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1981 gs750 (gs750e) Retro Racer project

The seat is finally done :)
I've primarily followed the advice in this youtube-video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLeSHr1bg7n4iQq_JUzQC3UXgVRr919xeZ&v=8nVyPiPvR2g


But first i had to google how to thread the sewing-machine :D

I tried to find something to draw on vinyl with that would both be clearly visible and easy to remove. Didn't find anything, so I ended up using masking tape.





This was the result:





I chose the longest diagonal to be 1.61 times the length of the sides to take advantage of the golden ratio. I've also used the golden ratio to decide the lengt of the seat and cushing in relation to the tank.

Used a large sheet of paper to make a template for the surrounding vinyl:




Sewed the parts together like they show in the video:





Used spray-glue on the back of the metal and on the inside of the vinyl. Then I stretched the vinyl until the markings lined up. This wan't the smartest way I noticed, as I hadn't been accurate enough with the sewing. I should have flipped it over and lined the vinyl up on the topside av the seat instead. But in the end the result was OK.





Screwed the two pieces together, and this is the result:





 
Painting and upholstery are 2 things that seem to freak most people out when it comes time for DIY, but you did a fine job on your seat. Well done.
 


Did some testing on the color scheme today. First I made something the ratrodguys call Unicorn p*ss. It's made of white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and salt. When sprayed on bare metal it starts to rust in minutes. To make the rust settle into the metal I waited two days before I used my pressure washer to wash off most of the rust. I have now created red rust, Fe2O3. Then i used phosphoric acid to convert the red rust to black rust, Fe3O4. Black rust is stable and wont rust further. I also think it looks better. In the picture below you can se the difference between the two kinds of rust.




In the picture below, I have sprayed lightly with black paint and scoffed it off again, leaving some more towards the edges. The paint also shows where the rust have made irregularities in the metal.


Then I masked off a stripe and painted it offwhite.


Painted the same stripe with a layer of blue.



With the maskin tape still on so I would not sand off the black, I sanded off some of the blue to make an aged apperance. I will use an electric sander and finer sandpaper for this when I do the tank and seat, but for now it's okay. Can't wait to do this on the tank to see how it turns out :)
 
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Moving along slowly, but I still have hope for the end of the season..


Since the engine was in a bad state cosmetically, and considering that I'm going for a kind of rat look on the tank and seat, I decided to paint the engine and frame. I'm also getting all the nuts and bolts el-plated in silver color.

This is how the engine covers looked before:
IMG_20170527_181957_zpsab4sxc4f by Lars Krogh-Stea, on Flickr


And these are the after pictures. I've chosen the color BMW Silber Grau:


IMG_20170527_174305_zpsjpf8brgp by Lars Krogh-Stea, on Flickr


IMG_20170527_200812_zpsylq7461y by Lars Krogh-Stea, on Flickr


I'm going to paint the whole engine and the carburettors.

I almost bought myself a 3D-printer the other day, but then I came to myself and realized that I absolutely don't need one ;) Anyhow, I wanted to test the consept and designed a couple of headlight brackets with my logo on. I found a local guy with a printer through 3dhubs.com and he is printing them in ABS plastic for about 25$. Pretty cool :)


IMG_20170624_020021_zpsvrpfmxui by Lars Krogh-Stea, on Flickr


IMG_20170624_020358_zpsci9wartg by Lars Krogh-Stea, on Flickr
 
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When I drained the oil before removing the covers I noticed the threads for the oil plug was stripped. Po had just glued it in place, and this glue came out in bits with the plug. Ordered a new oversized plug from ebay. When the engine is out for painting I'll remove the oilpan and wash it and tap it for the new plug.

s-l500 1_zpsuyutllpd by Lars Krogh-Stea, on Flickr
 
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''First I made something the ratrodguys call Unicorn p*ss.'' Rat rod rust is fake??? They are my favorite cars. I feel so cheated...
 
Both pieces with clear coat. The clear coat took away som of the matte nuances, but the overall result is close enough to what I envisioned.

 
I liked the look better before adding clear. That takes away the patina look. Maybe going over it all with a grey Scotchbrite pad to dull the finish again would help.
 
nvr2old said:
I liked the look better before adding clear. That takes away the patina look. Maybe going over it all with a grey Scotchbrite pad to dull the finish again would help.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you, but as I live in Norway it's important that the paint is waterproof. I have another part that I will use to test your tip.
 
Just scuffing the finish with a Scotchbrite pad won't open it to the elements. It will only dull the shine...but use a grey one, a red one will be too course.
 
Had some unexpected things happen at work last year so I had to put the bike on the shelf for a while. As I now have rest of the winter to finish it I decided to go for a fork swap. Bought this 2005 gsxr750 fork with brake disks on ebay and I'm going to order a new hub from cognitomoto to fit a 3,5" rim.

gafler by Lars Krogh-Stea, on Flickr
 
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