be very close into just getting a complete paint job.
We also do bodywork, so if you have a ding, dent, or need a panel replaced, we can repair and repaint it for you.
Stop on by and we’ll give you an honest opinion of which way to go.
Misc FAQ's (13)
If you cannot pick up your car, truck, parts, or motorcycle within 5 days of being notified of completion, there is a charge of $25 per day. To be paid in cash
We are located in Pinellas Park, Florida which is west of Tampa on the west coast of Florida. You can see some maps here.
St Pete/Clearwater International airport is within 20 minutes of us if you would like to fly in and visit us.
Map courtesy of Mapquest.
Map courtesy of Mapquest
Painting cars normally takes 4 days if it just needs a paint job
If it is more involved with bodywork or an older care, completion time could be 10-30 days
Motorcycle spot jobs normally take 3-5 work days
Custom paint jobs normally take 15-25 work days
We use only the finest paint products available. We use both PPG and also House of Kolor (HOK). Both are polyurethane basecoat/clearcoat systems.
We mainly use House of Kolor for our tri-stage candy paint jobs. Although some of the newer Harley paint jobs require PPG paints in order to match
Yes, you can choose any paint job you find in the Samples of Work (or the Signature Sets section), and we can apply this on your sheetmetal. Keep in mind, that your parts are a different shape than what is shown, so please do not expect the exact same flame layout. We will also get the colors as close as possible.
As long as your paint is in perfect condition, we can prep the parts, do the graphics, then reclear the parts. These will also be wetsanded, buffed and polished so you cannot feel any graphic edges. Though it will save you some money, not much, because most of the time and labor are into the flame work and the finish work. Please keep in mind that if you have pinstripes or decals on your original paint and we are painting flames or other artwork, we will not be able to use the original basecoat because we’ll need to sand off the stripes/decals.
No, we will not guarantee a specific completion timeframe for an upcoming show. Too many factors come into play to guarantee a delivery date.
Also, please do not ask us when you should set up an appointment with the person installing your new tins.
We use to do what we called our “Signature Sets” which were pre-painted sets you could purchase. Due to all the different variations of fitment for the Harley parts, we no longer do this. You would need to ship your original set or purchase a set and ship it to us.
Possibly you can find a set on ebay
[xyz-ips snippet=”Harley-Tank-Set”]
No, your job will not be exactly the same. Different factors are taken in consideration when doing a flame layouts. Also, keep in mind, these are all hand laid out, so they will not be the same as a job you chose.
The job you chose may also appear shown on a different type bike than yours. Different size fenders, tanks, will also make the flame layout differ from the one you chose.
No…The Double Dose is optional and is not included in the price we give you. Every job that goes out of our shop has a custom paint that that you cannot feel any graphic or flame edge. We wetsand and buff all jobs to ensure a quality “show” finish. The Double Dose increases the thickness above the graphics and flames (the thicker the graphics/flames, the more we suggest it). You can read more on the Double Dose here.
Also not included in the estimate we send you is the bar and shield, logos, emblems, decals, skulls, reapers, eagles or any other optional add-ons. Price given in our quote will be for the paint job and materials only…not any add-ons or unless noted in the quote.
At this time, no… you can send your parts to us at anytime. It would help if you could at least email us, letting us know you are sending your set to be painted. Once we receive your set, we will email you and let you know we received them. As soon as we get them and have received your deposit, the custom paint process will begin.
Well… I started an automotive site (e-Parts Source) back in about 1997. I also included a special “Flames” section within that site that had a “Flames How-To” section along with what I called the “Flames Board” which was a forum for visitors who wanted to do their own paint or Flame jobs. They could come to the “Flames Board” and ask specific questions about flames and custom painting..
I also had some pictures of jobs I did throughout the years. Not many, but enough to show visitors what I have done and what I could do.
Then I started getting requests to do side jobs…At first I said no, because I was too busy with my real auto paint job, and had no way of doing any side jobs. Then I got the opportunity to do some side jobs at a dealership I worked at in Clearwater. Only then did I decide to add an “estimate form” in the Custom Flames section. More and more hits started coming to the site, so I thought it would be a wise decision to get the domain name of “customflamepainting.com”.
Since then, I have revamped the site a few times to make sure that users have a better understanding of who we are and what we can do. My main domain now is attitudecustompainting.com
Included with a full paint job are some pictures we take right after the job is completed and also when finished
If you are getting a ‘spot job’ we can email you some pictures once the job is completed.
If you would like additional pictures for your picture album, to learn the process, to show your wife, to keep your mind at ease, or any other reason, we can do so for an additional cost.
For $30, we will take pictures of ‘some’ of the steps involved. We will resize these and email them to you.
The $30 will be added to your bill.
Motorcycle FAQ's (8)
We suggest visiting your local “auto body shop supply store”. There you will find various color chip books to look through. If you are interested in “candy” type colors, you may want to see if you can take a look at the “House of Kolor color chip chart”. If you find a color you like, be sure and get the color codes of of the chart. Be sure and also Visit our “Samples of Work” section
Because we take great care in packing your sheetmetal for the return trip back, it can take 2 hours or more to pack a job to help ensure that the fresh paint is protected from potential shipping damage as much as possible. To help cover the costs of labor and materials involved in packing, we do charge a handling fee based on the following:
$15 – less than 3 pieces (minimum charge)
$30 – 3 – 5 pieces
$60 – more than 5 pieces
Yes, you can choose any paint job you find in the Samples of Work (or the Signature Sets section), and we can apply this on your sheetmetal. Keep in mind, that your parts are a different shape than what is shown, so please do not expect the exact same flame layout. We will also get the colors as close as possible.
As long as your paint is in perfect condition, we can prep the parts, do the graphics, then reclear the parts. These will also be wetsanded, buffed and polished so you cannot feel any graphic edges. Though it will save you some money, not much, because most of the time and labor are into the flame work and the finish work. Please keep in mind that if you have pinstripes or decals on your original paint and we are painting flames or other artwork, we will not be able to use the original basecoat because we’ll need to sand off the stripes/decals.
No, we will not guarantee a specific completion timeframe for an upcoming show. Too many factors come into play to guarantee a delivery date.
Also, please do not ask us when you should set up an appointment with the person installing your new tins.
We use to do what we called our “Signature Sets” which were pre-painted sets you could purchase. Due to all the different variations of fitment for the Harley parts, we no longer do this. You would need to ship your original set or purchase a set and ship it to us.
Possibly you can find a set on ebay
[xyz-ips snippet=”Harley-Tank-Set”]
No, your job will not be exactly the same. Different factors are taken in consideration when doing a flame layouts. Also, keep in mind, these are all hand laid out, so they will not be the same as a job you chose.
The job you chose may also appear shown on a different type bike than yours. Different size fenders, tanks, will also make the flame layout differ from the one you chose.
No…The Double Dose is optional and is not included in the price we give you. Every job that goes out of our shop has a custom paint that that you cannot feel any graphic or flame edge. We wetsand and buff all jobs to ensure a quality “show” finish. The Double Dose increases the thickness above the graphics and flames (the thicker the graphics/flames, the more we suggest it). You can read more on the Double Dose here.
Also not included in the estimate we send you is the bar and shield, logos, emblems, decals, skulls, reapers, eagles or any other optional add-ons. Price given in our quote will be for the paint job and materials only…not any add-ons or unless noted in the quote.
Payment FAQ's (7)
All checks and Money orders are to be made out to:
“Attitude Custom Painting, Inc.”
All checks and Money orders are to be made out to:
“Attitude Custom Painting, Inc.”
We accept all major credit cards.
We also accept Paypal ( acppaypal@attitudecustompainting.com )
Florida residents will need to pay state tax of 6% plus any county surtax.
You will also get charged tax if you live out of state, and pick up your set here at Attitude Custom Painting
Shipping costs are not included in the paint cost.
This way, you can also choose which type of shipping you would like. Most choose ‘ground’, but you could go 2 or 3 day if you would like.
Each job is estimated differently. We take in consideration the following in order to write your estimate.
- what bike you have
- what parts you want painted
- if any bodywork involved
- labor involved in the paint job you would like.
- material cost
For a free estimate, please feel free to fill out our estimate form.
Yes we do.
There is 3% additional charge if you use Paypal.
4% charge for international Paypal payments.
Shipping FAQ's (6)
Go ahead and pack your set (see packing tips elsewhere in the FAQ’s). Please include in the box, either a printout of the estimate including the job we are going to do for you, or a letter with a detailed description of your job. Once we receive your parts, we will email you to let you know they have arrived.
Then you can call with your cc info for the deposit
If you would like to snail mail a check for the deposit, this is also fine. Enclose this in one of the boxes (taped to a lid), or you can mail it separately.
We can use the shipping company of your choice. We prefer UPS though as they stop by here most everyday.
Of course if you are APO or FPO, then we will be using USPS
Shipping companies we have used
UPS
DHL
TNT
FedEx
USPS
All this is very important…so please read!
Be sure and use good sturdy boxes for packing. Please make sure to leave enough room in your shipping boxes when you do the the packing. We will pack a little more loosely* since your parts have fairly fresh paint on them. Use as many boxes as necessary. Most of the time 2 will do – one for the fenders and the other for the tank. Average shipping cost is about $40-$70 for UPS Ground, so don’t skimp here.
You can get shipping boxes from places like your local U-Haul, or a local business supply store. It is best to wrap your parts in a “bubble” type wrap, then use Styrofoam “peanuts” as filler. Be sure and try to purchase the “bigger” type bubble wrap. 1/2″ is fine. The smaller bubble wrap is for smaller items like side covers, emblems, possibly a dash…
If you have fiberglass fenders. It is a very good idea to make a “prop” for the inside of the fenders, so it goes on the inside from one side to the other. This way, if a very heavy package sets on top of yours during shipping, your fender will not have a chance of bending and cracking.
We were informed from a source with UPS that most damaged shipments are caused by boxes that do not have enough filler material in them, making them unsturdy. The damage comes from the conveyor belts that will sometimes push boxes together. If a box is not sturdy enough, the result can be damage to the box and possible the item in the box. Writing “Fragile” or other wording does not help (conveyor belts don’t read). The best box to use is either a new box or if you have the manufacturer’s box in still sturdy. Please do not leave air pockets, make sure the entire box has filler material in it. The best filler materials are Styrofoam “peanuts”, solid Styrofoam pieces, cardboard pieces, or crumpled paper (such as paper bags & newspaper).
If you aren’t comfortable with packing your parts, have your local packing supply store do it for you.
*When I say loosely, I mean parts are not on top of each other, but yet, they are still “tight” because they have Styrofoam filler around the parts to keep them from moving.
In order to avoid an additional charge (or any damage to hardware during shipping), please be sure and remove all hardware including, but not limited to caps, fuel pump, lights, trim, petcocks, gauges (wiring can remain on tanks and inside rear fenders ), grommets, and any other hardware. In other words, if it’s not painted, be sure and remove it.
If you leave your fuel pump in, you will ship at your own risf. We will not remove it during the prep, paint and buffing process.
Our shipping address is
Attitude Custom Painting
6565 44 St N.
Suite 1011
Pinellas Park, Fl.
33781
Please mark the front of your front fender by placing a piece of tape on the underside with “front” on it. Some fenders are very hard to tell the front from the rear (of the front fender). If you are sending side covers, you might want to mark those as well (include left and right, also a top and bottom;>). Better safe than sorry!
Of course, in most cases, we can easily tell which is the front of the front fender.
Be sure and use good sturdy boxes.
DO NOT pack the parts tight.
Use bubble wrap to wrap the parts. Then use ‘peanuts’ to fill the void around the parts. You want the parts to be sturdy within the box. So the parts do not move around within the box.
use packing tape to seal the box. Be sure and also use transparent packing tape over the shipping label.
Shopping Tips (5)
Think twice before you decide to go with a local shop just to try to save a buck! Why? I see time and time again emails from people who thought they were saving a buck to get their job done locally, only to find out that…
#1) either the job doesn’t get finished;
#2) the job was not completed to expectations (especially if you took some pics of our work in for them to try to copy); or
#3) the company went out of business. As a result, these people are stuck in a situation they didn’t anticipate would happen and now they contact me requesting help in correcting the problems.
Please take a look at our website. I personally designed every page of this website. I didn’t hire a web design company to do this site. Most competitors either do it themselves (and fail at either promoting or updating their site) or hire someone to ‘spruce’ up their company. Here is the approach when you hire a web design firm to do a website…I paint bikes, make me look good! Our work and website speaks for itself. Our website is updated frequently with new paint jobs and feedback from our customers who either send us photos of their bikes or testimonials. My staff and I take a lot of pride in our art and work very hard at providing a satisfactory experience for our customers. With the internet, contact with us is just a click away. During the paint process, you will receive a couple sets of photos (progress photos and final photos). Plus, we are available by email and phone.
As for the money savings, the average shipping costs for a 3-4 piece set runs an average of about $70-$100 each way (UPS ground) depending on the size of the tins. If you are willing to pay good, hard earned money on a paint job, why skimp now? If you are concerned with your tins being damaged in shipment, our shipping record is impeccable as far as shipping back your newly painted tins and we plan to keep it that way! Please don’t let that be a factor that keeps you from doing business with us.
Please keep in mind that if you go with a local, unproven painter, you risk having to pay twice (or a lot more than what we quoted!) for a paint job if it doesn’t turn out to be what you wanted. Why chance it? Go with the best! Still have doubts… be sure and visit our Testimonial Section
Thank you…
Scott Farrell
Attitude Custom Painting
In the close up photos you want to be able to see perfect reflections. This goes for all the graphic work and also the base paintwork. If you see distortion where outlines or edges are in the graphics, this tells you that the paint job is not “flat” and that you will probably be able to feel the paint lines. Also if the reflection is distorted on the base, this could be from orange peel in the paint. If the photos aren’t taken close enough to even see this, be wary!
Anyone can make a bad paint job look good in pics!!!! If it looks bad in pictures, it’s usually even worse in person.
Good close-up photos will also tell you how straight the parts are. Look at the reflections!!!! Be sure and see the pics below for ‘reflection shots’. I downsized these just to give you an idea, but even in these pics, you can see a perfect reflection.
Be sure the painter or custom paint shop deals with motorcycles. If they mainly do autos, you will probably be put in a corner and used as ‘filler’ for when they have nothing to do. Do they have actual custom motorcycle paint jobs ‘in-house’ they can show you?
Also, is a majority of their work shown on ice cream makers, golf carts, toilet seats, mail boxes….?
Could it be that they use these to gain experience to actually do painting on motorcycles?
Could it be that they use these to gain experience to actually do painting on motorcycles?
Have you seen pics of their flames? Be sure and ask for some recent jobs that were done. Each painter has their own style of flames. Make sure it is their style you like.
Be sure if you are looking at pics with fancy backgrounds with special effects lighting, to try to visualize the set/paint job in ‘real world’ conditions. After all, your bike will really spend most of it’s time in the outdoors (and in your garage). So be sure and take WHERE the pictures were taken in consideration.
Also observe the backgrounds of the pictures taken out doors. Obviously if they take the pictures in their front yard or driveway, you are probably getting a ‘side-jobber’ special that was sprayed in their garage…or even outdoors!
Spray Booth Rental FAQ's (13)
Typical single stage, basecoat/clearcoat and tri-stage paints.
NO bedliner type material or metalflake jobs!!!
In between 3-6 days is suggested.
Though you can set a date earlier, it’s not advised as we do not know our work load. Also, please don’t wait until the last minute to request a date to rent our spray booth.
If you do set a date and you are one hour later than the start time without calling, we assume you do not need the booth. You will lose your deposit.
As long as I have it in stock.
If you need tape, paper, plastic, sealer, reducer…I can sell you some
Or you can run up to Ben’s paint supply and purchase if needed.
Yes, I can rent one of my Iwata LPH-400 spray guns. These run about $500 and will surely spray better than your Harbor Freight $40 gun.
Cost is $30 to rent. Please let us know ahead of time if you need to rent the gun.
Some ‘basic’ tips for the do-it-yourselfers
- Be sure to have the car, truck or motorcycle parts completely ready to paint
- If you got a lot of dust on the inside of the car and in the jams, be sure and clean and blow it out first.
- Be sure and clean any primer overspray off your weatherstripping or glass before painting your car. This is easier to do before your vehicle gets painted
- If you are doing some parts off the car, you might want to paint those first. Example, you can paint the 2 bumpers and spoiler first. Let them sit for an hour or so while you are masking the car outside the booth. Then you can bring out the parts and put the car in.
- Just getting started on your project? Be sure and check out my favorite tools to use in auto body. You can purchase them on Amazon and get them quickly.
If you go over the allotted time it’s a $30 fee per half hour.
EXAMPLE: If your time ends at 5PM and you paint until 5:15, you will be charged $30
Yes, you can. If you rent it for the day, you can paint whatever you have to paint.
If you have 2 cars to paint, you can do this, but of course you must be able to get them done within the alloted time. Doing 2 cars will be pushing it for most though. If you had the cars outlined in tape and had them completely ready and you are efficient, you can get 2 done.
If you have motorcycle sets, I’ve painted a few all at one time. You can pretty much fit about 15 parts in the both.
This is up to you. Most hobby painters take about 2-3 hours to mask and then about 4 hours to paint.
Sometimes less, sometimes more.
If in doubt, I would recommend a full day. This way you won’t feel rushed
Yes, you can leave whatever you are painting overnight. You must be able to pick it up early in the morning. We an discuss time once you are here painting.
If you leave a car or truck, you must leave the keys with us.
Of course, if you decide to take it home that same day you can do that as well. This is as long as you are out of the shop by end of your rented timeframe
Price includes wheel covers, paint stands if needed, air and air hose, small folding stairs (2 if needed)
Small paint bench for you to mix your paint on.
Adjustable blower, and spray gun fitting if needed.
I have sliding chains with small hoods if needed installed on the both ceiling
Masking machine (you will need to supply your 3/4″ tape and paper
What is does not include.
Paint and materials, respirator, cleaner, tack rag.
You must supply your own respirator.
If you have your car, truck, or motorcycle all prepped and you just can’t pull the trigger, or you chicken out, yes, I can paint it for you.
You supply the materials, and we’ll mask and paint it for you
You will not need to pay the spray booth rental fee on this.
You can see info here
Our spray booth is a cross-flow (no-heat)
It has approx 50 bulbs so it is well lit.
Both is 23′ long.
The entrance to the booth is 8′ 10″ high be 10′ wide. I’ve had a dually crew cab in the booth before
You will be required to abide to the following rules:
- Only one person allowed in the booth when spraying
- Only one other person is allowed in the shop, The second person is only allowed to help mask (or unmask) or final prep. Once this is done, they must leave or, they can stand around the front door and watch you paint it through the viewing glass.
- You must bring all your cleaning thinner
- You must supply ALL our own materials (if you find you do not have something, we can either order it for you or if we have it in stock already, you can purchase it.). See the link for the printable material checklist below.
- You must bring your own garbage bag for cleanup
- If two people will be here, at least one person must speak and understand english.
- If you cannot be within one hour of your starting time for the booth rental. Please call us!
- You must supply your own safety equipment
- If you need to wetsand some areas, please bring your own spray bottle.
- You will be required to sign a waiver
- All work must be completed at the above ending time of rental (full day or 2nd slot 1/2 day) or 12PM (1/2 day weekday)
- If you run over the alloted time, it will run $30 per 1/2 hour
- No smoking or alcohol allowed on the premises
- No metalflake or rhino liner type painting
- You must supply all your own drinks (including water)
- If you rent my spray guns, you are responsible for cleaning the guns after using them.
- If you paint a boat, trike body, or or a ‘roller’, you will be responsible for pulling it out of the booth and loading
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