Dream Weaver: Stock 1975 GL1000 Antares(red) Restoration

[robin1731]

Brakes are not something I would try odd things with. Get a different master cylinder. IMO

[Fred Camper]

Gotta go with Robin again here. Ya gotta have great brakes all the time.

[BigDub]

Ok. so, after a brief interlude with head gasket failure, addition of new head gaskets, and valve adjustments.....the bike is running solidly again. it's time to fabricate myself timing sight (HC63068). Then it's time to dial in the points. Finally, will get to carb synch sometime this week(hopefully.)

Repainted the panels. It was the first time i'd used a metal flake paint and i flattened out all the metal texture prior to laying down the clear coat last time. So, it's looking better and just need to run the polishing compound over the cured clear coat and it should really sing for us. will post pictures for comparison under the light with a similar backdrop as before after i run the polisher a while to smooth down the clear.

Went on the Veteran's benefit ride yesterday at Folsom Harley. They put out pretty fun poker run between Tahoe and Sacramento. No prizes but there was a cute blond lady that needed a sample ride!

Hope everyone is off to a great start for the new week!
Take care and ride safe.

[Fred Camper]

Looking forward to sun lite pictures.

[BigDub]

just got my first ever clear coat to lay flat!

now that i done it once, i'm going to do the other panels the same way!

the flake- ummmm

feels good to get it right finally in the learning process......i will finish up these others then try to get some shots up here by Monday-next of the panels all done on the bike with finishing polish in the noon-day sun....

i should be able to pull that off.....now to the junk yard to search out a heavy duty starter for the 87 Ramcharger.

[BigDub]

Did a short test ride today to the neighbors house. Less than a mile. need to tweek the speedo cable. Have blinker light haywire. Neutral turn signal position gives me "ON" left turn signals. with the left turn signal activated we see all turn signals LIGHTED ON. with the turn to the right signal position the left blinkers go OFF but the right signals are ON. It's as if there is some wiring haywired.......my guess is replace the blinker electronics and then wire in the reserve lighting unit..... i'm just all over the place on this bike but, the paint is making me happy.

i like the way this red appears pretty good "to me" and the flake is visible but not "HUGE" flakes..... I never saw the original factory Antares Red that I'm aware of at least.....i couldn't swear that the other panels i have aren't repainted. So, I'm ready for some feedback from some of the REAL MCCOYS around these parts.

Thanks in advance. I feel somewhat accomplished knowing the ropes of getting a decent finish but, wow.....i will never look at that as a simple or easy task.......at least as of today i can't see me ever getting to that stage of progression in my shop work skillset.

All the best guys......mashed the tshirt out of my right fore finger last week and this thing still hasn't fell off. i may need to get my handy clippers going.....LOL jk enough typing for now. Happy trails. *now NGW is that too few characters ;]

[BigDub]

more photos....

[Roady]

That's a very nice, rich red.

Congrats on getting her out and rolling!

[BigDub]

Thanks Roady! Can anyone else comment to the paint match comparing your recollection or better yet....SAMPLE photos of factory original paint close-ups. i'm noticing that a lot of the detail from the photos seems to have been washed out by a "data compressor" on my viewing end. Is anyone able to see the detail in the metal flake closeups?

[joedrum]

well bigdub I cant speak for the color match but it looks good like roady said ...and it looks good to you that's the big one great job ...night and day bikes you built ...

[BigDub]

Thanks for the feedback my Brothers from others' Mothers!

[Fred Camper]

The paint looks absolutely great. Would need to see both panels in the same picture to be sure of the match, as display gamma is a big deal. If I was to guess, it seems to have a bit less gold. Yet I like it better.

[BigDub]

The paint looks absolutely great. Would need to see both panels in the same picture to be sure of the match, as display gamma is a big deal. If I was to guess, it seems to have a bit less gold. Yet I like it better.

i may have to pull the ones i have out tomorrow and do some comparing but, as i said before.....i can't be sure those panels are factory originals. so, maybe more photos will help pass the time till someone saunters along and sets me straight.

Thanks for the feedback Fred!

[BigDub]

the gold?



OOOH!

THE GOLD.

i almost forgot

X]

IT'S MORE LIKE BRASS.

[BigDub]

switched to a better no'leak front brake master cylinder setup.
idles quit comfortably lower than 500rpm. i dialed it up today to about 950rpm. i think that yes there could be some major electrical component malfunction based on observing the performance of the high pitched turn signal audible indicator and the fact that the only flashing of any signals is either manually flipping the switch for each flash or.....every so often as the engine goes about 2500 to 3000rpm or higher you hear that "god-awful" signal audible and the flashers/signals are trying to flash but.......nope....no signals yet.

i should be testing the stator output capacity before jumping the gun on all of this probably. also, will need to run the turn signal diagnostics/hitlist when i can track it down. i'm sure there's a test. would be nice if it were just a diode.

backfiring is somewhat annoying but, this thing is a hybrid street rocket/heavy cruiser. my old katana really backfired too but it seemed like you really had to be "barking" the pipes or just riding in a hurry to hear the back firing. i have to track down a feeler then i can finalize the point gaps. it wil be nice to rule out the point gap for the source of a once every so often miss-fire.