Original Finish

[kettle738]

Hi all, I just bought a 1976 CB400f, one owner since 1977 and less than 7,000m from new    ...... but unfortunately it was kept under a cover for the last umpteen years and the corrosion is fairly horrendous  .

Although I know my way round CB750K0s, GT750s and various others, it's a many years since I had a CB400f and daft as it may seem I've forgotten what the original finish is on some parts such as the wheel hubs and rear brake plate........can anyone enlighten me or is there a rivet counters reference website somewhere for the 400f?


Mick...........kettle738

[mike the bike]

Honda just lacquered over bare alloy, which didn't last long in British winters.

[kettle738]

Thank you for that......does that include the rear brake plate?  The reason I ask is I keep seeing silver painted ones. (on my bike as the owner did a 'paintbrush resto' about six years ago)

But to clarify.......both hubs and rear brake plate are bare alloy, polished in the usual places and  lacquered in exactly the same way as the CB750?

Mick............kettle738   

[mike the bike]

Yes

[SteveD CB500K0]

Mick - you are a glutton for punishment...

Saw your K0 in MCN last week. I was at that photo shoot. It was out Charlesbury way and the photographer (Kieth Manning?) was lying in the road with a 400mm lens about 200 metres down the hill. The bike was across the road. It was great until Mr Farmer came over the hill in his tractor. That photo probably took a couple of hours...

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You can see how many times we moved the bloody thing by the scrapes on the road surface.

Happy days.

[SteveD CB500K0]

... and here's Jim Moores doing his "70's biker" bit.

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Sorry for the thread hijack. I've loads of other pics if you are interested.

Steve

[UK Pete]

Nice one mick , i look forward to seeing your progress, knowing you i am sure it will be a great looking bike when finished
pete

[SteveD CB500K0]

Couldn't resist this one...

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[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Nice photos
Cheers
Bitsa

[kettle738]

They are a cracking set of pictures......but I guess you noticed several things that weren't quite right on it at that time?  Nice pics nonetheless and I don't doubt it took hours to get them.

Re the 400f, I have no intention of going mad over it.....the crying shame is, the old chap who owned it (79 years old now and a really nice chap) did his mini restoration about six years ago, the bike had been off the road since 1980, it only ever had one MOT......apart from painting various parts rather badly, he fitted a brand new complete exhaust system.....genuine Honda.....it never got as far as the road, all he did was get it running then put it under the cover.....the corrosion you see is what six years very poor storage can do to a brand new part.

The exhaust nuts all look horrible, but typical of a low miler, they all came undone as if they were fitted yesterday.

I'm going to see if it's salvageable, but I'm not holding my breath.

Mick............kettle738

Mick..........kettle738   

 

[Drew400]

Good luck with the work, Mick.

I look forwrd to one day seeing what looks like a brand new 400 on the road. Hopefully the bike's innards haven't suffered as much as its outers!

Cheers,

D.

[AshimotoK0]

From what I can remember Mick, the brake plate and hubs are polished then clear lacquered. The engine cases are silver painted unlike the 350F where some  covers were polished and lacquered.I reckon those iconic down-pipes will come up great once re-chromed.  Amazes me how many 400/4's are still out there languishing in sheds etc..... seems people just couldn't bear to part with them.

One warning on cleaning up chrome with Oxalic acid. The process  generates metal  oxalates in the solution which are very toxic. My chemist mate looked in horror when I told him I was using oxalic acid for cleaning chrome. but I retorted 'Well it's in rhubarb leaves... so it can't be that bad'. He reckons if he requisitions any, he has to sign the poisons register. It's el cheapo on eBay though as 'wood bleach'.

Ash

[Green1]

Great pics   
Is the main stand bent? That's how mine went when it broke a weld on the frame. 

Mick

[SteveD CB500K0]

I think so. It was a bugger to get on and off the stand (every time a car came over the hill)

[kettle738]

It turned out to be a combination of a bent stand and compression of the bottom frame rail where the stand abuts. (I've seen it on other, I guess they will all do it eventually....if fat knack**s regularly start the bike on the centre stand)

It was cured by another stand with a couple of curved fillets welded to the stops until it was exactly spot on.....it goes on and off the stand very easily now and sits with the rear wheel well clear of the ground.

It was a pain with a bent stand though.

Mick.