Rupp 72, 1968 TT-500, Vintage Class, OldMiniBikes Build Off 16'

[Rupp 72]

Man.......Money bags!:hammer:
I thought you had to pay for college...:laugh:

:doah::doahon't remind me:facepalm:

 

[cruhr1]

That chrome looks great. I can't wait to see your bike come together.

 

[buckeye]

Chrome is addictive! This should look really good though! More pictures of freshly plated parts to come tomorrow:drool:

Man oh man..

 

[delray]

it's so pretty...:drool:

 

[Rupp 72]

I have to find my sunglasses. The chrome is perfect.

Doc

You're doing it right. Looking good Nate!

Very Nice ..:001_cool:

That chrome looks great. I can't wait to see your bike come together.

it's so pretty...:drool:

Thanks for the compliments everyone, i really think it will turn out nice. I have a few more things to get plated yet but my next project will be paint!

 

[Rupp 72]

I opened up the exhaust today, looks great! I bought a reproduction one for my other TT500 and i can tell that this original is of higher quality. Really happy with how things are coming together.

 

[buckeye]

Goodness Nate.
You one of them secret lotto winners cause that's a lotto chrome.:laugh:
Beautiful.

 

[Rupp 72]

Just an update: haven't done much accept for talking with my paint supplier and getting the original color code confirmed and priced up.

 

[Rupp 72]

So i bought some paint today, two stage base clear, really high end stuff. The red is one of the three original rupp colors for 1968. It's a deep red with pearl in it. Hope to start painting within a week.

 

[CarPlayLB]

I once fancied myself as the "King of Chrome" here on OldMiniBikes, but looks like I have been dethroned! The shiny is addictive! I have kicked the habit as my pusher upped his price so high that I cannot afford to high!
very nice looking chrome! Your bike will be a showpiece when done!


...college schmollege! It's over rated!

 

[chipper]

Some gorgeous stuff going on here !

 

[Rupp 72]

I sandblasted the frame this weekend. Getting powder coat to come off is a :censure:... Took about two hours of sandblasting but that's better than a ruined paint job. Then i did some priming. Got everything primed and spent a few hours today sanding and puttying. Frame was pitted a little worse than i thought but priming again tomorrow should do the trick. Used body filler to fill in the chain rash on the swing arm and a small dent on the shroud. Hopefully will be painting by the end of the week...

 

[Rupp 72]

I once fancied myself as the "King of Chrome" here on OldMiniBikes, but looks like I have been dethroned! The shiny is addictive! I have kicked the habit as my pusher upped his price so high that I cannot afford to high!
very nice looking chrome! Your bike will be a showpiece when done!


...college schmollege! It's over rated!

Some gorgeous stuff going on here !

Thanks guys! I'm excited about it.

 

[chipper]

It's bound to be sweet when that kind of time is put into the prep work !

 

[bandit 40]

Oh Wow Im on the edge of my seat here :drool: Very nice !

 

[Rupp 72]

Oh Wow Im on the edge of my seat here :drool: Very nice !

Thanks Bandit!

I added another layer of primer tonight. I'll do some sanding tomorrow and plan to spray base and clear on Thursday!!!

I also have something special arriving in the mail on Wednesday...:wink:

 

[Rupp 72]

So I sanded the second coat of primer this afternoon and could still see a few very small hardly noticeable pits but I still wasn't satisfied. I mixed up another 10 ounces of primer and gave everything a third and hopefully final coat. Hopefully the third time is a charm!

 

[Rupp 72]

I welded an nos pair of U-bolts to my TT500 handlebars today. The original bolts had broke off at some point in time. Luckily i found an nos pair on ebay and bought them. The correct size is pretty much impossible to find, i tried many places, even online and couldn't find the correct dimensions until i saw an original pair on ebay. I mocked everything up and then welded the bolts in place just like how they would have came from the factory. I haven't welded in two years so the welds aren't the prettiest thing ever but i'm satisfied with my work.Once they get related and everything is smoothed out they will look and function great!

Before

After

 

[Rupp 72]

Look what came in the mail today:drool:! A very rare factory high performance option from rupp in 68 and 69. A Dellorto MB22A carburater!! one of the very hardest to find. I spent a good amount of time polishing it up and it turned out great! its complete with no broken or missing parts. i got it for a steal:thumbsup:
Before

After

 

[buckeye]

Man that cleaned up nicely.
Gonna be hard to not vote this bike the best.