1978 HONDA CB250 T RESTORATION PROJECT

June 3, 2011

Looking absolutely fantastic

You could make yourself a really good second income rebuilding old bikes, there must be a market for it? :thumb:

polecat · June 3, 2011

Omfg they look brand new!!! Well done!!

Thanks Nat actually on this occasion they look better than in the photo, I am really pleased that I decided to go for the polished ali rather than paint and because I have not used clear coat I can continue to buff them up later on

Looking absolutely fantastic

You could make yourself a really good second income rebuilding old bikes, there must be a market for it? :thumb:

Im not sure if Mrs Polecat will ever let me do this again as she is not overly pleased with the mess I am making and If I was to do it again I feel I would need to get a new Mrs Polecat ........... :idea:

polecat · June 5, 2011

Day off today So cracked on with the Tins ......

I think this demonstrates the value of phosphoric acid when you look at the state of these items before I treated them.

So a lot of acid, scrapping and sanding later and here are some of the results.

Boothy · June 5, 2011

Jeeeze, that looks good.

Horseynat30101 · June 5, 2011

Wow! Cafe racer it!!!

polecat · June 5, 2011

Wow! Cafe racer it!!!

Lots of temptations have come and gone through my mind

Trying to resist and keep it original though :roll:

Colin the Bear · June 5, 2011

Looking good 8-)

Horseynat30101 · June 5, 2011

cafe racer it, you know you want toooooooooo :grin:

salsarider79 · June 6, 2011

No engine?

Throttled · June 6, 2011

Was the acid treatment a paint on job like nitromors, or did you make up an acid bath?

polecat · June 6, 2011

No engine?

well I thought this would be more economical

no engine had a problem with a mounting bolt seized so spent all day geting it out !

now Its ready to go back in ......yay

polecat · June 6, 2011

Was the acid treatment a paint on job like nitromors, or did you make up an acid bath?

both really ...........

You buy it on ebay in 1lt container and small parts I soaked in a tin overnight and large parts paint it on.

Its the consistency of wall paper paste and eats the rust well into the pores, a totally rusty piece of chrome will come out shiney and new belive it or not.

About £9 a litre and goes a long way !

polecat · June 6, 2011

Another hard earned, monumental milestone acheived today ..............

Engine is back in and sitting nicely on its 10 spanking new mounting bolts (unlike the 5 rusty ones when I bought it )

Heck of a struggle to do on your own but fortunatly I managed to talk my son into poking the bolts in the holes as I lifted it.

He seemed to be concerned at the colour I was going at one point :oops:

I decided it will be easier to clean the engine on the bike than on the floor as it seems to be more exposed and easier to let the drips fall into a tray below rather than sitting in a puddle of gunk.

Photos will follow when the engine has been polished and shiney

Fozzie · June 11, 2011

Top man, the weather is alright today so will you be cracking on?

I am new to this acid treating business and will keep it in mind when I do my own projects. It also seems a good method of cleaning a bike up after a good few years use!

polecat · June 11, 2011

Top man, the weather is alright today so will you be cracking on?

I am new to this acid treating business and will keep it in mind when I do my own projects. It also seems a good method of cleaning a bike up after a good few years use!

Hey Foz I can not reccomend enough phosphoric acid its amazing stuff cos it seems to eat everything except metal, so brings up anything metalic like new and great on the chrome and aluminium also (does not damage it at all)

I have been on a weird shift for a week but now have a few days off so intend to get back to it

Have a hope of getting the tank and side panels (maby rear mudguard) finished and top coated this week and am awaiting more nuts and bolts from Ebay (seems once you start replacing them you cant stop )

May do a few little things like refit the back brake ect while I am waiting cos its mighty breezy today and not ideal for undercoating.

Colin the Bear · June 11, 2011

Cillit bang and cola both contain phosphoric acid. The acid eats the iron oxide and turns it black. 8-)

Bogof · June 11, 2011

Cillit bang and cola both contain phosphoric acid. The acid eats the iron oxide and turns it black.

I used Coke to clean up the switch contacts from my brake light switch today... worked really well after bubbling away for an hour

Dom 132 · June 13, 2011

This is great, I wish I had the time/money/patience/bike/space/skill/experience/help to do one....

polecat · June 13, 2011

This is great, I wish I had the time/money/patience/bike/space/skill/experience/help to do one....

I have a little time (not a great deal) I Don't have a lot of money,fair bit of patience, plenty of bikes on Ebay, very little space (ask the mrs ! ) , My skill level is one below complete novice , and My experience is limited to paint and panel repair (which is limited on a bike ) as for help.....This forum and Utube are all you need

Today I have been working on the Brake caliper (clean and repaint) and realised I should have put the brake pedal on the same time as the swing arm so having to take bits off to fit the pedal :roll:

The worst thing is ....I thought the bolt was too long that goes through the center stand and spend 20 minutes getting it ractcheted up , now I realise that the pedal was a spacer( not that the bolt was too long) :oops:

Colin the Bear · June 13, 2011

We've all done that lol

Did the ignition on an old reliant, plugs, points, leads, capacitor, rotor arm, distributor cap, coil. Still wouldn't start, flatened the battery and resorted to shoving it. Then spotted the rotor arm on the passenger seat. Doh!

At least you didn't chop the bolt 8-)

polecat · June 13, 2011

We've all done that lol

At least you didn't chop the bolt

It did cross my mind lol

Note to all other people restoring one of these type bikes ...Put the Back brake on before the hangers and the swingarm coz its a right pain doing it after

polecat · June 14, 2011

Should be a good day for the project today as lots of new parts on there way from CMS in Holland !

They are a company that sells nearly every part for Old Hondas,even the really hard to get parts so I am eagerly waiting to see what arrives as I have never used this company before and not sure how good they are

Anyway it got to Bodmin so should be here in the next few hours !!! (can't quiet remember what I ordered now )

Shipment Progress

Location Date Local Time ActivityWhat's this?

Bodmin, United Kingdom 14/06/2011 7:27 Out for Deliver

Bodmin, United Kingdom 14/06/2011 6:02 Arrival Scan

Tamworth, United Kingdom 14/06/2011 1:52 Departure Scan

Tamworth, United Kingdom 13/06/2011 22:59 Arrival Scan

Barking, United Kingdom 13/06/2011 20:19 Departure Scan

13/06/2011 10:32 Arrival Scan

Brussels, Belgium 13/06/2011 5:45 Departure Scan

Brussels, Belgium 11/06/2011 5:25 Arrival Scan

Eindhoven, Netherlands 11/06/2011 4:00 Departure Scan

Eindhoven, Netherlands 10/06/2011 21:00 Arrival Scan

Utrecht, Netherlands 10/06/2011 20:45 Departure Scan

10/06/2011 19:46 Origin Scan

Netherlands 10/06/2011 11:07 Order Processed: Ready for UPS

polecat · June 14, 2011

Parcels came today and this means I can finally get on and finish that Brake caliper :cheers:

CMS in Holland sure know how to wrap well .......

polecat · June 14, 2011

Got the brake caliper done today and If I say so Myself it looks like brand new compare this to what it was like when I got it ....filthy, bits missing and seized solid.