Tuesday, December 19, 2017

To the fellow who emailed me....

I received your email and replied, however it bounced back.   That being said, I will post my response here for you:



Hi Scott,

I'm afraid I don't have any information on that specific bike.  I can give you a couple of leads though.  I am not sure if you knew this but Loran was the shop that took over when Harry Firth retired around 1980.  Firth's would have likely sold the bike originally (I have a 1969 myself that came from the same shop) as they were the main Norton dealer in Southern Ontario.

Mark at British Cycle Supply was trained at Firth's and had some contact with Loran afterwards.  

Mark is a very helpful guy and might possibly have some insight. Chances are very good that the owner may have ordered parts from him.  

The other lead would be the access Norton forum.  https://www.accessnorton.com/.  The members there are well connected, many of them from Ontario.  Someone there may recognize the name of the owner or be aware of the bike. 

I hope this helps and thank you for reading!

MotoCode



As for everyone else, I wish you all a safe and Happy Christmas!



Monday, November 6, 2017

Welding updates...

As per my last post, I started a 6 week welding course at the local college.  I was four weeks in when the college staff went on strike.  For now at least, things are on Hiatus.

We spent quite a bit of time on SMAW (stick welding) which was highly educational;  The biggest lesson being that it is much easier to strike an arc with an auto-darkening helmet!  I was fortunate that we moved on to MIG on the last day, with a good three hours of lab time.  

With my Saturdays free I decided to have a look for my own machine.  As usual I turned to Kijiji in the hopes of finding something locally.  I cannot for the life of me understand advertising an item for sale and then ignoring potential buyers.  This is what I ran into on six different occasions until I found something within an hour from home. 

For the bargain price of $80.00 I turned up this little Italian made gem built in 1985.  



It's a little beaten up, but everything fires up nicely and it has its own stand (on wheels).  That being said, the gun is a little damaged and the tip was missing.  I discovered that it takes a 6mm Euro-type 15 which is available on Ebay and other online sources.  I bought a 5 pack from Scotland which came to about $7.00 including shipping!  

If you Google BeccaMig 140 virtually nothing will come up. I did email TelWin, the company who built it and was politely told that due to the age, they have no data to share.  I was hoping they might have had an archived manual somewhere. 

Without any Argon gas there isn't much I can really do, however I was able to test with the new tip and everything is a go! 



Until next time....

Monday, September 11, 2017

Get the lead in!

My poor old Beetle had definitely seen better days before it found me in 2014.  One of the most awkward spots to tackle was the rust right below the windshield.   Fortunately for me that area was solid but badly pitted with a few holes here and there (small ones).

I knew that putting body filler over top was a poor idea as rust could reform and bubble up under the paint.  I thought of fiberglass, however that was also messy and problematic.  I decided the best approach was to go back in time to the days of lead solder filling.   There is an excellent supplier in the US, TP Tools.

http://www.tptools.com/

I had all the items shipped to my US address and they arrived within 2 business days.  I purchased lead body solder, tinning butter and a copper brush for application.

I have been sitting on this stuff for a couple months and decided to dive in yesterday afternoon.

Here are the shots of the process.

Here we have some small holes and pitting

initial filling of the holes 
I added some more material and smoothed it out.

Overall I am pretty pleased, especially for a first attempt.  I will need to use a thin layer of filler to smooth things out, however it is being applied to metal coated in high build primer.

I hope to have the rest done before class starts on Saturday morning!



Thursday, August 31, 2017

Back to School!

We are never too old to learn and never too old to deal with what has been put off.

I have decided to tackle both by signing up for a welding course at the local community college. 


 My friend did an exceptional job installing my floors and heater channels;  I found myself envious at times as he made it look so easy.  He is entirely self taught, honing his skills over the last 27 years on British cars and other projects.   

I am ashamed to admit that I was intimidated by welding and always avoided it.  Relying on others is fine on occasion, but not something to make a habit of.  

My friend has a young family and a demanding work schedule these days.  In conversation he has told me he feels badly about not getting the Beetle finished;  I always make sure to show appreciation for all the hard work he has already put in.  Without him, the project would have never gotten off the ground. 

It is definitely up to me to take things over the finish line.  

With formal instruction I hope to gain the confidence to do my own work.   The course runs from Mid-September until the end of October, every Saturday morning for four hours. 

I am very excited to take on this new challenge! 




Not me.....yet.  (soon though!)

Friday, August 25, 2017

Ask and ye shall receive....

I asked the universe if I should do a ragtop conversion on the Beetle.  The universe in turn, put one right in my lap.  My lap and the rest of me will be making a two hour drive to collect in the next couple weeks, but so it goes.

It happened that quickly;  As a curiosity, I scanned the classifieds on the Samba and found this for a very reasonable price.




This roof clip from a '63 isn't perfect or complete but it is a great start!  The general consensus within the VW community is that aftermarket ragtops are subpar to a donor clip.  Well, I now have a donor clip and can gradually buy all the bits as I go.  This will make it easier to budget things over the winter.

It's funny how little signs pop up now and again.

Yesterday I wrote about my old friend Victor;  A few hours later, I spied a faded red Beetle (post '67) in the Dofasco parking lot.  What are the odds?

I believe in listening to the universe and it seems the universe occasionally listens to me.

Until next time....

P.S.

I am still working on the Matchless engine rebuild.  Progress is being held up by a $1.38 sludge trap screw that will arrive in a few weeks.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Was I always this sentimental?

Yes, apparently I was.


It's funny how a memory or feeling can be triggered quite randomly;  for a moment you may even find yourself reliving it.

I live near a somewhat busy country highway, with homes staggered throughout.  On my drive to work this morning I spotted a house with a side lot being used for new Volkswagen storage. I imagine this is rented space for unsold stock from the dealer down the road.  While VW sales have been up on the whole (despite a series of scandals) they are certainly dwindling here in Canada. I was seriously interested in the Golf Diesel wagon until I read about all the fuel pump issues.

I am however, getting off track.

For some reason, as I drove by all those (probably unwanted) cars,  my mind drifted back to 1982.

I have spoken about Victor, our family car at the time in previous posts.  He was a cheerful 1969 red Beetle that my dad bought new, chosen by a narrow margin over an Austin 1100. Considering my father's level of patriotism and belief in the home product, it was a bit of a surprising purchase.

Even at a young age,  I always felt that Victor was a friend;  It was through his small rear windows that I first experienced the world outside of our home.  Being in the backseat almost exclusively, I was also the closest to his mechanical heart, beating reliably on every trip we took.  My favourite being the hour long drives to my grandparent's house in the country.

Victor was a very tough and determined little car;  I vividly remember the brutal winter storm of 1977 during which my sister was born.  The hospital was at the top of a tall escarpment, a 330ft climb from where we lived.  All that could be seen was the blinding white of blowing snow; the high winds repeatedly struck Victor's body as he held true to course.  As larger, more powerful vehicles laid helplessly by the way side, he carved his path and by God, nothing would get in his way!

We had many more memories and many, many good times over the next few years.  The most amusing incident being my father's absolute refusal to allow a bushel of Sauerkraut (the exact expletive laden slur directed at the Germans escapes me) in his car.  My mother was forced to pack it in the front with the spare tire.

Fast forward to the fall of 1982, sometime before Halloween.  It was a Tuesday and my father announced that he would be picking me up from Cubs.  I was strangely uneasy about this as he had never picked me up and we only lived a block away. (Unlike today's bubble wrap children, we actually walked everywhere, something I am quite proud of!)

I would point out that I didn't distrust my father in any way, however I couldn't escape an awful feeling that had grown in the pit of my stomach.  In retrospect this was an early example of instinct and to a lesser degree premonition that has been with me since.

It was rather cool that night as I stood outside the church alone.  I felt comforted when I heard Victor's distinct exhaust note coming around the corner.  My dad was somewhat ambiguous about where we were going, only that it was a surprise.  Was I being sent to military school?  were we moving? I really had no idea.  The drive to our destination seemed painfully slow, but we had arrived.

 It was a car dealership in the east end of the city.  I looked up and saw a strange word on the sign.  N-I S-S-A-N. I sounded this out to myself, unsure of what a Nissan was (Datsun were transitioning the brand at this point; some cars actually had both badges on them).

We got out of  Victor and walked over to a rather boring looking blue station wagon in a row of other boring station wagons.  Dad informed me that it was ours and he would be picking it up the next day.  'What about Victor?' I asked.  Dad explained that while our family had grown, Victor had not.  It was time for him to find a new home.

  Suddenly that awful feeling I had was justified, knowing that I would have to say goodbye to a good friend.  To my father's credit he was excited to have something new and wanted to include me in a traditional father-son experience.  To my credit, I asked lots of questions and attempted to bury my disappointment.  At least that's how I remember things.

Now that the Sentra had come home, Victor was relegated to the parking spot behind our backyard fence.  I would visit with him everyday, sometimes sitting inside and pretending to drive him away.  I worried that someone in the alley would steal him or smash a window.  Fortunately I could still see him from my bedroom.  When he was put up for sale, nobody wanted him.  On the one hand I felt badly for him and on the other,  I hoped we could keep him.

Beetles were garden variety in those days and plentiful.  Victor had one distinct advantage in that he was completely rust free due to a Ziebart treatment when new.  Eventually he was sold to the neighbour's son who bought it for his wife.  With fresh paint and a tune up, Victor was resplendent. That was my last memory of him and I cherish it.  Through a VIN search a few years ago  I discovered that he was sold again in 1985, the last time he was registered.  I'd like to think he is still being looked after by a caring owner.

My one remaining piece of Victor, as displayed on my garage cabinet. 



Is it wrong to love a car or motorcycle?  Not as far as I'm concerned. To choose to love anything or anyone is the noblest pursuit.  With the knowledge that all things must end, it is the bravest thing to be capable of.

As for the memories?  Hopefully the good ones live on forever.



Not the actual Victor, but identical.








Wednesday, August 23, 2017

To Ragtop or not to Ragtop, that is the question!

At least that is the question on my mind today.

Yes,  I am finally getting back to the poor old Volkswagen project.  This August marks the 10th year anniversary of my sister's passing and I want to get her tribute back on track.

Over the next two days I am doing a list of all the jobs required to get this car running and back on the road.

One of the items I have been seriously considering is the addition of a sunroof kit.  It would be a shame to decide to do this after body work and paint were applied.  This is supposed to be a fun vehicle for weekend or the odd drive to work, probably seeing the most use in the spring/summer/fall.

Many VW enthusiasts source an original Golde sunroof with the surrounding metal from a donor car. While I am enthusiastic about this car, I can hardly say it is original anymore so that might be a touch extreme.

There are a few kits available and this one currently has my attention.

Ragtop Kit

At $720 U.S. (including shipping) the kit is just works out to $1000.00 Canadian.

If you haven't seen it already,  Max Wilson has a wonderful Youtube video of his father's Beetle restoration.  In the video, he installs a kit (making it look much easier than it probably is).

The video can be found here and is worth every minute of viewing time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNv0fI-qzP8

I hope to have a decision made within the month.


I think this looks pretty sharp!




Saturday, August 19, 2017

How much is that single in the window?

The motorcycle as 'art'.  Paintings belong in galleries.  Bikes belong on the street.
I've said my peace.

Monday, August 14, 2017

Matchless G9 Engine strip down...

At long last!  Now that some family commitments have been attended to, I am able to get back on track with my many (read: many, many, many) projects.  I have been waiting a year and a half to tear into the bottom end of the G9 engine;  This should keep me busy until my friend can finish welding up the Beetle.

The Verdict?  So far things look very good!  The con rods are very clean and straight, with no nicks or scratches.  The crank bearings are very good as well and can likely be reused.  I was pleased that the oil pump turns freely and the bottom end was coated in a film of oil.  The engine was certainly rebuilt at some point as the 'sludge trap'  bolt has been removed and replaced several times.

 Matchless Twins lack a true Sludge trap, instead having passages that can be easily cleaned out periodically.  Despite having +80 over sized pistons, this engine was very carefully looked after.   A shame really that the rest of the bike didn't receive the same treatment and survive in the same fashion.  I am sure that some of it is in that big pile of parts, as for which ones?  That is a secret lost to time.

More to come!






Any time spent with King Dick is quality time.

As a side note, 'Krave' is probably not fit for human consumption.  I, However have no issue using the box to catch decades old oil drops.



Monday, July 10, 2017

Interesting link!

This one is for the vintage Yamaha lovers out there...

Yamaha Library

Apparently almost every issue of the 'Yamaha News' going back to 1959 is available online.

There is only one catch though; You will have to brush up on your Japanese!


Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Scrambler bash plate modification

If you have a skid plate/Bash plate on your Scrambler as I do, it would have come equipped with 4 allen bolts to hold it in place.  Allen bolts are nice and handy and feature prominently on modern Triumphs.  They are usually easy to deal with and require a tiny tool you can carry in your pocket (or side cover).

However when an allen head gets stripped it is a tremendous pain to deal with, especially if said bolt is in an awkward spot.

This happened to me recently when an underside bolt securing the plate to the frame became stripped and seized.  I was able to get the other three off and removed the plate by unhooking (slightly bending) the mount from the rail.

It seemed a good idea to come up with something more practical while making the plate more quickly detachable.


I had these leftover from my shift lever repair, so I cut them to size and installed them.  Now if something does seize up, at least I can apply an impact driver.




Looks very nice from the front!

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Garage art

I spotted this gem whilst travelling through small town Ontario. I wonder if it was ever ridden?

Sunday, June 25, 2017

I need a bigger compressor

I had a little spare time this afternoon so I figured I would attempt some home soda blasting.  Using my little Michelin compressor (which works great for tires and painting) and a cheap blasting gun with hopper I had at it.  I might have done better with sifted baking soda, but the bottom line was that there wasn't enough velocity.  A larger compressor will likely be my next kijiji purchase.  At least I can see the potential from what little came off from this side by side comparison.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

I don't use photoshop.....




 I do however, love taking pen/pencil to paper and letting my imagination run wild. Below is the mock up for the Matchless/AJS 500 project illustrating the direction I have decided to take. 

 While my updates have been quite lax, work has been going on steadily behind the scenes.  This has mostly been in the form of parts acquisition, which I am hopefully almost done with now.  






Can you spot the differences?
Editor's/Author's Note:

I have decided that after 4 years a slight format change is in order;  I am going to post more often with fewer words (I am sure there will be some exceptions) and more photos. 


New Tool!



I have wanted one of these for a long time, a good quality home built (Canadian) drill press.  

I lucked out and found this beauty for $50.00 from a retired machinist who lamented the lack of decent tools available these days.   I promised him that I would look after it and provide a good long term home.  After 41 years she runs smoothly, with lots of power and will likely outlive me! 

It feels good to use a tool that was built within 50 miles from my home, built within the community to a high standard.   I love finding British, Canadian and American tools and preserving them.

Boycott China.  Boycott garbage that is destroying our environment and piling up in our landfills.

Made in the west matters.  Keep your tools sharp and your neighbours working!  









Monday, April 3, 2017

Weekend Work...

While I didn't achieve everything I wanted to on the weekend, I did get a few jobs done.

The first one had been bothering me for some time.  The right cylinder head had a long since seized spark plug stuck in the threads.   This was a very old KLG F.E. 125 which had probably been there for 50 plus years.  I started applying PB Blast over a year ago and would periodically take a stab at loosening it up.  I decided that it was time for some more radical action! 




The first step was to find 4 screws and washers to drill into a thick block of wood.  I made sure the washers would seat just below the head of the screws in order to prevent damage.  

I then secured the block into a work bench, found the appropriate socket and a large 'breaker' bar.  This is a large wrench lacking a ratcheting head.  


  

With the increased leverage, I was able to get it out although I did fight me.  I was quite pleased that there were no crossed threads.  Now if only I could get those valves out.  


The second accomplishment was the polishing of the AJS timing cover.  I have started getting better at repairing/cleaning up damaged pieces.  I find myself in a zen state while performing the repetitive movement and feeling the change to the surface.


Here is what I started with.  The cover had been cleaned up prior, in order to see clearly what needed attention.






The scars ran deep!  I imagine a combination of poor storage and having been dropped at least once.   While I would be wrong to erase fifty-plus years of character, leaving it this way was a touch too tatty.  


I began by putting a small flap wheel on my Dremel multitool.  If you lack one of these in your arsenal, I highly recommend getting one.  They are great for jobs like these where the work is confined and somewhat detailed.  Not to mention the multitude of other hobby related uses.  The variable speed option is quite handy as you run a lower risk of gouging the surface material.  I start by applying thin strokes over the damaged area, applying no pressure.  I let the flap wheel do the work and do it gently.  The more uneven the surface, the more work it is to even the surface.



This photo illustrates the piece after much of the grinding had been done.  I like to make a few passes over the area to smooth the surrounding out as well.  It is always a good idea to run a finger over the surface for feel.  I wear a mask, safety glasses and gloves as I don't want to breathe or wear aluminium dust.  

Normally I would start sanding with wet/dry emory cloth, starting with 400 grit and working up to 2000.  

This time I took a different approach and used a couple of different sanding sponges with soapy water.  This worked very well in my opinion, allowing me to cover the whole piece evenly, especially over and around the two humps.

  
This also saved quite a bit of time as well.  I did use a 1000 grit emory cloth for finishing purposes.



At this point, the worst of it had been removed, leaving only minor blemishing that I could live with.

Finally, I took some white compound and polished it out with my bench top buffer/grinder.



Needless to say I am quite pleased with the results!  One of the great things about restoring motorcycles is that if a single task meets an obstacle, one can move on to something else while waiting for a solution, part or tool.  Small jobs have a magical way of building you up and keeping the spirit of the project alive.

Until next time....

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Haiku












No Sleep, Dreams for Me

Great Unfinished Work Haunting

Ghosts needs completing


Whirlwind of Vision

Ideas of complication

Still my busy hands.
















Tuesday, March 14, 2017

A Matchless by any other name....(redux)



Let me start by winding the clock back to almost exactly one year ago;  In the throes of winter, I found myself bored, tired of sitting idle and started perusing Kijiji.  The result was a van full of Matchless/AJS parts that had been left forgotten in a loft for almost three decades.  The basis of  two potential projects present, I was very pleased.

I always wanted an AMC twin, mostly because my father had one and he spoke highly of it.  They are a little different which also appeals to me.  I hope that my father can swing his leg over one more time, even it is just a quick rip up the block.  It has been a steep learning curve but there are excellent resources available such as manuals and parts books online and a great club.  The members of the AMC community are outstanding as well and I can't say enough about them!


My original plan was to make one bike up then save the remainder to build a second bike later on.  I read a great deal about the volatile nature of the G12 engine and decided to start with the safer 500cc (G9).

While I did have a great mountain of parts to work with, I have had to acquire a lot more!  These include extra wheel hubs, magnetos (did get a great deal on a lot of 4) nuts and bolts, seals, headlight, tank, cylinders, pistons, valves and tools and much, much more. This has been a piecemeal operation which recently included the purchase of a set of clean AJS model 20 cases.  At under a $100.00 CDN from a seller in Canada (who also sold me some Jampots, Thanks Ray!) I figured the Model 20 Frame should have a Model 20 motor even if the difference is a semantic one.  A '55 Frame with a '54 motor isn't concourse, but it is a nice pairing nonetheless.

So there we have it, with a few items from Walridge Motors and some cases I am now building a Model 20.


Dirty.


Clean, thanks to some simple green and elbow grease!





Another upshot is that these cases have proper serial numbers which were lacking on the 2 engines I already had.  This may make registration less of a headache.

I hope to have a roller by the end of April, once I rebuild my first wheel and my first engine without any assistance.  Daunting tasks, but challenges that need to be met and overcome.  The men that were 'there' in the first place shrink in numbers each year.  I see it as a responsibility to learn the old ways and skills in order to teach the next generation.  God willing, there will be a next generation to teach!

While it is entirely possible to get the bike done this year, the real push needs to be on finishing the Beetle and driving it for the fall.

Until next time!





Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Triumph Bonneville Bobber Launch Party....!





Welcome to my 50th post!  When I started four years ago, I had no idea how long or how much I would end up writing.  I just knew that I had thoughts, ideas and dreams that I wanted to take to paper (the virtual kind) for the sake of prosperity.  A lot has changed since then;  I have moved, found a good job and gotten married.  The bikes have changed as well,  moving from some Japanese bikes to an all British stable (and one German car).  I am very happy with things and have high hopes for the future!  Throughout 2017 I will have some long overdue updates;  Even though there may be long gaps between posts sometimes, there are always things going on in the background.

It seems appropriate that the topic of a 50th post should be about a party.  Not just any party, but a Triumph party!

I was invited to the launch of the Triumph Bonneville Bobber event last Friday at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.  This was on the merit of having purchased a new bike from my local dealer a few years ago, however it is still nice to be asked out! 

It was a very well planned event, everyone got a free drink and trays of hors d'ourves were available to guests.  I always love seeing new bikes and for me the street scrambler and T120 Bonneville (in red and silver) were the stars of the show.  Triumph clearly have an ear to the ground and a keen eye on the budding custom scene of the last few years.  My beloved Scrambler was due for an upgrade after a decade, especially with Ducati and Yamaha throwing their hats in that arena.  The bike fits the bill nicely, I won't go into technical detail here but from what I have read the bike is a winner.

I do grow tired of the drab, matte paint schemes. Where is all the glorious two tone paint?  Thankfully on the T120 it is abundant and stunning from every angle.  This to me is the true measure of Triumph's success. Showing us all that can be whilst remembering all that was.  

As for the Bobber that all the fuss was about?  It was nice, but didn't really excite me although the crowd certainly loved it and I suppose that is the most important thing.   I will let the pictures do the talking for me...





An old friend met me at the gate.









There was no expense spared with the 2017 catalog, very high quality  glossy paper was used. 




Who doesn't love Snoopy?  This would look great on a gas tank...

Quite a pleasant paint scheme up close


Triumph has a new Bobber, apparently. 



Easily the most beautiful bike in the room...

The Triumph bus parked behind the main stage

The Bonneville Black.  It certainly delivers what it promises!

And again



Fortunately I didn't need this to escape the venue!





Beautiful from every angle. 
Until Next time!