R69S restoration

[Dominic]

Been reading you updates with interest,...the build is looking great.

Dominic
R69S & R75/5
Australia

[R60 Sweden]

Great work! Looking forward to the last episode with bodyparts & stuff!

I do like the rims, got a set of rusty ones waiting to be re-chromed. But this has put ideas in my head... possibly they will be black instead?

Tobba

[R60 Sweden]

Great work! Looking forward to the last episode with bodyparts & stuff!

I do like the rims, got a set of rusty ones waiting to be re-chromed. But this has put ideas in my head... possibly they will be black instead?

Tobba

[808Airhead]

Hello! Glad some of you are watching & enjoying the progress! Will post some more pictures soon of the heads & exhaust installed....
Aloha & ahui hou

[fawudd]

Thanks for posting this process. The work looks great so far and I am looking forward to the last part of this story.

[secretsenor]

inspiring stuff - I bet you can't wait to kick it over.

[808Airhead]

Aloha & happy holidays everybody,wishing you & yours the best.
It has been awhile,but here are some pictures of the bike and where it is at today. Progress is slow since I have also been restoring a 57' VW engine,so resources & time have been split between 2 projects,but the VW is done,so back to the bike full speed ahead.
Secretsenor,I am getting closer to that day and cannot wait to kick it over & ride it for the first time.
I want to reiterate,this bike is a "resto custom",so I have taken some liberties to personalise it to my taste. I first intended to do a "factory resto",but I already have a original bike,and back when these bikes were new,owners modified them to suite their tastes,some for better,some for worse,so here it is,for better or worse...........
Electrics installed;

Head installed and SS pipes by Keihan,had to order them from England;

A shot of the rear fender,with new lense/bezel and stainless steel "R69S" logo from bluemoonscooter.Once you bend the badge slightly to match the curve of the fender it fit perfect.

Black rim installed with the fender ,here you can then pinstripes,done by hand,INCORRECTLY!!!

Another shot of the fender with "incorrect" striping. I quote this because although incorrect,I actually really like it so I will keep it this way.
The Keihan pipes installed,these are very nice quality,however the fit could have been better considering the price paid. I had to "ovalise" the mounting holes where the bolts pass through since the pipe would touch/hit the frame otherwise.

Ok,here is the tank with new knee pads,filler cap,logos,lid screw,etc., the paint is deep and lustrous,HOWEVER ,look closely and you will see where the painter/striper TOTALLY screwed up and painted the "thin stripe" WAY too thick!!!! AAARGH!
Between my awful chrome plating and this, it is hard to find any quality artisans on this island of Oahu. I am sure they are here,but they just aren't the guys I went to unfortunately.
When I dropped off the body parts they had the paint job and TAPE pinstripes that were applied some time in the 70's/80's (look at the first pictures in this thread and you can see them)and I told the painter "I can e-mail you some pictures or give you a CD to show you how the bikes were striped originally. He replied "oh,I have done these before and have some BMW books I can look at".
I say,"no problem",and drop off the parts and 1/2 the money for the job.
Well almost 2.5 months go by and I call him and say "if you cannot give me a date these will be finished,I am going to pick them up and take them somewhere else."
He gave me a date and I can tell he had JUST finished them and he basically rushed it to meet his "date".
I was elated,they looked gorgeous,and was beaming on the ride home.When I put the parts in the garage I looked at my original bike I realised he made the "skinny stripe" WAY TOO WIDE! He basically just "copied the tape pinstripes" that were on the tank instead of referring to any reference material and I ended up with this beautiful,incorrectly striped tank.
Well I looked at it,and realised until I noticed the mistake I was totally happy,and looking at it some more I realised the like the bolder stripe and it looked like it fit the sporty nature of the R69s and I think it differentiates it from my R60,like a more agressive "race stripe"........whatever,love it or hate it,I like it and it is going to stay.....

I have installed the tank and will post some pics of it soon,Aloha!
PS,if you are interested,here are pictures of my other "German black beauty" and it's engine that I just finished a complete restoration on. 1957 Deluxe,58,000 original miles

Original 36hp motor (yes,less hp than the R69s)rebuilt & restored

[miller6997]

I've been enjoying your journal on this project. It's only regarding the pinstripes that I would really disagree with your decision. I had a front fender painted and striped recently, and while the Glasurit paint was excellent, the stripes looked goofy. I paid a fair price and therefore complained immediately. The striper was able to "wash" the stripes off without disturbing the paint and then do them again. The second time, he got it right. In this case the Glasurit paint was two stage, and the stripes were on top of the clear coat. I think your nitwit striper has actually taken value away from you, and personally, I would not accept it.

Having expressed my opinion, I will also say that it's your bike and you are the only person who has to be satisfied with any of the details.

(I like your VW! I have a '67 that you are welcome to practice on.)

[808Airhead]

Thanks for your feedback and I totally understand where you are coming from and I intended to do exactly what you described,however "I" really like how it looks and since I am 40 years old and intend on keeping it as long as I can ride,I figure I have a good 20 years with the bike,and I can live with it,so the "value" thing is not something I really worry about since it is intended to be a toy I will enjoy for many years to come.
Your point is VERY valid,however it is not something that I am going to think about much longer,I have already decided to keep it as is.There are only 3-4 R69s in Hawaii,so it is not something people will notice is wrong,but even if they do,I built it for myself,not anyone else.
You have a 67' Beetle,that is what is considered the "best year" for the classic Beetle for usability/daily drivability.Definitely a classic! Aloha,and Happy Holidays!

[sonofrust]

Brother, I hear you. If you like it, don't let anyone tell you different, especially yourself. I'm a low buck player in the old car and bike hobby for about 25 years now, and I wish I had all the time and money back that was lost fussing and bothering about not getting or having everything "correct" and completely original looking. The worst of it was that many times the obsession was fueled by what other "experts" might say or the dreaded resale issue. I simply don't have the time, money or interest anymore to really care that much. Of course, this is a vintage owners site that prides itself on the whole idea of preservation. You better believe many of the folks here paid mucho bucks to get that last little item perfectly plated or polished; not too shiny, I might add. Painting rims black or striping that is 2 mm too wide is pretty much heresy for some. I get it, in some strange way, but I've determined it's a hard way to conduct business for me. You'll have a beautiful bike when you're done that you basically redid yourself. Just looking at the pictures gets me excited for you as you anticipate that first ride. I've grown to truly believe that these items are meant to be used and enjoyed for their intended purpose. I ride, enjoy, and appropriately care for all of my bikes and have learned to be much less fussy and don't obsess on the minor details; I'm happier as a result. Good luck as you turn the final corner on your awesome project.