Painting a 1931 Model 19

Being a cheapskate I used Tetrosyl silver wheel paint for my 1952 ES2. It's petrol reistant and has a nice satin finish.

http://www.iansoady.org.uk/Norton/images/finished03.jpg

Lining is with One Shot lining enamel which I've had in the shed for donkeys' years.

I've now tidied up the slight bleeds on some of the lines.

The earlier saddle tanks had the red line outside the black. So the red was on the chrome and probably didn't last as long as the customers might have wished. So after 1935 (I think - but please check is relevant) the red was moved inside so it was on the silver paint so as to last a bit longer.

Classic Transfers do lots of different Norton tank side transfers. You need to be very careful to select the correct one for your date or it won't look quite right.

Have you looked at the vintagenorton web site for lots of pictures of singles?

Ian's lining looks very nice I think. Better than stick on pin stripes. But yours should have the red outside the black.

My transfers were from Classic Transfers - not cheap but better quality than I've had previously from VMCC and elsewhere.

Did Norton use a red stripe in 31? I thought it was 32. Period Photo's of my 31 Model 20 show which I think is silver on the inside with Black boarder

Must see! I've been browsing the 'vintagenorton' web site and they have posted Norton publicity leaflets from the early 30's. The 1932 and 1932 leaflets DO show the red line on the INSIDE! These are artists' impressions but presumably realistic.

Previously David Cooper wrote:

Must see! I've been browsing the 'vintagenorton' web site and they have posted Norton publicity leaflets from the early 30's. The 1932 and 1932 leaflets DO show the red line on the INSIDE! These are artists' impressions but presumably realistic.

I have the original sales catalogues back to 1923 and they all show an inner, thin red line. In fact the 1928 catalogue is just of the petrol tank. The painter may have forgotten to stripe the red on a tank or two. Some times the bikes left the factory with the red line outside the black.

I think that it was only the '35-38 road models that had the red line outside. I did my '38 model the other way round because I prefer it and from what I have seen, more durable.