Painting over paint?

[mr.z]

Maybe come up before but after a search i can find plenty of from scratch things but not much the way I'm thinking..

This is partly down to lazyness/cheapness, but the finish is fine, so it'd be a shame to ruin it also spend all that time preping.

I'm wanting to use the current paint to be the bottom layer of several layers, thing is its a gloss finish/lacquered (guessing) so painting direct on i'd have thought it wont do much good without being keyed? is it possible to make it suitable for painting but only masked out areas? (so leave the pain in tact appart from where the new paint is going) and after give it some clear coat gloss spray of some kind? +how do you go about makeing it petrol proof?

(i'm aware this isn't the best way, but sanding the lot down makes a not so bigish job into an absolutely enormous job, but then masking areas and sanding.. might be bit bad too.. :/ )
____________________
>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[bonehead]

The surface needs to be keyed (sanded) in order for the new paint to stick, imagine painting a mirror? paint wouldnt stay on long would it?
Do it correctly or dont bother, or you will be wasting your time.

I know of a bike shop that does this, they mask the make and logo, then spray away, f***** W****s.probally looks great untill you've road the bike home

[Nath]

Any half decent rattlecan paint will be pretty petrol-resistant without the need to cover it in lacquer.

The tank on my ratbike is (of course) bare paint, and I'm always spilling petrol over it, and it is no worse for wear from it.
____________________
Hard livin', hard luck.

[Phoenix]

Old paint is a good primer, so just sand back the current finish until its all nice and matt. You don't have to sand it back to plastic or the original primer. Although if any of the current paintjob is flaking that all needs to be removed.