Planet Minis

chipwich

I bought this rust bucket on ebay last summer for $300. Being my first, I didn't really know what to look for, and you be the judge. Even though I really wanted a blue '71 K2, I probably should have passed on this one.

The little biotch leaked oil and rusty water on the inside of my Armada coming home from Tennessee. After I unloaded and took a few photos, I did a partial dis-assembly and stored the mess away in my attic for 8 months. Frankly, I had no idea where to begin.









When the weather got warmer this spring, I decided to begin ripping the thing apart, and see what was worth salvaging. The rear of the frame where the chain adjusters attach was badly worn away. It took me a while, but I finally found a good fabricator/welder in Atlanta who would take on the project, DC Tech. Doug did an amazing job, fixing both the rear end and the steering lock area. Then off for powder coating. I never intended to do a original restoration. I don't have the skill for that, rather a light resto-mod keeping the original personality, but perhaps changing a few aesthetics.

The engine didn't run, and is in pretty bad shape. I want to rebuild it myself one day, but don't have the time or knowledge right now, so it went back into the attic for next year. I picked up a 70cc Lifan 4 speed auto in the meantime.

Dis-assembly and part cleaning under way.



There were some challenges. I don't think that the wheel bearings had ever been replaced or serviced, and were a nightmare to get out. I must have played around with manifolds, insulation blocks, and a 12 way adapter that allowed installation of the carb for a couple of weeks before I found something that worked. I spent hours on the wire wheel working on the fasteners only to realize that they were a lost cause. I wanted to keep the original key/lights combination, but with new CDI ignition. More challenges.

First day of painting bits and pieces. Headlight bucket and bracket that I made to mount the new coil.





I'm about 75% there. Still working on some paint, re-assembly, and wiring, but it's finally beginning to take shape.





Morning coffee and tank painting this past Sunday.



I'm hoping to do an engine test this coming weekend.

CrawlerD

Wow rough start but is turning out nice! Keep the pics coming.

jbirdklx110

wow man looks awesome im gonna update my thread now lol

justin

jared808

looks good

cdoublejj

VERY NICE! Chipwich you saved an otherwise doomed hard tail that would have rusted in to a pile of oxidation some where, i like you got a 70cc lifan instead of a monster engine as you plan on restoring the original that way your not making a downgrade in hp when you do rebuild the original witch i'm assuming will be an 88 kit?

RAZZO

Nice save my man! That was a basket case when you got it. Hard work is paying off!

chipwich

That's exactly what I had in mind cdoublejj. Thanks a bunch guys. It's good to have some encouragement after the verbal horse whipping that I receive from my wife for spending so much time on the Mini

R3CKL3SS

comming along real good!

jymisuncst

Nice.... Know find three more so you can RACE the neighbors around the block. Every kid in a five block radius is going to be your new best friend. CHEERS

3cyltrbo

Great Post

good job with the resto

I've got a similar engine in my chinese ct70s, and I've been playing with every sprocket size known to man - if you find yourself wanting some more top end let me know and I can share with you my findings (I'm by no means an expert though)

Cheers

Will

cnub4ucme

great job!!!...would love to see the finished product!...do you know where i can get a 76-77 gas tank from for my little project?...would appreciate any feed back!...thank's!....mark

cdoublejj

Can't wait for more photos.

chipwich

...a little background info. In 1974, when I was a junior in high school my dad bought my 2 youngest brothers a pair of MiniTrials, one red and one blue. He and mom found them at an estate sale and although I can't remember the price, remember that they thought it a good deal at the time. That made them 3 years old, and in pretty good shape. I had a Yamaha AT2 125 Enduro, and the next youngest had a Suzuki TS100. That allowed the 4 of us to have a good old time ripping around the woods and a nearby pasture, and even though the 2 Minis got left behind, they always made it home. We were all impressed with their toughness. Brother Fraser rode the red one off of a bridge one day into a pond. He left it submerged while he ran to the house to fetch dad and me. We pulled it out of the pond, pulled the plug, drained the water out of the engine, dried the plug, flipped it over, cranked it on about the 3rd kick, and my brother rode it home. Dad and I laughed hard at that one.

Dad referred to them as "two wheeled billy goats".

Here is my youngest brother Rick with his blue K2, along with Charlie, our Old English Sheepdog. We were living out in the country in central PA at the time, and were surrounded by farms, most of them dairy. Although Charlie much preferred herding the neighbors cows, he soon learned that the Mini had less kick. So whenever the Minis were rolling, Charlie usually liked to get in some hearding practice, biting the tires with his mouth just inches off of the ground while my two little brothers sped along.



Finished the wheels tonight. Unfortunately, the rims were badly bent, rusted, fused together, and generally a lost cause. Used the stock hubs, backing plates, axles, collars, nuts, brake springs, arms, and hardware. New rims, tires, tubes, sealed bearings, bearing seals, and brake shoes. The fastners were a tough call. While the hub bolts and washers were in pretty good shape, the rim bolts were not. I wire-brushed the hell out of them, but couldn't quite get them looking bright enough. Although the M8x1.25 x 16mm is available at your local Pep boys, I couldn't find the flange type in that length. So, the next best thing was a hex bolt with flat washers. It's a resto-mod anyway, but I'm keeping the original fasteners for a rainy day. The quality was pretty good.

On the missing retaining washer on the sprocket bolts, it turns out one of them was stripped. I found a longer M8 the just barely had enough thread to hold tight. It was a flange bolt, so I will eventually replace that with hex bolts and a new retaining washer. New SunStar sprocket and 25 psi of good Georgia air.

z50 chopper

can't wait to see the completed bike.

RobbMeex

^^ That!

You are very inspirational. I can bring home the ugliest thing and have hope on a pretty bike!

jymisuncst

Luv those old pictures that show up every now and again of old z50's in family photo albums.

z50 chopper

You'll have to remind her that she is your life and addiction, the mini is just a hobby. That way you might be able to get another one.

mexicanyella

What, another wife, or another mini? This could go either way, depending on how you phrase things...think of the power you wield here.

Your progress really is amazing. I like seeing the old family photos too. In my group of childhood riding buddies there was one Z50A, a '78 model, and even though everyone else had bigger, faster bikes, most of us spent a fair amount of time trying to get the guy to let us ride his Z. And yeah, it never once left him stranded. He was a tough opponent in motorcycle tag in wooded areas, since he could hide anywhere and no one could hear him coming or going, and more than once he rode past laughing just out of range while we would be changing a spark plug or whatever on our louder, faster two-stroke bikes.

z50 chopper

I meant another mini

RAZZO

Love the old stories of mini days gone bye! Great photos too. Looking good! More pictures.