My New Project arrives after a 44 year wait!

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I fitted the DS front fender to my 400 as it was rotten - not cheap but then neither is having one re-chromed.

[Johnny4428]

Wow Dave, that is annoying!😡😡  How the hell do they even drill holes that shape!🤣 I would be doing the same as you hopefully getting them repaired.

[Oddjob]

Why not try and fit another good brace off a rotten/damaged mudguard, you can either refit using 5mm screws and nuts or try and re-rivet or even a chrome coach bolt. I've just done that with a front guard I bought for the 500/550, the amount of rust underneath the brace which will slowly rot it away if not removed and corrected is worth the effort IMO. Also makes getting the guard re-chromed (if needed) cheaper and a better job.

[Laverda Dave]

Good suggestion Ken but in this case I really want to keep the original guards to keep the bike as I first set eyes on it 44 years ago. A mate has told me of a panel beater he used recently to repair the front bumper of his Sunbeam Alpine he's restoring. The panel beater was able to fill two big holes where spotlights had been fitted by a PO. Both front a rear guards have been dropped in today to be stripped before I take them in for patch repairs and a re-chrome. I know it's the expensive option but it will keep as much of the original bike together and maintain it's history.

[AndyD]

Dave,
Sounds like a nice simple polish and ride project!

If you still need the washer under the valve spring I may well have these.
I've got an old 'spares' engine in the shed so should still have those in the head if needed.

Lot of other bits and pieces lying around as well in hugely varying condition so can check if anything is of use to you.
Cheers,
Andy

[Laverda Dave]

Not a lot has been happening on the restoration over the past couple of weeks, having new windows fitted in the house to replace the ones that are nearly falling out has involved a lot cleaning up to get back to normal. We’ve also been on holiday to visit friends in LA as well. Whilst there I went to a bike breakers that have been there for years to see if I could get some spares. Unfortunately and just like the UK, the breaker was bought out for the land so he’s now gone and I came home with an empty suitcase!

When I arrived home the plater called to say he had finished all the plating I had dropped off a couple of weeks earlier. He’s done his usual fantastic work, the yellow zinc on the carb parts has come out really well. He’s also stripped the mudguards of their chrome to enable me to get the holes made by the PO welded to enable a rechrome. He’s also stripped the chrome from the centre and side stand and their springs, engine plates, rear sprocket and rear torque arm ready for paint. Being the pro that he is he bagged everything up properly and as I sent it to him, must be over 400 items in total. £160 all in, I’m very happy with that. As he can no longer do chrome plating he has recommended a company called Nottingham Plating Limited, has anyone here used them?

I’ll be starting on inspecting all the engine parts next week and cleaning the frame ready for an alignment check at Victory motorcycles in Sarrat before sending it off for powder coating in Windsor. I took the carbs apart, what a mess, these are going to take some serious cleaning in the ultrasonic bath!

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Not heard of the Nottingham firm but they may be good  - I used this place for my 400 chain guard - not cheap but brilliant finish.

http://derbyplating.co.uk/

[Oddjob]

Done a really nice job of the zinc plating.

[Laverda Dave]

Gary is a perfectionist when it comes to plating and polishing and he knows his bikes and what should be plated, the type of plating an individual part should have and he can even tell you where a part goes despite not having a bike himself! I've known him and his Dad who owns the business for 30+ years.His Dad is in his late 70's and still working! He does this work in his spare time to get away from the normal production line plating. He wouldn't allow me to tell anyone where he is based when he was doing chrome plating, if I did he said he wouldn't do my stuff again! He doesn't do chrome plate now due to all the enviromental issues and the requirement for special licences and constant inspections although it seems acceptable for water companies to pump raw sewage into our rivers!
I'll see how much I get quoted at Nottingham platers Ted, I wish I knew about the Derby platers when I worked up that way. I tried a plater in Hinkley a few years ago when Gary was overloaded with work, great quality of work but very expensive.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Downside with Derby Platers is I had to wait over two months for my part to be done.

I used them to re-chrome a bathroom basket type fitting - it had rusted after a couple of years. I could not find a new replacement that would fit or cover the bolt holes so they re-chromed it - that was over ten years ago and it has not gone rusty again.

[Oddjob]

Does he do the zinc plating for anyone Dave or just for you?

[Laverda Dave]

He's an industrial plater Ken so in theory he will plate for anyone but normally it's all bulk type stuff from companies who machine hundreds of the same part and then send it for plating. Gary does some car and bike plating as a hobby more than anything else. I first met him in 1989 when we were both younger etc and needed extra jobs to pay the mortgage etc. He's about 5 years younger than me so in his mid 50’s now and he doesn't want to do late nights and weekends anymore so he chooses what he does. He does my plating simply because I've known him for so long and we had a couple of mutual friends. He's now off work for 4-6 months after having a big op on his hand last week. This is why he told me to take anything I needed plating for the rat bike before I went on holiday. It's a real shame he no longer does chrome plating as his work was the best I have seen anywhere.
Send me a PM of what you need doing and I'll ask him but it's going to be a while before he's back working. He doesn't do post though, it's all personal drop off and collection.

[Oddjob]

That's ok Dave. I'll not bother him especially if he's off work. I was just curious as that's a nice job, especially like the tool kit plating, I have a 500 tool kit all ready for plating but I wasn't sure if my plating skills would be able to replicate that result so I thought I'd ask.. I really need to get my plating kit set up, I'm making a new work bench this winter so that should give me the space to try and do some..

[AshimotoK0]

Dave I can't post pics in a PM so put on here. (see PM)

A few Freebies to re-instate your airbox as promised.  I have a NOS rubber cable clip thingy for you  as well but it's not here.

I will re-plate the clip and oval tube in BZP before I send.

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[Laverda Dave]

Dave I can't post pics in a PM so put on here. (see PM)

A few Freebies to re-instate your airbox as promised.  I have a NOS rubber cable clip thingy for you  as well but it's not here.

I will re-plate the clip and oval tube in BZP before I send.

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Marvelous, thank you Ash. These are all the parts I am missing. You even have the white plastic drain piece as well. Roo offered me one of these but I haven't taken him up on his kind offer as I was scouting eBay for all the other parts first to see what exactly is missing but from what I can see you have everything I need to refit a proper air filter system and get rid of the nasty pods🙂.
Please let me know the post etc for these👍.

Roo, thank you for your generous offer of the drain piece, apologies for not taking you up on the offer, hopefully someone else in my position can use the part as these seem really difficult to get hold off.

What great forum full of great people 🙂👍