A forum for owners of Yamaha TTR250 trail and enduro bikes!

TTRfan · Super Guru

Restoring OE petrol tanks

Cubber · Super Guru

Tanks, Brian. biggrin

This info will come in handy sometime.

What sort of clock do you work with - there must be 90 seconds to each of your minutes the way you can do all this renovation stuff, photograph the progress, post on here, answer the phone, delegate to Mrs TTR and enjoy yourself on the lanes? smile wink

Martyn

TTRfan · Super Guru

I got to the stage yesterday where one of the tanks had got its final white top coat and was ready for lacquer today. You need to leave 24 hours for the colour coat to dry apparently.

I followed the instructions on the can of Halford's petrol-resistant lacquer and wet flatted the tank with 1000 grit paper before applying a couple of coats of lacquer leaving quarter of an hour between coats.

The tank was then left to dry for at least a couple of hours but I am concerned to see now that the lacquer has given the white paint a yellowish tinge. Will it go clear when completely dry or is that normal confuse

TTRfan · Super Guru

The tank still has its yellow tinge cry

I will just have to be more sparing with the lacquer next time.

Here is what the first tank I finished looked like on the bike. I stupidly forgot to take a photo of it off the bike - which has now gone to a new owner.

Dullthud · Veteran Member

Is that all done with rattle cans? It looks really good.

Not sure that laquer out of a can will ever be as good as the old ecologically evil stuff though, so well done.

Andy

TTRfan · Super Guru

Yep - all done with rattle cans. White primer/filler followed by several coats of white gloss and then a couple of coats of petrol-resistant lacquer - with rubbing down in between.

I have done four tanks in the last couple of weeks and it takes me ages - still got one to finish off cry

The cost of the rattle cans is significant but still more economical than using a spray gun with all the cleaning and stuff associated with that.

Ideally I would have had the whole tank finished in two-pack lacquer over the decals but it would add a lot to the overall cost.

Cubber · Super Guru

Perfectionist - that's what you are. biggrin

In my view there's nothing wrong with picture No 1 - at least I'd have been riding the thing two weeks sooner at least! wink

Martyn

TTRfan · Super Guru

Another of the derelict tanks refurbishment has been completed and it is now fitted to a bike!

I only put two coats of petrol-proof lacquer on and this tank hasn't got the yellow tinge that the first one had. I am quite pleased with the result but it was a lot of effort!