1972 Honda CB175 Super Sport restoration

[911hillclimber]

Work delayed by more Boxster coolant leaks and fixes, think that is all done, total cost just under £90.
Racing the Lola this weekend, all done, had a great weekend, first hillclimb of 2020 for us.

Chipped-away at a few areas on the Honda.
Stripped and high-fill primered the headlamp bowl.
Fitted the rear seat bracket that supports the rear indicators too.
Fixed the seat hinge brackets and painted and also the seat catch.

Best of all, managed to order a pair of side panels from Thailand and might have a handle on an original right side panel perhaps tomorrow.

It is 'POA' so dread how much the asking price will be.

Soon will be painting the tinware and then waiting for the chrome.
Wife wants me to slow down.

[911hillclimber]

Not sure if anyone is really watching except smallspeed, but a bit of an up-date:

The Boxster coolant issues have got well in the way of real garage time, but that seems sorted now.

Have been chasing side panels, and now have more than I need...
Got a set from Thailand in fibre glass which are 'ok' and good to have as spares, but by chance found a NOS right hand cover, the Holy Grail for £150. Must be the last available in the world, amazing #1

Need the special badges now which are super rare esp with good amber 'jewels', found one in the USA for $90 + $50 post.

To mount the covers you need a lower rubber point and that coves on the tool box, so needed one as mine was rusted right through and beyond. Found a NOS one in Stoke for £25! Amazing #2.

Restored the outside of the speedo and tacho, removed and polished the stainless base but the anti vibration seal rings used were perished. Oddly, bought 2 NOS ones of them today in England for £15. Amazing #3

The speedo has a good crease in the body by the glass after an 'off' in it's life which I couldn't get out, so decided to keep a bit of history and painted over it...

Ordered more parts as ever, but the end is close.
Chrome soon I hope and time then for custom paint before the weather drops.

Cleaned/painted the handle bar switches and red painted the indicators.
Made new foam air cleaner filters,
Put the main foot pegs together with stainless hardware.

[KS]

Is this all being written in real time? In which case, you could restore a bike a month and make a fortune...

[911hillclimber]

Well, yes, all real time.
I put the front peg pins in this afternoon, DPD delivered them 2 hours before. Painted the instruments yesterday, tool box ordered 2 days ago arrived today, etc.

I think it is taking a long time, wife irritated it is happening too fast, she thought I would be at it during Xmas. Hope to be all done way before then, but some Boxster action and Lola action even 911 actions will punctuate the next few months.

Trying to kill costs is taking a lot of time.

There are some hard issues ahead, paint being the major one, all diy this time.
The candy gold last time cost nearly £600 and took a long time with broken promises, never again.

Really enjoying the project.

[Hugo 356]

It's not quite as good as Little Deuce Coupe, Fun Fun Fun or Shut Down, but here's Little Honda by the Beach Boys to prove we're following progress.

Your avid reader

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZOGlgVldAs

[911hillclimber]

Ha! Never heard that before, ever.

Great to hear, love the Honda publicity shots all bright 60's.
Thanks for posting indeed.
G.

[911hillclimber]

More hours on the bike today before friends turn up!

Finished the switches as new parts arrived today, and ran the wires through new sleeving, old stuff was cracked and brittle. Look nice now.
Got stuck into the wheels...

Wheels are all new rims, stainless spokes, tubes, tyres, original brakes. for some reason the PO had them pro built with a crap paint job on the castings. All shot blased, but terrible paint.

Refinished both hubs with silver smoothrite but had to mask off the front spokes, tedious. Turned out well enough.

On the rear he decided to paint the hub after spoke lacing so silver paint everywhere. so lots of razor blade scraping, one small cut and all done.
However, this lot would cost £600 today to have done, so a big win.
Rear sprocket painted and on, new brake shoes ordered.

Started restoring the NLA tank Honda side badges, stripped the paint (very resistant), took an hour to clean the casting and then started to in-fil the lettering.
Trick is to flood the surface, allow the paint to float and level. Used good old Humbrol modeller's paint, brilliant, and the matt white looks great. Need some matt black to finish.

You can but replicas of these badges, but they are all wrong and look very tarty.

Progress keeps coming, there must be a big hit soon.
Paint?

[jehintheuk]

This is a great thread - real memory lane stuff for me! Now all I need is someone to do a Honda 400/4 S1 restoration as well!!

PS If I bring myself to actually do it, I'm thinking about having my first foray into sprinting and hill climbing in my '82 911 SC Targa next season. Any tips gratefully received.

[911hillclimber]

Re:
Hillclimbs/Sprints

Get yourself to a proper Drivers' School at a good hillclimb venue or a Sprint one. Good way to spend the day to see if you like it and what is involved.
It is not simple but easy to get the basics right.

400-4, what a dream bike!

[911hillclimber]

Had a few hours in the garage this afternoon while Mrs HC read the Sunday Times from front to back (which is why she is far cleverer than I) and did the garden...

Wheels look good, even close up, so that was worth it yesterday.
Cleaned up the Fr and Rr axle shafts that should have chromed ends, so that had all gone over the years of salt, but cleaned up smoothly and painted in bright wheel silver paint. New castellated nuts needed and stainless split-pins. Lots of split-pins on this bike.

Then, only had one choice, to 'do' the carbs.
I have a bad history with carbs no matter what they are on, so dived in. Borrowed an U/S cleaner from a mate who won it in a raffle. Not much good, so used a stainless small wire brush and lots of brake/parts cleaner.
Twin carbs, and the first one stripped-down like a darling. All jets clean and open but passed my trusty BOC nozzle cleaners through all holes. Had them since 1971.
Oddly, carb #2 was the same. This really does not happen to me, but this time it has. Both carbs all clean, re-assembled and feel great.

The stub inlet manifolds are sealed by O rings and the originals on the carb were D shaped to say the very best of them, so fresh ones needed..

Yet another long shopping list written down, but nothing too pricey.

PET cock stripped and looks as good as the carbs though I think one drilling is very blocked, so that is steeped in WD40 etc for tomorrows mini-adventure.

[911hillclimber]

Parts arriving every day inc the rear chrome coil-overs from David silver which look great as all shiny chrome does.
My box of chrome should be almost ready in 2 weeks time which bring me to the awkward question of colour...

The original Mariana Blue Metallic is available from RS Paints in rattle-can form.
I was thinking of Surf Green or Mint Green (FIAT 500 colour) which are solid colours so easy compared to metallic which I have never done before, so tempted by originality and challenge.

[911hillclimber]

Going to be stock Mariana Blue, will be better in the long run and sale time.

Hours today doing endless bits:
Finished the tank badges off after re-painting with Humbrol matt enamels, white and black, cost me £2
Fitted the dials to the new mounts and new hardware, all ready to fit. Checked all the bulbs too.
Fitted levers to the grips with correct shoulder bolts.
Assembled the headlamp and sorted the wires, 2 I can't find on the wiring diagram, that should be fun soon.
Fitted the spare lamp switch I found in an old box but no switch knob. These are rare, they crack when trying to get them off, but made a simple round one on the lathe and I think it looks ok!.
Decided to strip the tank. Painted about 6 times in it's life, but only 7 dents, non too deep, so that will certainly keep me busy now.
Shimmed the lower mounts of the new rear coil-overs so no rattles using thin stainless washers.

Just that lot took 5 hours...

[911hillclimber]

And the Beat Goes On...

Bits keep on arriving and I'm getting lots done.

Washers in stainless, special nuts, and lots of other bits arrive, wife gone silent...

New front brake shoes so the front wheel is all ready to install..
Chain guard all done, was chrome for some reason, should be black paint.
Carbs back on after re-build and more importantly new plum O rings. Here is where you see Honda design, the inlet tract is all sealed by O rings, old ones were crushed flat, so for £4 all new one in and nipped-down tight.
Trying to find an old (cheap) left hand air cleaner to get a complex rubber sleeve needed, will have to pay £35 for this bit I fear.

More parts on order, but the real crunch is rapidly coming that will stop progress dead, the chroming. Should be due next week...maybe.

Paint is proving difficult too but at least in my own control.

[AndrewSlater]

, and lots of other bits arrive, wife gone silent...

Never good to get the silent treatment.
Must admit all of our regular couriers and postman, always tell my wife 'more car parts for Andrew' whenever they deliver.
Doesn't always go down well - and doesn't help conceal stealth purchases.


Marina blue metallic will look great. I spotted a bit of a ratty one in that colour only the other day.
Since you have started your thread I seem to have spotted quite a few CB175s recently, and always find myself checking the condition of the right hand covers.
Glad you have sourced a NOS one, I can stop looking now

[911hillclimber]

Hope that colour will work!
The Candy Gold is very bright even at midnight, but loads of them, and as my last Honda was gold, be good to be different and keep original.
The Blue and Red ones are much rarer.

Bought the paint from RS Paints this morning, motorcycle specialists, all rattle cans, still cost a fortune. Seems a simple bike paint job can be £600+ now.

The tanks and all metal bodywork is in etch primer now and then the Monsoon hit so stopped. Not sure if to simply fill the dents or try to ease them back and still have to fill.

Also just sent an email to the chromers in the hope he will keep his delivery promise of end of August, but I think I know the answer coming...

Without painted parts and chrome I'm getting to the end of jobs to be done, ie I'm stuck.