76 Convert restoration/refreshening.

[bigbikerrick]

Hello Folks, about a month ago, I was lucky to be contacted by a member on the Convert Group, after I posted a wanted add. This long term Guzzisti, had a beautiful red convert in east Texas that had been parked in a museum in Indiana ( Jim Minnise's motorcycle museum) for over 20 years, and had less than 10K miles. The PO bought it when contacted by the museums owner about 3 years ago, then changed out the stamped flywheel, and hardy rode it. The bike is featured in a hard cover coffee table book( Motorcycle Classics by Doug Mitchell, and the editors of Consumers guide) .
A new copy of the book came with the bike, along with the original sales receipt from Ace's Motorcycle Sales, of Oakland City, Indiana A Guzzi, Norton, and Ossa dealer where it sold for a whopping $ 3289.73 out the door!
I have all the original registrations on the bike since new, as well as the sales documents,a red tag that hung on the handlebars warning about the "Freno Integrale" or integrated braking system. I have a stack of documents covering service, etc. on the bike for the last 46 years. The PO kept everything in perfect order in a 3 ring binder.

I have started the job of replacing all the fuel lines, ATF hoses, full service to the brake system, and general all around cleaning, painting, greasing, etc.
Rick


photo neymar 2018

[bigbikerrick]

all new atf hoses, oil cooler cleaned and painted, mounted with new grommetts, and spaced away from frame a bit.

[bigbikerrick]

fuel lines replaced, new braided oil feed lines to heads, rubber lines  "Dowdy"sealing gaskets used on all fittings.carbs cleaned, and kits installed, along with new choke and throttle cables.

[bigbikerrick]

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ATF tank removed, cleaned, and new hoses/ sealing washers installed. So far everything I have found on the bike is completely unmolested, and seems like opening up a "time capsule" from 1976. All the wiring, connectors, etc. are not hardened or modified at all.  What a pleasure it is to bring back a bike like this as opposed to some I have wrenched on where there were many stripped and or wrong fasteners, with things "cobbled up" everywhere you look! 
Rick Duarte

[bigbikerrick]

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This is the coffee table book where my Convert is featured.It was really cool that the previous owner provided that with the bike!
Rick
Rick

[Canuck750]

Nice attention to detail Rick! Your Convert is getting the TLC it deserves.

[Dave Swanson]

This will be a nice reference when I dig into mine.  I have that book also. 

[bigbikerrick]

This will be a nice reference when I dig into mine.  I have that book also.

Thank you for the kind words, Dave. Compared with the work you do, my stuff is all "amateur hour" level of quality. When your Vert is finished , that will be the yardstick others are measured by.  There is just no comparison to the quality of work you turn out!   
Rick.

[bigbikerrick]

Here is the original sale receipt from the dealership where the Convert was purchased, and the handlebar tag, describing the integrated braking system, its written in Italian on the flip side.
Rick D.

[bigbikerrick]

Working today on prepping pacifico pathfinder fairing for new paint. The 40year old enamel is super thick,brittle, and has poor adhesion to the primer, so I cant use it as a sandable base, since it would be very chip prone.

I am taking all the paint off by" shaving" it with a single edge blade. Then its epoxy primer sealer, to smooth things out. The PO hit a big buzzard at speed, and the windshield flexed down, hitting the gas tank, and broke. I have a nice new clearview  windshield for it.

I plan to paint it red, probably with a metalflake in it, but using a modern, flexible automotive urethane basecoat/clearcoat. Or I may do a "candy" translucent red, with a gold base underneath for effect.  Painting is my favorite part of the resto, the final product is so rewarding!   
Rick Duarte

[bigbikerrick]

Italian plastics are "funny", some things like the Guzzi saddlebags are built very sturdily, with thick, good quality plastic, and some parts like the air deflectors, are flimsy, and very crack prone at the mounts. Everything will get reinforced, with fiberglass cloth, as needed to add strength,and prevent future cracks.


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You can see the original color of this convert ( silver) inside the bags, and below the saddlebag latches. Whoever repainted it red, many years ago, simply masked around the hardware,and did not remove it for paint.  I am currently looking for latches that will work, but considering hinging the lids from one end, so they dont remove completely. I am more interested in function/ clean looks, rather than originality. Heck, if a design can be improved upon, I may as well do it.
Rick D.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I am currently looking for latches that will work, but considering hinging the lids from one end, so they dont remove completely. I am more interested in function/ clean looks, rather than originality. Heck, if a design can be improved upon, I may as well do it.
Rick D.

I used these latches on one of my previous Converts. https://www.mcmaster.com/1863A23

[bigbikerrick]

Hey Charlie,   You Rock Thank you for that ! Lord knows, I have gone over  the selection of draw latches at mcmaster Carr numerous times, and did not find those. I found a couple other that would work, but those that you found match the originals almost perfectly.
I am going to order 4 of those along with some other fasteners and fuel line to round out the order.

Thanks again, Sir,

Rick Duarte

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

You're welcome.

[bigbikerrick]

The convert restoration continues, floorboards powder coated, and new rubber mats glued down, all new K&S switchgear on the handlebars, still working on my horn issue, everything else works as it should. No more wires running inside the handlebars, I hate that! Everything runs on the outside, for ease of service. Gas tank cleaned, to remove a small area of surface rust, down by the fuel level bung. 
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Rick.
 

[bigbikerrick]

Headlight bucket restored, and repainted. The chromed rim was pitted pretty bad, but It came out decent, with lots of sanding and filling.A new rubber seal between the rim/bucket installed. All dash bulbs replaced with leds, and housing which had a crack at each of the screw mounts, plastic welded, and put back together, speedo cleaned up, and lubed .Carbs rebulit, and cleaded, all new cables, and braided stainless brake lines installed. Mufflers ( made by Alphabet's headers, back in the 70s) cleaned up,and painted  with high heat black VHT rattle cans ,temporarily, until I decide what to do there. They sound really nice , not loud, but a deep rumble, that almost disappears to the rider at highway speeds.
Rick

[bigbikerrick]

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The previous owner sent me all the history of the bike. It was purchased, as a Guzzi dealer was closing,by the brother in law of the dealership owner, who added the fairing, then it sat in the window of another shop for display for many years, after having a "carb issue".
Then It was bought by Jim MInnis, who owned the Motorcycle museum in Indiana, Jim got it running, rode it some, and repainted it red, as the original silver paint was faded on the side where it faced the window.
The gentleman I bought it from, was a friend of Jim Minnis, and bought it when he was closing the museum.
Rick Duarte

[bigbikerrick]

I have 2 new Bosch "blue" coils to install. I need to come up with a good mount/location for those. None of the components in the area of the coils,and all the stuff packed in the frame area under the gas tank, has not been touched since 1976, I think, its like an old time capsule in there. You can tell, you are dealing with really old dust, and accumulation !
Rick. D.

[bigbikerrick]

I have spent the last 2 days working on the gas tank. To me the gas tank is the most important piece in a paint job, so it has to be as close to perfect as possible. That means lots of block sanding, spraying primer sealer, more blocking, and re spraying, until all imperfections disappear. I work slow, and have found if I get in a rush, the results are not as good.
Hopefully ,tomorrow morning I can start on the color basecoat/ clearcoat.
  Its so hot here, I had to get some slow reducer for the paint, otherwise, it would dry too fast, and I could not get a good "wet" coat.
Rick

[bigbikerrick]

I was able to base coat the tins today, If the weather holds up, I will clearcoat in about an hour,
Rick

[bigbikerrick]

Saddlebags restored. These little bags were actually alot of work to get right. Thanks to Charlie, M. for helping me find the right latches.  I place a small piece of 3M clear protective film on the lids to protect them from getting scratched when latching.  The "devil " is in the details!   

[bigbikerrick]

The Pacifico Pathfinder fairing prepped and painted. Tomorrow, I will block sand , and pinstripe it, along with a Guzzi eagle front and center. Everything will be covered with Urethane clearcoat.
Rick D.

[Groover]

Looking great!

[bigbikerrick]

The fairing, Finished, with pinstripes,and graphics applied,and clear coated on top." House of Kolor" ice pearls added to final coat of clear for a little custom sparkle in the sun!
Thank  you, for the kind words, Groover.
Rick Duarte

[bigbikerrick]

I spent a few hours yesterday hammering out a few small dings on my front fender, and then polishing it . I had two dents right above the hole in the side of the fender, where the brake line stay bolts. you can still see them if you zoom in, but they were way worse. I also minimized a ding at the front edge. I just used a small hammer, and a big box end  wrench in the vise , in different positions worked as a backing to hammer against. Its far from perfect, but much improved.
The polishing part is no problem, just finer grits of wet sandpaper starting with 120, finishing with 1500, then a little buffer wheel in my drill did the rest. I must say, last night, my wrists and shoulders were trashed! I think with the right tools, like a special anvil, and  picking hammer, and then a proper polishing motor/ wheels, I could have done better.
Overall, I am happy with the results, fit looks decent from a few feet away.
Rick

[berniebee]

I bought a nice body work hammer/anvil kit from Harbour Freight about a year ago. $45






Your paintwork is looking super!

[bigbikerrick]

Thank you, Berniebee. I didnt know HF sold those. Although, the ones for stainless trim resto are a little smaller, but same principles.
Rick.





I spent most of the day today, polishing the front Borrani rim, replaced wheel bearings, and fork seals, and added gaiters. The oil in those forks I am pretty sure was the original stuff, and after 46 years, it really smelled bad!I painted the fork lowers with the brightest silver paint I could find. After clear coating, it almost looks like polished aluminum I got the front end put back together, and was able to take it for a short test ride.
Rick.

[bigbikerrick]

My next step is to make custom mounts for the Pacifico fairing, out of stainless steel strap. The multi -fit brackets that come with the fairing are crude, and ugly looking, made to adapt to a multitude of bikes. I plan to shape some clean mount specifically for the Tonti front end.
Then its time to go through and service the cush drive, mount a new rear tire, polish the rear wheel, and service the bevel box. I was able to take  test run the Convert a bit. I took a father/son ride yesterday ( 9/11) to Bisbee AZ, about a 60 mile round trip. My son rode the convert, and I rode the 73 eldorado. Both bikes performed beautifully!

This photo taken at the top of the Bisbee divide, there is a marker there that states "Continental Divide" 6200 FT. We parked the bikes at the top of the Mule Mountain Tunnel observation point. Perfect weather, and fun twisties to ride.
Rick.

[berniebee]

The bikes both look great!

Looking forward to seeing those brackets.  I've got a "Moto Guzzi" labeled windscreen that came with angled, chromed mounting bars. It was obviously meant for some other bike but it was adapted to my SP with some crudely chopped brackets that look...awful. I replaced the non-original SS plate instrument panel with a V50 type panel so this ugly contraption no longer fits my bike.

I'm hoping your work will give me some ideas!

[bigbikerrick]

The bikes both look great!

Looking forward to seeing those brackets.  I've got a "Moto Guzzi" labeled windscreen that came with angled, chromed mounting bars. It was obviously meant for some other bike but it was adapted to my SP with some crudely chopped brackets that look...awful. I replaced the non-original SS plate instrument panel with a V50 type panel so this ugly contraption no longer fits my bike.

I'm hoping your work will give me some ideas!

Thank You Bernie. I will post some photos of the brackets when I get them made. I could not find stainless steel strap,at ACE, so I will either order some from McMaster Carr, or possibly use aluminum 1" x 1/8" thick strap.  The nice thing about the fairing, besides the wind protection, is that it hides the "beautiful" Convert instrument cluster.
Rick