Topic: Bought a '69 diecast, what is this gauge?

[Hondawggie]

Thanks all, the beast is showing mid-20k miles and needs some cleaning, I may remove next to everything and then use a soda blaster to clean the engine, or I might first try Simple Green overnight soak/brush off in the morning and only soda blast the engine if the Simple Green treatment isn't sufficient.

Right now the bidders here are not out in force because the U.S. economy got a ripple from
- really high gas prices again
- people's paychecks took a hit because the government did a tax high on the payroll tax

In our business we are seeing signs of consumers cutting back, and yall probably heard about WalMart announcing they had the worst 1st quarter since 2006, even worse then the 2008-10 recession, Walmart being the biggest thermometer on how the U.S. consumer feels about spending.

So he didn't get a lot of interest from his ad right now.   Which was good for me I reckon but he was very interested in selling to someone who wasn't going to part it out and I made him that promise, it would be a crime not to bring this '69 back into glory.  I am jazzed about riding her once I get the back wheel sorted.

[Tews19]

Great buy!

[Hondawggie]

Great buy!

Thanks man, more info on the guy's listing, I don't want to overstate the economy thing, because he said he had the ad up last week and people kept flagging it down.  Now, he had the ad reading "1969 Honda CB750 - $200" so maybe people flagged it down thinking it was a phishing scam to get email addresses or something, it being not credible to sell a '69 for $200, I don't know.  I do know this -- I saw the ad at 12:30am just after midnight early Friday (yesterday) morning and he had posted the ad 3 hours before at 9pm.

I saw the ad and thought "it's gone why bother."   So I skipped the ad and went on looking at other bikes for sale.  When the local economy here was humming, you'd see a nice vintage bike ad on craigslist and and it would be gone in an hour here in Silicon Valley.

On the slim chance I jumped back to it and sent my email.  Next morning I freaked man he emailed back and said he still had it I drove over and grabbed it.    As to why he didn't have it sold already the night before after he posted it is my good luck after all those times I drove 2 or 3 hours for a bike and the seller 'just sold it' when I got there.    He said he had 2 offers, for $200 and for $300 and would let it go for $400.  Thank you motorcycle gods.

[Tews19]

I'm a firm believer in karma. Looks like it was on your side!

[Greggo]

Great buy!

Thanks man, more info on the guy's listing, I don't want to overstate the economy thing, because he said he had the ad up last week and people kept flagging it down.  Now, he had the ad reading "1969 Honda CB750 - $200" so maybe people flagged it down thinking it was a phishing scam to get email addresses or something, it being not credible to sell a '69 for $200, I don't know.  I do know this -- I saw the ad at 12:30am just after midnight early Friday (yesterday) morning and he had posted the ad 3 hours before at 9pm.

I saw the ad and thought "it's gone why bother."   So I skipped the ad and went on looking at other bikes for sale.  When the local economy here was humming, you'd see a nice vintage bike ad on craigslist and and it would be gone in an hour here in Silicon Valley.

On the slim chance I jumped back to it and sent my email.  Next morning I freaked man he emailed back and said he still had it I drove over and grabbed it.    As to why he didn't have it sold already the night before after he posted it is my good luck after all those times I drove 2 or 3 hours for a bike and the seller 'just sold it' when I got there.    He said he had 2 offers, for $200 and for $300 and would let it go for $400.  Thank you motorcycle gods.

Whoa!  You got that HERE!?  Lucky dog!  I never even saw that ad   I did see one for a '70 in that blue green, but the email I got back was a definite scammer.  I'm up in Berkeley if you've got another bike to ride before this beauty's done!

[754]

Just get it going and ride it for a while, always worth more than you got into it..,, Once you put 4k and 200 hours into it, you will worry more about it than riding it..... Lucky guy.. But hey I only paid a hundred morefore a low number sandcast..

.The vacumn guage, I think with all the plumbing may be a hassle, if anything leaks.. But cool piece of memorabilia.. Check if it has the Bowman deep sump..

[Rigid]

That airbox is worth $600.  You did well.  I had to pay $2000 for my 69 late diecast and rebuild the engine due to a chain throw and spun main bearing.  It was one of my most frustrating flips but ended up selling for $5400 back to Japan. If i stumble across another 69 it will get a clean frame correct restoration because now i know the interest, and cash, is there.

[Johnie]

Excellent...a good carb clean, oil, filter and she will kick right off...and blow some rust from those pipes. These bikes are so reliable and tuff I have no doubt you will be riding soon. Great find and good deal for you. Enjoy...

[Prospect]

Very Nice score.  Maybe the best of the year for this forum.  The back brake might be locked up because the linkage going into the hub is seized after someone pressed the brake pedal after a very long period of sitting.  You'll have to take the back wheel apart free it up, or at least try and disconnect the long rod going from the brake pedal to the arm on the hub and just try moving the arm with a bit of force.  I had this on one of my k1's. 

[Johnie]

Must have been a bear to get the bike in the truck with a locked rear. Usually it is the front brake locked on these after sitting. Are you 100% sure she is in neutral? Back that brake lever adjuster nut out a bit and work it. Hoperfully you can get enough play to pull the hub, clean it out and she wil be ready.

[Hondawggie]

Must have been a bear to get the bike in the truck with a locked rear. Usually it is the front brake locked on these after sitting. Are you 100% sure she is in neutral? Back that brake lever adjuster nut out a bit and work it. Hoperfully you can get enough play to pull the hub, clean it out and she wil be ready.

I got the back wheel to free up.  I got lucky because I didn't have to take the back wheel off (yet). 

I did in fact loose the back brake pedal's pull rod nut all the way and the back wheel still wouldn't budge. 

I got ready to pull the axle, etc. then my hail mary was to put the back wheel up off the ground on a ledge and sit atop the bike and jump her down off the ledge and the back wheel came free.

I'll pull the wheel and check for the brake liners and brake shoes, but at least she's rolling around my workspace now.

I've been weighing the nostalgia value of the vacuum gauge versus the reliability of having it hooked in, if I do it right it should be okay, I might just leave it.  I'm going to get her running then do a resto.

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, don't disconnect that gauge, as long as the hoses aren't skunked, it'll be fine, (and you can buy vacuum hose anywhere for a couple of bucks) and don't forget, you're probably the only one on this forum with one fitted (mine's still in it's box 10 years after I bought it) so it's uber-cool! Cheers, Terry.

[BLUE71TURBO]

 Now where did you say you lived ??   


         

[Hondawggie]

Yep, don't disconnect that gauge, as long as the hoses aren't skunked, it'll be fine, (and you can buy vacuum hose anywhere for a couple of bucks) and don't forget, you're probably the only one on this forum with one fitted (mine's still in it's box 10 years after I bought it) so it's uber-cool! Cheers, Terry.

Wow, so these made-in-California gauges went international back in the day.  Okay man no way am I removing it.   If someone accuses me of being anal about my carb sync I'll refer them to 71Turbo.   

[Terry in Australia]

Well I bought mine on Ebay USA 10 years ago, but I first saw one on my mate Davey's K2, he bought his bike new in 1972 (and still has it) and installed one of those gauges back in the day, so yep, they certainly did make it "down under". Cheers, Terry.

[754]

They must have sold a lot,they advertised in the big mags..

Wonder how many of them and the deep sumps survived?.. Cant see the sumps getting thrown out..there should be many..

[Terry in Australia]

Could you use the deeper sump with the OEM centre stand Frank? I know a lot of potential buyers wouldn't be interested if they had to lose their main stand, I was given my Yoshi exhaust because the owner wanted to put his centre stand back on? Cheers, Terry.

[754]

I think the sump is not even close to the stand...

[Terry in Australia]

You're right mate, I was thinking about BMW's. I should have asked if the sump cleared the standard exhaust? Cheers, Terry.

[Hondawggie]

Could you use the deeper sump with the OEM centre stand Frank? I know a lot of potential buyers wouldn't be interested if they had to lose their main stand, I was given my Yoshi exhaust because the owner wanted to put his centre stand back on? Cheers, Terry.

ah-HAH.  Maybe that's why this otherwise all stock '69 is missing it's main centerstand.
If they sold him on the on-board carb sync gauge, maybe he went for the deep sump deal too.

How will I know if he put a 'deep sump' on this bike?  What do you look for?

[754]

 Deeper pan, a bit heavier on the fins..