For my next project (you can see a list here of what I have planned or completed) I have picked up this 1973 GT750 basket-case in Rubbermaid tubs from a fellow in Kincardine Ontario – basically after hauling a load of items down east for our son’s I was not prepared to come back empty ! It was advertised as being a 1973, but in truth it was a real dog’s breakfast with parts and pieces from several years, although the tank, side covers, frame, front forks, headlamp, radiator side covers, radiator surround, carburettors and exhaust were from the right year. I was happy to get it if only for the parts – the carbs by themselves were worth the cost of hauling it back, plus I expected to be able to salvage at least something from the two engines also included in the deal.
After doing some soul searching, I’ve settled on a way forward. Basically the engines that were included with the basket-case are the wrong ones for the model year, and in any case are not in the best of shape – one has a holed piston, and the other has had some sort of catastrophic mechanical failure that has destroyed the cylinder barrel as seen in the photo to the left. I’m assuming there are still bits of a connecting rod under the leaves at the bottom of the barrel but given the general condition there doesn’t seem to be much there worth saving other then the engine side covers and (perhaps) the water pump. The second engine is slightly better in that it isn’t seized, and other than the holed piston there doesn’t seem to a lot more wrong with it but of course till I tear it down I won’t know.
As I was picking through the Kincardine Rubbermaid containers, Fred and Janice here in Calgary of the local ‘Loyal Order of Water Buffalos’ sub chapter of the CVMG – Rocky Mountain Section, made me an offer which I couldn’t refuse of another 1973 model year bike. This one has been sitting outside since Adam was a boy and is a very tired old soldier, but it does have the right engine for the model year and a few other good bits and pieces so it should work out, assuming that I can get the engine apart – getting the barrels off these older GT750’s can be next to impossible. I’ve borrowed Fred’s puller which should make it easier, but we’ll see.
So the plan then is as follows:
- Keep the Kincardine Rubbermaid Suzuki rolling frame seen below to the lower left as it is already nicely painted. The front end has a few problems, as does the centre stand, tank and side covers, but I have some parts on hand left over from the GT/GS750 project bike I finished earlier this year so I don’t expect too much trouble – plus it has paperwork which is a pleasant bonus !
- use the engine, instrument cluster, radiator and a few other bits from the donor bike from Fred and Janice seen in the middle photo – most of the rest of the bike, including the frame, is too far gone to salvage. The tank, while not really usable, does have the right pattern for the paint and so will be useful as a guide.
- and at some point later this year or next, I’ll have something that will look like the photo to the lower right !
The next step then is to strip the donor bike down, salvage what I can and also go through the Rubbermaid tubs that came with the Kincardine bike to see what should be kept from it. As with my other projects, I’ll keep a record of what I do and problems I run into on a project site, which for this project will be here.
It should at least keep me out of trouble !