Planet Minis

boz

I've started working on the first bike I ever owned, a Z50AK3 I've owned since it was new. I'm going to try to retain as many of the original parts as possible, but of course damage, rust and time have taken their toll on much of it. Most of the chrome parts are rusty or bent and the rubber is pretty rotten, but most of the painted parts are in good shape. So I figure I'll repaint those and replace the chrome and rubber stuff.

Anyway, I've never sourced a so many parts before, so in general, what's the way to go for the best price on NOS or reproduction parts? Should I even try the local Honda dealer or just try Ebay or the web stores that specialize in these parts?

One other thing, my handlebars are straight but lighty rusted, and my chrome chainguard is bent and rusty. I've not seen anybody with a NOS chrome guard (they seem to be black now) so the idea came to mind to rechrome these parts. Is that anywhere near as cost efficient as just getting new parts?

Thanks all for putting up with a newbie's questions.

s_10onbagz

There are a ton of aftermarket parts that look stock you could look into. With mini bikes there is no one single place to pickup everything you need for your bike. My chain guard was in good shape so I just kept it on the bike, you can clearly see it is aged chrome compared to the new chrome fenders. I purchased my oem honda fenders from CHP, but they are really ~76-78 fenders so they have a spare hole the original earlier bikes didn't have. This worked out for me because it allows the use of the J1 tail lamp bracket.

I go with Honda for as much as I can, then Trail Bikes, DR. ATV, or oem honda parts from CHP or anywhere that has obsolete honda parts. Motoshop Z does mostly aftermarket parts, but they can get some Honda parts from Honda of Japan thru CMSNL.com. It really depends what parts you are looking for. My order from CHP was for fenders, seat cover, and decals. Make a list of all of the parts you feel you need to replace, and another of the parts you feel you need to restore. We can give advice for each part independently.

boz

Thanks for the info. Here's some photos of the bike before and after I broke it down. The good thing is that its nearly complete. The kick stand, tail light lens and headlight bulb are gone. Here's a quick run down of the major components in no particular order.

Tank. Externally mostly rust free with one almost imperceptible ding on the front. Some rust on the inside.
Fork. Rust in areas.
Swing Arm. Rusty spots.
Brake pedal. Bent and rusty.
Headlight bucket. Intact but some scrapes through paint (top coat).
Rear springs. Rusty and tarnished.
Seat. Intact but buckled a bit and rivets a bit rusty.
Gear cover. 2 internal cracks. The chain was loose once and hit an internal surface and cracked it.
Front fender. Rusty and bent up.
Rear fender. Less rusty and less bent up.
Handle bars. Mostly straight with some light rust.
Switches. Undamaged but weathered like the cables.
Brake Hubs. Tarnished.
Wheels. Some rust outside, more inside.
Foot Pegs. Bent and kickstand gone. Some corrosion.
Fork springs. Good but chrome rusty.
Chome Exhaust cover. Dinged up and rusty.
Chain guard. Bent some and a little rusty.
Kick lever. Rusty.
Gear lever. Bent and rusty.
Engine. As shown. Last run in 1982. Never been torn into. Gears engage and it turns.
Frame. Looks nice. Mostly no rust.
Side cover and tool kit not shown.

I want to replace whats too bent up or too rusty, paint what needs to be and make an original-looking occasional rider out of it. I'm probably putting the cart before the horse, but I think I'll tackle the engine last. The bike was bought new in 72, run hard for 5 years or so and then occasionally until 82 when it was put away.

s_10onbagz

You want it to be pretty much all stock right? Do you have any ideas for the bike yet? I am finishing up a 1972 restore now. What type of riding would you like to do with the bike?

HymieP

Motoshop Z, he can get you pretty much what you need (has selling agreements with TrailBikes and others). I have used him multiple times and I like being able to get alot of the parts with one stop. No affiliation with them other than ordering parts and getting lots of helpful advice.

boz

Thanks for the tips.

I made up a wish list of NOS parts and was shocked. Well over $700 and that doesn't even address the engine.

I think I will go in a slightly different direction. Instead of replacing every tarnished or bent piece, I'm just going to clean, straighten and repaint what I can. The thing is that I have 2 kids and they will ride it at some point, so doing a 100 point restoration is silly. I'm going to take advantage of having a nearly complete bike.

I've already straightened the footpegs, brake and shifter. I'm cleaning the chrome, etc. I'm going to buy new tires and rubber, and maybe some pieces along the way.

I would like to get the tank and forks repainted in the original candy gold? Is it possible to get a decent job from a spray can from ColorRite? If not, any recommendations on finding a painter?

s_10onbagz

I bought new fenders, seat cover, and tank decals. Everything else was a pretty easy fix on mine. Possible fix would be......

Tank: Electrolysis for the inside, dent removal and fresh paint on the outside with new decals.
Fork: If there are no dents in the fork tubes, sand them and give them some fresh paint. You may need new fork springs as one of mine actually snapped in two.
Frame & Swing Arm: Blast and powder coat, or Sand and paint.
Brake pedal: I would personally just buy a CRF50 brake pedal.
Light bucket, ring, and rear bracket: sand and fresh paint or send them to the powder coater if you go that route.
Rear springs: New rear shocks are pretty cheap. Personally I would get HD front springs and some aftermarket rear shocks.
Seat: Straighten it the best you can and pickup a seat cover with new rivets.
Gear cover: Ebay.
Fenders: New oem are just over $100 and well worth it.
Handle bars & Switches: Decide if you think these style bars are comfortable, if not you can run some 7/8" bar clamps with some bmx style bars that are made for wide mounting points or go with the fast 50's big bar kit.
Hubs & Braking plates: Check if the drums have life left, and if the bearings are ok. They should be pretty much good to go.
Wheels: You can either restore stock, buy chrome 8" rims on ebay, or go with some aftermarket jdm aluminum rims in 8-12". 12" would require some adaptors and CT70 rims.
Foot Pegs: You can either pickup a chinese hd peg set cheap, or a stock crf50 peg mount and kick stand to use with your stock pegs.
Chrome Exhaust cover & Chain guard: Clean them up the best you can? I have no source for these. Most aftermarket guys run minigunz exhaust or a side cover with a low exhaust.
Kick lever & Gear lever: If they work fine I would restore them the best I could.