Topic: 1975 restoration/modification for a buddy- COMPLETED

[Shtonecb500]

I picked up this bike for my buddy, 75' stamped on the bike and 76 on the title, bike has a clean michigan title. We are going to rebuild it make him a daily rider. I just noticed the number plate on the engine is blank and didn't catch that when i first checked out the bike. I havent pulled the motor out yet, that is happening tomorrow.  Is this usually a sign of something?

[Don R]

Just a replacement engine case, they should have stamped it but a lot of shops didn't even own a stamp set. The engine number never matches the VIN except in a rare accident or a case like this. I own two such cases. Often a chain would break and knock a hole in the sprocket area.
 

[bryanj]

Not unusual in the US and not a problem unless you are in a state that wants to title on engine number. As a UK resident i have never understood this as engines in anything are easily swapped its the frame/ chassis that caries the id.

[Bankerdanny]

Most states in the US title based on the frame number and not the engine number. I am pretty sure that in Michigan the VIN on the title should be the one on the frame neck.

[slikwilli420]

Most states in the US title based on the frame number and not the engine number. I am pretty sure that in Michigan the VIN on the title should be the one on the frame neck.

Correct, frame VIN in Michigan.

[BenelliSEI]

Anyone else see extra value in these motors? I have a buddy with an early K0 frame (VIN plate attached, non sand cast).  He’s been collecting parts for years. This would be useful to that project? Curious what you all think?

[bryanj]

Although it was a common repair due to chain breakage most purists see an unstamped motor as a downgrade from the original motor, not as much as a completely different motor but still not original.

[scottly]

California titles had both the frame # and the engine #, and when I transferred my 750 to Arizona 20 some years ago, the AZ title also has both numbers. When I transferred the CA title on my FT500 to AZ 5 years ago, the engine # was no longer required.

[Shtonecb500]

Although it was a common repair due to chain breakage most purists see an unstamped motor as a downgrade from the original motor, not as much as a completely different motor but still not original.

does it mean it was done while the bike was still under warranty? in that case i personally wouldnt think the quality is diminished.

[Shtonecb500]

The motor is leaking so we are going to open it up, I'm handling this overhaul for my buddy and we have a 1k budget as of right now from his wife
Right now my concerns are a new main harness, motor top end rebuild, new powder coat and tires. This would pretty much eat up the 1k but get him back on the road for this season. This bike has shock lowering mounts and when I tried to return the shocks to stock position the swing arm wouldnt travel the one more inch i needed, I haven't inspected the guts of the swingers yet but i will tomorrow.
revival cycles LED signals - $90 6 units
truck lite head light - $154
harness - $80
carbkit - $40
dunlop tires tubes strips - $200
electric ignition kit dynatek in eluded coils, wires, spark plug caps, dyna s ignition - $260
versah or cometic complete rebuild kit -$100
reg rec - $60
sandblast and powder $300-350 (gonna use a new guy closer to me that does both in one place and uses a nice gloss powder coat ive seen on friends bikes)
motor rebuild - $500 plus parts so hopefully no more than $200 in parts...

geez...i grew up with my buddies wife, she is also my attorney...im gonna have to hit her up for some more cash lol.

[Bankerdanny]

Although it was a common repair due to chain breakage most purists see an unstamped motor as a downgrade from the original motor, not as much as a completely different motor but still not original.

does it mean it was done while the bike was still under warranty? in that case i personally wouldnt think the quality is diminished.

Meh. If it is a sandcast then obviously the replacement case eliminates most of the premium associated with having one of those bikes. Otherwise I don't see why a no-number replacement case holding original internals with the original cylinder, head, and carbs should have any impact at all on value.

[754]

 I have several  unnumbered cases.
 One problem with them, they may not even be the right cases, there us differences. I mean they fit most years , but a 71 motor with K4 cases, ain't gonna Increase the value.

[seanbarney41]

but what are the differences between 71 and 74 cases?

[754]

You really have to compare them side by side.
 I bet 71 is different in the output bearing area.

 I saw a few differences between 70 cases and others. I think one place was the area around the oil galley plug above the points, the rib underneath I think..
 I suspect they always had a fewcextras , but then the run out and use the next series.
 That said I think I would not turn down proveable KO cases with no breaks.

[Shtonecb500]

We got the approval for budget increase of 500-700 bucks, I purchased everything on the list plus some...we added a truck lite head lamp for $154 and LED turn signals from revival, 4 amber, 2 red for brake/running light ($90 total) for 6 units, just like my chopper set up. Dropping off the frames for powder coat on Monday and the motor is probably getting opened up the same day. Ive decided to just put a correct front end on there to have a spoked wheel set and not mix match, also going to go back to the stock 18" rear. Still need to order tires, and a battery. We we're going to get tires but he misses white walls on his rat rod so we are going to use to the tires on the rat rod for the 750 and get new whitewalls for the rat rod.

Ok ill check back later when ive got some work done.

[Shtonecb500]

This project was delayed due to me breaking my wrist, about 10 weeks.

bike is done, I just have to wire up the rear turn signals. He wanted to have a black tank but I haven't gotten around to painting one for him, I just found the donor tank about a week ago.

I changed the rear tail lights and signals.

[Don R]

 The frame has been painted a different color so it's not original anyway, on a restoration you want correct range numbers but it's a nice rider. I have a blank engine for my diecast, I think it's an upgrade in a restoration but my existing motor is newer, bored, cammed, ported and the bike has mags. Some day I may complete a restoration and use it.
 The dealers apparently didn't have a source of proper Honda font number stamps to replicate the numbers on a replacement case. You can certainly buy them for a Harley though. 

[754]

Are you selling the gold tank,  let me know if you do.,

[ekpent]

 It was hard to read but the old engine vin looked like it was stamped on the California tag that was attached to the engine. Not the top numbers but the ones on the bottom. Maybe that tag eliminated having to stamp the case.

[dugsgms]

Anyone else see extra value in these motors? I have a buddy with an early K0 frame (VIN plate attached, non sand cast).  He’s been collecting parts for years. This would be useful to that project? Curious what you all think?

  Yes, especially in the early stuff. Coming from the Corvette restoration world where numbers are everything I can see where a unstamped case could be very valuable for the owner of a early 750 with a incorrect or missing engine. Especially now, as there is no database(as far as I'm aware of) that corelates frame numbers to engine numbers on the early bikes.

Here are the two sticking points as I see it. 1. can you find a stamp set with the correct font and a gang block to properly hold the individual stamps in the correct relation to each other. And 2. will there at some point in time be a database that exists that will be skewed by a improperly numbered restamp or will prove a improper restamp to be bogus.

[bryanj]

Getting the correct stamps is nigh on impossible they would have to be made, as to the numbers Honda themselves do not have records showing engine numbers and there are already out there some anomalies where owners insist the bike has never been touched.
There are case differences over the years, especially in output shaft bearing area which give away the year to the super knowlegable but not me.

[BPellerine]

Anyone else see extra value in these motors? I have a buddy with an early K0 frame (VIN plate attached, non sand cast).  He’s been collecting parts for years. This would be useful to that project? Curious what you all think?

above the sprocket area on k0 cases there are only 2 case bolts,on the later cases there are 3,one dead giveaway,never seen a set of unstamped ko cases,but they may exsist.bill

[Don R]

 I have two sets of unstamped cases, one has sandcast era internals I believe the other to be a 70, the bike it came from had a single cut fender. A friend swears he gave my brother a set of empty cases new in the box. My brother would have remembered that. We never figured out who got them.

[Shtonecb500]

Bike is all finished, here is my buddy on his first ride.

[adamalk3]

Bike is all finished, here is my buddy on his first ride.

I, too, like to take my first test rides on 94/75/275. 😬