1989 gte rebuild

[BenH]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

Finished polishing the bumpers, bonnet vents and mirror covers today, glad to be done with that at last. Got the right wheels up as well lol, the lxi ones are for the mk3 sport with some snow tyres I have kicking about incase there needed this year or maybe the gte next year if I fancy a bit of fun in the snow.
Now that I've said that it wont snow

picture is now of an oxy torch ?

Yeah for welding the inlet manifold up, need some flux and ali rods then lots of practice lol.

nice nice nice...!

Thanks

[easytrans]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

Yeah for welding the inlet manifold up, need some flux and ali rods then lots of practice lol.

Your going to weld aluminium with gas torch ??? that will be fun for you... we did try many-many years ago but never had any luck doing so, the problem will be preventing oxidisation (maybe the modern fluxes and rods are better than in the 70's) .... I'd either look to buy a TIG (or at least borrow/hire one, or even try some aluminium wire in the MIG they say its easy once your MIG is set up correctly so as to not crease the wire up at the pinch wheel).

Good luck and I'll be interested how you get on and what materials you eventually use.

Laurie.

[BenH]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

I'd love a ac tig tbh, but cant afford one used to have a little dc one but sold it as it was a bit small amp wise for when I have to do heavy stick welding on digger buckets and gates ect. Hobby mig's and ali wire are rubbish as the voltage and duty cycle is a little on the low side. I have done some ali gas welding before and got on alright just need to practice my gas welding in general as it's been a while since I did that or even tig.

The few things that help are blue google to stop the orange flair and cleaning the joint very very well, you need a tip a size or 2 bigger than steel as it sucks the heat out a lot more and a soft flame. You need to match your filler rod to the material as well if it's a mag ali mix or just plain ali silicone, most likley it's just silicone as it's a casting. Another trick is to draw on the ali with a marker pen when the line disapears you at the right temp to start. Failing that there is always ali brazing rods.

[BenH]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

No time for the gte this weekend, but I did get one important thing done.
Heat!!!! Just a test firing still needs a bit of work and adjustment, kicks out some heat though!

Heat 2 by ben a.k.a me, on Flickr

The other reason no gte was getting this finish off, all done in paint was a bit tricky this one still want flatting and polishing but need to give it a couple of days to cure. Still got the side panels to finish off. Other pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/wherear...7628278115623/

Norton commando by ben a.k.a me, on Flickr

[dongaz]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

your Norton Ben? very nice

[easytrans]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

The other reason no gte was getting this finish off, all done in paint was a bit tricky this one still want flatting and polishing but need to give it a couple of days to cure. Still got the side panels to finish off. Other pics here

Cool .. So is this another project of your's (by that I mean you are rebuilding the rest of the bike)? if so I want to see more, I had a Dominator 99 "too many years ago" as my second big bike (nicknamed the "Torrey Canyon" as it spewed out so much oil on every trip) "also I need to see some bike project photos to give me a kick start to get stuck into one of mine this winter (the the 1973 CB500 Four) its been waiting to get started almost as long as the GTE did!

What are you using for paint Cellulose or 2k?


Laurie.

[BenH]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

Nope, it's my father inlaw's. He has had it for years, I dont think it's been ridden in maybe 20 years now. It's slowly being compleatly stripped and restored, it is in very good condition as it was restored not long before he put it away. But for some reason the tank and panels peeled, the rest was powder coated and is good.

[BenH]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

Cool .. So is this another project of your's (by that I mean you are rebuilding the rest of the bike)? if so I want to see more, I had a Dominator 99 "too many years ago" as my second big bike (nicknamed the "Torrey Canyon" as it spewed out so much oil on every trip) "also I need to see some bike project photos to give me a kick start to get stuck into one of mine this winter (the the 1973 CB500 Four) its been waiting to get started almost as long as the GTE did!

What are you using for paint Cellulose or 2k?


Laurie.

All 2k paint so it's fuel proof, I also lined the tank with tank cure to be on the safe side. I'm more of a dirt bike guy tbh, I have a 1988 kx125 I have been restoring just need to rebuild the engine now and work out a way of making new kips valves. I've also been restoring a 1989 kmx125 for a bit of a cheap run around, that to is nearly there just the tank and plastics to paint and a engine rebuild. The norton is very nice and I'm looking forward to ride on it, it's not a standard bike compleatly as he used to ride hard so has a better front brake and a few other nice bits.

[easytrans]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

Nope, it's my father inlaw's. He has had it for years,

Ah ok .... a great bike and one of the few British bikes that held it's own and gave the Jap bikes of the 70's a good kicking .... be nice to see it when its all built up again

Laurie.

[easytrans]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

All 2k paint so it's fuel proof, I also lined the tank with tank cure to be on the safe side. I'm more of a dirt bike guy tbh, I have a 1988 kx125 I have been restoring just need to rebuild the engine now and work out a way of making new kips valves. I've also been restoring a 1989 kmx125 for a bit of a cheap run around, that to is nearly there just the tank and plastics to paint and a engine rebuild. The norton is very nice and I'm looking forward to ride on it, it's not a standard bike compleatly as he used to ride hard so has a better front brake and a few other nice bits.

Hmmm .... yes I did MotoX on a CR250 for a few years and trials in the 80's on a TL 125 but having never broken a bone decided I wanted to keep it that way ..... but had more fun just trail riding out in the forests of Suffolk.

So your a Kawasaki person then obviously ......

Laurie.

[BenH]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

Hmmm .... yes I did MotoX on a CR250 for a few years and trials in the 80's on a TL 125 but having never broken a bone decided I wanted to keep it that way ..... but had more fun just trail riding out in the forests of Suffolk.

So your a Kawasaki person then obviously ......

Laurie.

I think I will just stick to enduro events tbh, cant afford broken bones either. I'm not so muck a Kawasaki person I just like green and 2 poppers My father inlaw has been telling me about his old honda trials bike and sidecar, that does sound like a lot of fun. I keep thinking about getting a bike and sidecar so I can take my dog about as I know he would love that, just need to get him goggles and a leather flying helmet...

[easytrans]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

I think I will just stick to enduro events tbh, cant afford broken bones either. I'm not so muck a Kawasaki person I just like green and 2 poppers My father inlaw has been telling me about his old honda trials bike and sidecar, that does sound like a lot of fun. I keep thinking about getting a bike and sidecar so I can take my dog about as I know he would love that, just need to get him goggles and a leather flying helmet...

Ha! having seen your beautiful "Wolf" I can see why you would need the sidecar, I was thinking of setting up a top box with screen and harness for "Mouse" (the girl dog) I've even got the doggles and a helmet ready for her .... all my dogs have loved riding on the bikes and the Quad but they have all been terriers so small enough to fit on the tank with ease...

Anyway must stop burning this hole into your build diary with all this chitter-chatter ...

Laurie.

[DarrenH]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

sorry for the benign barely on topic question, but, i've been tasked with selling grandads old neval dnepr MT11 (post war bmw clone from ukraine) you guys ever heard of them? guessing other than looking really cool and retro they were probably bargain basement even when new? plus points, only done 1000 miles (sat in garage since 1991), and has a side car. the drive shaft is missing to the sidecar wheel though (think it was some crazy way to get round red tape by making it a trike)

[BenH]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

Interesting bit of kit. I would not have a clue on value tbh and depends what side the side car is on. It seems you cant trick them into thinking it's a trike either

Any bike registered before 1981 can have the sidecar on either side and be legally classed as a motorcycle and sidecar.
Any bike registered after 1981 must have the sidecar on the left of the bike.
There are moves to over turn the 1981 ruling, and if this happens then I guess from the date it is overturned any bike will be able to have the sidecar on either side. Assuming the law is over turned, the situation regarding bikes registered after 1981 but before the date this law is over turned is still unclear.

Edit.. That is the sort of bike and side car I was thinking of, very simliar to the ural that I was looking at. The ones with the side car on the left seem to command a much higher price, others one much less so. If it has been regestered for the road here it would help, but if not it's a nightmare (I have tried to sort a MX for road use and the red tape is a PITA). I do like the look of the russian bikes and 2wd would be fun for exploring the back roads and green lanes.

[easytrans]

Re: 1989 gte rebuild

Interesting bit of kit. I would not have a clue on value tbh and depends what side the side car is on. It seems you cant trick them into thinking it's a trike either

Me neither but don't you just hate it when these quirky things appear.... its one of those sort of "I feel that would be fun to own" items ..... Mind you from this video I think it was used for torture rather than transport !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iNn-NZFlMQ

Not much guide on ebay either as there is only one broken for parts ;(

Laurie