Nixon - '72 CL450 - Updates and Upgrades

Flugtechnik

My bike is not transportation, it is a respite
Well I guess it's time I started my BAP thread. I bought my bike last September and have been working on getting it running right. I just wanted to ride it for awhile before really tearing into it. I got it pretty well sorted out and threw some clubmans on it so it didn't look so dorky. I planned on tearing it down this winter or next to do it right. However, a few weeks ago I accidentally bent an exhaust valve while replacing the points housing gasket (I don't really want to get into how stupid that was). To replace the valve, I have to take the engine out. Since I have the engine out I might as well paint the frame. While I have everything off the frame, I might as well do everything else. So it begins.

Here she is as I bought her:
1972_honda_cl450.JPG


Here she is before I broke her:


I spent a few nights taking stuff off of the bike and managed to get the engine out of the frame by myself (not easy). I made a little engine stand out of some scrap wood to keep it from wobbling around while I worked on it. I then took most of the other stuff off of the bike. I still need to remove all of the electrics.

Engine is out:


Engine stand:


Almost there:
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

So the plan......

I'd like to take this thing full cafe.

Bob the front fender
New larger halogen headlight
Probably clipons and short shocks - I'd like to lower her a bit. I've got short legs and I am currently on my tip toes.
New tank - thinking cb350f tank
New seat, custom made from aluminum
Relocate all the electrics to an underseat tray.
Eliminate rear fender
Rearsets
I'm not sure about the pipes. I will either keep the stock ones or make some that look like Troybilt's.
The color scheme will be satin black with brushed metal highlights. I'm thinking kind of like this but more brushed metal.

blackBull1.jpg


Wheel hubs and spokes will be brushed metal and the rims will be black.
Going to try and incorporate the stock tail light into a custom mount on the back of the seat. If it doesn't look right, I'll get a new one. I'm not sure what the seat will look like yet, but a friend of my dad builds hot rods and is pretty good with aluminum. If I can get the battery hidden under the seat, I'll throw some velocity stacks on there instead of those cheap pods.
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

Anybody emulating Exiles colors has my vote. Let me know if you find a way to get that nice brushed look on your alum bits. I've been chasing that tiger for a while now, but just can't nail it down.
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

I'd keep those stock pipes...

they are damn sick and rather hard to come by nowadays!

Yuengling- great beer!

I like where this project is going...

keep at it!
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

CresentSon said:
Anybody emulating Exiles colors has my vote. Let me know if you find a way to get that nice brushed look on your alum bits. I've been chasing that tiger for a while now, but just can't nail it down.

I use Scotchbrite pads.

3734_xl.jpg
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

Looking forward to seeing where this goes. I have a '72 CL450 that I want to go all the way with as soon as I finish the R5 i'm working on.

Looking good so far!
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

I haven't done any aluminum yet, so we will see. I think, like DrJ, I will be using scotchbrite pads. When I was polishing my aluminum, the SB pad was an intermediate step and I rather liked the finish it left. I think the key is to always rub/sand in the same direction.

I did one of my gauges the other night and it turned out well. They are steel so I used 220 grit sandpaper and then some medium steel wool.

All the bare/brushed metal will be clearcoated. So far I have been using Rustoleum High Heat Clear Enamel.

I like the way Goodfornothing's engine turned out and will be doing mine like his, but the covers will be brushed instead of white and I think I am going to brush all of the cam covers and maybe the valve covers. Also going to get a stainless bolt set.

VV Goodfornothing's engine VV
EngineComplete.jpg
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

When you use the SB pads are you just rubbing those on the bare metal? Or are you using a polish of some kind? Mother's or something?
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

I heard wd-40 works well with the scotch brite pads. Had a buddy do his hole VTX that way. Every chrome bit was scuffed. Looks sick as fuck
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

I was using the SB pads dry, but it was just an intermediate step in the whole polishing process (afterwards I used fine steel wool and polish, then on to the buffing wheels). I will have to play around with it. I will be scuffing the chrome bits too. I'm sure I will have to come up with three different techniques for the steel, aluminum and chrome to get them to come out right. I'll post the results of what I come up with. I really like how the steel gauge came out.

The plan is to have the fender and tank brushed steel as well with the knee dents painted, and maybe a stripe down the middle.

I'll try the wd40 on the chrome when I do the gauge cups.
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

Flugtechnik said:
I like the way Goodfornothing's engine turned out and will be doing mine like his, but the covers will be brushed instead of white and I think I am going to brush all of the cam covers and maybe the valve covers. Also going to get a stainless bolt set.

EngineComplete.jpg

anybody have any idea how to paint everything but the fins?

ive been driving myself nuts trying to figure it out
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

Rocan said:
anybody have any idea how to paint everything but the fins?

ive been driving myself nuts trying to figure it out

right after painting (while it's still wet) use a shop rag wrapped around a piece of 1"X2" and go around fins. Or wait until its dry and use a double cut bastard file.

That's how I've done a few things.
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

Yeah, you can't not paint the edges of the fins. I was going to sand/file the edges after painting and then probably hand paint some clearcoat onto the bare metal to keep it from corroding.

How'd you do it Adam?
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

Flugtechnik said:
Yeah, you can't not paint the edges of the fins. I was going to sand/file the edges after painting and then probably hand paint some clearcoat onto the bare metal to keep it from corroding.

How'd you do it Adam?

Great to see this build going, Mike!

For my engine, I painted the whole thing with Duplicolor Low Gloss Black, waited a few days, then sanded down the fins. I used 60 grit, then moved right up to 150. You don't really have to move up to 150, just as long as you sand it well with the 60.
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

Build looks good. I'm in the middle of a 69 cl450 myself. I'd def keep the original pipes, I love the way they look. Mine are rusted as hell but the shields are in good shape. Probably spray 'em black and polish the shields.

You don't have a set of coils for that bike laying around do you?
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

Useful Idiot said:
Build looks good. I'm in the middle of a 69 cl450 myself. I'd def keep the original pipes, I love the way they look. Mine are rusted as hell but the shields are in good shape. Probably spray 'em black and polish the shields.

You don't have a set of coils for that bike laying around do you?

Yeah, I like the pipes too. I'm just afraid they won't fit the look of the bike when I'm done.

I was planning on getting some new coils from MikesXS. I think mine are fine, I just want to replace as much of the electrics as I can with new stuff. If Disliked doesn't have any, I could sell you the ones that are on my bike now. I just replaced the plug caps.
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

Bought some paint today so I could start spraying when I get back from the beach next week. I had originally planned on spraying the frame and wheels with black appliance epoxy, but I kind of want the frame to match the engine. I got a high heat engine enamel in low gloss black for the engine. What do you guys think about spraying the frame and the other black bits with this stuff? I'm going to try it out on the gauge bracket first to see how it looks.

No $ for powder. :(
 
Re: Nixon - '72 CL450

I sprayed my frame with Duplicolor engine enamel and let me tell you, the paint is very soft. It scratches very easily and will probably need to be touched up every few months. So what I did was order an aerosol can of 2 part clear coat from here: http://www.repaintsupply.com/pd_2_part_2k_aerosol.cfm

It got pretty good reviews and I read that it's chemical resistant and leaves a nice protective coat, unlike other spray can clear coats. It can be applied over any basecoat as well. I bought two cans: for mainly the frame/swingarm, tank, and seat.
 
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