How do I get a tank like this??
- Thread starter Modgod1
- Start date
JustinLonghorn
No Purple Hearts, No Blue Ribbons
If you can't find one, you can always get a regular tank chrome plated.
You could then paint over the chrome and leave the sides exposed.
Like this:
You could then paint over the chrome and leave the sides exposed.
Like this:
Don't use a CB450 K0 tank unless you wanna spend the money...
I did it...got in deep before I realized what it was gonna cost to finish.
Dentless tank $300
Flawless chrome sidepanels $100 x 2 (3 months to find them)
Knee grips $75 x 2 (6 months to find them)
Tank emblems $40
Fabrication to fit cb750 frame $150
Paint $250
TOTAL: One pissed off wife....
Looks amazing though...
I did it...got in deep before I realized what it was gonna cost to finish.
Dentless tank $300
Flawless chrome sidepanels $100 x 2 (3 months to find them)
Knee grips $75 x 2 (6 months to find them)
Tank emblems $40
Fabrication to fit cb750 frame $150
Paint $250
TOTAL: One pissed off wife....
Looks amazing though...
Modgod1
1974 Honda CB550 Cafe Racer in Progress
TheOneTrueGreg said:That's a 66-69 CB450 tank. The '65 K0 tank is far better looking, both are exceedingly expensive and hard to get.
From what I could tell it's only 68-69 CB450 tank, that '65 is a little too bulky for my tastes.
If I was able to find one, how well would it fit on a '74 CB550?
And would the mounts need modifying?
Anyone have a link for someone selling one, whether mint or needs work?? The emblems seem easy enough to get, not sure about the knee pads?
Modgod1 said:
There is no way to know how it would fit unless you try it or talk to someone who has tried. I don't know about the K1. But here is what I learn of the KO tank.
I put the K0 tank on my cb750. The front and rear mounts line up fine. However, the tunnel is too narrow nearing the rear mounting point. A portion of the tunnel needed to be removed so that it would sit down over the frame rails.
In addition, I have the 657A carbs and the lifters hit the bottom of the tank so I had to put indentions on the bottom as well...so the carbs can open to full throttle.
NOTE: The rubber knee pads are near impossible to find....
Modgod1
1974 Honda CB550 Cafe Racer in Progress
Man, that's like a grand on a tank. Whatever makes you happy I say, enjoy it!! Although my bank account would be VERY unhappy if I spent that much. I would actually polish the rest of the tank, rather than paint. Anyone on DTT in like Thailand or Vietnam who could source one and maybe do the work cheaper? Anyway, getting a tank like that might just be a dream for me, being that htf and $. I'll have to stick with my original polished tank, if I can get it back to looking good again, after spilling Kreem chemical on it, and ruining it, after hours of polishing.
I painted my swingarm the same color!
I painted my swingarm the same color!
Mr.E
Got to keep the loonies on the path...
What is your current tank made out of? Aluminum, polished, clearcoat? Or steel that's polished and cleared? Restoring a polish does take a little time but if its been polished once and you haven't used scraper on it im sure it can be easily fixed up proper again.
Modgod1
1974 Honda CB550 Cafe Racer in Progress
Mr.E said:
Hi Mr. E
It's just a standard 74' CB 550 tank, so I'm pretty sure it's steel. Yeah I think it can be fixed up, I just have to get my sanding knowledge on! I've read with steel you only sand in one direction, what does that mean exactly, and is it true?? I mean are we talking all sand paper, and only one direction?? What about the curves in the shape of the tank??
Rgrpfdr1
Geronimoooooooooooooooo!!!!
brycegp said:Don't use a CB450 K0 tank unless you wanna spend the money...
I did it...got in deep before I realized what it was gonna cost to finish.
Dentless tank $300
Flawless chrome sidepanels $100 x 2 (3 months to find them)
Knee grips $75 x 2 (6 months to find them)
Tank emblems $40
Fabrication to fit cb750 frame $150
Paint $250
TOTAL: One pissed off wife....
Looks amazing though...
Love those white walls!!!
Mr.E
Got to keep the loonies on the path...
Sanding basics on a tank are easy, it just takes some patience. Sanding in one direction is correct, but it should always be followed by sanding with the next lightest grit in direction 90 degrees from the heavier grit. For example, draw a mental cross in your head over the area to sand. Then sand back and forth in one direction of the cross, once the blemish is removed, you will notice the "direction" of the sanding in the tank. Now take the lighter grit of paper, and sand back and forth on the other direction of the cross.
Its also vital to use something like wd40 to lube the paper and help slough the metal away. Keep sanding like this using lighter and lighter grits until you are down to at least 1000 grit. Then its time to break out the polish and clearcoat.
The purpose of the direction in sanding is because the way blemishes are removed is by removing metal. So sanding in one direction creates "trenches" that you can see. If we only sand one direction, those trenches will always remain because the grit is only moving back and forth in one way. So to remove the trenches we sand 90 degrees so material is removed from the top of the surface, and the trenches are made shallower and shallower until polish can fill them
Hope that helps man.
Its also vital to use something like wd40 to lube the paper and help slough the metal away. Keep sanding like this using lighter and lighter grits until you are down to at least 1000 grit. Then its time to break out the polish and clearcoat.
The purpose of the direction in sanding is because the way blemishes are removed is by removing metal. So sanding in one direction creates "trenches" that you can see. If we only sand one direction, those trenches will always remain because the grit is only moving back and forth in one way. So to remove the trenches we sand 90 degrees so material is removed from the top of the surface, and the trenches are made shallower and shallower until polish can fill them
Hope that helps man.
