If you do, the prices asked for them are out of this world. They're so high up there, the Space Shuttle couldn't get to those heights.
OK, OK, exaggerated I know, but said to prove a point which is that to find a good 'un, you're going to pay for the privilege of owning it.
Which brings Bodger to the point of this post.....I got myself one off eBay and though it's a wee bit more than I wanted to pay, I decided Sod it!!!! I 'm 'aving it.
Now this isn't exactly a beauty judging by the piccies, but with the right attention, it will fit the bill.
So without further adieu (that's French by the way), here's some pics of this beastie:
As can be seen, there have been some dents added as per usual by some hamfisted twit and those, according to the sales write-up, were given the time honored bondo treatment and then several coats of paint.
From what the seller said, he stripped it all down to what is now seen, base metal and bondo. He says that he checked into having it plated but it would've been to costly.
So what is to be done to cover the bondo repairs and make this look like a tank and not something that got by-passed at the body shop?
I'm thinking a good primer coating following by some sort of silver/aluminum paint top coat and then the front part of the tank done in the yellow associated with 441VS tanks. May just do the job I'm thinking. Won't pass scrutiny of rivet counters, but then again, they have no lives and are to be pitied.
So, that will be another thing that Bodger gets to experiment on in order to learn the fine art of painting with a spray gun and compressor. Damn and botheration, now a compressor needs to be purchased.
The cost for this was less than $200 with shipping....a little more than I wanted, but less than some I've seen on eBay.
Don't know what he meant by "plating", even though it is possible to chrome plate even plastic...maybe he meant to say polishing. It doesn't look like a bad tank though. That dent on the right side would be in a bad place as far as a stock paint job goes. But, it doesn't look to be so big, and maybe it could be removed with the use of a "snarling iron". Richard Rosenthal of "The Classic Motorcycle " magazine has covered dent removal with that method...I'll see if I can dig up an issue with an article on that. One more piece of the BSA puzzle down. There are some youtube vids of a guy working out dents on a Victor tank. At any rate you have something to hold that fuel, congrats.
ReplyDeleteI had another look Larry just in case I misread it...he mentioned chrome or nickel plating but that it would be cosst prohibitive.
ReplyDeleteA 'snarling iron?" Sounds like medieval and intriguing.....I'd love to read that article, sounds interesting.
I saw those clips on You-Tube and saved them just for something like this. If the everything is OK as is, then I'll just paint it, but if the bondo is buggered, maybe it's best to get it out and see about the dents getting knocked out.
I first learned of snarling irons when I was taking metalworking classes in college. I just googled it, and lots of Art metal stuff comes up. Second time I put in "snarling iron used in dent removal on motorcycle gas tanks" and came up with a bunch more info...some of it unrelated. You should be able to soften up and remove the bondo from areas you don't want it with a good quality paint remover. A lot of people will burn it off with a torch on steel tanks and frames, but since that tank is soft aluminum I'd be wary of doing that. (As well as all the noxious fumes that would release...) I wonder if he was thinking of plating because of the steel tanks you see on old classics that are plated and then painted. The tanks on my older Beezers are like that, and it has become very expensive to have done. I'll probably just go with paint at first on those bikes. And too, before your tank could be plated all the dents and blemishes would have to be dealt with first, which would put it back to it's original shape rendering such a process unnecessary. The previous owner of my A-10 Scrambler filled the badge depressions with Bondo and roughed up the plated tank before spraying it a hideous green...the horror...at least I have an original tank. I've seen tanks painted up like you describe and they don't look bad at all. I'll dig my Victor tank up, and since it has the original paint on it, you can use it as a reference guide when you are ready to apply your finish. I'll get some pics and measurements for you.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that might work if the dents are shallow, are those little suction cups you can get. Actually pulled a dent out on my Jeep door with one. All kinds of youtube stuff on dents. "PDR" looked interesting. Paintless dent removal. Guys in mobile units that come out and remove minor dents without damaging the paint.
ReplyDeleteI took your suggestion Larry and Googled the snarling iron thing, lots of metal work artist stuff like you said.
ReplyDeleteWhen I get the tank I'll suss it out and if it alll loks good appearance wise, I think I'll just go with the paint option like previously mentioned.
I was talking with a guy on route who has a bike shop of sorts, he buys and sells on consignment basically and I mentioned the tank and paint option. He said there was some paint that "looks" like chrome....if I can find something that can "look" like the base aluminum color, I'll give that a try so it "looks" right.
This will be an interesting part of the rebuild to say the least.