Jennifer's Makeover

[pete]

Awesome stuff yet again Stan

And yes, a little each day will see her done before you know it

[Flyboy]

So it has been close to a week, and not the slightest sign of any rust, so all is good, a wipe down once a week with some polish will keep them like new.....better than.

[Good Times]

Nice! Good job.

[Flyboy]

Eish, I guess it is time to kick this thread back to life.
Well, the good news is, I have not been slacking off and Jennifer has not been abandoned, well maybe slacking off just a bit, truth is, I have just not had time to go shopping for anything, I have been burning the candle at all ends and am running on empty, and whatever still needs doing requires shopping first.
I have also put off any shopping for Jennifer for a while, with the upcoming trip to the Land of the free and home of the $60 blow job (ask Hugh Grant), only 11 weeks away, I am putting every penny away to try and ease the blow of the R7.80 exchange rate.
None the less, I have been tinkering on with odds and ends to keep things on track, but nothing really picture worthy.

Managed to finish off the grab handle for the seat, it was pretty rough from being dragged down the tar in my inhebriated state, full of deep gouges and rust, I considered getting another, but I just hate throwing out parts that can be revived, anyway got it looking brand new.
Before




Fibre wheel, a couple of grades of sand paper, many hours and beers later, not bad at all.
After






Started tackling the headlight, the chrome rim was just as scratched to heck, but there is damage that is beyond my fixing, so gave it up as a bad job, will have to replace the trim ring, both of them.
Although, for the most part, the headlight will be buried under an "S" fairing, I am just not taking any short cuts, its either right or does not go back on.

The Damage.




The outter rim is not bad, just needs a sand and polish to get it back to its former glory, but after starting to sand, I discovered that it is made from some sort of copper/brass alloy and is gold/brown beneath the chrome, damn.....
I guess I could get it re chromed.

[Flyboy]

Refurbished and fitted the rear indicators, should be another two good ones somewhere on the Atlantic, on their way to me for the front.







Also finished off the housings for the handlebar switches, just waiting for Frank Z's stickers.



Anyone have any idea what the hell this thing is??? R/R possibly?



5 wires, 3 black, one earth and one live.

[rustybronco]

Re-chrome both the grab rail and headlight ring and I'll check my spares pile for a good headlight retainer in a bit.

That thing's got to be some sort of replacement R/R

[Flyboy]

Re-chrome both the grab rail and headlight ring.

After polishing it for hours???

[rustybronco]

I assume you removed quite a bit of the chrome when you polished this out, or is this not scratched below the chrome?

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd171/PA34Driver/Jennifers%20Rebuild%20II/IMG00353-20120407-1103.jpg

[Flyboy]

Dale, I removed all of the chrome, as best I could, it was gouged deep, down about a millimeter or so, so I did not really have an option.
Then polished it up to 1000grit and then compound.
The guy who owned Aerospace plating, where I had all my stuff done on the side, up and died a few weeks back without giving anyone notice, so there goes that.
I considered just taking it off to have it chromed, but it would have looked tacky, prepping it for chrome would not have been much less work than polishing it and there is a beautiful thing in polished metal.
And of course $$$$, there is a grumpy old bugger building a silly old Suzuki that I need to buy beers for in about 11 weeks.

[rustybronco]

Should have taken me up on the offer for the one I 'had' lying around, then you could have had the extra to spend for those beers!

[Flyboy]

Well I didn't think mine was not salvagable, and I was right, anyway I can't hog all your parts.
Sad thing is, about 15 or so years ago my mate and myself threw away pick up loads of GS parts when we moved house and couldn't be bothered to cart the stuff with us. Must have been enough stuff there to fill a pick up truck 3 or 4 times over, oh well, we live and learn, who knew.

[pete]

Nice progress Stan! Little stuff is better than no stuff right? The polish looks good on the grab rail

[Redneck]

That is definitely an R/R but I would not put it back on the bike. Do yourself a favor and get a newer one. But the grab bar looks awesome. Keep it polished and rust won't be an issue.

Paul

[Flyboy]

Thanks guys, something everyday hey Pete. No matter how small.
Yeah Paul, I have got a better one, jumped in and got one of the last ones that Duane was doing before he packed it in.
luckily where I am, rust is not an issue at all, a shine up with some Brasso once a month or so will keep all the polished metal bits looking new.
Strangly now that I have mastered the art of polishing, I think that chrome looks tacky, there is just a certain something beautiful in a piece of well polished metal, shows craftsmanship, I think.

[Redneck]

I won't disagree with you there. It takes a little more work but it shows a certain pride. My next project is either going to be a naked Goldwing or a GS 1100 of some type have not quite decided. I plan on it being the shiny bike but I plan on doing it with polish and shine, not chrome plating.

Paul