Paint question

[ScottT]

I'm restoring an old British bike, not a full restoration just tidying up a few bits.
Now i'm guessing it will have originally been painted with cellulose paints, so will modern acrylics (rattle cans) react with it?

Will i have to rub down to bare metal to get rid of every trace of the original paint? Or will just a good sanding to smooth the surface be ok?

[Ariel Badger]

What bike and photos please.
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[ScottT]

Its a 57 James Cadet, a previous owner had painted the wheels (badly) with aluminium paint over the original paint, i've started rubbing it down and under the aluminium paint is a very thin layer of the original silver and a thicker layer of a grey undercoat.
Using wet & dry the ali paint comes off quite easy and the original silver, the grey under that is quite solid, will that be ok to paint over with modern acrylics or will i need to go to the bare metal?

This is the bike, the majority of the original paintwork is in good condition its just the wheels that's spoiling it.
https://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f260/ScottT2728/_57_zps4dqlgfnh.jpg

[Ariel Badger]

The wheels should be what James described as Argenize aluminium finish, I know you can get a powder-coat that looks like aluminium but you would need to strip and rebuild the wheels to do this and it would show up any imperfections caused by corrosion. Central Wheels have steel rims that are powder-coated in stock and they look good. They built me a wheel last year for about £200 in this spec.
____________________
Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.