Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Bsa bulletin board Hornet, Wasp, Spitfire Hornet, Cyclone (Restored)

It has the tall oil tank filler typical on the larger west coast tanks. As a result, the frame is the west coast model. The oil tanks are not interchangeable in the two frames. It also has west coast front fender, fender stays, and fender brackets. Those three items cannot be mixed with the east coast style parts...well without bending, cutting and reshaping them.

Bob Goodpaster is a wealth of knowledge.. he has helped me immensely with my 1970 Triumph, 1973 Norton Commando, 1967 BSA 441 and now my 67 Hornet.

YES BOB GOODPASTER OF EXPERT CYCLE IN HOBART INDIANA IS A EXCELLENT RESOURCE. HE REBUILT THE ENGINE ON MY 66 SPITFIRE. THERE A NOW 3 GENERATIONS OF OF GOODPASTERS IN THE MOTORCYCLE WORLD. ALL THREE GENERATIONS WERE RACERS. BOB'S FATHER GOLDSTAR JOHNNY WORKED ON MY GOLDSTAR BACK IN THE MID-60'S. A VISIT TO HIS SHOWROOM WHERE HIS EXTENSIVE COLLECTION IS DISPLAYED IS A REAL TREAT.

Update on the '65 Cyclone Competition build. Mostly done with the frame and cycle parts with a few more bits to get. Currently workiing on the fuel tank and procurring the last of the needed engine parts before engine assembly.

Lookin good Gary!!!

ljm

West Coast Hornet TT pipe rear mounting bracket

Picked up the Cyclone tank and side covers from my painter today.

It's coming along nicely.

nice set of ET coils you have there .

Yes. A pair of NOS I've had for awhile.

fantastic work

Gary is that color pretty close to the 66 gel coat for Hornet?

I assume that '65 and '66 Mandarin Red is the same, so I would say yes.

The color code in both '65 and '66 Spares manuals at the front of both is the same (201)

Well, this is a little tantalizing.

Page 1

Trying to figure out if there is any more.

Yes there are 64 pages in total that are the first pages of the thread. A ton of info in them.. They got erased in 2013.

Two Alpha re-created them and stored them on his server for several years and started the thread over again with post #1 on page one of this thread. His post included a link to his server to access all 64 pages.

Several years ago, he went missing and his server is now not accessible to open those first 64 pages.

From that link, a few of us were able to save those 64 pages to our own PC's, but have been unable to repost them on here.

I often get inquires about the content of those 64 pages of posts as they contain useful images and information.

A colossal loss.

Bringing a '65 Spitfire Hornet tank back from the dead.

AS RESCUED


Multiple layers of paint stripped down to the original gelcoat. Gelcoat heavily deteriorated.


Prior attempts to seal the tank.


Lots of tank rot.


All deterioration and damage repaired and filled.


All previous attempts at sealing removed, seams and tank rot repaired and filled.

gary this should be interesting keep the pics coming please as it moves along

GARY

DO YOU THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO SEPARATE THE TANK SECTIONS SO IT CAN BE CLEANED AND PREPARED PROPERLY BEFORE COATING?

I do not. I have seen a tank separated and it would be a lot of work to remate the two parts. The bottom includes the tunnel and the neck tube that houses the frame hold down fastener assembly. On this tank that tube is aluminum. It was about 5/16" longer extending down beyond the tunnel. The factory worker then made several snips vertically around the tube and then bent all the tabs outward around the tube down onto the tunnel, then sealed the area with an unknown hard setting black akempucky.

I had to grind it all out and repair an adjacent rotten spot, then refill the area with epoxy flox. See previous image and this one.

The top of the tube was also a place of leakage as I found out while flushing the tank out with sheetrock screws and acetone.

My interior cleaning process includes multiple times with the tank sealed and with 100 sheetrock screws and acetone until the liquid is nearly clear. Not totally clear as it will never be since the interior is usually red inside and the acetone is dissolving that material. Acetone should never be left inside. It is very quick drying so left open after multiple flushes and the tank will dry quickly. The flushing process uses about a gallon of acetone depending how many flushes are done. I wash the screws after each flush.

'65 Spitfire Hornet frame back from the powder coat shop.

Before and after first batch of parts back from the powder coat shop for '65 Spitfire Hornet restoration. I prep them before I deliver them to the powder coater. Time to start assembly.

We've had disagreements.........but you really are an artist at this and I'm sure this will turn out just as stunning as your other work.

Gordon

Before and after second batch of parts back from the powder coat shop for '65 Spitfire Hornet restoration. It's coming along nicely.

Gary.......I probably just missed it but how in the world do you get that BEFORE look? Vapor or some type of media blasting? I have a soda/media set up but mine wouldn't get those bits looking THAT good.

Gordon

I utilize 80 grit glass bead blasting medium in the blast cabinet. It works well, but some parts like the brake drums where the original black paint has been baked on can be very stubborn and slow to remove. I use it to clean aluminum parts before the polishing process, and also to clean and remove paint from fiberglass parts. If the blast gun is not held in one place it works fine on gel coated parts. Epoxy paints are stubborn to remove, as are powder coated parts.