Restoring a z650 - first restoration and breaking the rules.

[mothra]

Ok Buckle - more pics....


Sorry for the delay - my laptop got pinched from my luggage on the way home from the US and it took me a while to catch up....

The wheels were a real dilemma - they looked ok from a distance but up close they had 30 years of flaking, scabrous paint that had been painted over again and again.



I was trying to work out wether I could get away with leaving them as they were. As soon as I got the paintwork back, I knew that wouldn't fly; I just wouldn't be able to 'not notice' them every time I looked at the bike, so I delayed sending the chassis off for powdercoating for a week or so while I stripped the wheels. Once done, I called triple S, told them what I had doing and all was fine until I told them I wanted the rims/spokes left bare at which point Andy explained it's really hard to get a sharp line with powder coat. It may well have been his polite way of telling me he couldn't be arsed to mask the wheels. I rang Altamura, who did the bodywork - they were only too happy to help at £330 plus VAT. Again, I interpreted this as 'masking up wheels is a pain in the bum, and we don't really want to do it'. So I decided to take a bit of a chance and see what I could do myself. I took the wheels to RD Cox in reading - really nice guys and very honest ('I could take your mobile and pretend I'm going to call you, but I won't so why don't you give me a call on wednesday') in a way that would have terrified me before starting the restoration - is it me, or are they all like that? - and he blasted them aggressively for £20. I then took the bare metal rims home and after my lovely wife masked them for me painted them with Nissan Gold from a spray can. After a couple of days to dry, ran them back to Doug Cox and he put several coats of two pack lacquer on them for me (another £20), straight on top of the bare rims. Now, I know normally this would be a real issue, but the sandblasted rims were so 'prickly' I don't think there's anything on the planet that would have a better key - and once lacquered, the surface is lovely and smooth. I deliberately didn't polish them to give the lacquer a chance to grip.





I'd be keen to know what people think my chances are of this wokring out, but in the meanwhile I think they look brilliant and worst case, I'm out £40 while I have them blasted again.

[mothra]

I'm just about done with rebuilding the clocks - this whole bit sums up my learning curve so far...

and I described this earlier when I dind't have access to the photos...
However, there they are:



I don't think that photo sums up quite how bad they were - it was hard to see there was ever a red mark (now yellow) on the needles, and the rust was everywhere on the chrome. The ignition also looked like someone had used a screwdriver to start the bike at some point, and the cover looked like it had leprosy

So after new chrome, new stickers, new faces, new tacho, new bulbs, and a quick spary of bumper paint over the masked up idiot light cover (£70 for a new one is apparently where I draw the line) this is what we wind up with:



BTW, this might give some idea of how the powdercoating worked out:



Frame is still in the protective bubblewrap and is staying that way until I begin assembly in a few weeks - at the moment I'm trying to work out how to get the secondary shaft out so I can split the crankcases. I'm looking better than buckle and VDUK/CB as so far my engine looks pretty good, although I'm a little worried about how much gunk was plastered over the oil pump filter....

:-)

[chrisNI]

Looking good, making progress...

Going back to your first post about how much was wrong with it when you got your bike, it's a source of constant suprise - even thugh by this time it shouldn't be - how much of bodge people can make of things.

[sweptail]

clocks look good. Wanna do mine. Tommy

[GUYZED]

I don't see the problem painting your Z650 in Z1 colours-Kawasaki painted the Z400 twin in Z1A colours (candy red & blue) and Z900A4 (candy brown),i used to have one.
I had my Z1000A2 painted in Z1B colours-you can see it in pics from the ace cafe on the meeting and events page.(the red and black one)
Great project,keep the pics coming.
We well have to meet up at some point as you are in Reading and i'm in Arborfield for a pint or if you want a hand with the Z (lifting the engine back into the frame etc etc)

[mothra]

Guyzed, you have a PM :-)

Sweptail, go for it - it's straightforward enough and really satisfying - as I said, the pic's don't really do it justice.

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. So, a question, and I have a suspicion I know what the majority will say.... I'm currently polishing all the alloy bits, which is very therapeutic as they are very grungy, but I really don't want to have to do it all my life.... I know there is a lacquer for highly poished alloy - what do people think about using lacquer on non high temperature parts - is there anyone out there who's done it and is happy with it?

[Buckle]

I'm looking better than buckle and VDUK/CB as so far my engine looks pretty good
:-)

No need to rub it in........

Seriously though, looking good so far and I wouldn't wish anyone finding their engine in the state I did. I take it the 650 didn't come from Bristol?

[zedrider]

love the look of the bike . ive got a 1978 b2 z650 had it for over 20 years now . i will need to get the paintwork done . as its gotten bashed and dented a bit . was the paint work expensive ? ive just got my first z1000 too its a LTD american import for 1982 . nevr thought i would say this . but it handels evan better than the 650 . the wife says its just like the 650 but bigger .. all i know is i`m really enjoying my rideing again . if anyone is thinking about byeing a zed . or has one waiting for some restoration . what are you waiting for ? summers over and spring will be here before you know it . see you on the road soon . you will know me when you see me for the silly smile on my mug . knees in the breeze

[Andy_Jak]

I think your z650 is going to be superb. I too have been doing up my own z650 to my own style. (I have never been one for standard ). I want to get a spray job similar to yours (how much was it?) and do my wheels like yours too.

Here is what I have done so far:

Micron polished alloy fork brace
JMC deep braced polished alloy swingarm
Guillari 2-4 seat, re upholstered and reshaped.
Taylor ignition leads
Dyna performance coils
Boyer Bransden Electronic ignition
Renthal alloy bars
Turn indicators removed.
Gold anodised headlamp brackets
Raask alloy rearset footpegs
Alloy pillion footpegs
Frame lugs taken off to clean back end up.
Rear stop light and number plate bracket made up.
New 130 size tyre on rear.
New wheel bearings.
Chrome Chain guard.
Chrome Engine bars.
Harris Works collection 4-1 exhaust.
z1000 after market shocks. (extra inch in ride height).
Chrome Clock covers.

[mothra]

Guys, I was originally quoted £450 + VAT for the bodywork - which I know is a lot of money, but I'd seen the work these guys were doing and had had a good look round the workshop - everythign looked fantastic.

In the end it wound up being £50 more than that because the tank was leaking and they had to seal it for me - I was still happy as I'd rather do it right once than come back afterwards. I reckon you could get it done for less, but there's a huge difference between 'mate in shed' and 'done properly' and I didn't know anyone personally...

Andy, the bike looks great - really been brought bang up to date...

I'm still making progress - finished stripping the engine, which doug cox is blasting, have some custom hagon shocks on the way; I need to order some engine bits (gaskets, crankshaft bearing sleeves, head studs etc) and then I can start putting the jigsaw together. I'm terrified I'm going to have bits left over....

[mothra]

New Hagon shocks alongside the old Marzocchis (I think).

These are Classic Chrome Type P Standard with Chrome Springs (apparently they don't usually do these with chrome springs, but I asked nicely...) They look bloody brilliant, but they seem to be quite a bit shorter than the old ones. Again, this might explain why the PO didn't like the handling.



Engine is back - looks good, but I'm trying to decide wether to get a broken fin welded up or ignore it.



Once the carbs are back on, I'm really not sure I'll be able to see it.
Polishing is also coming on nicely thanks to GUYZED's example. My left fork lower has a damaged thread, which again I was planning to ignore, but maybe I should swap it out before I rebuild the forks - I don't suppose anyone has a spare lying around the want to sell?



Fork uppers are off at philpotts being rechromed, engine parts (studs, gaskets, bearing shells, piston rings etc) are on order from z -power - which were hundreds of pounds! - and the wheel bearings are currently in the freezer before I have a go at putting them in.

I feel like I'm making progress!

[Buckle]

Blimey Sir! Looking good

I need to pull me finger out

[mothra]

Ok, so as you can see progress has been made...



Getting the rolling chassis together was really rewarding. The front end is now pretty much done, and the headlight, clocks etc are all buttoned up, forks rebuilt, switchgear repainted and mounted on new handlebars (cutting new holes for the wiring took forever, but it was cheaper than having the old one rechromed...), brakes mounted etc.



I did a full strip and rebuild on the engine, which was bloody scary. I also didn't realise until after I'd split the crankcases just how much a full gasket set, new head studs, bearing shells, piston rings etc was actually going to put on the cost of the restoration - but I'm really glad I did it.




Problems included the long head bolts being NLA (got Phil Denton to make some), and I used choice language when, just before dropping the barrels and rebuilt head on, I accidentally flicked one of the camchain guide rubber blocks into the crankcases. Fortunately a long screwdriver and grease got it back out. I had some invaluable help from a couple of friends, including GuyZed - I think I would have got there if I didn't have the help, but it would have taken a lot longer.

The wiring loom is a mess, but it's also NLA. The newer one I bought from J browse in Wrexham doesn't match up with what is now on the bike, so I've tidied up the old one until budget stretches to having one made.



I've put BT45s on the wheels, so I'm expecting handling not a million miles away from a modern bike - if that's not realistic, let me know now!

I've just had a second chainguard powdercoated (the first one was a replacement for the original on the bike, but turned out not to fit), and I've got a sneakign suspicion that when on the move, the new one won't work either - the bike appears to be half c2 and half much newer CSR, so the swingarm is going to need a chainguard with a cut out, I think. I'm on the hunt for an alternator cover with upper case kawasaki on it and without the triangle of external stator mounts, and I've pretty much run out of cash with chroming still to do, so I think I'll be doing lots of polishing for a few weeks...

[Pigford]

Thats going great guns Mothra......

Great photo's & write up ..... looking GOOD.

That damage fin don't show..... Keep it up

[tlc]

Lookin` superb.

Including the centre stand

What pipes are going on it ?