Triumphrat

pazvulture · 10-19-2009, 03:27 AM

greetings, all.

today, 10-18?-09, drove out to chino hills, ca. to pick up the bike i havent seen since I was about 8 years old (which coincidently was around the last time it was ever registered). I remember the bike, from back then, as it belonged to my grandfather, Alexander, who passed in 07 (whats up, Gramps!). He took great care of his 1970 triumph and his other bike, a 74 honda cb. anyhow, i inhereted the honda, which i tinkeneered with and got the thing running, registered, street safe and then stripped down. an uncle of mine, being older than me and the direct son of my gramps got the triumph. Uncle tom gets the triumph, i get the honda, until now.

Uncle tom passed away, and the fam saw fit for me to be the next in line for the bike that no one had seen in years, since uncle tom kept it hidden in his garage, away from the greedy hands of all his young punk kid nephews...or so we thought. Gramps would be throwin a **** fit in his grave if he had known the trueth...that tom...took a well preserved, low mileage, original bike and let it sit, outdoors, uncovered in his Long beach, ca. backyard for about 15 hot and cold years.

so here i stand...ive finally taken the reigns as the oldest man in the blood line. ive got all the toys handed down from generations (i know, theres only two...but trust me, im glad there isnt a 69 winnebego (sp?) parked in my driveway...or am i?)

im just lookin for thoughts on this thing...jokes...gags...prayers...all of it. i take em all.
for right now, im negotiating a place to wrench on this thing.
the motor isnt seized atleast, clutch isnt locked up.
its 99% complete (not including the section of exhaust pipe that rusted away into thin air.

anyone wanna throw some numbers at me?
whats the ball park figure id have to throw at this to get her movin.
i just wanna ride it, im not lookin to impress anybody.
and i dont mind gettin dirty...i dont know alot about bikes, but i know my way around a tool box well enough. so im willing to take my time, do it myself (what i can), and learn...besides, I aint dum, no matter what me mums says.

hope the photo comes through.

Webby · 10-19-2009, 12:59 PM

Welcome to the forum pazvulture

Nice bike you have there!
The cost depends how far you want to go and how much you can do yourself, the ball park figure tends to be around 4000 - 5000 for a complete rebuild.
Looking at your bike, I think personally I would overhaul the motor, brakes, suspension etc., new tires and all rubber fittings, fit a new exhaust system and then just polish up the original paint.
As your bike is pretty much complete it should be quite an easy rebuild.

I hope this helps

Webby

pazvulture · 10-19-2009, 09:09 PM

WHATS WRONG WITH THE EXHAUST??!! hah, thanks though, for the optimism. here is what i am thinking...i have faith i can handle the suspension rebuild, the brakes, the exhaust, tires and chain, rubbers and anything else i can access, or remove and take apart with a set of wrenches. basically the basics.

the biggest concerns are:
the electrical wiring (id bet a finger somethins gotta be wrong/rotted after sitting out for so long).
the carb...i think all carbs are possesed...if a soaking and a rebuild kit doesnt do the trick, then my knowledge, up to this point, is tapped.
and the motor overhaul.
which is my biggest unknown...
a few questions...what is normally included in an overhaul? for example, the clutch system?
what is an average cost of the service? this, im thinking, will be the largest expense.
and can anyone recommend someone reasonable in the so. cal area to contact.

also, if im gonna do all the basic things i can in my own garage to get the bike to fire, is there a chance i could damage or further damage the guts of the motor? wondering if there is anything i should spray into it, say, in spark plug inlets that might prevent too much metal on metal friction?

this is my first triumph, there are a few things im not even sure about what they are (most of them are all the little mechanisms on the left and right of the handlebars, other than the clutch and throttle of course).

my intentions are to ride the bike, not really the full treatment. so the minimal amount of bucks is best, only what is neccessary.

thanks for your time.

pazvulture · 10-19-2009, 09:13 PM

as for the existing paint. its wearing off when a wet rag hits it... the fade doesnt bother me, i like the character... but id prefer it not wear off too much more.
anyone have suggestions on how to put pause on the fading?
what would happen if i cleaned it and put a clear coat over it, as is?
would the rust continue to grow or eat the metal beneath it?

shrugger · 10-20-2009, 12:20 AM

Rust never sleeps.

You might try waxing the tank and fenders. However, they look to be
good and oxydized.

I don't believe "Reasonable" still exists in our New Speak vocabulary.

These folks are in SoCal. First rate Triumph Guys.
http://www.fouracescycle.com/

Get yourself a copy of the fouraces DVD first. You might be surprised
at how easy the motor really is to rebuild. Not to mention $2k less
in labour

http://lowbrowcustoms.com/index.asp?...ROD&ProdID=242

shrugger · 10-20-2009, 01:16 PM

How many miles are on it? If it's less than 10k you could likely
just have the top end looked after, carbs refurbished, and have
a nice runner for years to come.

snowyrock · 10-20-2009, 03:00 PM

No no a full stripdown is needed , as i doubt its been turned over .
My reason for this is the bearings and races etc will have rust . If you tried to get away with just a top end re build i believe the engine would knock like hell after a few miles after years of no oil .
Its not that much more trouble to do the lot instead of just the top .

Thats the problem with classic stuff and buying , they could look really nice and just need a bit of finishing , but if they have not been used for a long time in sometimes damp conditions , could end up costing .

The bike you have there !! is ideal for a restoration , as it does not pretend to be anything else.

Ps sorry i have just seen you live in California , if your bikes from a hot climate shrugger may be right

GrandPaulZ · 10-20-2009, 03:48 PM

"They are only original once"

Try to preserve the paint and as many of the parts as possible with careful cleaning (biodegradeable solvent like Agitene, and 0000 steel wool on the rusty bare metals and chrome)

It's a coin toss on the engine. I've flushed old clunkers that have been out in the elements for 10 years with a quart of gas poured down the rocker inspection holes, and they've started on the third kick and run for years with no issues. Other times, I've carefully "de-coked" the top end and installed new rings and seals only to have the rods knock; you just never know.

I don't see much besides the turn signals and mufflers that's not original, even the classic under-slung rearview mirror is a traditional West Coast "thing".

All the missing bits are still readily available if at least in modern reproduction.

Look at spending about $2K to get it in decent running shape without overhaul, and the missing bits replaced, (incl. new tires & battery), if you do the work yourself.

That can skyrocket past $10K if done professionally.

Any other guess between those numbers is just that - a guess.

You'll get very little argument that you have one of the most sought-after Triumphs in the classic line.

shrugger · 10-20-2009, 09:27 PM

Yeh, I was thinking SoCal + air filters left on = good chance bottom end still ok.
The fact that it turns is a plus. Heck! clean up the carbs and points.
Replace the spark plugs and oil. Put some gas in it and see what happens.
Never know. It might just run.

68TR6R · 10-20-2009, 11:15 PM

Might need to fix the invisible exhaust connection system before running...

Looks like a very fun project. Try some wax-cleaner, such as royal blue (my personal favorite). Just be gentle, with little buffing by using a small amount.