Thundercat update

Well, it got dug out from the corner of the garage the other week

Not as bad as I thought:

• Lots of rust knocking around but most of it brushes off, it just doesn't look pretty
  
• The brakes looked sorry and I thought about buying a new (to me) set of calipers
  Took the wheels off to check bearings, and grease up, gave the brakes a good going over while there and the brakes are spot on actually, it did take a long time but just gave a good clean, left the pistons in but pumped them out enough to get at them, rubbed down, all appropriate parts copper greased up on re-assembly. The rear caliper paint is coming off and looks very tatty but I'm more interested in functionality than prettiness
  
• Going to remove forks, rub down the bottom part, renew seals and put new fork oil in
  
• New rear shock needed? Not sure, it was a second hand one I put on anyway, just can't afford to buy a new shock. Can you put in a better shock from another bike? R6 maybe? I need to take measurements!
  
• Need new wheels possibly needed, these still have the dent in the rim from when I hit something in road not long after I got it, and the last two MOT's it went through the garage said I need to get them replaced
  
• There will be lots of missing bolts, I know and accept this
  
• The engine does turn with a spanner so that is good news
  
• Going to remove the swingarm so I can get to the shock linkage, I'll give the swingarm a proper going over while it's off
  
• Engine needs plumming back in properly to see if it actually starts, it should, it started last time, it's just that I bent a piston ring. Hopefully I didn't do that this time and it'll all be good
  
• Need a new battery
  

The list will probably get longer but I'm hoping the biggest pain in the R's will be any missing bolts that I will have doubtlessly lost over the past 14ish months and house move since I last worked on it.

Any tips on how to clean up tatty swing arms? Can't really be R'sed to go for the powder coat option. How about rubbing the rust down and spraying with Halfords spray paint.

OR, I still have a polishing kit that I bought to do the can last time. . BUT if I polish the swing arm (and it won't be a great job cos I get bored easily) then it'll look daft if the frame isn't done. And if I go down the route of taking the engine back out and stripping everything else off so I can polish the frame then I might as well just get it powder coated.

Does anyone want to come around and do it for me? I'll feed you and buy you beer

Hi there try halfrauds silver wheel spray on the swingarm it is a very close match to the yamaha frame colour

I did it a few years ago and nobody noticed the diffrence

Davie

I like your style mate, I think it'll be treated to a good old fashioned seeing to with the 'ol wire brush attachement on the drill and then primering and the silver wheel spray. might do the same for the wheels but in black



Thanks