Help painting my Elgin.

[Aluyasha]

So I have been thinking about painting my Elgin rat. I was going to keep it bare metal but color would really look nice on it.
My questions are, what is an affordable way to paint it but still make it look well done? And what colors did 40's Elgin bicycles come in? I would like to keep it kinda original looking.
Or should I just keep it bare metal?
Here is a picture of it, from what I can tell it's original paint was a deep red.

 

[B607]

Paint it! Lots of pretty good brands of rattle can paint out there. Buy primer the same brand as the paint you buy. Hang it up and wipe it down with laquer thinner then prime the heck out of it. Once you get some nice paint on that frame, you'll never look back to a bare metal bike. Gary

 

[udallcustombikes]

The key to a good paint job is the prep work. Make sure the frame is clean,2-3 coats of primer, wait 48-72 hours, wet sand with 400-600 grit, wipe down with a tack cloth, 2-3 coats primer, wait 7 days,wet sand 800-1000 grit, wipe down, 2-3 coats of color, wait 48-72 hours, wet sand 1000-1500 grit, wipe down, 2-3 coats of color, wait 48-72 hours, wet sand with 1500-2000 grit, wipe down, 2-3 coats color, wait 7 days, wet sand with 2000 grit, wipe down, 2-3 light coats of clear followed by a slightly heavier coat of clear, wait 7 days, and polish. An amazing paint job needs time to let the paint fully cure between sessions. I am a very impatient person and have never been able to do a paint job right.

Also be aware of the weather. Temperature and humidity can make or break a quality job.

When I am going for a nice paint job I like to use DupliColor. They have a wide array of colors and the quality is better than some of the other brands. I have used Krylon and Rustolium with good results as well.