Topic: 1976 Tracy Cafe, My first SOHC CB750

[amerdunbar]

I've been running my shins into this for 3 years now, so I decided if it's going to get done, now is the time.

[amerdunbar]

Picked up a funky Tracy body off of ebay - the crushed velvet banana seat has got to go.



I'm not the best at photoshopping things, but at least I have an idea of what I'm trying to get...

[amerdunbar]

I took time out from razor blading the magenta paint and bubbling flames off the body to dig up a old CB750 Custom seat foam I've been saving for some reason.  After digging through some boxes, I quickly went to work on the foam with some of my late grandmother's finest serrated knives...



I think I got it pretty close?

[amerdunbar]

Last week was like Christmas morning every time a delivery truck pulled in.  My favorite was my new chrome Yoshimura 4-1

[Retro Rocket]

Just curious, is there any reason why you bought the Yamiya pipe over the Carpy pipe made in USA..? Carpy's pipe has the correct "S" bend pipe after the collector where as the Yamiya is a cut and shut arrangement..

Mick

[amerdunbar]

Carpy didn't have any in stock, and Yamiya did lol.  I did get a Dresda swingarm from Carpy tho, and now I'm trying to decide if I'm going to keep the chain guard tabs or not before I send it off to the powdercoaters.

[greasy j]

the new seat shape is nice. I like it.

the old paint was horrific. too bad it was in such good condition, though.

this should be pretty cool. I'm assuming you saw the chrome tracy bike of the month, right?

[Toxic]

I've been running my shins into this for 3 years now, so I decided if it's going to get done, now is the time.

Best start to a build thread , ever.

You do know that paint and velvet seat were a piece of "history"

Looking forword to the rest of your build

[amerdunbar]

the new seat shape is nice. I like it.

the old paint was horrific. too bad it was in such good condition, though.

this should be pretty cool. I'm assuming you saw the chrome tracy bike of the month, right?

Actually the paint was horrible - the flames were all bubbling up from poor prep work. Whoever shot it did a nice job, just bad colors.  Actually I didn't see the bike of the month, I'm pretty new to SOHC stuff and am just trying to read up here.  I've spent the last 4 years on 79-82 DOHC's.

[amerdunbar]

You do know that paint and velvet seat were a piece of "history"

Looking forword to the rest of your build

That part can stay history 

Got a pic of my newly covered seat today, and I should have it back in a few days.

[eshumaker]

Now that's a nice seat! Like the piping.

[traveler]

What color are you painting the Tracy body?  Frame color?

Get some Lester wheels for it!

~Joe

[amerdunbar]

Tracy body, and I have a chin spoiler and fairing also that I may or may not use, are getting painted Pearl White, with Silver Flake in the clear.  Wheels are Invader Mags that I had powdercoated ...Pearl White, with a Silver Flake Clear.  They turned out beautiful, but good grief, they weigh more than a Krispy Kreme model and two coats of powder didn't help any.  I have a set of aluminum spoke rims on standby in case I change my mind.  After much debate, I settled on Gloss Black for the frame and swingarm.  I stripped the center stand mounts, seat hinges, and sidecover tabs off the frame today along with the chain guard mounts off the swingarm and am just waiting for my powdercoater to go on them - hopefully by tomorrow night I'll have a nice shiny frame to start mounting the front end to.  I accidentally ordered all drive carrier bearings instead of the rear wheel bearings, so I'll be another 2 days before I can get the rear wheel under it.

[traveler]

oil tank?  powdered white with silver flaked clear?

Really sounds cool, and VERY late 60's retro.

Good stuff.  Subscribed.

Leave the motor at 736cc, imho.

~Joe

[srook]

What are your plans for the fiberglass tank in that Tracy body?  That particular one was discussed on the tech forum a few months back when it showed up on ebay.  I made the comment that the paint seemed only to bubble where the tank was.  This may be a sign of gas fumes or gas seeping through the original tank.
Scott

[amerdunbar]

They did mostly lift on the tank.  There was/is some sloppy fiberglass work done on the underside as well.  Once I get the bodywork done, I'm going to use Caswell's Tank Epoxy on it.  It'll be my first time using it, and if it performs as advertised, I'll be pushing the stuff lol.  There's a link on my website for it if you're interested. 

Oil tank will likely be painted gloss black with enamel.  I'm undecided on the airbox, so I left the tabs on the frame.  I have pods and 120 mains for the stock carbs - I had to keep talking myself out of the CR carbs, because if I liked them, I'd be putting them on all my bikes lol.

[amerdunbar]

It doesn't feel like I'm making any progress the last couple of days.  I did get the top of my triple done today.  I knew I wanted to get rid of the clamps, and I wanted small lights, so I stole someone else's idea of putting the lights right in the holes.  Red, Amber, Blue and Green LED's.




I could have probably done a little nicer job filling in the underside, but you can't see it, and it does the job I needed it to do.

[Ryan6838]

Just want to say love the build and cant wait to see it more of it. Hope to have a tracy bike someday to.

[blacksheep]

i have the same tracy body on my 76 cb750,wait till you take it out.it is realy cool just to see the look on peoples faces.............you will see what i mean ................

[fasturd]

MORE, I want to see the paint and the invaders!

[Flying J]

what did you fill the bottom of that triple with?
as for the exhaust i like the yamiya because it has nice smooth bends.

[Tintop]

MORE, I want to see the paint and the invaders!

+1 on pics of the paint, sounds cool.  The seat looks great.  Will be following this build.

[Retro Rocket]

what did you fill the bottom of that triple with?
as for the exhaust i like the yamiya because it has nice smooth bends.

On the headers only, the rest of that pipe is damn ugly and poorly made. Why do the headers have beautifulcurves and the pipe itself have those jagged angled bits sewn together in there, the real Yoshi's have smooth bends there as well because thats where the exhaust gasses meet up and need smooth travel to improve performance......That Yamiya pipe is a compromise and i am buggered if i know why they did it that way....

Mick

[YogiBear]

I'm subscribed. 

[Toxic]

bout time for an update