painting my trunk

[oneshot]

i have one of these http://www.murphskits.com/bags/46grey.jpg on the way and i want to paint the top (grey part) red to match the color of the bike. the trunk is made from plastic, maybe (abs?).

anyone have any tips for me? like what kind of primer/paint is best to use? anything special concerning surface prep?

[GOPHER]

Sorry, I just saw this post or I would have chimed in sooner. If your not experienced with automotive paints and don't have the right equipment I would take it to a reputable bodyshop. There are too many things involed to explain here but you could make a serious mess out of your new bag if you don't know what your doing. Not to mention the amount of equipment, supplies, and knowlege of how to use everything, that you would need to do even a small job like this. Your ST is too nice a bike to put anything other than perfection on it. I've been doing paint and body for 14 years so please just trust me on this one.

If you do take it to a shop there are some things to consider. It appears that it will come already painted grey so there is no need for priming, (assuming this grey color is paint and not raw colorformed plastic). It should only need to be wet sanded, taped, sealed, and painted. The labor for this should be no more than about 1.5 hours. Bodyshops in different areas have different labor rates so it's hard to tell you what it will cost. If the shop wants more than 1.5 hours to paint it you should be suspicious and maybe go somewhere else.

I don't mean to be condescending I'm just trying to be realstic and help a fellow rider out. Hope it works out for you.

~~NATE~~