[maxintosh]

My Pismo/400/DVD is long since out of warranty, and I came across the Pactra Racing Paint that you can use to paint your PowerBook a few days ago. I had wanted to paint it for a long time so I bought it and think I'm going to do it this weekend.

I know it doesn't have much of a resale value anymore anyway, but do people think it would hurt or help the resale value if I do it right? Any thoughts?

[tooki]

If you do an awesome job (and clear-coat it to make the paint job durable), it might help the resale value by being a artistic collector's item. But more likely, it will hurt the resale value.

tooki

[seanyepez]

I think it would positively impact the resale value if you do a good job painting it. If you do something in poor taste, chances are you won't find someone looking for the "unique" look.

[siliconwafer]

Originally posted by maxintosh:
<STRONG>I know it doesn't have much of a resale value anymore anyway, but do people think it would hurt or help the resale value if I do it right? Any thoughts?</STRONG>

Paint it. It'll look very cool if you do a good job (i've seen pics on various websites of painted powerbooks, they're awesome). My guess is that if you do it right, and it looks nice, the resale value will go up.

[maxintosh]

Originally posted by siliconwafer:
<STRONG>

Paint it. It'll look very cool if you do a good job (i've seen pics on various websites of painted powerbooks, they're awesome). My guess is that if you do it right, and it looks nice, the resale value will go up.</STRONG>

I'm using blue metallic paint on the edges (plastic parts). If the top comes out well I'll do the bottom too, but that's much more complicated.

[vmarks]

Mask very very carefully when you paint.

prepare well before you begin, by making sure that no oils or dust is on the powerbook where you will paint.

I'm going to do something like this to my lombard, only I was thinking of using vinyl sheets instead.

[seanyepez]

Originally posted by vmarks:
<STRONG>I'm going to do something like this to my lombard, only I was thinking of using vinyl sheets instead.</STRONG>

[m@]

If you are seriously planning to paint you PB then no matter how good the masking is, it will still look bad. Back in '89 when the GameBoy came out I didn't like the colour much, the best finish I got was by completely dismantling the thing to leave only the bits that in an ideal world I could get re molded in different coloured plastic. And modified theses. Much nicer.

How ever this is a bit more tricky if you plan to do this on what was a £2000 computer, still it is out of warranty. What you need is high level of trust in yourself that you can put the dame thing back together. (if not you could stuff in all in an upturned flower pot and make your own iMac I suppose!) The best way to do this is find one of those apple service guides which tell you how to take apart your little bundle of joy without breaking off vital little pieces of plastic and bending that aircraft grade titanium.

All in all, paint isn't really the ideal finish, as this will just chip off or ware down with all that wrist movement and pawing, this would no be very aesthetically pleasing now would it!

If you want to be original go the whole mile. I would separate all exterior titanium pieces and only modify them, plastic is a pain to change well. What do I think would be cool, well I think titanium can be anodised, like aluminum, thus impregnating dye into the artificially thickened titanium oxide layer. But then again now you have choice of colour, All of which would look bad with a gray trackpad, except tartan maybe!!

Just face it, most people are not as good at product/industrial design as those you earn a living at it. They might no what looks better, I am sure there is a cupboard of funny coloured PBG4's at Apple that all look worse than the one I am looking at right now!!

[drmbb2]

Umm, maxintosh is talking about mods to a Pismo, not a TiBook. I assume he is thinking somewhat along these lines:
http://www.applefritter.com/hacks/laptops.html

[maxintosh]

Originally posted by drmbb2:
<STRONG>Umm, maxintosh is talking about mods to a Pismo, not a TiBook. I assume he is thinking somewhat along these lines:
http://www.applefritter.com/hacks/laptops.html</STRONG>

Yup, and Pactra Racing Paint bonds to plastic so it won't rub off.

[Podolsky]

Would you paint a Delorian?
http://www.expo1000.com/parking/Contest/delorian.jpg

[tonton]

Maxintosh is indeed talking about his Pismo, but I will DEFINITELY try painting my PowerBook G4. The silver-colored paint on the Titanium is horribly chipped on the left corner, and on the right side above the DVD slot.

The off-white part is waay worse. The whole thing looks like shit and resale value is definitely diminished. I can't believe how Apple designed this unacceptable finish. The way I see it, repainting it can ONLY make it better.

My screen was replaced in December, and I've babied it since. In fact I have been using it for six weeks and have never removed the protective plastic. My original screen was quite scratched, and knowing how shitty the finish is, I know the new screen enclosure would scratch within a week if I took that plastic off.

If after I repaint the top half of the main case, it still looks bad, I will buy a replacement for this part from pbarts.com for $229.



[ 01-18-2002: Message edited by: tonton ]

[m@]

My god, how did you manage to mess up you PBG4 so much, do you carry it around is a specially designed bag full of sand and nails, and throw it on the floor when ever possible! Still glad to know that they are tough.

[oeyvind]

tonton, for your PB G4 you might wanna this instead:




see also here

[ 01-19-2002: Message edited by: oeyvind ]

[tonton]

I have a silver bracelet on my right wrist and a watch with a metal band on my left. If I replace the top of the case I'll make sure to take these off EVERY time I use my PowerBook.

It just seems really stupid. "Yeah my PowerBook is cool. Wait a minute, I have to take off my watch before I use it."

[vasu]

Originally posted by drmbb2:
<STRONG>Umm, maxintosh is talking about mods to a Pismo, not a TiBook. I assume he is thinking somewhat along these lines:
http://www.applefritter.com/hacks/laptops.html</STRONG>

Do people spend a lot of time applying that wood grain look, or is there an easier way to do it? Perhaps some film that can be applied or something like that?
-vasu

[ 01-20-2002: Message edited by: vasu ]

[seanyepez]

I think this is starting to sound like a Mac Modification thread.

Personally, I think the Ti should be left alone. The Wallstreet, Lombard, and Pismo PowerBooks seem more friendly to case painting and modification. You'd also be modifying a cheaper machine just in case.

[VanToffler]

Dem tricked up PowerBooks is too fancy fer my tastes.

Originally posted by seanyepez:
<STRONG>I think this is starting to sound like a Mac Modification thread.

Personally, I think the Ti should be left alone. The Wallstreet, Lombard, and Pismo PowerBooks seem more friendly to case painting and modification. You'd also be modifying a cheaper machine just in case.</STRONG>

[seanyepez]

Some of them look really nice, actually. It all depends on the quality of the materials used in the project. I've seen some awesome-looking Pismo PowerBooks with wooden palmrests like you find on the dashboards of expensive cars. There have been quite a few keyboard swaps (white, iBook keyboard into a Lombard) that look interesting, too.

I don't think I'd modify my computer myself, but I don't see anything wrong with personalizing one's own machine.

[brightpath]

Hi...

Anyone have any idea what kind of paint I could use to touch up a chip I have on the outside silver edge of my G4 Titanium PB and where it can be purchased?

Many thanks,
Don

[vmarks]

Don, no idea about what kind of paint to use on titanium.

but here's what I did to my powerbook!

[seanyepez]

Originally posted by vmarks:
<STRONG>Don, no idea about what kind of paint to use on titanium.

but here's what I did to my powerbook!

</STRONG>

Holy <font color = red>s**t!</font>

[ 01-23-2002: Message edited by: vmarks ]

[tonton]

Dude, apply some varnish on that black and it'll look alright. As it is now it's too matt.

[icruise]

Here's mine (hosted at Applefritter)



Any questions?

[ 01-24-2002: Message edited by: Icruise ]

[vmarks]

Questions?

Yes.

I used the Pactra Indy Racing Silver, and I applied it in coats, waiting for it to dry each time. I expect I ought to have only applied one or two coats. How many did you do on yours?

[graphics84]

Originally posted by oeyvind:
<STRONG>tonton, for your PB G4 you might wanna this instead:




see also here

[ 01-19-2002: Message edited by: oeyvind ]</STRONG>

did he do that himself... or can you buy that as a kit?

I used to work at a sign shop and we could buy a vinal that looks like that and cut it on a plotter...

but I don't have access anymore...

I would do that though...

[vmarks]

Graphics84,

The addition to the palmrests in the titanium picture that's links is not vinyl, it's carbon fibre.

Incidentally, since I've experimented with the pactra paint, I am going to go and get some vinyl and see how it compares to work with.


this is really a modification topic...

[ 01-24-2002: Message edited by: vmarks ]

[waffffffle]

I wish I had a digital camera to take pictures of my pismo. About 16 months ago I made mine silver like vmarks using the tuffical vinyl sheeting from Japan. Then over the summer I made the Apple logo rainbow striped like the classic Apple logo. It looks really cool at night.

Someday I'll take pictures of it. I also have a little bit of the sheeting left so I can redo it the day I retire or sell my Pismo. I have a new iBook but the Pismo seems much faster in OS X.

[icruise]

Originally posted by vmarks:
<STRONG>Questions?

Yes.

I used the Pactra Indy Racing Silver, and I applied it in coats, waiting for it to dry each time. I expect I ought to have only applied one or two coats. How many did you do on yours?</STRONG>

Just one coat. It got me the look I wanted and I think that two coats might have been a little too much, at least with the color I chose. I haven't had any problems with the paint coming off as of yet (it's been over six months since I painted it).

[m3]

Originally posted by brightpath:
<STRONG>Hi...

Anyone have any idea what kind of paint I could use to touch up a chip I have on the outside silver edge of my G4 Titanium PB and where it can be purchased?

Many thanks,
Don</STRONG>

I have this same question. Did you have any luck finding this?

[El Diablo]

I wouldn't paint your Tibook until you see what these guys come out with. Macskinz for the Tibook are coming soon. www.appleskinz.com