I've recently taken on an '82 Magna 750 project for new friend Charles. He located a 16,000-mile example of the first-year VF750C which he'd like to bring back to life as a weekend rider via a "sympathetic restoration."
The Magna series shares it's engine with the first-gen VF700/750 Interceptor but beyond that they're different animals.
The mechanical checks are well underway and as part of the valve clearance procedure the alternator cover is removed. Good time to refurbish it.
The Magna series shares it's engine with the first-gen VF700/750 Interceptor but beyond that they're different animals.
The mechanical checks are well underway and as part of the valve clearance procedure the alternator cover is removed. Good time to refurbish it.
As was common back in the day, these covers were polished aluminum which was clear-coated at the factory. Over the years the clear-coat would deteriorate and corrosion would eat away at the aluminum underneath resulting in a mottled mess of ugly metal. The treatment is to remove the clear paint, sand away the corrosion, file and sand any gouges, scratches or other rash, buff the finish, and finally repaint logos and accents.
This is labor intensive work but time and effort will leave you with a very presentable piece. Machine buffing will give these polished aluminum bits a shine to rival chrome, but the original finish wasn't quite that dramatic. To achieve the right sheen, I wet sand the buffed piece with 2000-grit paper followed by a single hand polish with Mother's aluminum polish. Next up, valve covers.
This is labor intensive work but time and effort will leave you with a very presentable piece. Machine buffing will give these polished aluminum bits a shine to rival chrome, but the original finish wasn't quite that dramatic. To achieve the right sheen, I wet sand the buffed piece with 2000-grit paper followed by a single hand polish with Mother's aluminum polish. Next up, valve covers.
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