the 5 foot special

[timebombprod]

this bike looks great 5 feet away but upclose its covered in blemishes or scratches, some maybe not so upclose. anything i could do to minimize these? do i just keep cleaning and waxing

im not the one who did the scrapes all on the paint i wipe in circles and rinse before and after i use whatever cleaning product. also the big mark on the right side is from when the previous owner i didnt meet laid it down

 

[Steve]

Cleaning and waxing will never remove scratches and blemishes.

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[timebombprod]

Cleaning and waxing will never remove scratches and blemishes.

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well then its gonna stay the 5 foot special

 

[nvr2old]

I dunno..waxing won't do much, but you could probably take a little wet 1000 grit, then 2000 grit sand paper to the top of the tank and then hit with some rubbing compound with a buffer. It will look way better. You could also take some gold and black pinstripe tape and replace the majority of what's missing on the right side. Something can always be made to look better..maybe not perfect..but certainly better.

 

[salty_monk]

Looks like the clear has had it to me.... Carefully rub back, repair the pinstripe & hit it with some Spraymax 2k would likely work...

 

[Gorminrider]

^^ yes... if your chrome and the rest is good, salty_monks approach be worth a try in my opinion.

But! you might just cover it up with a tankbag or a "bra" too if it bothers you.

 

[Spyder]

Another option. Clear coat was REALLY bad on my T when I bought it. Had an old crappy leather jacket hanging around. Cut it to shape, coated the back with 3M spray glue... Did the job until I got a chance to paint the whole bike.

 

[wyly]

When I paint I always make sure have 5-6 coats of clear, then those scratches buff right out with polishing compound.

 

[wyly]

edit:double post

 

[wyly]

this bike looks great 5 feet away but upclose its covered in blemishes or scratches, some maybe not so upclose. anything i could do to minimize these? do i just keep cleaning and waxing

im not the one who did the scrapes all on the paint i wipe in circles and rinse before and after i use whatever cleaning product. also the big mark on the right side is from when the previous owner i didnt meet laid it down

It may not make financial sense to pay to have it professionally restored but if you're up to the challenge you could learn to do it yourself for about $300. Paint shouldn't be a difficult match and the decals can probably still be reproduced. I went to auto body shop supplier and they put my colour choice in rattle cans, colour wasn't factory but I added the oem decals to look period correct. This pic was before clear coat and after.
.View attachment 59803

 

[timebombprod]

It may not make financial sense to pay to have it professionally restored but if you're up to the challenge you could learn to do it yourself for about $300. Paint shouldn't be a difficult match and the decals can probably still be reproduced. I went to auto body shop supplier and they put my colour choice in rattle cans, colour wasn't factory but I added the oem decals to look period correct. This pic was before clear coat and after.

ill probably leave it be for now seeing if i can make any small repairs on it. i dont mind the look too much i think it adds some character and its a survivor its gonna have some marks.

i did want to repaint if i keep this bike for a long time and know ill keep on riding it, but i want to do black/ emerald green with the gold pinstripes. if i restore it with its original colours itll still look nice but i wouldnt say this bike is a part of history so its not something i plan on doing

 

[Steve]

..., but i want to do black/ emerald green with the gold pinstripes.

If Photobucket hadn't taken a dump, I could post pictures of exactly what that would look like. I will have to send them to you via e-mail.

Yep, it's an '82 650L, done in black and green, with gold stripes. :encouragement:

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[timebombprod]

If Photobucket hadn't taken a dump, I could post pictures of exactly what that would look like. I will have to send them to you via e-mail.

Yep, it's an '82 650L, done in black and green, with gold stripes. :encouragement:

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awesome cant wait to see!

 

[Steve]

Check your e-mail. They were sent 4 1/2 hours before your "can't wait to see" message.

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[rphillips]

That's not fair, we want to see the black/green also. There are pictures here everywhere, if you can't figure out how, find a kid (youngster) they can figure do it. I WANT PICTURES!!!

 

[Steve]

That's not fair, we want to see the black/green also. There are pictures here everywhere, if you can't figure out how, find a kid (youngster) they can figure do it. I WANT PICTURES!!!

I am working on getting another photo-hosting site, but in the meantime, send me a PM with your e-mail address, I'll send you some pictures.

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[rphillips]

Naw, not that important, good luck & keep us in mind, you know we all like photos'