sorry, I've been caught up cleaning the dirtiest chain guard known to man....thanks to tews
I am only teasing, so glad he is around, he has saved me a few times so far. can't wait to restore this guard though
ok so here were my carbs after I took them off the running bike. cleaned and functional, but just old looking. since I was going to be painting the engine, I wanted to spruce up the carbs too! lots of inspiration from iron worker. love the way they turned out so I had to dig in and do it as well!
I bought new floats, float seats/float needle, and slow jets from honda. I like new things. peace of mind. still hasn't shipped but when it comes in I will change them out.
taped off all entry ports into the carbs, and hit them with the vht aluminum cast. I am loving this stuff. once its baked and cured, its pretty durable. and it looks fantastic.
I forgot to take a picture but I clearcoated the small side caliper, seat latch (forgot is last time) and cleared the front of the frame (exhaust ports). so now a few days to cure and I can put the forks and front end together, and get the rear wheel on too. I still have to geet that pesky sprocket hub into the wheel.... I am also going to put in another order tomorrow to include as much of my remaining list as I can! I forgot I get paid tomorrow and I have some music gig checks to cash, as well as starting a new guitar build for a customer. finally some cash flow! I did snap another picture of my tank though. I put one more light coat and one more wet coat on it to really bury the decal. I am pleased with the gloss and reflectivity. I did not sand the tank perfectly smooth with 600 grit like I should have, but it looks really nice. I could have spent longer on the prep but.....impatient. the end result is still great though. I will say this color is impossible to photograph. there is a hint more teal/green in person than the photos show. drives me nuts. I could filter and photoshop it to be correct but its not worth the extra color. just imagine it
now onto the engine. a little unorthodox but I took all of the old gaskets off and cleaned all of the residual oil and put the covers back on bare, and taped off the alternator cover, shifter cover, starter cover, sprocket cover, points cover, and clutch covers. lots of eastwood pre to make sure it was degreased. carefully rolled the engine into the driveway and painted away. I DID paint the head cover, for maintenance reasons. I may try and find some polished or chromed tappet covers to set off the top end visually, give something for the eye to catch. I am going to try my best to cure the paint with a hair dryer because the paint is almost useless not cured. its softer and not gas resistant, and there is no guarantee that I can cure it with the engine heat without first getting gas on it.
prior to paint
after 3-4 coats of paint
I am exceptionally pleased with the result. I cannot stop staring at it! I truly hope I can semi cure it so I dont scratch it up getting it back in the frame. I hope it holds up as well as I haven't actually seen real wear and tear.
so as of now I am cleaning this chain guard, and it looks like I'll be painting it (there is some leftover paint on it). I will sand it with 600 grit and then use some plastic adhesion promoter, black paint, then 2k clear in the morning. should be good to go
