Topic: IrishGuy's Cafe Project Has Begun... [Updated and frustrated!]

[Irishguy]

Yes...  "Great minds think alike" 

That's exactly what I was thinking about.  I keep searching my mind for a little metal or plastic box I have squirrled away in my junk collection called a garage.  What did you end up using for the box?

[dustyc]

I bent some .063 aluminum into a box and sprayed it black so it would be as invisible as possible.  I cut some tubing to go around the top so the sharp edge wouldn't cut anything, but discovered I'll need to glue it on.  I just used some cardboard to make a basic template for the size.

[rbmgf7]

dustyc, is that first aid pouch in case of an emergency? 

[dustyc]

That green pouch is where I keep my cargo net.  I got tired of the hooks grabbing and the net catching everything.

[Irishguy]

Look at what the Brown Santa Clause brought...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&viewitem=&item=170148134873

I think I got a super deal on these.  $30.29 including shipping.  The package says "Made in Japan" these are actually 1970's vintage, brand new in the box.  It's kind of neat to have a vintage bike, but even neater to have vintage aftermarket parts too..

[FunJimmy]

Pretty tough to beat a price like that. You gotta love ebay eh!

[Irishguy]

Pretty tough to beat a price like that. You gotta love ebay eh!

Yeah...  I had to check myself when I saw that Buy it Now price and make sure that there wasn't a catch.  Once I did I didn't hesitate, because I knew one of you guys would jump on it.  You guys should check his other auctions, because I think he had more than one.

[goon 1492]

man thats a sweet deal you got, i just picked up a 73 500 and was wanting to build a cafe out of it, I'll be right behind you brother.

[cleveland]

That tool box is too cool! 

[Irishguy]

I got a chance to get some stuff done that last couple of days.  In the first pic you will see what the UPS man brought.  I am still stoked about these baby's.

In the next pictures you will see the tank with about 35 years of crappy paint feeling what it is like to get stripped with a spray can of Aircraft Remover.  You can see what the paint looks like after only one application.   I sprayed that on there and let it sit for about 15 minutes and you can see how the paint bubbles up and you can just gently scrape it off with a plastic scraper.  That stuff is the shiznit.
 
In the next picture you can see what the tank looks like after another application and a go at it with some steel wool and rubber gloves.  It looks great with no paint.  Still I coated it with some Rustoleum Automotive primer until I figure what direction I want to go with the paint.

In the next picture you can see the headlight brackets.  If you look closely at the previous pictures of the bike you can see that they were poorly painted with some silver, and had some surface rust underneath.  I honestly thought I was going to have to buy new ones.  Anyway I got after them with some of the Aircraft Remover and steel wool.  Then I got after it with some fine steel wool and some chrome polish.  All the paint is gone and all of the rust is gone.  They aren't 100% perfect, but they look great and still have that vintage feel.

In the last picture is my project for tomorrow.  I am going to go after those gauge housings.  They have also been painted poorly by some previous owner and will need to be stripped and polished.

Anyway...  that's all for now.   

[Irishguy]

I thought about bondoing over the brackets on the side of the tank where the "HONDA" tank badges go, but now I have reconsidered and I think I want to retain the tank badges.  I was just curious what other years and models of Honda badges fit that tank.  I measured the distance between the two holes and it is almost exactly 4".  I guess just about any year would fit and you could just use 3M trim tape to install them.

Any advice or suggestions regarding where to get a reasonably priced set of tank badges?  I was also wondering if I could put something else there?  The reason is that I wasnt to keep the bike where it would be easy for me or someone else to put the bike back to 100% original if they or I wanted to.

Thanks for any help.

[motomotard]

im such an idiot.

im stripping the paint off of my tank. i thought using a paint remover would be too messy, so i spent 3 hours stripping the paint off with a wire wheel.

i cant believe how easy it looks with the aircraft remover in your pictures. im so pissed. where did you get the aircraft remover?

[Irishguy]

Kleenstrip is good too, I think Home Depot sells it. Paint just skids right off the metal after you spray it down. It'll kill you if you breathe that ish though.

I got it at WalMart.  You can buy it in about 1 quart cans or in spray cans.  I chose the spray cans because it just looked easier.

[Irishguy]

Well...  Was able to get a few more things done today.  I got those gauges that I thought were almost beyond recovery.  Took them apart and then stripped the chrome, cleaned all the other stuff and did my best to recondition and protect the rubber parts.  I was pretty happy.  They turned out pretty nice.

I also did the front head light bezel that was painted red.  The tank got a few coats of primer to keep it from rusting until I figure out what to do for paint.

[Irishguy]

OK...  If you guys don't start making all kinds of helpful, encouraging and witty comments on my cafe build thread, I'm going to take my paint stripper and chrome polish and go home.   

[greenjeans]

It's Monday... I don't start being witty till at least Thursday.....
Keep up the good work - you've inspired me to tackle my gauges next.

[Swede]

I'm just ignoring you because of the finned covers... I just wish they would fit a 550.

Your project is looking good especially those gauges.

[Irishguy]

It's Monday... I don't start being witty till at least Thursday.....
Keep up the good work - you've inspired me to tackle my gauges next.

The gauges are really simple.  As a matter of fact everything I have touched so far has been fairly simple and well engineered.  I can see now why folks like working on old bikes rather than newer cars.  On old bikes everything is pretty straight forward and fairly easy to get to.  My 1994 Z-28 was a PITA to do anywork on.  My Miatas are not so bad, but working on a motorcycle can be peacefull and rewarding...  Sort of theraputic actually.

[Irishguy]

I'm just ignoring you because of the finned covers... I just wish they would fit a 550.

Your project is looking good especially those gauges.

I think they will fit a 550. 

[Swede]

I have only seen them listed for the 500 and the 350.  It never really made any sense why it wouldn't fit the 550.  I'm pretty sure that the points cover would fit but would you mind getting a measurement of the dyno cover for me?

[Irishguy]

Well... I got some more stuff done... 

I took off the seat cover and all of the snaps.  I took my Dremel and very slowly cut a couple of relief cuts so the seat would clear where I chose to mount my rear turn signals.  I also took it over to my drill press and drilled matching holes in the seat pan for the OEM rubber stand-offs that rest on the frame.  I wanted to use the OEM hinge and locking mechanism, but that ain't happening.  The seat is much narrower than the stock seat.  So what I have decided to do is to buy some of the little clamps that you can use to attach a broom or mop to the wall and mount them along with the OEM rubber bumpers to the bottome of the seat and this way the seat will sort of snap on and snap off the frame.  It won't be locking , but it will come off and go back on with a minimal hassle.  By the way...  This seat from www.hotwingglass.com is very well constructed.  I am very happy with it.  For $175 it would be difficult for me to make a nice fiberglass seat, and have it padded and covered for that kind of money and it look half as good.

Next I went ahead with my very limited bodywork experience and put a few applications of the finishing cream on the small imperfections in the tank.  I need to sand it one more time and it will be ready for more primer and then paint.

Next I re-sanded all of the plastic and fiberglass parts.  I couldn't find any special primer for plastic even after trips to several stores.  I finally settled for Bulldog adhesion promoter.  I says to use two light coats.  I did that and then painted three very light coats with some Rustoleum semi-gloss black.  Enough to know that I don't think I want to paint this color.  I will act as a good fill-in once I wet sand everything down again.  I am still undecided about the color.  But I will probably go with gloss black and the clear coat it.

I also played around a little with the left side dyno cover.  I hit it with a stainless wire brush.  I stripped it good and left it nice and shiny, but it also left some pretty nice scratches in it.  These will take some serious sanding to get out.  I don't think I will try that again.  The old adage is to start with the least abrasive method that you can get by with is good advice here.

Anyway...  Here are some pictures for your viewing enjoyment...

[Scirocco88]

I'm very interested in your seat installation. I'm trying to figure out how to attach my seat of similar style and I'm a little lost. Keep us posted on the progress.

It's looking great so far, good luck with your bike!

-Thomas-

[Irishguy]

Thanks...  I hope to have some pictures on the final seat install once I figure everything out.

I also hope to have the painting done this weekend. 

I wanted to have my front forks installed and my front wheel back on, but I am really getting miffed at this guy www.XS750cafe.com.  I bought a pair of fork gaiters from him on eBay and paid for them instantly on 9/15.  He lives in Indiana [Not Mongolia] so I don't understand why it's taking so long to ship the gaiters to me in Alabama!  I could have rode up there on a horse and been back by now and have my front forks on.  I bought a helmet from some outfit in Thailand and they are going to have it here in 10 days!

I hate it when a project is held up by vendors...

[droopy]

looking real good when I drive up that way as I move to alaska.
I want to take it for a ride  looks like it was in fair shape. 
 

[Irishguy]

Despite the fact that my "Showroom" CB650 has now decided to give me some charging trouble, I decided to give the rusty tank on the CB500 Cafe Project a little attention.

First I grabbed a handful of nuts and bolts and a bottle of "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner and rust and lime scale remover.  My girlfriend bought it for me at the Dollar Store.  So this be known as the $1 tank cleaning!!!

I took the nuts and bolts and dropped them in the tank.  Be careful when you squeeze the bottle of "The Works" in your tank.  That stuff is like the blood from those creatures on "Aliens".  I wore safety glasses and gloves.  Anyway...  Squirted the whole bottle in there.  [It stinks by the way.]  I then closed the top and took it out side and began to shake it side to side and all around for about 10 minutes.

When I poured it all out and finally managed to get all the bolts out I was pleasantly surprised.  It got all the scale out and the tank looks very serviceable now.

I flushed it out with water and drained it and then poked a towel around in there to dry it out the best I could before pouring about 2 ounces of gas and about 2 ounces of 2 stroke motor oil in there.  I then swished that all around really good to prevent any rust until I am ready to use it. 

When you look at the before and after pictures it is pretty impressive for $1 and about 15 minutes worth of work.

OH...  And by the way...  Not only is my tank rust free and clean, but is also bacteria free!