John Player Special restoration project

Fast Eddie said:
You could tidy your shop while you're waiting ...
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You should have seen it BEFORE I cleaned it! It's not like I don't have 4 other ongoing projects, household chores, 2 school-age kids to prep for school, drive to school, help cook for, and ride herd over before bedtime, that I have nothing but free time...

pete.v said:
I think that's the infamous floor for truing flat surfaces on?
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Not since I got a combo belt/disc grinder, and unlimited access to a full precision machine shop. Now it's just for walking on and piling stuff on.
 
grandpaul said:
Fast Eddie said:
You could tidy your shop while you're waiting ...
Click to expand...

You should have seen it BEFORE I cleaned it! It's not like I don't have 4 other ongoing projects, household chores, 2 school-age kids to prep for school, drive to school, help cook for, and ride herd over before bedtime, that I have nothing but free time...

pete.v said:
I think that's the infamous floor for truing flat surfaces on?
Click to expand...

Not since I got a combo belt/disc grinder, and unlimited access to a full precision machine shop. Now it's just for walking on and piling stuff on.
Click to expand...

Jus' sayin' ...
 
Fast Eddie said:
Jus' sayin' ...
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No worries.

Had a great day with the high point being ONE KICK to fire this Beauty up after a 3-year sleep-

John Player Special restoration project

"Made in England, Born Again in Texas"

It was only a carb overhaul, tank flush and some general maintenance today, I had already dismantled it to where the welder could repair a broken fin on the head, so the re-assembly took almost as long as the carb overhaul.

Gorgeous day for a ride, so I took advantage and blasted around some highways to let the bike breathe (and confirm no oil leaks or issues).
 
Triumph looks very tidy.
Love the progress reports and photos of the JPN restoration.
Shows what can be done with some of the original components to make them almost as good as new without replacement.
 
she most certainlly IS a beaut!!

grandpaul said:
Fast Eddie said:
Jus' sayin' ...
Click to expand...

No worries.

Had a great day with the high point being ONE KICK to fire this Beauty up after a 3-year sleep-

John Player Special restoration project

"Made in England, Born Again in Texas"

It was only a carb overhaul, tank flush and some general maintenance today, I had already dismantled it to where the welder could repair a broken fin on the head, so the re-assembly took almost as long as the carb overhaul.

Gorgeous day for a ride, so I took advantage and blasted around some highways to let the bike breathe (and confirm no oil leaks or issues).
Click to expand...
 
peter12 said:
Love the progress reports and photos of the JPN restoration. Shows what can be done with some of the original components to make them almost as good as new without replacement.
Click to expand...

I decided to shoot for the original indicated mileage (actual mileage is probably higher, as meters were not on the bike at the end of it's working life).

So I'm not going to fuss over the imperfections on the tank shroud, leave the decent working cables on it, no wheel re-lacing & polishing, and no blasting of the head or cases.

It will look like a low mileage original apart from the powdercoated frame and polished engine covers which will start to lose their lustre fairly quickly if I don't over-indulge them.

Of course, the initial running and check-out will indicate whether any of the small bits need to be replaced such as the turn signal relay which I am suspicious about...
 
grandpaul said:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Norton-COMMANDO-/201508737913?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2eeadb5379:g:7YEAAOSwFqJWoaPg&item=201508737913

"VERY, VERY NICE JOHN PLAYER SPECIAL. THESE DO NOT COME UP VERY OFTEN." Nothing else is said about the bike

There are six PARTIAL photos of the bike, and several other (admittedly decent) bike photos in the auction listing.

No way to know ANY details about the bike from the listing.

I'll be quite pleased if it fetches THAT price!
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I think that seller actually wants that kinda pricing on all of his bikes.
REALLY was hopping that he would be reasonable on that Rickman CB750 as I very much want one parked next to my Seeley.
Should do some googling about the shop. They have a REALLY bad rep for being crooks.
 
Shipped out my new JPN fairing on FedEx insured for full replacement cost, to Airtech. They'll make a mould to reproduce it, then send it back to me. I'll get the first clean copy they produce at no charge (other than the cost to send it to them, which wasn't cheap).

So, will soon have one complete JPN bodywork set for sale, ready to bolt on (with extended gas tank)

I'm going to have them copy my Tracy 2000 & 2001 quarter fairings, on the same terms. I've searched high and low for those...

John Player Special restoration project


John Player Special restoration project
 
Andover claim they found the 'Original' JP moulds in the USA and repatriated them. Does anyone know who they bought them from? I know Airtech used to do the seat unit. Just interested.
 
Try Spike Livingstone, Ragged Edge Racing in the UK, I believe he may have a JPN type mould.
Excellent for bodywork of all types.
 
Very cool thread GP, love all the build progress pics. Any "ball park" dollars amount ... you would want for the JPN bodywork ? And if so, why would you be willing to sell it ? ... and not just hoard it like most of the rest of us. (including me)
 
nortriubuell said:
Very cool thread GP, love all the build progress pics. Any "ball park" dollars amount ... you would want for the JPN bodywork ? And if so, why would you be willing to sell it ? ... and not just hoard it like most of the rest of us. (including me)
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I want to recoup as much of the cost of the new bodywork as possible. I don't have play money to hoard stuff like I used to; I've been selling projects & parts for some time now.

I'll post a price when I finally get it all rounded up, after I've copied the mounts (already reverse-engineered, materials ordered a while ago) and get some clean "beauty shots" with a stark background and good lighting.

Some of this stuff you just can't get off the shelf.
 
Been reading through the thread. Looking good. I see you also farm out getting tires mounted. One thing I tried and decided it was worth the cost to let someone else do it.
 
Tires are super easy to do. Especially on the Norton. Sport bike, not so much. A bead breaker and good set of tyre irons are a worthwhile investment. Then again I like doing everything myself and having the tools for it.
 
I used to do my own tires, then a few years back I started getting my part-time gardener to help me around the shop on days he was working in the yard. Next thing you know, he'd show up a couple of days a week, then it was almost every day. Somewhere in there, I taught him how to change a tire WITHOUT punching the tubes (messed up a couple before he finally got the hang of it). Anyway, that chore, and washing / polishing became his day-to-day duties. I got most of my collection spiffed up and lots of old rotten tires swapped out, then one day realized I was much happier having someone else do it, even at $10 per mount/dismount (a bargain here).
 
Top mount drawings of the JPN fairing bracket. Several parts involved, but not rocket science.

John Player Special restoration project


Lower mount drawings for the JPN fairing. These will require careful profiling, machining, then bending.

John Player Special restoration project


Front mount drawings for the JPN fairing. I'll be making and selling copies of all of these (nobody else makes them, as far as I've found)

John Player Special restoration project
 
New rings and a few odd bits and bobs arrived yesterday; last hitch to buttoning this engine up finally. It has been many years since I set up standard points and AAU, should be much easier now that I have a proper dial indicator and degree wheel (spoiled by electronics).

Looking like I'll be in the shop all week and pay to have the '59 Bonneville trucked down here. I'm on the downhill to getting this bike running this week.
 
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