well i finally have the bike and title in my posession (sp?).
i have decided to keep it stock and not go with the EFI conversion after all, and just do a complete restore to showroom condition if possible.
to do this, the frame will need to be stripped and repainted/powdercoated (not sure how the frame came from the factory) either that, or i will just paint it using a good undercoating material that is used on cars (usually black in color) and put a good chip-resistant clearcoat on top to minimize road rock chips.
as for the tank and side covers, i will be looking at getting a couple of side covers off ebay (they dont match the bike color, and have some cracks in them, but those are fairly easy fixes) and getting them and the tank repainted to match, preferably as close to the original color of the tank as i can get. the tank is the original tank, and has ZERO dings or dents, just minor scuffs and scratches in the paint itself, none of which are down to bare metal it looks like. i may want to replace the petcock though... we shall see.
as for the chrome, i am having a hard time finding NOS chrome fenders for this bike... do you think a stock CB750f/k/whatever one would bolt right up with no modifications?
the fenders right now *may* be able to be polished up to remove the pitting in the chrome, but i like to err on the side of caution and have a source for replacements to fall back on if it turns out they cannot be replaced.
the guages i would like to fix as well... have them re-faced and all... what would i be looking at for that?
as for the headlight, i am considering changing it over to a halogen h4 bulb mount using a completely different headlight bucket and bezel. or do you think i should leave it stock? the h4 i could get far longer than the stock bulbs im sure, and would probably produce a better beam of light as well.
i may take the entire wiring harness out and take a large sheet of plywood and lay the wires out within a loom made of brads nailed part-way into the board, and then re-create the harness from scratch, including a new fuseblock using the spade type fuses instead of the round glass type ones that are most likely the stock style... those should be a little more vibration resistant than the glass ones. i can get wire from napa where i work in nearly any color i want, so i can probably recreate the harness using these wires that are similar in color to the originals to keep it as close to stock as possible. i will also be using some GM-type sealing connectors for where parts of the harness need to be disconnectable, such as for the neutral saftey switch, etc. obviously, these connectors will not be stock, BUT, they WILL be a much better connection than the old-style un-sealed molex connectors that were original on the stock bikes of that day.
for the engine, i will rebuild everything except the tranny, unless the tranny shows that it needs some work as well. i will try to source a good 4 into 2 exhaust for the bike, or even a 4 into 1 exhaust. it all depends on what i can find. obviously, it will be dificult to find NOS exhausts, but i will look for those first, since this is primarily a restoration as close to stock as i can get.
i have a lead on a 1976 goldwing, i believe it to be a GL1000, but it could be the LTD version too, i dont really know. that one will be my daily driver bike untill i get this one done, IF i actually buy the goldwing. after the hondamatic is finished, i may even restore the goldwing... again, IF i buy it. it all depends on the condition of the bike, and how willing the guy is to work with me on the price.
