81 Seca 550...Project Beowulf

Well, this just may turn out to be the slowest project in history :lol: I have debated on whether I wanna go full bore on this project or do a mild mod. I like the bike minus the paint and the bars, but after poking around on the forum and seeing some of the other XJ's, i've been inspired!

The bike was a freebie from Tewlman and it rides pretty good, so I was going to be a cheap-o and put $300 to $400 into it and say "Lookie what I got" but the tinkering bug has struck (The wife just rolls her eyes). She knows how I get when I start a project, she never sees me!

Anyways, you guys (And gals?) have already figured out the tricks and what does and doesn't work, so I imagine I'll be leaning on you - maybe a lot.

Wish me luck and wish my wife patience! And try to discourage me from using Bondo...

 

As requested: Good Luck to you and patience to your wife.

No shame in using a "LITTLE" bondo 8).

If you can't repair the tank, then go for it. Just make sue it's nice and smooth and that you cant tell it's there

I recently repaired a friend of mine's tank on the cheap using bondo and bondoglass... Not the most professional job but it looks fine in army green primer!

It's all about working with what you have.

 

Yeah, the dents aren't very big, about quarter size, give or take. I know that bondo, used correctly, isn't bad but I've always looked at it as a hillbilly fix. That's mostly because the majority of the people that use it don't prep the area right, use too much or just smear it over rusted areas and expect it to stay. Tewlman has offered to do it for me but he lives about 40 miles away and I hate making that drive through Columbus....It sucks.

My wife says I'm a perfectionist to a fault. I will beat something to death until it can't be beat any more and am usually still griping about it, but I've realized over the years that small imperfections that drive me up the wall are not usually visible to anyone without a magnifying glass 8O .

The carbs have already been rebuilt, I just need to tune 'em. They're not off too bad, just a little rich, but once I aquire a colortune it should be all good.

My wife thanks you for the wish! she says she's going to need it!

Later Ease

 

I'll kindly disagree. It all depends on which way you're going and at what time of the day. There's a lot of good riding around the greater Columbus area, and It's always fun rollin' through campus when school's in session. There's plenty to look at.

 

Well, I work 3rd shift, so it's either morning rush or evening rush. Weekends aren't bad.

I do like rolling through either Linden or the Children's Hospital area. Makes you see two things: How fast your bike really is; and your ability to duck and dodge at high speeds under fire :wink:

I love campus, lots o' eye candy. Lots of rear end accidents I bet!