My "Project: Pal" progress (Losta pix inside!)

The place to discuss rides, accessories, or whatever is tangentially Spree/Elite-related

Moderator: Moderator

clsmooth
BMX
BMX
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 5:08 am
Location: Vancouver, BC

My "Project: Pal" progress (Losta pix inside!)

Post by clsmooth »

I've had a scooter fetish since I was about 15, but never really got around to buying one. I told myself a few years ago that when gas got over $1.00/L, that I was gonna pick one up. That's the case now, so I've been building mine up to get it ready for the road.

Here's how it was the day I brought it home back in March. I picked it up for $500 cause I was told it had a bad "rod bearing". Faded red with grey and white wheels, but it actually still ran! :lol: Loud as * though! :lol:

Image
Image
Image

Started stripping it to clean it out, replace broken parts and get to the engine.

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
As you can see, nothing looked taken care of since '88...
Image
Image

Got the engine out too see if I could rebuild it myself.

Image
Image
Image
Image

As I started taking the engine apart, pretty much everything was wrong with it. The starter didn't work, the alternator didn't work, the kickstart was jammed, cylinder was worn, rings were worn, the top of the piston and the inside of the combustion chamber looked like someone had been hitting at it with a square-head hammer, crank was bent (yes, BENT! :shock: ), rear brake was seized and the rear diff. wouldn't stop leaking.

Found the root of the noise, which was actually the (if you sat on the bike) right hand main bearing. As I took the right main seal out, behind it was flakes of what used to the be cover that held the ball bearings in to the bearing itself. When I took everything apart, half the balls had remained in the bearing, the rest had crushed to a powder. The flakes of the plate that held the balls in place had also scored up the inside of the block. And I think the bike was high centered on something, cause there was this spider-web crack on its underside, though nothing leaked out of it.

Since there was just so much wrong with the engine, I was more cost effective just buying another engine. Picked up a rebuilt engine from a local scooter shop.

Painted a few parts and the wheels silver and put those parts back together.

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Taught myself how to plastic-weld and fixed up the body to get it ready for paint. Body shops wanted WAAAAYYYY too much to paint it, so I bought ready made paint and paint-matched it to my car.

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Since then, I've mounted a pair of fog lights and got everything else that was broken or not working all fixed.

All that's left before I can put it back together, is for some reason, my turn signals don't work. They light up but don't flash... short of that, it's ready to hit the road! I've also found a black floor panel that I just picked up this past week-end!
Last edited by clsmooth on Mon May 22, 2006 8:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"All the money in the world doesn't buy you good technique."
User avatar
-aL-
Elite
Elite
Posts: 519
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 1973 10:24 am
Location: Escanaba, MI

Post by -aL- »

blinkers dont flash, seems like the relay, which could be the problem with the starter if im not mistaken, either that or you arent squeezing your brake when you use the elec start
Ridin' Dirty on one of my 1989 Honda Elite E's
clsmooth
BMX
BMX
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 5:08 am
Location: Vancouver, BC

Post by clsmooth »

Ya, I got all that going on another thread... :P
"All the money in the world doesn't buy you good technique."
wert
BMX
BMX
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 6:41 pm

Post by wert »

uber awesome job and Great taste in color!..wert is very happy for you and the bike..great job. :P . i was lookn at the first pics and u could still see she had some life in her by the almost new lookn original frame paint. 8) :wink: .when u get her totally done id love to see some more pics. :o ...steller...ps. "if" u ever decide to sell her let me have first dibs on er. :P
User avatar
MySpree
CBR1000RR
CBR1000RR
Posts: 3291
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 1973 10:24 am
Location: Troy michigan
Contact:

Post by MySpree »

shweet. i dont like that blue tho... sticks to much... nice job.
Image
myhonda
Elite
Elite
Posts: 626
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2005 7:00 pm
Location: conneticut

Post by myhonda »

exelent job. loive the blue. i got the same color on my spree
User avatar
MySpree
CBR1000RR
CBR1000RR
Posts: 3291
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 1973 10:24 am
Location: Troy michigan
Contact:

Post by MySpree »

yea, but everything is bred and your engine is blue... how good can taht look together?
Image
User avatar
MySpree
CBR1000RR
CBR1000RR
Posts: 3291
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 1973 10:24 am
Location: Troy michigan
Contact:

Post by MySpree »

yea, but everything is red and your engine is blue... how good can taht look together?
Image
clsmooth
BMX
BMX
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 5:08 am
Location: Vancouver, BC

Post by clsmooth »

I have this final vision in my head... I think it'll look pretty good.
The blue is Subaru's 'Blue Ridge Pearl', btw...
"All the money in the world doesn't buy you good technique."
clsmooth
BMX
BMX
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 5:08 am
Location: Vancouver, BC

Post by clsmooth »

Oh ya! My new helment I ordered also showed up over this past week-end!

Image
"All the money in the world doesn't buy you good technique."
User avatar
85stroka
Elite
Elite
Posts: 762
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2005 7:00 pm
Location: SEATTLE OREGON

Post by 85stroka »

all you need now,is a live dio front end coversion and a ministroke dio and you be good to go!
Remember,everyone is human,even if there stupid!
User avatar
burnt_toast
Veteran OG
Veteran OG
Posts: 3469
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA

Post by burnt_toast »

very nice project you got there. you should paint those rims black too like myspree, it would look even better. :D
projects galore :nerd:
clsmooth
BMX
BMX
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 5:08 am
Location: Vancouver, BC

Post by clsmooth »

burnt_toast wrote:very nice project you got there. you should paint those rims black too like myspree, it would look even better. :D
I do like that 'metal' look, but I suppose I could change the colour anytime I want :lol:
"All the money in the world doesn't buy you good technique."
clsmooth
BMX
BMX
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 5:08 am
Location: Vancouver, BC

Post by clsmooth »

I got it all back together, but I didn't compensate for the space behind where I put the fog lights switch. It seems to jab into the actual tube frame of the handle bars. Just gotta figure somethin out and it'll be set!
"All the money in the world doesn't buy you good technique."
User avatar
regan86
BMX
BMX
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 4:52 pm
Location: sterling heights, michigan

Post by regan86 »

wow im impressed. you did alot of work to it. I agree with Myspree tho the blue on the engine stcks out to much. One last question how fast can you get that thing going? do you know?I have never heard of a Pal before. it looks like the same engine setup as a spree but the oil and gas tanks are different. Looks nice good job.
honda spree 86 nq50, 89 camaro, 90 jeep wrangler, TR6.
Post Reply