Jim's ZXR750 Build

[JimZXR]

Blocked the gaps in the subframe off earlier and covered all of the parts I don't want to mark with dust sheets and sparky's tape.

Got photos but having trouble uploading from my iPhone so will do it at work tomorrow.

[JimZXR]

Rough welding I know but they're solid and were free!
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[JimZXR]

I also know this looks like a dogs breakfast but I'm hopeful I can pull this one off after some stalled starts!

[Gix11]

Photos never made it mate. Send them to me if you need help.

Cheers Jim

[JimZXR]

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[JimZXR]

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[JimZXR]

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[JimZXR]

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[JimZXR]

These are the welds
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[JimZXR]

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[LKC73]

Look like you are making some progress Jim. Be interesting to see how this pans out mate.

[Gix11]

Yep, curious to see how this is going to go as well. Are you making a tail to fit the subframe or have you already designed a tail piece which the subframe is made for?

[JimZXR]

Thanks all.

Realising this is optimistic but I want to make something similar looking to the original tail but a little sharper and more fighter-like.

That's why I've had to original subframe modified to shorten it up while still keeping similar dimensions and the same tail light. Going to try to stick to the 90's kind of feel.

[JimZXR]

The overall look I'm trying to achieve is like the abortion of a photoshop (paint) attempt below:

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[The Phantom]

Bulldog!

[LKC73]

Jim, I'm not sure about the huge tail light. I have a spare smaller LED tail light if you want one. Would look better with the reduced size of the tail section. You can have it free if you want to pick it up?

[rod185651]

The overall look I'm trying to achieve is like the abortion of a photoshop (paint) attempt below:

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That will look pretty cool.

So with the length of the tail being nice and short where are you going to put the number plate if you get it registered?

[Bob]

Nice. That would look good

[JimZXR]

The tail Ian still quite high and have jacked the back end up as much as I can so was gonna see how it fits directly under the tail light

[rod185651]

The tail Ian still quite high and have jacked the back end up as much as I can so was gonna see how it fits directly under the tail light

What about having the plate further forward just behind the rear shock so it doesn't distract from the kicked back short tail?

[rod185651]

I did it on the wretched, it may touch the rear tyre on some corners and rub off some paint on the plate so no good if you are thinking about personalising plates.

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[chinski]

like the photoshop abortion mate, will look awesome ! a nice tweak on the original while keeping a bit of it's heritage there too

[JimZXR]

That was kind the idea; wanted to have something more like a factory feel while still being mine so I've chopped a few of the plastic pars I want to copy and have them bolted on so I can use them as a start/end point and fill in the gaps between how I see fit

[JimZXR]

Did a bit of sanding and shaping tonight and now have a rough shape to work with. I've used some more of the original plastics to give the rear the same shape as OEM so I can concentrate on making the custom pieces work right.

Hand saw, saw knife, few spare carving knives from the kitchen and plenty of 240 grit sheets are making easy work of it.

Obviously there's plenty of very large gaps to fill but for a start I'm happy.

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I've put some red PVC tape over the largest gap on the side to get an idea of the finished shape and how much I'll need to build or shave and it's not looking too bad.

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[Gix11]

Can I suggest something that will make your life a lot easier and speed the whole process up for you? Instead of using that expanding spray foam and then having to fill loads of holes which will literally do your head in when you come to the finishing stage, why not visit a foam / polystyrene manufacturing workshop and see if they have any large HD polystyrene off-cut blocks they can sell you. This is how I, and almost everyone else I know have always done it, as HD foam will sand back to a solid final finish ready to create your mold. Here's an example of somewhere to try:

http://www.dctech.com.au/modelling-foam/

[GammaBoy]

Bunnings has sheets of 30mm and 50mm thick polystyrene foam for insulation now - buy, laminate with hot glue.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/knauf-insulation-1200-x-600-x-30mm-xps-multi-use-foam-board_p0811027
https://www.bunnings.com.au/knauf-insulation-1200-x-600-x-50mm-xps-multi-use-foam-board_p0811028

Lay up glass over it, dissolve foam out with acetone/petrol.

[JimZXR]

I had considered using foam blocks but the shape of the subframe I am working with made it difficult to apply them properly.

Also I've already laid down the second layer of expanding foam so am probably too far committed now.

[JimZXR]

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[Gix11]

No problem mate. Still keen to see how it turns out. Cheers Jim.

[LKC73]

Wow Jim, this is a fair lot of filler foam you have there. I look forward to seeing this done myself.
I actual don't mind this stuff. Not that bad to work with and can be shaped easy enough.

If I had however found that foam board I would have went that road, maybe next time (custom front guard ;) )

[JimZXR]

I didn't a little more shaping last night and finally got the basic outlines I want now just need to figure out how big will take to the shape then try to sand it all down flat but may have a few option available yet.

[JimZXR]

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[JimZXR]

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[JimZXR]

So I've finally got in the garage again to do a little more sanding and shaping and I'm now happy with the final shape.

Tried a small cut off piece to see if acrylic spray paint would melt it and so far it looks good so I may spray the tail green before I lay some filler down so I can reference how far down I'm sanding.

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[Bob]

Like the shape mate. Looks good.

[Gix11]

Yep. A long way to go yet, but keen to see how it shapes up. Thanks for sharing Jim.

[LKC73]

That's a very interesting shape and looking good Jim. stock fighter style will be pretty cool and different.

[JimZXR]

Got the shape somewhere near what I wanted then laid down some paint to get an idea of the shape against the rest of the bike and have to say I'm pretty happy!

It look snothing like these photos now as it's covered in filler waiting for sanding but here's an idea of where I am...

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[rod185651]

Looking good mate

[Bob]

Noice. Thata cool mate

[The Phantom]

I'm impressed mate! I had my doubts but you are well on your way to something unique with this, and the proportions and overall styling really works.

[JimZXR]

Thanks for the great comments.

I'm on to filler now so plenty of sanding and minor shape changes on the horizon then just have to decide which way I'm going as for the final result;

1. lay fibreglass over the seat unit as it is and then use that one piece as my final result or;

2. create a mould from this seat to then make a seat unit from and keep the mould for future units if I feel like a carbon one (a friend is advising me on how to do this as he used to professionally make headlight masks; MildersMasks)

[The Phantom]

There would be a few ZXR750s out there. A mould might be a good thing, you could recoup a few bucks. Sending tail sections O/S is cheap as they weigh nothing.

[Gix11]

Option 1 will also make it slightly larger than it is now which could have an impact. Option 2 is always the best result, plus a side-line if you want to make a few bucks.

[JimZXR]

Thanks for the opinions all, any dab-hand fibreglass guys on the forum who can offer a member some advice or help for beer tokens?!?

[Bob]

Option 1

[rod185651]

Option 2

[LKC73]

Thanks for the opinions all, any dab-hand fibreglass guys on the forum who can offer a member some advice or help for beer tokens?!?

Jim, i would be glad to help make a mold so you can reuse it. i'm no pro and only a dab hand at fibreglass, but the process would be good for us both. It will take time to work through but the result will be worth the effort.
I really like how the idea is a fighter tail and stock in design and shape. top job on that one bud.

[Nudie]

I like what you've done Jim, I like it a lot!

[CK 187]

I like the looks of that a lot!

[badboynot]

Shit you been busy looks really good!

[JimZXR]

Sanded down bottom layer of filler and laid down another layer of paint now can see a few places where I need to apply more filler to get the shape up and where needs sanding down more.

Gonna alternate between the paints I have which are green, blue and white so I can see the layers coming through as I sand.

[LKC73]

Hey Jim, wondered when you are going to update us on your progress.

[JimZXR]

Unfortunately not been able to get much time in the garage with sick kids and work going crazy but getting a few hours in there and there.

After most of the comments above and speaking with a mate (Milders of Milders Masks) I've decided to attempt to build a mould from the seat unit rather than just glass over the top which I know now is a relatively huge undertaking in a home garage but one I'm almost excited to try.

So I have to get the unit perfect before making the mould or it's all for nought.

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[LKC73]

You are right Jim to make a mould and it will need to be almost perfect but I am sure you'll get there. Give me a yell though as I would be happy to give you a hand with it.

[JimZXR]

You are right Jim to make a mould and it will need to be almost perfect but I am sure you'll get there. Give me a yell though as I would be happy to give you a hand with it.

Nice on mate, will hit you up soon.

[rod185651]

Unfortunately not been able to get much time in the garage with sick kids and work going crazy but getting a few hours in there and there.

After most of the comments above and speaking with a mate (Milders of Milders Masks) I've decided to attempt to build a mould from the seat unit rather than just glass over the top which I know now is a relatively huge undertaking in a home garage but one I'm almost excited to try.

So I have to get the unit perfect before making the mould or it's all for nought.

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I was just thinking a newer tail light might make it go "pop"

[JimZXR]

I did consider that Rod as I have a set of twin rear lights but am still wanting to keep the OEM feel about it plus most of the lights I'm seeing look too modern and I want to keep the 90's feel to it.

[The Phantom]

I agree, the OEM tail light is the go, you're going to have people standing around it scratching their heads... "I know there's something different about it, just can't quite put my finger on it".

[JimZXR]

Took a look at the tail again tonight with an original seat on and I'm tempted to do a bit more foam and filler to widen the tail to match the OEM seat to further keep the OEM feel but not sure if it'll ruin the overall look?

This is the OEM seat against the custom tail to show the gaps all round:

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And this is a seat I trimmed back to make it slimline:

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[LKC73]

The trimmed back seat fit the proportions of the tail better Jim. Getting it covered shouldn't be a big issue either.

[JimZXR]

Thanks mate, always good to get a second set of eyes on an idea first!

I already have a spare seat pan so I'll try to trim and reshape that to fit the seat ambit better then fill any gaps with some spare seat foam and glue before re-upholstering.

[Gix11]

Yea, what Luke said.

[JimZXR]

YEah; about that.....

I had a bit of a brain snap over the weekend and trimmed a little off an OEM seat unit and off my custom tail to make them fit together better and I'm happy with the result and it's super comfy compared to the trimmed down seat.

[rod185651]

YEah; about that.....

I had a bit of a brain snap over the weekend and trimmed a little off an OEM seat unit and off my custom tail to make them fit together better and I'm happy with the result and it's super comfy compared to the trimmed down seat.

Cool, but as you know, Pics or it never happened

[LKC73]

Come on Jim, brain snap must be followed up with pictures! Unless that brain snap involved a very large lass, that we don't need :D

[JimZXR]

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[JimZXR]

Has also given me a known point to work from so now I can see I'm high on one side at the rear and low on the other!

[JimZXR]

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[JimZXR]

Fucking photo orientation again; apologies all!

[LKC73]

Looking good Jim, keep working on it mate ;)

[Bob]

Coming along nicely mate. Keep at it

[Gix11]

Yep; what they said.

[JimZXR]

Round 4 (I think) on the foam....

[JimZXR]

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[rod185651]

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Chlamydia?

[JimZXR]

Bad bad bad case it must be!

[LKC73]

Dude, polly waffle! :)

[JimZXR]

Hopefully start cutting and shaping again tonight; more pictures to follow.

[JimZXR]

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[JimZXR]

After some more sanding and shaping I'm almost ready for filler again, ignore the chunky geezer on the bike though; I wanted to see how it looked when I was on board!

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[Bob]

Good stuff mate. Love the short tail

[LKC73]

Jim that look good mate. The lines continue from the tank to the tail and you have that factory stumpy look.
Looking forward to more progress bud. Keep up the good work.

[rod185651]

Love it, looks, good mate

[CK 187]

I like the look of that. Nice and stubby but still OEM "looking" to a degree

[JimZXR]

I've taken the subframe and tail off the frame so I don't get any filler or paint on the bike but also so I can lay it on it's side and brace it well for when I make the mould.

[JimZXR]

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[JimZXR]

Already sanded down, painted and sanded some more so now I can see where is high, low, miss shaped and rough so I'm ready for more paint for guidance, light filler and loads more sanding!

Slow progress but trying to work on two fronts with mechanics too.

[rod185651]

Already sanded down, painted and sanded some more so now I can see where is high, low, miss shaped and rough so I'm ready for more paint for guidance, light filler and loads more sanding!

Slow progress but trying to work on two fronts with mechanics too.

Is all the Bog etc adding a lot of weight?

[hooligan]

better for wheelies.

[CK 187]

Is all the Bog etc adding a lot of weight?


better for wheelies.


;)


I was wondering if it was just going to be a plug for a mold in the end?

[JimZXR]

It's only a plug for the mould so although all of the big will be adding weight it'll all be coming off once the mould is made and hopefully it won't be twisting the shape but since I'm sanding most of it back I'm fairly confident it'll be good.

[JimZXR]

This is how it finished yesterday evening:

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[JimZXR]

And more filller....

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[JimZXR]

Not sure but if we're counting, it's take/used/had;
2 rolls of electrical tape,
4 cans of spray foam,
3kg of filler,
5 layers of green paint,
1 tube of Epoxy,
6 40/80/120 grit sanding pads,
12 zip ties,
2 knuckles and almost 1 eye!

[JimZXR]

And I'm probably about 1/6 of the way done since I'm half way through the first stage of 3!

Remaking work list is still pretty huge:

Bare in mind all of the number are for grit profiles on machines until you get to 1000 so not leaving gouges like by hand. From now it'll be;

40 for heavy back and shaping then 80 for light blending.

Paint

More filler but lighter skim hopefully.
40 then 80 then 120.

High fill primer

240

Light spray High fill primer in places

400, 1000

Paint

1000

Clear, clear, clear

1500, 2000, cutting paste.

Wash

Wax, wax, wax

Make bracketry for mould

Mould 1 side and allow to cure

Install locating fittings for bolting back together

Turn over and make second side

Allow to cure

Spray inside of plug with acetone to melt foam

Separate mould from remaining filler and paint of plug

Break/cut/spray all remaining plug off subframe

Remove tape and protection off subframe then polish

Make fibreglass copy of seat unit from mould and allow to cure

Reinstall subframe to bike

Test fit seat unit

Stand back and admire, probably cry a little, sink a beer then get back on with the rest of the bike!

[LKC73]

Wow Jim you are so dedicated to this tail section now there is no going back! Love the write up and all the progress. Keep it up champ you'll get it.

[JimZXR]

Mate, I'm so deep into it now the only way out is to go deeper!

I'm gonna be lost when it come to both making the mould and making the final product so don't be surprised if I'm sending up flares for your help!

[JimZXR]

So after tonight's episode efforts I've been reminded of how much of an unforgiving beast filler can be when it's way too think!

After 40 minutes with 40 grit I've barely scratched it so it's back to the bastard file and other assorted power tools for tomorrow to help reshape the tail unit once again.

I'm not beaten but throwing in the towel for tonight.

[CK 187]

So after tonight's episode efforts I've been reminded of how much of an unforgiving beast filler can be when it's way too think!

After 40 minutes with 40 grit I've barely scratched it so it's back to the bastard file and other assorted power tools for tomorrow to help reshape the tail unit once again.

I'm not beaten but throwing in the towel for tonight.


I will usually try and even out my fillers while they are still slightly "green" (not quite fully cured - maybe 80-90%). But I find that smoothing the highs is far easier with an open face rasp

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Should make quick work of most all fillers and doesn't get clogged because it is so coarse