weimieman Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Day two of registering on here and somebody suggested posting my work so as the title says, I'm giving it a go. I've just tried to upload a couple of pictures but they failed miserably so I'll try at home over the weekend becuase it will be nice for you to see where I am stuck when I come grovelling for help (and oh yes, there will be grovelling) I've banged on a bit about the bike and why I got it in the new member section so I won't bore you to tears here. Basically, I bought this off ebay as it was a runner with full tax and mot. I only noticed when I picked it up that the following were missing :- 1 - Front and rear indicators 2 - left hand switch 3 - rear brake pedal spring (MOT failure???) 4 - Number plate bracket from under the rear mudguard Now, item 1 didn't bother me as as much as I wanted to "restore" her, I was never going to go overboard as I live near a beach so I want to have fun going over a few dunes etc so some tumbles can be expected and so I have spotted a nice all in one headlight and indicators. Again for the rear, some small bullet style indicators should be safe for when my fat ass goes over. Fortunately all the wiring is there and, God willing, it works as I hate electrical work due to my small hinderence of being colour blind. If anyone is having a bad day and really needs cheering me up, PM for the story about my Goldwing wiring the other weekk .... you'll realise you're not that bad off!!! Number 2, hmmmm, this bothered me. The light switches are there but there is no turn signal or horn button and the bloke who put the bike back on the road used an engine stop button off another bike for the horn! I'm a bit anal, I'm starting to get a little grumpy about this. Number 3, meh, no big deal. Springs are two a penny so even I can sort this Now 4, this is my real bug bear. The garage who put the bike back on the road (remembering number two and the mind that used an engine stop button for the horn) have bent a bit of steel and attached it to the underside of the mudguard and the plate. A reflector was then stuck to the bottom of the plate and hey presto, 12 months ticket. This, as they say, bothers me. I really should have spotted this in the pictures but I do most of my bidding at night which sadly coincides with a couple of cans of Strongbow. Ebay+drinking=loft full of crap=angry wife. If I'd have know these little niggles would I have bought the old girl? Of course I bloody would. All that let me down was the fact that I hadn't owned a DT since 1992 and if you would have put a gun to my head I couldn't remember what the rear of the bike looked like. So out with all my old papers from my youth (including the my first cover note for my MBX 50 in 1989 - oh yes, I am that sad) and I have now got a picture in my head of how I want to restore this bike. At the moment, I am currently taking the tank back to bare metal and it's being resprayed with Ford Diamond White and Ford Radiant Red. Like I said before, colour blind so close enough for me and I never plan on selling her. Tomorrows project are cleaning up the wiring and more respraying because most of the plastic panels were held onto the bike by tie wraps etc. The panels have been repaired, filled and primered and are anxiously awaiting their shiny top coats and laquer over the weekend. I've now got a few pictures and I'll gladly put them up once I work out how to do that or unless someone comes forward and tells me first (hint, hint) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Airhead Posted July 22, 2011 Moderator Share Posted July 22, 2011 .......I've now got a few pictures and I'll gladly put them up once I work out how to do that or unless someone comes forward and tells me first (hint, hint) Pictures are easy when you get the hang of it. See the 'Pinned' topic in New members FAQ's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimieman Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 Just following up on the above, let me know what you think and if I'm mad or not???? Obviously after spraying everything from scratch, I'm going to need to replace all the transfers and they are certainly easy enough to get off Ebay but one, well two, I begrudge buying are the very thin stripes for the side panels so what about this ..... I've bought some 6 mm wide pin striping tape and the plan is stripe around the edge of the panel follwing the shape of the original decal. Stripe immediately next to that following the exact same shape. Finally stripe again next to the last stripe therefore having three rows of striping. Now...... surely if I remove the middle strip I should have a perfect 6mm line which I can mask off at either side and spray? Genius or madness, interested to hear your thoughts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimieman Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 Pictures are easy when you get the hang of it. See the 'Pinned' topic in New members FAQ's Heading there now .... watch this space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Airhead Posted July 22, 2011 Moderator Share Posted July 22, 2011 Heading there now .... watch this space Can I suggest you size your pictures to 600 - 900 pixels width if you have the means ..can be done on photobucket but theirs is a bit slow...myself I use paint.net, not essential but they can become tedious waiting to load up in your posts when taken with todays crop of huge megapixel cameras Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimieman Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 Can I suggest you size your pictures to 600 - 900 pixels width if you have the means ..can be done on photobucket but theirs is a bit slow...myself I use paint.net, not essential but they can become tedious waiting to load up in your posts when taken with todays crop of huge megapixel cameras Thanks I'll check out what you recommend. I tried to upload a daft avatar and it was having none of it. I'll have a play over the weekend when I get more time. Thanks for your replies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimieman Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 Uploaded with ImageShack.us Here's the old girl. If this works I'll be back on in the next 24 hours to point out what needs doing etc. Here goes, fingers crossed .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimieman Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 It's not quite a reply within 24 hours but hey ho, I'm back. Its not quite the best the photo in the world but for my first attempt I'm quite chuffed but it will give you a general idea of what needs doing to the old girl. On the left hand plastic, there is a hole about three inches in from the front which I preume is from the heat off the exhaust. Oh and that sticker just has to go. Also the panel is held on by a tie wrap! The front mudguard has been attacked by the plastic equivalent of woodworm (plasticworm???) as someone has been a little giddy and drilled some holes in there for some reason. The headlight surround is again held on by a tie wrap on the left hand side and has been attacked by the bad taste police and is plagued by cacky stickers. Speedo and trip meter not working. Strangely when I connect up a drill to the bottom of the cable the speedo flies round and again by dropping an allen key into the hole on the hub and push the bike that turns so further investigating is needed. Petrol tank is a little scabby. A nasty tear in the seat cover. The whole of the number plate bracket is missing along with the luggage rack. The wheels are manky as is the swingarm. The exhaust has seen better days but its complete and solid so it should keep going until funds allow for a new one with an increase in power to allow for an increase in weight on me which has mysteriously appeared in me in the last 20 years. Front disc cover is missing along with the rear brake spring and talking of missing, not an indicator in sight. The rear light cluster is on a funny angle as the hole for the right hand bolt as broken away from the mudguard so its kind of hanging in there. There is a nasty crack on the left hand side of the rear mudguard which has been drilled at either side and tie wrapped. So there you have it, all in all not a bad little bike but in need of a little tidying. So far I've repaired the holes in the plastics and resprayed them. The tank has been taken down to bare metal and I just finished the last coat on that last night so just awaiting the decals to arrive. The wheels have been scrubbed to within an inch of their life and its like being in 1986 again when you look at them. The only thing I've changed is on the front mudguard where I have painted the outside lip red to go with the mudguard support but I'm not sure about it yet. I haven't finished it yet as I used some cheap masking tape and its left a bit of a ridge. I'll upload a ton of photos later on today now that I know how to do it (thanks OldGit and Nev) and you can see what I have been banging on about above. Oh and you'll notice when I upload the photos that the bare metal rubdown on the tank revealed a nasty dent when I primered it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimieman Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us A few photos from various angles to show what I was on about in the above post. Don't worry, the pictures get better! Uploaded with ImageShack.us This was after an hour of paint stripper! They don't paint em like they used to. Uploaded with ImageShack.us This was after about four hours by hand!!!!! Notice the small dent in the centre? Well I didn't until the primer was laid down and here it is ..... Uploaded with ImageShack.us The next two are after the repairs to the rear mudguard. I fixed the right hand hole by cutting the edges off a very thick washer and fibre glassing it to the frame to give it it's rigidity back. The crack was simply repaired by filling in the holes, fibre glassing underneath for strength and filling in the crack. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Not sure about the paint scheme on the next one, but I do need to touch up the join between red and white. Opinions please .... Uploaded with ImageShack.us And finally after four layers of primer, seven top coats, viola! Just waiting for the decals and several layers of laquer can go on Uploaded with ImageShack.us Come on parts, arrive! We have a beach to get to!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Airhead Posted July 28, 2011 Moderator Share Posted July 28, 2011 Oohh I would love to see the 'forbidden fruits' ones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimieman Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 Ha! They were just four pictures from different angles showing the various damage that I was on about. Why on earth are they forbidden? Maybe something was going on in the background in my own back garden that I didn't notice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEV Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Not sure about the paint scheme on the next one, opinions please .... Liking that, alot, areyou keeping the tank as standard? decals and paint job,that is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimieman Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 The only thing I'm changing with the tank is the decals. For some reason I can't get hold of the original style ones for love nor money so I've ordered the earlier style ones which will change the look slightly but it will also enable me to trim one of the side panel stickers to go on the rad cover. If I decide to keep the paint scheme on the mudguard (which I probably will now someone has said its good! Colour blindness doesn't do a lot for your confidence when you're painting )I might do a similar thing to the seam of the tank. I tried it with the back corners of the rear mudguard where I repaired and it looked flippin stupid to be honest!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEV Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 The only thing I'm changing with the tank is the decals. For some reason I can't get hold of the original style ones for love nor money so I've ordered the earlier style ones which will change the look slightly but it will also enable me to trim one of the side panel stickers to go on the rad cover. If I decide to keep the paint scheme on the mudguard (which I probably will now someone has said its good! Colour blindness doesn't do a lot for your confidence when you're painting )I might do a similar thing to the seam of the tank. I tried it with the back corners of the rear mudguard where I repaired and it looked flippin stupid to be honest!! Probably too late now, seeing as how you've ordered the decals, but I'm sure there's someone in here can get the original ones. I know what you mean about the colour blindness, they tell me I'm colour blind on reds and greens, only time it ever affects me mind, is when I play snooker,(red and brown looks very similar on the green baise) but then again Marstons Pedigree also has the same effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimieman Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 Thanks anyway but the new decals should be fine. Anything will be better than the tatty old things. I really must try resizing those photos like you said becuase mine are tiny compared to your lot. As for snooker, I hear ya. I've potted some corking browns in the past and then lined up for a colour to be told of my misfortune! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimieman Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 Well this was at the top of this weekend's job list. Uploaded with ImageShack.us As you can see, it's not really in bad nick considering it's 25 years old but theres certainly some surface rust on there. This one should show it a little better. Uploaded with ImageShack.us After a lot of patient grinding (and careful grinding!), this is the end result after 5 coats of high temperature BBQ paint. The guard had four layers of chrome paint from the pound shop!!! I must admit to anyone who is interested that the black/white/primer from the pound shop is far better then you would think. The only criticism I have with it is that the nozzle is of poor quality and tended to spit rather than spray but by simply swapping the nozzle with a quality one from Halfords and Bob's your mother's brother. Uploaded with ImageShack.us It looks far better on the bike but I obviously forgot to take a picture of that one! That damned snapped off screw in the bottom of the guard is very annoying though. Even my reverse thread drill bit thingy won't get it out. As I'd had a good weekend working on the exhaust I thought I'd have a crack at the tank now that the new decals had arrived. It was this ..... That became this ..... And ended up as this ..... Uploaded with ImageShack.us As you can see, I've gone for the older style decals just to make it a little different and it also helps me out with the side panel decals as my pinstriping and masking idea was a disaster! This weekend coming will be starting the side panel again as it really was a disaster. No really, I'm not exaggerating. Also thinking of tackling some of the wiring as the headlight has arrived and the rear indicators should be here by Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noise Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Looking really good mate! far better than it was, i would def get some stainless steel bolts in there tho with some copper slip grease to stop future snaping of bolts, you may have to drill that bolt out and re-tap the thread if you still cant get it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimieman Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 Looking really good mate! far better than it was, i would def get some stainless steel bolts in there tho with some copper slip grease to stop future snaping of bolts, you may have to drill that bolt out and re-tap the thread if you still cant get it out. I think you're 100% right about the drill and re tap. I wasn't going to bother to be honest but now it looks a lot better I think it's going to annoy the hell out of me. I was trying to convince myself that it could stay like that until I got the new exhaust system but I know it's there and it's mocking me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noise Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Yer i dont blame you mate! i have odd bolts on my 650 dragstar that are doing my head in but im leaving them till the winter strip down then every nut and bolt will be changed to s/s. Are you selling your DT on or is it a keeper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimieman Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 Keeper, big time! I say that now but if it can't carry my fat ass backwards and forwards to the beach then something may have to give A diet probably. I'm about four stone heavier then when I had a DT previously in 91 and I thought it was slow then. Top end of about 50mph and when I accidentally took a wrong turn onto a motorway slip road, they were the longest five miles of my life, especially with a couple of L plates tucked down my top which I had to rip off on the hard shoulder My sense of direction has not improved since then .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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