Author Topic: T3 California Restoration (Read 42637 times)

Dave Swanson · « **on:** May 22, 2020, 07:12:03 AM »

I just acquired a bike that has been on my wish list for many years, a 1980 T3 California. Patrick Hayes put me in touch with a friend of his in San Francisco that had this bike languishing in garage for 20 years. The timing was right and the owner agreed to sell. My plan is to restore it to full T3 California spec including the love it or hate it skunk seat.

Even the garden variety T3 which used to be commonly available has become quite scarce. It seems that 850Ts and T3s are being snapped up by the customizing crowd. The T3 FB -foot board was imported by Guzzi, but has always been less common than the plain jane T3, The California model is extremely rare in the USA (although fairly common in Europe), since it was never imported by Guzzi.

The only California models in the USA were brought in by European Guzzi owners when re-locating to the US. True to form this California was imported to the US by a Brit named Simon Spark of San Francisco, who sold it 20 years ago to a fellow SF area Guzzi guy who owned it until I purchased it.

Here is the Brit plate that came with the bike.

Its a solid, mostly unmodified unit from what I can tell so far, but it has plenty of evidence of hard use. This wasn't a garage queen. From telltale evidence it appears the Brit owner rode this a lot. I am sure the speedo has turned over. There is too much overall "patina" to believe this bike has only 12,000 miles.

I will start out this restoration thread by documenting the as found condition.

Groover · « **Reply #1 on:** May 22, 2020, 07:38:33 AM »

Watching

Scout63 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2020, 05:57:34 AM »

This will be a great build thread. An excellent looking bike Dave.

s1120 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2020, 07:15:09 AM »

Looks like a solid start! So you doing a full on, nut and bolt resto??

BTW MAN I used to love that tire combo back in the day!! The 99/33 combo worked so well on the standard bikes.

Wildguzzi.com · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2020, 07:15:09 AM »

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #4 on:** May 23, 2020, 07:29:00 AM »

Quote from: s1120 on May 23, 2020, 07:15:09 AM

Looks like a solid start! So you doing a full on, nut and bolt resto??

BTW MAN I used to love that tire combo back in the day!! The 99/33 combo worked so well on the standard bikes.

Yes, full on resto, down to the gnats ass.

Klinkhammer · « **Reply #5 on:** May 24, 2020, 01:56:42 PM »

Congrats! They are great bikes. However, I never got on with the windshield -to much turbulence. I finally cut it down so i got clean air to the head/helmet (see photos).
I always thought the police livery looked really cool so I got black stripes from Stein Dinse. And who says a motorcycle always have to be black?!
It had open Dunstall pipes on it. Ridiculously loud.
Now sold.

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #6 on:** May 24, 2020, 05:19:50 PM »

Quote from: Klinkhammer on May 24, 2020, 01:56:42 PM

Congrats! They are great bikes. However, I never got on with the windshield -to much turbulence. I finally cut it down so i got clean air to the head/helmet (see photos).
I always thought the police livery looked really cool so I got black stripes from Stein Dinse. And who says a motorcycle always have to be black?!
It had open Dunstall pipes on it. Ridiculously loud.
Now sold.

Beatiful T3 Cali! You are right, white looks very good! Sorry to hear that it is sold. I hope you got something nice to replace it.

Klinkhammer · « **Reply #7 on:** May 25, 2020, 01:29:28 PM »

Quote from: Dave Swanson on May 24, 2020, 05:19:50 PM

I hope you got something nice to replace it.

Thank you!
I did!

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #8 on:** May 25, 2020, 01:33:13 PM »

Quote from: Klinkhammer on May 25, 2020, 01:29:28 PM

Thank you!
I did!

WOW! I would say it was a fine swap of bikes! Although I like them both very much.

Rick4003 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 15, 2020, 11:48:56 PM »

Hi Dave,

Great to see you back at it with another bike. If you're interested I have a new mint condition skunk seat that I'm not going to use. It came with my ambassador, but it doesn't really look or fit right. Not sure it makes sense to ship across the pond though.

Good luck with the rebuild and I am looking forward to follow

-Ulrik

rutgery · « **Reply #10 on:** June 16, 2020, 03:38:59 PM »

I'm looking forward to the build!

Did the original rear panniers come with the bike? They are very hard to find (even in Europe) as they like to crack at the hinge..

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #11 on:** June 19, 2020, 05:38:21 AM »

Quote from: rutgery on June 16, 2020, 03:38:59 PM

I'm looking forward to the build! Did the original rear panniers come with the bike? They are very hard to find (even in Europe) as they like to crack at the hinge..

Yes, I have the original bags. One has the classic crack at the hinge. I am looking for one.

This is my good one.

LesP · « **Reply #12 on:** June 19, 2020, 06:16:52 AM »

Great project Dave and you will bring it back to its former glory for sure.

https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/
You know the plate number still comes up in a UK Rego check, first registered February 1980.

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #13 on:** June 19, 2020, 07:47:55 AM »

Quote from: LesP on June 19, 2020, 06:16:52 AM

Great project Dave and you will bring it back to its former glory for sure.

https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/
You know the plate number still comes up in a UK Rego check, first registered February 1980.

Very interesting! Thanks

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #14 on:** July 04, 2020, 08:38:10 PM »

The big teardown is about to begin. Since cadmium plating is so expensive I decided to combine the T3 bits with the Lemans.

Antietam Classic Cycle · « **Reply #15 on:** July 04, 2020, 09:57:54 PM »

Are you doing true cadmium plating or trivalent yellow chromate or trivalent clear chromate ("bright zinc plating")? AFAIK, Guzzi hardware was all done in trivalent clear chromate.

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #16 on:** July 05, 2020, 04:53:49 AM »

I have always had cadmium. There is only one place locally that still does cad plating but it is expensive now. I may do zinc this time.

Klinkhammer · « **Reply #17 on:** July 05, 2020, 12:21:43 PM »

The place where I get my hardware done identified it as bright zinc plating. I hope they got it right!

I replaced the skunk seat cover on my Cali but wasn’t completely happy with it. The Guzzi logo on the back was slightly misaligned, and once you’ve seen that sort of thing you can’t un-see it.

Also… I see some nasty corrosion from the battery. Hope it is not so bad.

Canuck750 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 05, 2020, 08:00:23 PM »

I am lucky to have an industrial plating shop that serves the oil and natural gas industry, they plate clear Cad, gold Cad, and bright zinc. The owner is a gear head who plates all my parts, and he is Italian! Owner old me the Guzzi hardware was bright zinc plated, this is what I go with on my builds.

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #19 on:** July 10, 2020, 03:39:40 PM »

I received the instruments back from Palo Alto Speedometer Service. Wonderful work!!!

Before

After

g5guzzi · « **Reply #20 on:** July 11, 2020, 03:43:47 PM »

Hi Dave
just out of curiosity i put your British reg no in the
DVLA website and according to it your bike was
first registered in February 1980 and has not been
taxed in the UK since April 1983.

Malc

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #21 on:** July 11, 2020, 04:42:24 PM »

Quote from: g5guzzi on July 11, 2020, 03:43:47 PM

Hi Dave
just out of curiosity i put your British reg no in the
DVLA website and according to it your bike was
first registered in February 1980 and has not been
taxed in the UK since April 1983.

Malc

Fits into the timetable

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #22 on:** July 31, 2020, 06:19:47 PM »

The tank and side panels are now with the painter, along with the striping, and panel marking kits. I am really looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #23 on:** August 02, 2020, 08:53:34 PM »

It's a grimy beast!! Teardown is in earnest.

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #24 on:** August 03, 2020, 07:48:15 PM »

I gave the T3 a real treat. I found a set of NOS mufflers in the Netherlands. The arrived today.

These had been on the shelf a LONG time!

A quick polish session and voila!

Klinkhammer · « **Reply #25 on:** August 05, 2020, 04:52:49 AM »

Grimy indeed, but does not seem to be very molested.
Very pretty mufflers! Great find!

kfz · « **Reply #26 on:** August 05, 2020, 07:31:24 AM »

LLH - London.

your bike was registered in London. Bit of trophy for the garage wall. You may find you need to stop for Tea about 4.00 ish when on a ride. Normal.

Kev

Dave Swanson · « **Reply #27 on:** August 11, 2020, 05:20:06 PM »

This bike is so grimy that it takes 2 days of hand washing to get the hands clean looking again. The discovery phase is fun though.

The stator is cracked. EldoMike is sending me another.

Tiny Tim · « **Reply #28 on:** August 11, 2020, 05:46:51 PM »

Hey Dave

Wow great find and it looks in nice condition.

blackcat · « **Reply #29 on:** August 12, 2020, 09:09:47 AM »

Quote from: Dave Swanson on August 03, 2020, 07:48:15 PM

I gave the T3 a real treat. I found a set of NOS mufflers in the Netherlands. The arrived today.

These had been on the shelf a LONG time!

A quick polish session and voila!

Wow, were these on eBay?

News:

Author Topic: T3 California Restoration (Read 42637 times)

Wildguzzi.com

LesP