1976 KZ900 back on the road.

KZJOE900 wrote:

531blackbanshee wrote: in z1 the movie they show a german guy (naturally)with a piece of 3/4" - 1" bar stock that is bent into a j shape the he has bolted to a shelf at the right working height.he takes the tank and slips the gas tank hole over the rod and positions it so that it "backs up the dent"then carefully works the dent out with a hammer.

pretty neat idea.

leon

leon,

Do you have a link to the movie? I'm very interested. Maybe I can try to manufacture it using some kind of pipe.

here is a link to buy it in the u.s.

www.americanclassix.com/z1movie.html

definately a must have,

leon

Just an update on the project. Kept on hoping I would be able to do paint myself. But with the little Indians running around the house (especially my soon to be four year old), I found it impossible. And after losing an opportunity to purchase a KZ900/CB500 last week along with half the riding season gone, I decided its time.
So I found a local painter and dropped off the body panels yesterday. Starting to get all jazzed up about it. He tells me it will be done next week or right after new year. Will post pictures once available. If anyone has any suggestions that I should watch for or request for the painter, please let me know.

531blackbanshee wrote:

KZJOE900 wrote:

531blackbanshee wrote: in z1 the movie they show a german guy (naturally)with a piece of 3/4" - 1" bar stock that is bent into a j shape the he has bolted to a shelf at the right working height.he takes the tank and slips the gas tank hole over the rod and positions it so that it "backs up the dent"then carefully works the dent out with a hammer.

pretty neat idea.

leon

leon,

Do you have a link to the movie? I'm very interested. Maybe I can try to manufacture it using some kind of pipe.

here is a link to buy it in the u.s.

www.americanclassix.com/z1movie.html

definately a must have,

leon

Leon,

I didn't get that movie, but I saw a tool from an UltraDent youtube demonstration. So I made one myself. But didn't work (need to alter the bends). That tank metal is too hard for me or I was doing something wrong. I'll post a picture of the tool once I have time.

please do sir.

leon

Can't wait to see it. Been cleaning up my 76 in-between working on the project and I'm about ready to paint both.

Here is a picture of my tool. No pun intended. :laugh: The smaller one is made out 5/16 stock and was too weak and bent when attempting to use it. The other one is out of 1/2 stock. Didn't give, but my strength did. So it wasn't having an effect. I need to give it more bend and length after the bend so it reaches from the frame hump to the side of the tank. I have an old tank to practice on once I modify the tool once more.






Here is how it should work.

I visited my paint guy today to see how things are proceeding. Took the following phone shots while I was there:











He said it should have base coat as of today. Then just a matter of three coats of clear urethane and they will be complete. I'm thinking I may sell the front fender and use the short LTD chrome fender instead. But I will have to see what looks best first.

I also ordered some parts from Z1Enterprises today as well. Ordered the front fork sseals and fork dust covers. And another kz900 side emblem to complete the body parts. I've been cleaning and polishing the fork tube assemblies (have an extra set and will be selling the originals once I swap them out) in anticipation of the parts. Then will do the fork swap once I have these replacements rebuilt.

Hoping to have it all come together soon time permitting. Then will start with the tuning.

what paint scheme are you going with?

leon

Musical instrument repair folk have been using tools like that to remove dents from trumpets, trombones, saxophones, tubas and the like for many years. I'll bet there is a rod on the market that will work for kz tanks. The tool companies also sell a wide range of threaded balls to fit their rods. (yeah, yeah I can almost hear the jokes coming...).

KZJOE900 wrote: Here is a picture of my tool. No pun intended. :laugh: The smaller one is made out 5/16 stock and was too weak and bent when attempting to use it. The other one is out of 1/2 stock. Didn't give, but my strength did. So it wasn't having an effect. I need to give it more bend and length after the bend so it reaches from the frame hump to the side of the tank. I have an old tank to practice on once I modify the tool once more.

Here is how it should work.

thats the guy :laugh: !!

thanks for posting that peter1958.

leon

531blackbanshee wrote: what paint scheme are you going with?

leon

Just going with black Leon. I guess I had settled on that when I was thinking of doing it myself to keep the difficulty low. And now, with me paying to have it done, I'm just trying to keep the cost down. I have about $100.00 worth of paint that sitting around that I won't be using (next project). But I've always liked the all black look. And I still have the option of adding any pin stripping in the future if I choose to. Would just give it another shot of clear on top the stripping.

Yeah Leon, when I saw Peter's post I thought of the guy Germany you had mentioned. Man! That thing is pretty heavy duty. Like something out of a horror movie :woohoo: But I can see how one can use their weight as leverage to their advantage.