I was just given a 1983 Honda VF750F. The front fairing and the middle fairing are the RWB color scheme while the tank and the rear fairing are just the Red/White scheme. The bike has been wrecked (minor scuffs on the right exhaust and the left front fairing), the rear subframe is tweaked, and hasn't been started for 5-10 yrs. I am going to start by getting the engine running. After that, who knows? My question is this. Should I attempt a restore, or start cutting shit off to make it a minimalist rat rod/cafe racer. I don't have the time or patience (or knowledge or money) to do a frame up restore. I have thought a fork mounted headlight/instrument cluster chopping off the rear seat and ditching most of the plastic would look pretty good but don't know if that would be destroying a classic (if you can call it that) Thoughts?
They're not partularly rare & it sounds like this one isn't perfect, so I doubt you'd be desecrating anything. But what do I know, I did this to my VF500. Nothing irreversible, as there wasn't much frame to cut down anyway.
So I drained the oil (I need a ?belt wrench? to get the filter out), coolant, and 4 gallons of gas that have been sitting in the tank for at least 5 years. The fuel lines are full of gunked up fuel and I am pretty sure the fuel pump is full also but haven't gotten around to messing with that yet. Getting all the gas out of the tank was a major PITA because all the openings are recesessed from the outside (there is no way to drain from a low spot). Subframe is definatley bent, the square tubing is recessed/bulged on the right side, Right upper radiator mount was re-welded back on. If I chop I am keeping/repainitng the fuel tank RWB color scheme. Anyone know if you can hook a fuel pump straght to a battery to run some fluid (probably denatured alcohol) through it in an attempt to de-gunk? What about getting all the semi solid gunk out of the tank? I'm all D
Man thats a sweet looking bike! I would almost definately try to restore it!, or at least restore it first then do what you want with it but do nothing permanent so that it can be converted back to it's oem condition in case you decide to sell it, or maybe want to bring it to a show or something. For the tank you could hook the fuel pump straight to a battery to run it, I'd be carefull not to damage the paint though.
Don't hack it up, it looks all there. I'm sure with a bit of time and effort you find some replacement plastics to make it all match.
Like I said, you should definately try to restore, but that does'nt mean you can't do other stuff with it too. Like I said, you would probably be amazed at how many different things you can do with a bike as long as you don't make any permanent changes, My Sv650 had about 6 different personalities and switch through them regularly from a track ready race bike to stock, to streetfighter, to cafe-esque naked bike and everything between, all it took was a slowly aquired collection of parts and memorizing what went where, but when I sold it it went back stock and all the extra got sold off.
Still working on cleaning out the gas tank. I have seen people use BBs or washers in an attempt to get all the rust out but how to get all the BBs/rust flakes out after their use is a problem because all the openings on the VFR tank are recessed. I was thinking of sticking a magnet on the outside so the flakes would stick to that spot and use a skinny vacuum attachment to suck them up when the magnet is removed but with a steel tank I don't think that would work. Maybe a strip magnet wrapped in saranwrap and placed in the tank will work Any thoughts? I just really don't want to get the carbs cleaned and put back together only to plug them up with gunk from the tank. Anyone have any ideas for getting all the gunk out of the tank?
May work or may not work but I know most of the guys on the bmx bike forums when restoring an old bicycle will use a 48hr vinegar bath to eat away rust that may be present on those old frames and parts, as well as CLR if the paint or chrome is'nt going to be preserved. I think the vinegar may be the way to go if your going to keep the paint, it's pretty cheap if you have a membership to a wholesale club, fairly cheap even if you do not, it's an acid so it'll eat the rust but it's not strong enough to damage the paint or metal.
I used "Acid Magic" (safer for the enviroment) and washed the tank out with that. Worked very well, squeeky clean. However,... POR 15 tank restore kit is fantastic. I restored several tanks with it.
Neighbor came over today and hit me with 2x4 of common sense. "Does it run? What is the point of spending any time or money on the tank if it don't run?" So I took off the air box and what-not, splashed some go juice in the carbs, refilled the oil and coolant, hooked up the new battery and she fired right up. Hasn't run for 10 years and she started strong. Guy that gave her to me offered to buy her back. Tough luck dude, you sat on her for 10 years without doing squat, now she is mine, ALL MINE. Let the carb cleaning begin. D
You can fill the tank up with Pinesol and let it soak for awhile, eats the rust and turns the metal shiny.
