Bicycle painting

I'm rehabbing a pair of 20" wheel mountain bikes for my twin boys for their 7th birthday. One of the bikes is technically a girls model Scott Contessa 20. The frame is masculine enough, just needs a new paint job. So I'm planning to re-paint both bikes.

What's my best bet here? Paint? Powder coat? I do have a compressor and a Harbor Freight HVLP gun, but I have little experience with it and even less with real quality paint (I've only shot Rustoleum through it). I'd like the paint jobs to look good. I'm willing to put in the time and effort, but realistically would like to spend $50 or less on each bike. I figure that's about what it would cost to get them powder coated locally.

I get lost in the single stage, base/clear, hardener, reducer, activator stuff. Then I only find color in quart or gallon sizes. How much paint would I need to paint small bike frames (ideally I'd paint them different colors)? Does anyone sell small quantities of automotive quality paint?

I think the answer is powder coat. But the paint adventure might be fun and this might be a good opportunity to learn. Your thoughts?

Rattle cans will be fine for that job. Results are as good as your prep.

In reply to twolittlebroncos:

Rattlecan car paint--single stage. Wet sand and hand polish with some sort of mild/medium polish. It'll come out great--I promise.

I'd do my boys bikes in box liner in a heartbeat!

seems like a good time to let the kids learn how spray paint works.. let them pick the colors and let them decorate them however they see fit.. even if it isn't show quality, they will already know what it feels like to say "i made that. it's mine"..

It's hard to paint tubing with perfect results, but is that what you need?

I have a couple of old Schwinn Sting Rays that I've been thinking of having powder coated, but I've heard that for restorations, it may be hard to get the water transfer decals to stick to the powder coating.

I'd probably go with powder coating, but in your case the cost would likely be far more than the value of the bikes.

Ian F wrote: I'd probably go with powder coating, but in your case the cost would likely be far more than the value of the bikes.

The value in this project is measured in happiness not dollars.

Go with the most durable, which I would think is powder coat.

You can always let them plastidip/elastiwrap in the future if they get tired of the colors.

I plastidipped my girl's scooter. Doesn't last super long, but that just give an opportunity to re-style. Suoer easy prep too.

gamby wrote: In reply to twolittlebroncos: Rattlecan car paint--single stage. Wet sand and hand polish with some sort of mild/medium polish. It'll come out great--I promise.

I did this once, I agree.