Yes, I used automotive quality paint, primer and clear coat.....and of course lots of sanding to get it all prepped right (before primer, after primer, after primer and between clear coats)! All in all it wasn't too bad, but I konow I was cussing alot while I was working on it!!! Lots of little crevices, curves, indentations etc to sand.
The guage and switches on the left front fender were installed after all was done. It is a water temp guage that has its temp sensor drilled and tapped directly into the thermostat housing. The plate the guage and switches are installed in is an aluminum plate (painted) that a friend of mine machined for me to fit that space with cutouts for the guage and switches.
The switch next to the guage is wired to the fan so I can manually turn it on when I want without turning the key on (running up hours on the meter). The rest of the lighted rocker switches are for future use (lights front and back, other accessories, etc). This is the same setup as my friend here (Texas Grizz) and was his idea for layout, etc.
Glad to hear you guys like it so far, thanks for the compliments......it was a lot of work and now its time to RIDE!!!!
