Rob Thran’s next build 1971 k-0 SL70

[Robert thran]

Nice job on the gas tank painting and the side covers.

Could you provide some details on your equipment and technique. I'd like to upgrade from rattle cans to using compressor & airbrush, as shown in your earlier tank photos. The wet sanding really gives it a mirror finish!

Yeah sure,, don’t laugh but it was all sprayed with $15 harbor fright HVLP touch up spray guns..I have 3 ,,one I use for primer one for color and one for clear coat..there the same guns I’ve been useing for about 3 years… believe it or not but adjusted properly they spray small parts really nice…

. the air brush is from snap-on ..I used that to spray the white so the paint wouldn’t build up too thick and I didn’t have to mix much paint..after the last coat of clear I just lightly wet sanded with 3000 then buffed and waxed..it might be a little slicker and shinyer than what was stock being they had no clear from factory. Before I prime I strip everything down to bare metal, sandblast,fix dents, prime with auto grade high build epoxy primer, then block sand till straight finishing with 600 grit. Most everything else is in thread. If you don’t put a coat of clear on the base blue before you paint the white strips the white will sag into the blue and you will lose your sharp lines (I learned that the hard way) if you need anymore info just let me know but as you can see by my cheap ass spray guns I’m no expert…the good thing about dealing with small cycle parts is if you screw it up you can just scuff it back off an try again..lol

 

[Gary]

Beautiful work Robert,don't be so humble. I figured you didn't paint all that with an airbrush. Who's paint are you using and what size compressor you have might help some of these guys as well. I got my guns at Menard's which is a midwest version of a Home Depot. I like them because with the top mounted cup you get to use all the paint-not like a traditional bottom mount cup that always leaves some left over. With paint prices the way they have become you can't afford to leave any left over. I have seen guns at HF for 10 dollars-that's hard to beat!

 

[Robert thran]

Beautiful work Robert,don't be so humble. I figured you didn't paint all that with an airbrush. Who's paint are you using and what size compressor you have might help some of these guys as well. I got my guns at Menard's which is a midwest version of a Home Depot. I like them because with the top mounted cup you get to use all the paint-not like a traditional bottom mount cup that always leaves some left over. With paint prices the way they have become you can't afford to leave any left over. I have seen guns at HF for 10 dollars-that's hard to beat!

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My detail gun is exactly like yours if you look at it from the other side..I think there Chinese knock offs of a binks #7 ???..for the price I thought I would have junked it long ago and bought new ones but it just keeps spraying perfectly … the next one I get might not make it through the job!!! Lol. I use different kinds of paint ..for anything gloss black I use the KBS MAXX . (See pic) Thin it down a little with acetone and it lays out amazing and super durable but takes a long time to dry and get real hard..I’ve smacked it with a hammer and it didn’t chip.. For colors I use Nason ,ppg,,house of colors, and lacquer just depends on what I’m working on. Other than candy paint mixed correctly it all sprays out about the same.. The paint I used on this sl70 was DuPont chroma base that I purchased about 10 years ago so I’m amazed it was still good sitting out in my hot Florida garage for all those years..my compressor is a 5 hp …I turn the air down to 35 psi at the regulator on the gun so you don’t need a large compressor to do these small parts..

 

[Gary]

My paint supplier closed his doors I think sometime during covid. Second one now that sold retail- most only wholesale around here. Always used Dupont now Axalta looks like I might have to change brands. Robert if you have some paint left over and want to try keeping it look into this-http://www.bloxygen.com/home.html I have used it for awhile now, seems to work on auto paint but there is one I use that is an engine paint that gets a skin on it no matter what I try.

 

[NathanT]

I use cheap generic HPLV guns from TCP Global for my rocket painting and they work great.

For anyone looking for a less toxic alternative to catalyzed urethane, I have been using Restoration Shop lacquer from TCP Global for years with very good results.

 

[Robert thran]

My paint supplier closed his doors I think sometime during covid. Second one now that sold retail- most only wholesale around here. Always used Dupont now Axalta looks like I might have to change brands. Robert if you have some paint left over and want to try keeping it look into this-http://www.bloxygen.com/home.html I have used it for awhile now, seems to work on auto paint but there is one I use that is an engine paint that gets a skin on it no matter what I try.

Good tip I’ll try some…thanks

 

[Robert thran]

Ok…all I have left to do is add all fluids, and hook up the fuel line…it has a nice hot spark so it should start right up..I got right motor side cover swapped out..I’ll give update once running..

 

[red69]

Better than new!

 

[hambone]

Sweet!!!

 

[kirrbby]

Better than new!

X2! It's beautiful.

 

[Robert thran]

Thanks guys!,, the best thing for me is all the parts and paint that were scattered around my house and garage are now back together as one unit.. I’m going to save this one and enter it in the vintage bike show next year at the world golf village in st Augustine fl I go to every year..my friend brought a summer yellow sl70 last year but he has since sold it.

 

[Robert thran]

Just wanted to let everyone know that if you buy an aftermarket wiring harness For an sl70 k-0 check all the connections and wire locations VERY close.. after building this bike back it had no lights or battery charge ..after a day or two of head scratching and swapping parts( key switch, rectifier ,battery, making sure light coil was grounded being it was new nos Honda, adding grounds with alligator clips all over the bike that all checked good before swapping) I found 3 of the 6 wires going to where the key switch plugs in were in the wrong place there’s a boot there so you can’t see it in till you peel the boot back…thinking for sure that would fix my problem I still had a very dim headlight and no battery charge…then I removed the harness form the bike and untapped it to find the green wire that connects to the green wire coming from the stator light coil was wired together with all the greens that are grounds instead of going straight to the rectifier…I bought this harness a few years ago but when I called Honda nuts ( northeast vintage) to not bitch but just let them know the guy said “all greens on Hondas are grounds” I tried to explain that the green coming from the light coil does not go to ground,,ct70’s alike and he just argued and again said all greens are grounds… what a moron… light coil straight to ground!!! Really!!! It’s bad enough 3 wires were installed in the wrong place but the green charge wire going to ground? l was hoping he would say sorry and offer me a 10 or 20% discount on my next order but he acted like such a know it all jackass that wasn’t happening ..maybe the one I got was just a bad apple? but I wouldn’t be buying much from them anymore..I’ve spent a lot of $$$ there in the past with no complaints till now..

 

[ktheake]

Glad to see you got it sorted - you may wish to continue with Northeast if you have bought a bunch from them and this is the only issue .
I know I would try and continue the relationship if possible . Better to have them than burn the bridge and wished you had dealt with it differant and them too . Just trying to help

 

[Robert thran]

Glad to see you got it sorted - you may wish to continue with Northeast if you have bought a bunch from them and this is the only issue .
I know I would try and continue the relationship if possible . Better to have them than burn the bridge and wished you had dealt with it differant and them too . Just trying to help

Yes I hear you 100%..that’s why I just didn’t get rude with him and just let him think he won…it was hard for me not to call back after really thinking about it or at least send him a wiring diagram with the green stator wire highlighted . But like you said I didn’t want to burn a bridge..they do have some good parts I might need one day..im sure there not building the harness , there most likely coming from China being made by a 8 year old boy or girl who gets whipped if they don’t produce 50 an hour!!! Lol

 

[ktheake]

Yes - I agree -
I have made a few phone calls to N.E - I have never used them and would like to butt - they are obviously busy-- An attempt to remedy - would be to scrutinize the harnesses in stock and see just that It's time consuming .Some of this stuff can get generic in how many model applications does it work . There was obviously a good enough harness to work with and the tech of it is - To make sure to check - side by side all loom runs of correct color and orientation
Personally I have just been working on the ct line up - you only see the SL model twice a season around here - So a rare bird - and I'm just glad to have the aftermarket harness .
So in the end - it was just a green that was bundled and needed simple correction? And pulled free - length was good ?
Anyway that is a great looking piece and beautifully done .

 

[Robert thran]

Yes - I agree -
I have made a few phone calls to N.E - I have never used them and would like to butt - they are obviously busy-- An attempt to remedy - would be to scrutinize the harnesses in stock and see just that It's time consuming .Some of this stuff can get generic in how many model applications does it work . There was obviously a good enough harness to work with and the tech of it is - To make sure to check - side by side all loom runs of correct color and orientation
Personally I have just been working on the ct line up - you only see the SL model twice a season around here - So a rare bird - and I'm just glad to have the aftermarket harness .
So in the end - it was just a green that was bundled and needed simple correction? And pulled free - length was good ?
Anyway that is a great looking piece and beautifully done .

Yes other than 3 wires being out of place at the key switch plug the green lead coming out of the stator was run back toward the front of the harness and grounded with all the other greens that are actually grounds then at that same splice there was a green that routed to the rectifier that in fact grounded both sides of the light coil.. I cut the lead coming from the stator and cut the lead going to the rectifier out from all the grounds,,,solider and shrink wrapped them together ( just like wrie diagram shows it) and the problem was fixed..Honda should have really used a different color than there typical green ground for that green light coil wire. at least add a tracer color to it..

 

[Robert thran]

I saw on eBay that randy marble sells the same harness and on the 1st review the guy says “ wired all wrong head light dont work“ so I’m not the only one that encountered this problem. Most likely they came from the same manufacturer..I bought mine about 3 years ago so hopefully they got this problem corrected..?

 

[ktheake]

Nice bike - rare r and going to be really difficult to find later.
There seems to very few of the CL and ST and prices lag except for the nicest examples - hard to find parts doesnt help .
Sure wish I could deal with N.E and have an account - still trying .We will get there