Advice on complementary color for fork?
 

I'm working on another project, this time the frame and fork were purchased separately. The fork was fully painted a hideous color, and seeing that it had some chrome underneath, I stripped it. The crown and shoulders were obviously properly prepped for paint at some time in the past, but the chrome below that is nice.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ek_930_002.jpg

My goal is to paint the upper part of the fork some color that goes well with the medium green of the frame. I don't think it is worth a color-match, and I probably would not be satisfied with a near-match result. Due to the condition of the frame, this will be a beater build, so a careful rattle-can job will suffice.

Any comments on what color would go well with a medium green with fine silver flake metallic? Note that the picture is a bit washed-out, the green is deeper than it looks (I don't know how to use my camera :o). Nissan ultra-yellow comes to mind (yellow with fine gold flake), but I'm not sure I can get that in a rattle can.

A not ugly semigloss-closer-to-matte gold?

Like something that would match the gold on the head badge and/or Columbus sticker?

White will match the logo, without having to do a color match. Maybe even add a black stripe.

I agree with white... or a metallic dark blue...

And some gumwall tires! silver components.

exactly.

How about a metallic/pearl white, then fill in the lug cutouts with black? I still have good metallic black touch-up paint from my Serotta.

Maybe.

Already collecting those :thumb:

silver fork.

Silver metallic with gold to fill in the lug cutouts? I like the idea of silver, but I am leaving the lowers chrome and not sure how silver will look next to chrome, thinking it needs more contrast than that. Maybe a gold band between the paint and chrome?

(I know I'm making this difficult :p )

Purple. Paint all of it purple.

I had a Kawasaki Ninja that was green with purple accents.

NO.

^ There it is.

Thanks! And maybe fill/line the lugs with gold/black?

(and thanks for the link in your sig, I have been trying to ID an old Lotus with no serial number, maybe it will help)

You're welcome. If you post a photo of the Lotus, I may be able to help. If you check out the Lotus 3000R on my website, it has a similar color combination to your bike. But the Trek is nicer with the chrome and fork style.

This came to me as a frameset, older repaint, no decals, Hsin Lung fork, and the only reason I think it is a Lotus is the seatstays:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../Lotus_005.jpg

Looks kind of like the Elite posted on your website.

(thread derailed)

http://designwashere.com/design/wp-c...olor-wheel.jpg

Red is the only complementary color.

I guess it's more of a pink-

http://i.imgur.com/kSups.jpg

Watermelon man!

not feeling the white on the fork.
i would do black with chrome ends, then build everything around it with black and silver components.

Ahhhhhh, a little thread derail never hurt anybody.

It does look like a Pacific Cycles bike built for Lotus in Taiwan. Probably an Elite if it has forged dropouts. Pacific Cycles built the entry-level Lotus bikes from about 1982 until 1984-85-ish. They built the Elite, Elan, Prestige, some versions of the Special and possibly the Sprint track bike. Many Pacific Cycles models have the serial number on the seat tube near the bottom bracket. We also have seen some examples of Pacific Cycles bare frames and/or warranty frames being sold and they can carry odd or no serial numbers.

This is going to be one sexy bike. What components you going for?

(for some reason I thought you would be turning this into a road bike)

I think it would look amazing with that white fork in the image. Would ride in a heartbeat...

I don't know . . . I think the black looks harsh . . . .

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...k_930_0031.jpg

The black looks cheap. White FTW.

Mix of vintage and modern. Already have S3X rear and Sunshine front hubs laced to CR18 polished rims, SR SP-11 pedals, these NR cranks and BB

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ek_930_007.jpg

and these brakes

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ek_930_006.jpg

:D
all need cleaning up, (and new brake pads of course). More parts are on the way, including Nitto RM016 moustache bar. I went on a buying spree after I sold my Scrambler :cry:.

Tomorrow while I am in town, I will stop by the crafts store and check out their selection of paints. I'm hoping to get this fork threaded and cut, and start painting this weekend.

How about an offwhite/cream color.