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This is probably going to be a protracted process due to time (I am nearly 60 but still work full time) and money (hence having to work full time!) constraints. If you read my 'intro' post you will get a history of the bike to this point, plus pictures of said history. http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...=1#post2173631
My goal is to make it cosmetically the way it was when bought new in July of 1977, with some other minor changes which I thought of all those years ago. Yes, I deserve to be thrashed for 'rattle-can-ing' it. My only excuse is that of the impetuousness of youth!
Here is the 'base line' that I want to achieve, the bike in its un-molested glory:
Here the bike sits in the spare bedroom. I have started by changing the bars for lower ones. The cables and what-not still work, but it would be nicer to have shorter ones. I'll have to do some research to find a source.......
I have sourced replacement brake lines since I am sure the originals are not as good as they were 38 years ago.
The side panels were painted in gloss black to match the tank, and the right one has a crack in it. Rather than faff around trying to refurbish them I have sourced brand new replacements, with new GS750 badges (along with new 'Suzuki' tank badges). Be still my beating heart... oh the cost!
I started stripping the tank but could not get into all the nooks and crannies so contacted the local paint blaster outfit who assured me that they could soda blast it which would not be too intrusive. Obviously the boss did not tell the worker this, so the tank was blasted with just about the coarsest medium possible! So I am now faced with hours of labour to 'flat' it down, or (heaven forbid) having to get a replacement!
Found an outfit that produces quality decals so got a set of them.
A big challenge is finding the correct colour of Candy Gypsy Red paint for the tank and tail piece. Very frustrating. I contacted RS Bike Paint in the UK. They assured me that they had a match for the paint and so I ordered a 'touch-up' sample (base coat and colour coat) to see. Not even close. I am resigned to having to go to a paint supplier and trawl through books and books of colour samples until I find one that is an approximate match.
And so it goes!
My goal is to make it cosmetically the way it was when bought new in July of 1977, with some other minor changes which I thought of all those years ago. Yes, I deserve to be thrashed for 'rattle-can-ing' it. My only excuse is that of the impetuousness of youth!
Here is the 'base line' that I want to achieve, the bike in its un-molested glory:
Here the bike sits in the spare bedroom. I have started by changing the bars for lower ones. The cables and what-not still work, but it would be nicer to have shorter ones. I'll have to do some research to find a source.......
I have sourced replacement brake lines since I am sure the originals are not as good as they were 38 years ago.
The side panels were painted in gloss black to match the tank, and the right one has a crack in it. Rather than faff around trying to refurbish them I have sourced brand new replacements, with new GS750 badges (along with new 'Suzuki' tank badges). Be still my beating heart... oh the cost!
I started stripping the tank but could not get into all the nooks and crannies so contacted the local paint blaster outfit who assured me that they could soda blast it which would not be too intrusive. Obviously the boss did not tell the worker this, so the tank was blasted with just about the coarsest medium possible! So I am now faced with hours of labour to 'flat' it down, or (heaven forbid) having to get a replacement!
Found an outfit that produces quality decals so got a set of them.
A big challenge is finding the correct colour of Candy Gypsy Red paint for the tank and tail piece. Very frustrating. I contacted RS Bike Paint in the UK. They assured me that they had a match for the paint and so I ordered a 'touch-up' sample (base coat and colour coat) to see. Not even close. I am resigned to having to go to a paint supplier and trawl through books and books of colour samples until I find one that is an approximate match.
And so it goes!
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