De-stinking Penelope

[Matchless]

Well, well, well! I just arrived home from Cape Town and saw the last bit of progress and the comments, so I quietly sneaked out to the garage and shamefully put the bike cover over my poor GS and tied it down properly!

Dale, I never fully understood the 120% thing you guys talk about. Out here 100% used to be perfect (OK this may start a debate here...) I now understand the 120% part a little better!

[rustybronco]

Andre, thanks for the kind words! Those gauges are far away from being 120%. there are a few small markings to the ABS on either side of the housing that will need taking care of. I'll probably use your special ABS sauce and some grained material to push it in place trying to hide the markings as best I can. if you look carefully at the right chrome gauge cover in my final two pictures you will notice a line in it. that cover was quite damaged when it was given to me by by someone who lost so much in an accident. I straightened it as best I could so it could be put on Penelope. I have one that isn't damaged I could replace it with, but considering it was a well appreciated gift, I chose to use it on my project.

generous gifts mean more to me than perfection will ever will.

[chuck hahn]

Dale..I got a few "contacts" and i wuill see if I can scrape up something for that cover.

[sedelen]

For those of you who don't want to fool around with these gauges, cleaning, painting, polishing, here's the perfect answer, providing you have deep pockets, a N.O.S. set of GS1000 speedo/tach gauges, delivery card shows date as Nov 01, 1979. Wow!
Notice how crisp those white letters are, now to figure out how to duplicate that on mine somehow.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Suzuki-NOS-G...sories&vxp=mtr

When I originally posted this NOS set of GS1000 gauges for sale at $499.99 in addition to the $27.70 plus shipping I never expected it to sell. But sell it did. Dale you might have to go into business.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Suzuki-NOS-GS1000-1978-and-1979-Speedometer-Assembly-34100-49072-NB-/390384475796?hash=item5ae4ba5e94&item=390384475796&pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr

[rustybronco]

Steve, that's just nuts. $500 is between 1/10 and 1/5 of what the bike might be worth.

[sedelen]

Steve, that's just nuts. $500 is between 1/10 and 1/5 of what the bike might be worth.

Surely the wheels must be going in your mind of what you might get for yours.
The only way this makes sense to me is if someone wanted a zero miles
odometer, and if that were the case they could go this route for somewhat less.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUZUKI-78-79-GS1000-orange-SPEEDOMETER-140MPH-NOS-34110-49072-/150724920419?hash=item2317e7c463&item=150724920419&pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr

[rustybronco]

Surely the wheels must be going in your mind of what you might get for yours.

No, but the wheels are turning to build up another set to sell.

you have an email from me in regards to that very same subject.

[rustybronco]

Now the question becomes

I bought another set of gauges off Ebay to make a couple of bucks with. unfortunately the gauge housing on the set I just bought is in better shape than the set I just built up and the chrome covers are darn near perfect. I have no problem using the set of chrome covers I already have. what I'm asking you is, are gauges I recently built up good enough to most people just as they are, should I use the best parts of these on my project then rehab and sell what's left, or just update the newest set to 'E' style gauges, rehab and sell?

it's that old balancing act between what's good enough for the project and making a few $$ to further fund the project.

The latest set...

[UncleMike]

For me, I always take what's best for my project. The project is the point, in my eyes. The money you make off parts is secondary. If you make an extra $20 off the gauges, you're not going to remember that in a week, month, year. But you're going to be looking at your bike a lot.

[chuck hahn]

+100...Im with Mike...best goes on my bike first.

[Nessism]

I agree with Mike and Chuck. Hoard the best stuff for yourself.

[Flyboy]

Put me in that basket as well, the good stuff goes on Penelope.

[pete]

Yup, +1 for me too.

[sedelen]

I agree with Mike and Chuck. Hoard the best stuff for yourself.

Dale,
Looks like I was in good company as for keeping what's best for your bike. Remember, you'll be keeping the bike, over time you'll be glad that
you kept the best parts for yourself. And quality parts for these bikes
are getting harder to come by.
However, should you give up your best parts, you'll be kicking yourself in the butt for as long as you have the bike and the dollars you lose to the sale of less than perfect parts you'll get back should you sell the bike.

[rustybronco]

Allrighty then, that settles it, the good stuff goes on Penelope.

I went shopping today and picked up some modeling paint for the ends of the indicator needles. I think it looks like a very close match to what should be the original color on the needles.

In my opinion, the best way to apply the new paint to the tip is to lightly scrape the old tip colour off with a razor blade and dip the tip of the needle into the jar of paint. remove the indicator needle and lightly touch the fresh paint to the side of the jar removing some of the excess. then let it hang with the tip pointing down until it's dry. I taped the needle to the side if a shelf so it couldn't fall. dipping the tip into the paint instead of applying it with a brush will leave the tip perfectly smooth looking just like it came from the factory.