[hambone]

Hello everyone, new member here with questions, I recently purchased a couple 1973 SL70's, original titles, they have been sitting outside for the last 20 years. They are both very low mileage, one has 90 miles other has 120 miles, from what I can tell, they will both need gas tanks, seats and rims, both engines turn over with good compression. After doing a little research, I see the tanks are hard to find, am I in over my head? Thanks, Hambone

 

[davmo]

Wow. Too bad about the rust. Those tanks are not easy to find in good condition, and finding the fenders and side covers that would match makes it really hard (front fenders can be tough to find in any condition.) If you love these bikes, the best bet would be to repaint them. You can restore the tanks you have there if they are not rusted through. The thing you need to decide is how far to go. A total restoration can run several thousand bucks, but if you are just wanting riders, you might be able to keep it reasonable with some new cables, wheel rims, spokes, tires, and seats. SL70's are a great mini that an adult can ride. They are collectable, but restoring one is usually a break-even deal at best. If you decide to restore, repair, or sell them, there are a lot of people on this site that can help. Check out this SL70 thread: https://www.planetminis.com/threads/sl70-freakout-show-your-honda-sl70.172968/

 

[hambone]

Wow. Too bad about the rust. Those tanks are not easy to find in good condition, and finding the fenders and side covers that would match makes it really hard (front fenders can be tough to find in any condition.) If you love these bikes, the best bet would be to repaint them. You can restore the tanks you have there if they are not rusted through. The thing you need to decide is how far to go. A total restoration can run several thousand bucks, but if you are just wanting riders, you might be able to keep it reasonable with some new cables, wheel rims, spokes, tires, and seats. SL70's are a great mini that an adult can ride. They are collectable, but restoring one is usually a break-even deal at best. If you decide to restore, repair, or sell them, there are a lot of people on this site that can help. Check out this SL70 thread: https://www.planetminis.com/threads/sl70-freakout-show-your-honda-sl70.172968/

Thanks for the reply Davmo, fenders are perfect, tanks are history, seems I can find seats, rims and side covers, looks like the tanks will be the hold up. Painting, powder coating and chrome is where I have a connection, are the 71-72 tanks the same as the 73 tank? the hunt begins, dents don't scare me, so maybe I can find one in descent shape. Thanks, Hambone

 

[davmo]

The 71-72 tanks are the same except for an indentation on the sides for the Honda logo. You could fill them up to get the smooth 73 look.

 

[hambone]

I thought i noticed that on the early tanks, that would be an easy fix, thanks for the info Davmo.