| Author | Message | ||
| mike 308 (Concorde)
Junior Member Username: Concorde Post Number: 171 Registered: 8-2002 |
Never heard back from Juan via email or here, so I presume his helmets are NOT "SA" rated so not acceptable for track use. OK, I want mine painted, even if we don't get three guys for the discount. I'll shoot you an email. | ||
| Mike Charness (Mcharness)
Member Username: Mcharness Post Number: 458 Registered: 8-2002 |
If you need a full face SA2000 helmet (DES?), RacerWholesale in Georgia just put their GForce helmets on sale. They were $240 last month, now are just $189 -- That's what I paid for my open face helmet! A full range of sizes is available at the moment. See their website by clicking here. If they fit, they should be great for the occasional track'r. | ||
| mike 308 (Concorde)
Junior Member Username: Concorde Post Number: 169 Registered: 8-2002 |
Juan: But are they SA2000 rated for track use? What model/kind of actual helmet are used for the paint job? Most seem to be motorcycle helmets, not SA rated and thus not suitable for Ferrari track events. | ||
| juan jose (Meteoreman)
New member Username: Meteoreman Post Number: 4 Registered: 4-2003 |
.....you want a replica o the M SCHUMACHER helmet just contact me at [email protected] i have the best replica helmets | ||
| Mike Charness (Mcharness)
Member Username: Mcharness Post Number: 451 Registered: 8-2002 |
KZ, I like the M3 very much. However, when this helmet "expires" I think I may try the M2/Pro to get a larger face opening. Actually, most of the time I use my Bell Mag 4 which is an open faced helmet, since it's much more comfortable in a closed cockpit. | ||
| Mike Charness (Mcharness)
Member Username: Mcharness Post Number: 450 Registered: 8-2002 |
Nika, yep, and I appreciate it, but the guy you originally gave me that did yours and that you mentioned in your article quoted me $550 and a 6 to 8 week delivery time! That's why I decided to do it myself. | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 893 Registered: 12-2001 |
I finally tracked down a name of a good helmet painter (as you requested in your e-mail to me before) and NOW you are doing the painting yourself, Mike? You did a great job ....I'll keep you in mind for my new helmet | ||
| Kz (Kzma)
New member Username: Kzma Post Number: 25 Registered: 3-2003 |
Sorry, I see that its an M3. What is your impression of that helmet? I am definitely interested in having a helmet painted by you. Please email me the details when you get a free moment. Thanks | ||
| Kz (Kzma)
New member Username: Kzma Post Number: 24 Registered: 3-2003 |
Mike What model helmet is that in your original pics? | ||
| Mike Charness (Mcharness)
Member Username: Mcharness Post Number: 447 Registered: 8-2002 |
Regarding "group pricing deal", if there are at least 3 F-chatters who want theirs done at the same time, I'll do them for $300 each instead of $350. The patterns don't have to be identical if you're sticking to the main red/orange/yellow/white colors plus maybe one additional. Prancing horse, top grid and starbursts are included in that price. If you want to cut the price down further, you can take off another $30 if you want just a solid color top panel (or solid color with gold antiquing, which I also put in the grid on mine). Any kind of Schumacher or Barrichello variations or similar is fine, not counting the ads, though they can be done for extra. I'm flexible... feel free to be original; all you need is a picture or sketch or good description of what you want. One of the things that I did was to take a digital picture of my helmet and start "painting" it with a graphics program to generally see how the color pattern would look. You could do the same thing with colored pencils on a paper copy. Contact me off-list at [email protected] or via the website link in my profile. And again, if you decide to paint your own and have any questions that I haven't covered in my earlier posts, just ask! | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 891 Registered: 12-2001 |
Eddie Irvines..... it gave me 5mph more speed when he drove for Ferrari | ||
| mike 308 (Concorde)
Junior Member Username: Concorde Post Number: 168 Registered: 8-2002 |
Nika: Whose scribbled signature is that on the side? Yours, or the painters? | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 890 Registered: 12-2001 |
 | ||
| mike 308 (Concorde)
Junior Member Username: Concorde Post Number: 167 Registered: 8-2002 |
Too cool, and a good price at $350 considering the cost of materials and all the labor. The guy who did Nika's helmet quoted me $500 for something like this one. But if several of us do it at the same time, can we do even better with a "group rate"?? Anyone else want to go for it? | ||
| Mike Charness (Mcharness)
Member Username: Mcharness Post Number: 443 Registered: 8-2002 |
Aaron: The price quote I got on a Schumacher paint job with all the ads (and they're all painted, not decals) ranged from between $795 as the lowest bid, to $1295. And of course that doesn't include the helmet itself, only the paint job. However, if you just want one that isn't a higher quality helmet (isn't SA rated and can't be used on the track), you can get one from Brazil or Asia where the painters work cheap, selling on eBay. I looked at that, and would have considered it had it been a higher quality helmet. You can see a couple of different ones that sold for around $600 each at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2720900533 and http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2721681457 They're probably fine for street motorcycle use, but I don't know if they're even DOT rated. | ||
| Aaron Williams (Aawil)
Junior Member Username: Aawil Post Number: 137 Registered: 8-2002 |
I was thinking a couple weeks ago if this was possible. Ironically I was looking at new motorcycle helmets today. I don't really have a use for a red helmet yet though. But Damn 'd love to have a Shumacher replica with decals and all. Guess i'm going to have to keep this post in mind. | ||
| Mike Charness (Mcharness)
Member Username: Mcharness Post Number: 442 Registered: 8-2002 |
Thanks guys. Des, if you keep it simple, you could actually do all of it with aerosol spray cans. No detailing would be possible that way, like the prancing horse or the grid on the top with the starbursts, but you could do color panels separated by lines of some color. Your final clear coat won't be as "deep" nor as chip resistant if you're using stuff that comes in spray cans, but those can still be hand color sanded and hand polished to get the perfect high gloss you'd want. If someone wants this type of job done (or something similar in complexity and number of colors), I would do it for $350 plus shipping it back to you UPS insured. You can save $50 off of that by taking it apart yourself and going over it with the 600 wet/dry sandpaper before you send it to me. Turn-around should be about 3 weeks, but that also depends on the design, keeping in mind that each "section" and "color" has to be done separately, and completely dry before going on to the next one. For those of you interested in the process (like DES), the helmet is first taken apart as much as possible (with my Bell helmet and with most helmets, there's not much that will come off besides the visor and maybe some of the vent covers) and the rest carefully masked. The outside is sanded lightly with 600 grit to take off the outer glaze. It is then primered, and then the masking starts for the patterning. Of course the colors all have to be done one at a time. All the color coats are automotive acrylics, and the clearcoat is at least 6 coats of catalyzed urethane (more expensive than the colors; can be as much as $90/quart for that good stuff!), color wet sanded by hand with 1000 grit and then 2000 grit, and finally hand polished for that perfect "you can see your reflection" final surface. The only "minor imperfections" tend to potentially be around things that don't come off and/or have to be masked, like the D-ring and strap rivets, but you won't notice them unless you're looking for them. The first (and second) impression when you see this is fantastic! If you want to check out paints and colors, go to www.innate.com/HOK/HOK.htm for the "House of Kolor" supplies. For detailing colors, you can also use Createx AutoAirbush colors, which you can see at www.createxcolors.com These are both good choices, especially "innate.com" if you're going to try to do the job yourself and have the right equipment. You'll need a compressor with regulator and filter, an airbrush for detail work (single action is fine), and a "touchup/detail" spray gun for the larger areas (Devilbiss and Binks are good brands). You'll need some kind of "helmet stand" to keep the helmet at working height. I used an old microphone floor stand covered in masking paper and stuck a tennis ball on top. The helmet rested on top of it nicely to keep it at my chest level making it easier to work on. Oh, and masking tape -- you'll use a lot of it in different widths. Don't get the cheap stuff. Get the stuff designed for automotive painting, and you'll have fewer problems. Feel free to ask me any other questions, especially if you want to try it on your own. No trade secrets here! I learned most of this stuff custom painting some motorcycle tanks about 15 years ago, but this was the first time I tried it on a helmet. If you'd like me to do your helmet for you, you can use this same design, modify it to suit you, or come up with something else entirely. Maybe you would rather have a modified Barrichello design instead of Schumacher's! Also, if you haven't seen it, check out Racerchick Nika's helmet design at www.racerchicks.com/motor/helmet_art_2.html (I didn't do that one, and it's probably a bit too feminine for you guys!) | ||
| Byron (Bmyth)
Member Username: Bmyth Post Number: 577 Registered: 10-2002 |
Mike, that is awesome... I think you've just developed a backlog of interested parties, including myself! What is the FChat "special" price for your services? | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Advanced Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 3577 Registered: 8-2002 |
Mike - SWEET...! i'm getting a helmet soon and would be interested in what it would cost to have something like that done... Alternatively, what would it cost to do something like that, myself, and are there any other options besiDES airbrushing...? | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Intermediate Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 1394 Registered: 6-2001 |
Mike: how much? Art | ||
| Ron Thomas (Ronsupercar)
Member Username: Ronsupercar Post Number: 680 Registered: 5-2002 |
Mike! You've done an excellent job.. It looks like your ready for FI What are you charging for that job, providing the desgn is easy..  | ||
| David Stoeppelwerth (Racerdj)
Junior Member Username: Racerdj Post Number: 101 Registered: 1-2003 |
Very nice job. You can really be proud of the look. I had one airbrushed 6 years ago for $250 with the American Flag flying along both sides. | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Intermediate Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 1251 Registered: 1-2002 |
N-I-C-E, Mike! Too bad you don't live near me!!!! | ||
| Mike Charness (Mcharness)
Member Username: Mcharness Post Number: 441 Registered: 8-2002 |
I know it's a topic that's been covered before, and that's partly what got me interested in it. While my 308QV was in the shop having the spoiler rebuilt, I thought I'd get my track helmet (a Bell M3/Pro Kevlar) painted. Well, after checking around and finding out the wait time (as well as most quotes being around $500), I decided to do it myself! Below are the results. It's basically a Shumacher variation, but I didn't want all the ads on it, especially not the tobacco ads.   That's all painted/airbrushed... no decals, though I may put on a small "BELL" decal back on the front in the white space. Now that I've got all the equipment set up, if anyone else wants to get rid of the "cue ball" look of their track helmet, let me know! Of if anyone wants to try it themselves, I'd be glad to tell you how it's all done. |