Z50 Soft tail restorations, customs. 1972-1978 Honda Z50. K3-K9 models
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More process pics. The hardware gets refinished by a multi-step process of degreasing, bead blasting, de-burring and reshaping, chasing threads, wire wheeling, degreasing again, and finally plated with cadmium or zinc.
![273464]()
This is after bead blasting.
![273469]()
Because screw often end up with buggered up heads, they need to be sanded to take off burrs, and hammered to smooth them out. The hammering can take some pretty nasty looking Phillips head screws and make them presentable again.
This is an example of a screw after hammering the head down. It had a bunch of burrs and buggering, but looks pretty good now. The piece of metal it is sitting in allows you to hold the screw on an opened vise for the ponding. There are different sized holes for different sizes. This tool is simple but keeps the backside of the screw head flat. It is also indispensable for holding screws up to the wire wheel.
![273467]()
English bike hardware after wire brushing.
![273466]()
These pics are in backwards order, showing the re-conditioning of a stator. This is the after pic.
![273468]()
New wire sheathing, grommet, plug, and connectors used to bring it back. The cloth covering on the wires is just scooted up from the better sections of the wire that were protected by the old sheathing.
![273462]()
Point and condenser are changed out, the plate is bead blasted, and a new outer edge o-ring and shaft seal are installed.
![273463]()
The ugly before.
This is after bead blasting.
Because screw often end up with buggered up heads, they need to be sanded to take off burrs, and hammered to smooth them out. The hammering can take some pretty nasty looking Phillips head screws and make them presentable again.
This is an example of a screw after hammering the head down. It had a bunch of burrs and buggering, but looks pretty good now. The piece of metal it is sitting in allows you to hold the screw on an opened vise for the ponding. There are different sized holes for different sizes. This tool is simple but keeps the backside of the screw head flat. It is also indispensable for holding screws up to the wire wheel.
These pics are in backwards order, showing the re-conditioning of a stator. This is the after pic.
New wire sheathing, grommet, plug, and connectors used to bring it back. The cloth covering on the wires is just scooted up from the better sections of the wire that were protected by the old sheathing.
Point and condenser are changed out, the plate is bead blasted, and a new outer edge o-ring and shaft seal are installed.
The ugly before.
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Thanks, man. Just keep building on your skills and tools. A lot of what I do involves simple tools, but requires some patience and knowledge. Hoping to pass some of that knowledge to anyone interested, as that is how a lot of it came to me.Well, I guess I'm gonna go burn down my garage now. After seeing this, I don't even know why I try.Seriously though, that's top-shelf work, obviously. I'm a fan.
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Yessir!Very impressive...
tmas
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Thanks, man!
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Thanks, Greg!
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Found another picture of the before ugliness. This was the CT70 engine. Rusted inside the cylinder and head, with a chewed-up crank keyway, the case and tranny were all that were used in the rebuild.
![273478]()
The swingarm jig for making the 35 and 55mm swingers on the bikes. The red '72 has a stock swinger.
![273479]()
If the swinger is extended, then the brake rod has to be also. These were plated with yellow zinc like the originals.
![273480]()
Oh yeah, the engines and wheels went on last night. It was like being a kid on Christmas morning, sitting on the floor, assembling minibikes.
![273472]()
The '76 is waiting on the springs to come back from chrome before it gets on the ground. The only set of 305mm shocks I could find that weren't Chinese junk were some Takegawa ones, but they were only available with red springs, so they were stripped and sent off for chrome six freakin weeks ago, and are still not ready.
![273473]()
The zinc platers left a nice thick layer, but it was heavy enough on the screw threads and shafts it had to be stripped off.
![273474]()
Getting closer.
![273475]()
![273476]()
![273477]()
The swingarm jig for making the 35 and 55mm swingers on the bikes. The red '72 has a stock swinger.
If the swinger is extended, then the brake rod has to be also. These were plated with yellow zinc like the originals.
Oh yeah, the engines and wheels went on last night. It was like being a kid on Christmas morning, sitting on the floor, assembling minibikes.
The '76 is waiting on the springs to come back from chrome before it gets on the ground. The only set of 305mm shocks I could find that weren't Chinese junk were some Takegawa ones, but they were only available with red springs, so they were stripped and sent off for chrome six freakin weeks ago, and are still not ready.
The zinc platers left a nice thick layer, but it was heavy enough on the screw threads and shafts it had to be stripped off.
Getting closer.
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Sorry I missed Christmas!!! So satisfying sliding a really nice prepped tire/wheel combo up in their forever frame/fork. Looking great man. Speaking of wheel/tires, what tires to you have on the yellow bike? Those look interesting. Sure would like to see'em up close. Glamour shots available?
The strap for holding bolts and nuts for redos and wire brushing - so simple. Ingenious. No more finger tip ouchies on that wire wheel. Great tip, I'm using it going forward.
The strap for holding bolts and nuts for redos and wire brushing - so simple. Ingenious. No more finger tip ouchies on that wire wheel. Great tip, I'm using it going forward.
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It’s unbelievable that somethings so simple makes a huge difference when you are trying to wire wheel 6 mm screws. If you use a nice wide piece of metal, it actually is like a shield for your fingers, that allows you to turn the screw from the back side and get all the sides of the screw up to the wheel. The tire is a Polar Trac I got through Northern Tool online. They shipped it to my local and I picked it up there. Thanks, Rick!
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The K2 Z50 has its engine and wheels and is on the ground! The rest of the herd has been getting small jobs done like exhaust and carbs. Pictures coming soon.Any more pics and updates?
tmas
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This is where they are at right now. The wheels and brakes are done on all the bikes. The K2 still needs a chain, seat, spark cap, carb, and kicker. It is getting close, but has been over ten years in the making. Originally painted in 2010 with a number of other frames ( this is the thread: The Reluctant Restorationist: Honda Z50 K1 and K2 minitrails ) it was stored until a friend bought it from me a few years back. He later sold it back to me and it sat in my upstairs loft over the last few years getting a part here and there until most everything but the engine was done. To see it at this stage seems kind of odd, almost like an unintentional build that just crept in there.
![273583]()
![273584]()
The yellow '76 got a Mikuni VM26 and a HondaTB exhaust. The Takegawa rear shock springs just came back from chrome. The only pair I could find in the USA had red springs, so they had to be stripped and plated. The '71 has fresh chrome on everything.
![273585]()
The red 1972 got one of the best examples of an early muffler that I have seen. It came to me so completely covered with oil, inside and out, that I swear, it had a couple pounds of thick chunky black grease inside. When it was on a running bike, it smoked like crazy. It took a long time to clean it out through the bottom opening in the early muffler cans, but once clean, original paint was still in pristine shape on the bottom of the can, protected by the thick layer of oily grunge. The exhaust guards have been given new chrome. Some other ridiculous stuff has been going on like new Honda rubber on the kickstarters because the stinky Chinese rubber that came on them was smelling up the shop (I am serious, even in the trash can, that stuff smells so bad I had to empty the trash!)
The yellow '76 got a Mikuni VM26 and a HondaTB exhaust. The Takegawa rear shock springs just came back from chrome. The only pair I could find in the USA had red springs, so they had to be stripped and plated. The '71 has fresh chrome on everything.
The red 1972 got one of the best examples of an early muffler that I have seen. It came to me so completely covered with oil, inside and out, that I swear, it had a couple pounds of thick chunky black grease inside. When it was on a running bike, it smoked like crazy. It took a long time to clean it out through the bottom opening in the early muffler cans, but once clean, original paint was still in pristine shape on the bottom of the can, protected by the thick layer of oily grunge. The exhaust guards have been given new chrome. Some other ridiculous stuff has been going on like new Honda rubber on the kickstarters because the stinky Chinese rubber that came on them was smelling up the shop (I am serious, even in the trash can, that stuff smells so bad I had to empty the trash!)
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Yes, the aluminum handlebar clamp was polished out. The top clamp is chrome plated and may get changed out for the painted silver one the originals had. Since everything else is pretty close to original, it will probably be a straight up restoration, with the other two soft tails being customs.
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Ok, so one of the soft tails needed a muffler to go with the 108cc engine. Because a lot of the rest of the bike is stock in appearance, it was decided that the muffler would also look stock with modifications to make it flow better. I have done this before without opening up the muffler can, using a larger header and stinger, and it made for a good pipe. Since this one was rusted out on the bottom and would need a sizable patch, it was opened up giving a chance to re-work the insides. Big thanks to PM member Sirxloin for the pipe. I saw it in his build thread and we made a deal. He showed me how gnarly it was, but I still wanted it. I prefer to use parts that are too far gone to use for a restoration when chopping it up for a custom project, and this one fit the bill.
![273680]()
With the pipe split open, the inner baffle can be seen. For a while I considered enlarging the baffles and keep it the way it was, but there wasn't enough room to make it flow right without loosing some of the structure supporting the outer can, so a straight pipe design was worked out retaining the last portion of the baffle (which incidentally looks a lot like the innards of a K0-K2 pipe.
![273690]()
This will flow a lot better. The patch can be seen at the bottom of the can.
![273683]()
![273684]()
Prior to painting, the can with the patch in place and an additional patch over a window cut in the back of the can to allow the pipe to be welded on the backside.
![273685]()
A stinger was made following the lines of the original, and everything painted black like a stock pipe.
![273686]()
The chrome guard after a lot of massaging. It will go to the chrome shop while another re-chromed set of heat shields will be used on this pipe.
![273687]()
With the shields in place, it looks pretty stock.
![273688]()
A few more tweaks...
![273689]()
With the pipe split open, the inner baffle can be seen. For a while I considered enlarging the baffles and keep it the way it was, but there wasn't enough room to make it flow right without loosing some of the structure supporting the outer can, so a straight pipe design was worked out retaining the last portion of the baffle (which incidentally looks a lot like the innards of a K0-K2 pipe.
This will flow a lot better. The patch can be seen at the bottom of the can.
Prior to painting, the can with the patch in place and an additional patch over a window cut in the back of the can to allow the pipe to be welded on the backside.
A stinger was made following the lines of the original, and everything painted black like a stock pipe.
The chrome guard after a lot of massaging. It will go to the chrome shop while another re-chromed set of heat shields will be used on this pipe.
With the shields in place, it looks pretty stock.
A few more tweaks...
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Oh man, the custom exhaust makes it look stock. It's going to be a super sleeper until it's started up.
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