Rust and Zolatone.

[minor_LEGEND]

Hiya. I'm renovating a Zolatone finish framed Marin with new decals, the finish is generally ggod but along the top tube & one or two other areas there is surface rust bubbling through. Anyone have any rust treatment tips, products to use or indeed avoid?

 

[baron von greenback]

Theres not a lot you can do without going throught the paint if you can get under paint through a bubble you could syringe rust converter in it to try stop it spreading or go through to frame and redo paint

 

[Tootyred]

Problem with zolotone was it was porous. So what your seeing is rust forming under the paint layer them blooming through.

It was a stupid idea from the start. Fine in California....crap in catford!

Every zolotone ive stripped has been worse under the paint than on top.....the opposite of most frames, as they can literally rust without real paint damage. Its why you see them with that patchy all over rust thing happening when they get really bad.

Rag and some acf50 may help stop it getting worse as it seems to be absorbed into the paint. Problem will be keeping the decals on! They all fell off in the first place due to the zolotone being too rough and the water getting behind them.

One of the guys has some reasonable success with slightly rough powdercoat product......

 

[Hezza]

My thoughts on the Zolatone painted bikes are;
These are by far my favourite looking colour schemes.
The rust is a nightmare because you don't know how bad it is under the paint.
In my limited experience, new decals are a waste, even if they do stick it won't be for long.
They are difficult to impossible to colour match for touch ups.

That being said if my wife would let me get another bike a 90/91 Marin would be at the top of the list.