New Project

Wow. I can't quite see the cluster, how many miles on it? Looks like you won't need to pop the cams out for a while anyway. And how did you repair the OUTER case of the cluster and get the "graining" right?

 

That cluster repair looks like new.That dash reminds of the 82 xj I had many years ago.Must have been the fashion.

 

You can see the odometer, Fitz, it reads 78646, that's Kms.
Outer case repair: thin cardboard former taped to the outside of the case, GRP applied against that, 2 part filler sanded to shape, then fine surface filler. The plastic fender paint has a texture when dry.
I have poured oil over all the moving parts in the DOHCs & will bolt the lid back on untill further notice.

 

Good news, got some oil sploshing around the gearbox & found those missing gears.

 

It is my practice to strip the sheathing from the old loom, tape together at the junctions , test the continuity of each individual wire & identify each circuit, before re- covering.

 

Now isn't this a joy.

 

More refurbished bits, I am particularly proud of the kill switch button I made from part of a pen top.

 

Ball End Repair:
1. drill 2# 1.5mm holes in the end of the lever, inser 2# 1.5mm pins.
2. wrap pins with copper wire to form rough shape.
3. firm up wire & pins with Q Bond.
4. take squeeze from other lever in blue tac.
5. fill with 2 part resin.
6. repeat for the other side, but cut small hole to pour resin.
7. shape & fill any impefections.
8. paint.

 

I had a dirt bike with one of those balls missing from the brake lever.
The bike fell over on me in the dirt, and that lever stabbed me in the thigh all the way in !! I had to lift the bike off my leg while sitting there. . .

 

Wiz, you are a man on a mission indeed! Wouldn't it have been easier to replace the levers? The cluster looks fantastic, by the way.

 

It's like this, Fitz, I know down the line I'm going to have to spend some money to get this bike finished, by repairing these bits it pushes that day further away.

 

Understandable. Very impressive job on the instrument cluster housing, it looks new. What exactly is GRP anyway?

 

Glass Reinforced Plastic.

 

Front Wheel Before. Don't hold your breath for the after.

 

that thing is screaming for some metallic bronze paint!!!

 

Forks:
Good news, seals good & ROLLER bearings. :wink:

 

hmm, something odd about those pictures, ahh yes, theres no white clumps built on on your window and fence, haha! or you may be laughing at me, but i get to go snowmobiling.. loser, well i really hope this bike turns out nice!
oh, and you're not a loser

 

Do I see headlight mounting ears attached to tubes that fit over the upper fork tubes, like the old British bikes?

 

or like 70's Honda's, Yammy's, etc.

 

Yes you do, Fitz & do you see the shape of them, due to some impact damage.
BTW, those early Hondas ran the indicator wire down inside there, a real
P I T A.

 

Forks finished.

 

DAMN. Your work continues to be an inspiration to us all.

Hey can you find me some 35mm at one end and 55mm at the other fork gaiters somewhere Down Under? We apparently don't believe in them here in the States.

 

Will do, Fitz, I take it those dims' are inside dia'.
Happy New Year. Wiz.

 

Yessir, actually OD of what I want to clamp 'em to. I found 30mm/50mm, 30mm/60mm and 40mm/60mm thru one of the Britbike parts places but I need 35mm/55mm. I would be eternally grateful.
Happy New Year to you as well my friend, you're already chewing into '09 I still have 3:05 of the old one to use up. I hear a Smithwick's calling my name. Cheers.

 

well i wasted 2 minutes of my new year sitting on this computer....

 

Happy New Year, Schooter!

It's a Blizzard outside, tonight. I got a big, warm, cat on my lap and my good friend Jack Daniels spending the night ... helping me write and keep warm.

Happy New Year to you!

 

More parts finished. I had to make a new top bar for the factory luggage rack, which was M.I.A.

 

sheesh, whats left of the bike?
did you remove the origional picture of the bike? cuz you should put that up so you have a before/after pic

 

OK Schoot..

 

thanks, that makes me feel good about paying 350 for mine, lol, but you'll have this bike looking like new, im sure

 

Schooter I look at the prices you guys [and gals]pay for bikes and parts in the states and I could cry.
Wizard your work is as always exceptional and damned impressive.
The gt's were good bikes.

 

wizard, what kind of paint are you using, that is the exact gloss i want for my bike, is it a good paint to paint tanks and such, or just for detailing?

also, i noticed that thing has a 12K redline, wow, must be a screamer

 

I am using a good quality "rattle can" enamel for the small parts, but I will be using a compressed air gun for the tank etc.

 

, lol i know!! but what brand!!! and stuff

 

Wouldn't do you much good if I told you it was from Bunnings would it, unless you want a 20 thousand mile round trip.

 

erm, no, it wouldnt.

 

Wheel finished, I got a nice pair of rotors off a donor 750 from
N.J.(that's pronounced "New Joywzee")
I used insulating tape instead of maskiing tape, on the rim, thanks RickCoMatic, for your input.

 

Looking Good!

Insulating tape for what ? Painting ?

 

Yeh, for masking up round the curve of the rim, for spraying, on the spokes I used regular masking tape & trimmed it with a craft knife.

 

The production lines might have stopped in Detroit, but it's still going strong down here.

 

ahahahaahahaha, eh, thats not that funny... but thos elook really nice

 

Truth be told, there haven't been cars built IN Detroit for a long time.

Enough world economics; those look fantastic. Did you paint the silver stuff or refinish/strip the metal in some magical way?

Oh, and speaking of world economics--thanks for the tip on the boots, it looks like I'm getting the Kawi parts from a dealer here in North Carolina.

 

Just out of interest, Fitz, what is the Kawa' dealer charging for those boots?
The silver bits are just roto wire brushed & chrome "rattle can"

 

Oh, like $38USD each. 8O It would ALMOST have been cheaper for you to pick them up for me there and ship them here, what with the exchange rate. Also, I don't have them yet, it's an on-line store and even though the order processed, I've been called back apologetically on more than one occasion... stay tuned.

Silver stuff looks great, will the paint hold up? (Oh, I forgot you don't HAVE WEATHER there.)

 

I did some bits on the XJ, notably the indicators & springs, it's held up ok, it's not chrome, but you can recoat, or touch up, I might try some clear on a part, see if that gives it some more lustre.

 

wizard.... i fell in love with that fake chrom paint.... but you might as well have painted it with water color finger paint, that is some of the goofiest paint ever, anything i put it on rubs off easy, and there after it dries, if you rub your finger on it, you get a bunch of silver dust, just use silver paint...

 

not my experience, Schoot' baby, prep' well & buy quality, if it don't do the job take it back & tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine.

 

Mangled rear end, all metal though.

 

this should turn out good, cant wait.
ya i never prepped like you guys said i should before, i just cleaned it off with water, waited for it to dry, and painted, no primer or nothin..

 

On the brake rotor. . . How much Sake did they drink before coming up with the pattern for the holes??
You're making everything look great Wiz !