Some TLC for Thundercat

First topic message reminder :

Here is a picture of my Thundercat I purchased in April 2012, it had only done 2400 miles.



I have almost stripped the bike right down, apart from taking the engine out of the frame. I have had various parts powder coated: Swingarm, relay arm, connecting rods, rear brake caliper bracket, torsion arm, clutch cover, sprocket cover, starter clutch cover, generator cover, etc.

Back of the engine before cleaning.



After cleaning.





Front of engine before cleaning.



After cleaning.







I have cleaned up the rear of the frame, removed all rust and cure rusted & painted with hammerite silver smooth finish.

Before.





After.



I have fitted new bearings & thrust covers to the swingarm, and cleaned & re-greased the relay arm bearings and fitted new dust seals.
Here are some before and after pictures of the swingarm, relay arm and connecting rods.











I have had the rear shock absorber rebuilt the spring powder coated and re-plated by brook suspension.
Here are some before and after pictures.



















At the moment I am preparing the wheels, forks, sprocket carrier, fairing bracket and various other parts for powder coating, painting & vapour blasting. I have had various other parts re-plated and powder coated & fitted stainlees steel bolts to the engine covers.

Looks great mate, wish I had know how to do same.

Just read through all this and looked at the pictures and thought "oh feck"!! I'm embarking on a complete restoration job myself and seeing this tells me I've got a hell of a long way to go.

You put the hours in you get the prize, looking really fantastic, well done

prime wrote:Looks great mate, wish I had know how to do same.

Yours is already like that Chris, what you talking about man?? Lol

I will pop my cat round when you are done, I don't want you getting bored!

I say we ban Nigel now, before he makes all our bikes look a mobile junk pile.   

Snowcat wrote:

prime wrote:Looks great mate, wish I had know how to do same.

Yours is already like that Chris, what you talking about man?? Lol

needs more shiny bits for me to polish mate, its a clean bike for sure, just needs more shine!

prime wrote:Looks great mate, wish I had know how to do same.

Your bike looks good as it is, but I'm sure if you put your mind to it you could do what I'm doing. I have taken lots of pictures and notes as I've gone along.

Snowcat wrote:Just read through all this and looked at the pictures and thought "oh feck"!! I'm embarking on a complete restoration job myself and seeing this tells me I've got a hell of a long way to go.

You put the hours in you get the prize, looking really fantastic, well done

Thanks for the comments.

What bike are you doing the restoration on and are you going to post some pictures on the forum?

Radar wrote:I will pop my cat round when you are done, I don't want you getting bored!

I don't think I will be getting bored when it's finished, hopefully I'll be riding it.

Nigel T/Cat wrote:

Snowcat wrote:Just read through all this and looked at the pictures and thought "oh feck"!! I'm embarking on a complete restoration job myself and seeing this tells me I've got a hell of a long way to go.

You put the hours in you get the prize, looking really fantastic, well done

Thanks for the comments.

What bike are you doing the restoration on and are you going to post some pictures on the forum?

I've just bought a 1993 RGV250 which I've made little in roads on (and already banging head against wall), it's a long term jobbie mainly to get my son off his xbox but no rush and a long road ahead.

Once things start happening I will be posting a restoration thread.

When I close my eyes my Tcat also looks like that.   

And I'm sure that under the grime and muck that is covering the bike at the moment, it is.   

Jealous. Not one little bit, well a little.   

But I am riding mine most weekdays.   

Here is an update of what I have been doing to the bike:

Fitted bracket to bottom yoke for horn/brake lines etc.
Made new stainless steel horn mounting plate & fitted to horn.
Fitted steering cover, & horn.
Fitted back half of front mudguard.
Cleaned up front disc’s  & fitted to front wheel with new stainless steel bolts.
Cleaned & painted speedo drive and fitted to front wheel.
Fitted front wheel with new stainless steel wheel spacer.
Cleaned around coils and fitted re-plated hose clips to air intake hoses.

All the stainless steel bolts have been tarted up by dgsdale and he has also made the front wheel spacer, various washers and spacers out of stainless steel. All these little touches make all the difference.

See picture below.

Here is an update of what I have been doing to the bike:

Fitted bracket to bottom yoke for horn/brake lines etc.
Fitted steering cover, & horn.
Fitted back half of front mudguard.
Cleaned up front disc’s  & fitted to front wheel with new stainless steel bolts.
Cleaned & painted speedo drive and fitted to front wheel.
Fitted front wheel with new stainless steel wheel spacer.
Cleaned around coils and fitted re-plated hose clips to air intake hoses.

All the stainless steel bolts have been tarted up by dgsdale and he has also made the front wheel spacer, various washers and spacers out of stainless steel. All these little touches make all the difference.

See picture below.

Don't know what happened there, but it has posted the text twice!

My god that really is attention to detail, well done amazing work.
I really think my bike is clean but suddenly it looks a wreck & I feel it needs attention.

Paul.

Fantastic job, i'm impressed   cant wait to see the pictures once its finished.

Keep up the good work.
It'll almost be as nice as mine when you're finished

I've heard the orange is a difficult colour to match (and keep clean).
Have you got a picture of the wheels and the orange fairing together?

What paint (code) did you use?

I've got myself 2nd hand wheels a while back and just bought 2nd hand discs on eBay tonight.
Thinking about orange but if I do that I'll need to keep her clean.  

Cheers
Rosco

Rosco wrote:
I've got myself 2nd hand wheels a while back and just bought 2nd hand discs on eBay tonight.
Thinking about orange but if I do that I'll need to keep her clean.  

If he does that, well...... it's unimaginable! And that's really scary 'cos I thought my imagination was unlimited   

Stunning job, mine seems filthy now. Good excuse to give it good clean   

Rosco wrote:Keep up the good work.
It'll almost be as nice as mine when you're finished

I've heard the orange is a difficult colour to match (and keep clean).
Have you got a picture of the wheels and the orange fairing together?

What paint (code) did you use?

I've got myself 2nd hand wheels a while back and just bought 2nd hand discs on eBay tonight.
Thinking about orange but if I do that I'll need to keep her clean.  

Cheers
Rosco

I've just taken a picture of the orange wheel and fairing together, and a picture of the orange wheel and front mudguard (See Pic's Below).
The orange mudguard is not going back on the bike, as I've got a new carbon fibre one.

The paint was Kawasaki Orange Pearl Colour Code: 176. When I purchased the paint I got a White Undercoat colour code:101 a
Orange undercoat colour code:154. I purchased the paint from autopaint southampton there telephone number is 023 80406136.

The colour match of the paint is not perfect, but very close. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for doing that.
Looks good.....black is so much easier to get away with not cleaning it though.
Struggling to decide. I'll check with my painter and pillion.
Cheers
Rosco

Great work! Gonna look like she's straight off the factory floor.
Look forward to seeing her all put back together.

Bravo to you, that's some commendable time and effort spent.

Here’s an update of what I’ve been doing to the bike:

Cleaned, paint link pipe on front brake calipers.
Fitted front brake calipers using stainless steel bolts from Probolt.
Fitted front braided brake lines.
Fitted fairing bracket, ram air pipe and instrument display.
Fitted rear wheel, chain and sprockets & side stand.
Cleaned & painted rear brake caliper.

See Pictures Below.

Guest wrote:Great work! Gonna look like she's straight off the factory floor.
Look forward to seeing her all put back together.

I tell you, I've seen this bike - in fact, I've helped Nigel with it at times - and it is way better than off the factory floor!

Here’s another update.

Fitted re-plated oil delivery pipe and banjo bolts.
Cleaned oil cooler & paint the back of it with silver hycote engine enamel.
Fitted oil cooler, new oil filter & filled engine with oil.
Downpipes have been hot aluminium coated, and painted with silver VHT paint.
Fitted down pipes with stainless steel nuts, washers and bolt.
Cleaned Fan & fitted to fan mounting bracket (which has been powder coated) with stainless steel nuts.
Painted the radiator with gloss black hycote engine enamel.
Fitted the fan assembly to the radiator with stainless steel bolts.
Fitted the radiator to the bike with stainless steel spacers, washers & bolts.
Fitted the hoses to the radiator with stainless steel hose clips and re-plated hose clips.
Fitted stainless steel bolts to water pump
Fitted re-plated water pipe with stainless bolts, and refitted hose from water pipe to oil cooler with stainless steel hose clips.
Cleaned air box, fitted new air filter and fitted to bike with stainless steel bolts, washer and spacer.
All stainless steel bolts, tarted up by dgsdale.
All stainless steel washers, spacers and nuts - made by dgsdale.

Here are some before and after pictures.

Before.


After.








Before.


After.


Before.


After.

Comin' along jus' bootifull it is Magtricery right before me peepers guv'nor

Looking good

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