10 years old and needing a refresh

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After 29k miles of UK roads (and the odd track day) the frame of my Atom 2 300 was getting badly eroded. The engine bay was particularly bad and forward facing areas at the front were also heavily marked.

Having decided to get it recoated I took the opportunity to have a colour change. I had been impressed with Northnobel’s candy apple vinyl and found a powder-based equivalent.

The strip down was straightforward - I took lots of pics and labelled most things.

My bro-in-law worked at GKN and said they could blast and recoat for me ‘on the side’

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Unfortunately the guy and kit at GKN weren’t up to the task. The candy apple is two powders, a chrome with a red tinted topcoat. Multiple coats and tints are tricky, voltages need to be dialled down and flow rates adjusted.

98% of the finish was great but a lot of the remaining 2% were in very visible areas like the hoop.

I decided to chemically strip and shot blast myself, a decision I regularly regretted.

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I found a local firm that had handled similar requirements and seemed to know what they were doing. For whatever reason they dragged their feet, and three months after initial contact the frame was still handing in my garage.

After more searches I found another firm with good credentials and significant customers. Within two weeks it was done. Very happy with the result.

I suspended the frame for easier access and moved to axle stands once the work under the car was complete.

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I loathe bare aluminium so had those parts powder coated in 25% matt black.

Started with the front and rear bulkheads. Instead of clear silicone sealant I used a thin neoprene self-adhesive strip between the bulkheads and frame. I used black dome head rivets to secure, having squirted wax oil into the frame to catch rivet heads etc.

Already liking the red/black contrast

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The tub had seen better days, and having previously used plasti-dip for my seat, I rubbed down the tub to key the surface and sprayed.

I routed the rear brake / clutch lines and the throttle cable before fitting the tub. I invested in the slickshift kit and installed that next.

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Mounted the ECU and master cut-off carrier. Needed to drill out the coating for the countersunk rivets as the cut-off resistor grounds through the carrier to the frame.

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Fitted new steering bushes, handbrake cable mount and harness eyelets with anti-rattle grommets. I have added extenders so the lap and anti-sub belts have their own eyelet.

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The aluminium coolant pipes had been chaffed by the crest of my drive so I have used silicone tube to protect. Sprayed black as I don’t like bare aluminium.

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Installed the fuse box and made sure of a good ground. Ran the rear harness down the tunnel and tethered.

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Fitted the fuel tank having covered in vinyl and trimmed with rubber. Would have been marginally easier to fit first but with no engine in the way it wasn’t a problem.

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Routed the dash and master cut-off wiring and secured to frame using figure-of-eight cable ties to keep cables and frame chafe free.

Mounted the master cut-off and grounded resistor to carrier.

I had removed most of the dash switches leaving them connected to the loom. Refitting was straightforward as a result.

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Steering rack secured to frame. Mounts powder-coated (I hate bare aluminium). I taped the ends to mark lock nut position so alignment will be there, or there-about. Steering column refitted having been sprayed

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Pedal box cleaned up and remounted. Remote bias connected. Reservoirs cleaned and mounted.

Picked out some detail on the pedals in matt black for some extra bling

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Unions cleaned up, new crush washers installed and banjos refitted. (bleed screws also cleaned up after picture).

Front brake line secured in bulk head and Y section refitted on the other side.

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New horn fitted to maintain colour scheme. Bell cranks installed all-round and front dampers mounted. Blanking grommets used to cover bell crank tube