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Refinishing really is the heart of the business, both as a standalone service, as well as it's essential part in every restoration. Refinishing select parts on a vintage machine can be very cost effective! It serves not only a cosmetic purpose, but also can be critical in preserving your investment. Bottom line, it's money well spent. Doing a formal restoration on a motorcycle is not always necessary, but most vintage bikes can benefit from some preservation that will help keep them on the road. Selectively refinishing and repairing worn and aged parts can not only rejuvenate the motorcycle... but also your interest and affections for it. One advantage to refinishing is that it allows you to essentially do a partial restoration in multiple phases. You can do parts of the motorcycle one at a time as you see fit and as your budget will allow. If you like to handle your own projects but lack the space and equipment for some tasks... we're the one-stop-shop for all your restoration needs. We cater to all makes, models and years with our individual refinishing services. We even can do work on original machines. Some work can even be completed the same day you deliver it to us. We usually require a 50% deposit on the estimate for all standalone finishing work, (work that is not part of a larger full or partial restoration project). We typically do not schedule the work until a deposit is received. The remainder of the balance is due prior to the shipping or pick up of parts. ULTRASONIC PARTS CLEANING Carburetors in particular can benefit immensely from ultrasonic cleaning. We have a special range of services and pricing just for the cleaning, restoration and rebuilding of carburetors. See more details here. In addition, we are able to clean most small parts such as master cylinders, bearings, gearbox components and many other items that are difficult to clean effectively. GAS TANK CLEANING & TREATMENT We can usually remove rust buildup in any gas or oil tank. While we can do a faster and more effective job with tanks where paint damage is not a concern, we can also perform a good service on tanks where preserving the paint is a must. We have a three step process that cleans the tank internally and then leaves a protective coating (not a liner), that will help prevent future rust buildup. While we generally advise against the use of any sort of tank liner to repair pinhole leaks, we understand that sometimes, they are a necessary evil. We can install liners in most tanks, but can not and do not guarantee that the repair will last for an extended period of time. As modern fuels and detergents are routinely changing, we are finding that many liners can no longer withstand them effectively. MEDIA BLASTING & VIBRATORY TUMBLING We offer several types of media blasting for all types of parts. We do both stripping and finishing work and can accommodate most any size or type of part on your motorcycle. Most items can be done and back to you very quickly, with the exception of frames which take us a bit longer. TRIM & EMBLEM RESTORATION The reproduction trim and emblem items generally don't pass muster. You can spot them a mile off in most cases, as the quality is generally inferior to the originals. Of course, there are exceptions, but it's important to try and preserve the original trim and badge work from your motorcycle. We handle every type of repair and restoration, and have a trusted local source for the more difficult specialty items and pot metal repairs. This is not always cheap, but is generally equal to the cost of that reproduction item. HARDWARE REFINISHING & REPAIR Nothing hurts both the look and functionality of a good motorcycle like aged and worn hardware. We can strip, polish and plate most standard, whitworth and metric hardware in house. One specialty of ours that we perform on all restorations is to clean, degrease, de-oxidize and lightly polish or re-plate any existing hardware on a machine... taking special care to inspect and repair (as possible), any damaged items. This service really can make the difference in any machines function and appearance. Also, we can install stainless bolt sets on many machines, in both standard and polished finishes. It's an inexpensive thing to do that really helps maintain your motorcycle. CUSTOM PAINTING It's getting harder and harder to find good painters that work at reasonable rates. Many of them have decided not to paint anymore due to all the environmental hassles they have to face. Elaborate paintwork is one thing that we typically will send out-of-house to a trusted specialist, depending on what is required. Some work we are able to do in house. The reason for this is simply that the number of parts and the degree of complexity sometimes requires a larger, more dedicated facility than what we have currently. However, we still perform all metal and paint prep work in house, including some primer coat applications, so that your money goes as far as possible when it gets to the paint booth. All the time and money is usually spent in the prep work. Our rates for this are generally lower than what most painters charge so we can be very competitive when handling your painting, often getting lower rates than individuals can get. PAINT REFINISHING On occasion, badly weathered or tarnished paint surfaces can be refinished without the need for repainting {see example here}. Often, it is desirable to keep decent original paint work, rather than repainting. We are often successful at bringing an oxidized finished back to an acceptable state. This preserves the original paint and some patina, which in our opinion has far more character and merit than a new paint job. Of course, if it is not original paint to begin with, or is beyond repair and deteriorating... there is no substitute for metal refinishing and a proper repainting. SADDLE RESTORATION We can make small repairs and modifications to most any saddle. On most all motorcycles old enough to be considered antique, classic or vintage, the original seat is most surely perished. Even if the cover is still serviceable, the foam is long gone. In this case, we can refoam using quality foam , not some cheap carpet padding. Often, the seat pan is rusted and possibly even weakened. Many can be saved without too much effort... but once they have deteriorated to a certain point they likely are not worth saving. If the machine is not going to be ridden much, it can be worth the effort to restore and existing seat. However, if the machine is going to be used as the motorcycle gods intended, then it might be worth it to keep the original in a box so that it's demise is slowed and get a quality reproduction. Reproduction seat pans, covers and complete seats are becoming readily available for all but the most obscure models. Many are of excellent quality and do not cheapen the look of a restoration. If you decide this is the way to go, we can source a reproduction seat, or simply recover and re foam your existing pan to suit. WHEEL BUILDING & RESTORATION Spoke wheels need fairly regular checking and maintenance to ensure safety and the best ride possible from your motorcycle. We offer full wheel building and repair services from one spoke to a complete wheel renovation. We can repair most minor damage to alloy rims as well. We generally have a small stock of wheel building supplies, in case you just need parts to do your own work. METAL, PLASTIC & FIBERGLASS REFINISHING It's generally preferred to attempt restoration of original body work and components rather than using reproductions. However, it's equally important to start with the best pieces possible as this can be a very involved and costly process if the piece is badly damaged. We perform all sorts of metal, plastics and fiberglass repairs and prep work. Perhaps too many varieties to mention here. Please contact us to see if we can help with your specific needs. A note on reproduction pieces... Some reproduction bodywork needs reinforcement to ensure longevity and a proper finish if the bike is going to be in use. We can reinforce fiberglass and plastic reproduction bodywork so that it will not only work better but look more substantial and original as well. In addition, we can provide a limited range of carbon fiber parts produced from good examples you provide if your goal is to use stronger and lighter parts as you would for racing, etc. ALLOY, STEEL & CHROME POLISHING Anyone can shine up their bike, and while we do perform comprehensive detailing services, this is not the same as refinishing. One good example would be the buffing and polishing of alloy, (process shown below). This is a 10 to 12 step process, depending on the items condition. It takes a lot of time, attention and caution to do it correctly. Multiply this effort by possibly a dozen or more parts that are on your bike and you can quickly see how it can be a several day process to do it properly. The right buffing motors, mops and compounds all affect the end result. Here is one example of a process for alloy and stainless work:
We can also polish and color most chrome and nickel back to a fine luster. However, we will evaluate your parts up front and advise if your money would be best spent replating the part. Sometimes, when there is light surface rust and minor pitting, we can remove this and refinish to an acceptable finish. PLASTICS POLISHING This is also a multi-step process, similar in some ways to metal work. It requires different motors, compounds and hand techniques. We caution against doing this yourself if you do not have the proper equipment or compounds... as you can easily damage or melt the plastic beyond repair. Contact us for more details. We require a deposit on all finishing work. We typically do not schedule the work until a deposit is received. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT REFINISHING ORIGINAL MACHINES We can also work with all original motorcycles, doing only what is necessary and appropriate to preserve them and arrest the effects of time. The desired outcome in these cases is to do undetectable work. We help preserve what is there, rather than refinish. This is a separate process we can outline in detail when viewing your particular machine. Some of the standard program of services would include hardware restoration, rubber and plastic restoration, metal and paint repairs as well as polishing and more. Please talk with us for more specific details.
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