Oregon commuter

[Curtis in Texas]

Originally Posted by Electictracer

Thanks guys, the vapor looks very nice. I am considering it, but it would add about $180 by the time I got the bells and whistles I would want. I keep thinking that works out to be 45 gallons of fuel at today’s prices, making it another 3400 miles of driving to reach breakeven over my current vehicle using projected economy. Torture on the brain to think like that….. (P.S. my math might be off, I was just doing it in my head, and my truck gets 25 mpg at best.)
I can’t seem to find a cable that has both of the end types I need or a kit that would work, but I’m still researching. If I don’t come up with anything, I guess I will have a good justification for the expenditure. Another benefit would be versatility for future swap outs of the front fork or engine/tranny. Food for thought.
I’ve been panting the frame now with a rust protective coat, so far the least satisfying part of the project as I HATE painting!

Well, post up the ends and length of cables you need and I'll check my sources and see if they have any. I do know a guy who might be able to custom make some for you. So don't be shy. I also have a Supplier Company that does custom hydraulic hoses for my Company at reasonable prices. There are a lot of us who are pulling for your success and would be happy to help you find the pieces you can't find.

Curtis

[Electictracer]

Its funny how little I seem to know about this topic. I have learned that this cable configuration is very common among motorcycles but not so with cars. I found a kit that appears to offer the ends I need and the inner cable, but not the outer



For the housing I could use another cable like this one and throw away the inner.



Custom built cables look expensive, in the $100 range. Does any of this seem doable?

[Curtis in Texas]

The fancy cable ends are silver soldered on, so why not see if you can remove the end you need from the old cable. If it comes off clean the try and install it on a new cable.
The square ends are nothing more than silver solder on the cable it'sself and then filed square.

Just go easy on the heat until you learn hot hot is enough to melt the silver solder. A (GOOD) Plumber should be able to knock it out with no problem.

Those kits usually have the tips you need, but if not just remove your old tip and transfer it over.

I've done a few in my time on custom cars and bikes I've built.

[Tango Charlie]

Any progress on your project, Electrictracer?

[Electictracer]

Hey thanks for asking, it helps motivate me to keep looking ahead. Unfortunately I had to stop work near the end of the school year because I was getting a little strapped for cash. Summer has brought work, income, and plenty of distracting outdoor activities that are keeping the project in its current holding state. I do plan on starting back up with some odds and ends this coming weekend and working on it casually the rest of the summer. The real work will begin again with the school year. Unfortunately this means that my completion date is moving back to next spring. I am very determined to get it functional before the next west coast Vetter Challenge.

In its current state, the frame is complete, most of the none-cable linkages, and I have started working on the interior.

[Electictracer]

Alright, after months of not getting anything done on this project I’ve re-committed myself and will be making significant gains shortly.
I’ve been somewhat intimidated by the number of little parts that need to be finished to move forward. My solution to this is to try and get at least one small thing done every day. If I can do that, I’ll have this this going in no time! Maybe….


So here is how the project sits now. I needed to get some of the interior finished so that I could run the electrical, control cables, and heating hoses. The armrest on the left side of the seat is a chase to run these systems from the front to the rear.
I’m entering the sheet metal phase of the project, which will be a good opportunity to learn a new skill. Because of my lack of experience, I’m starting with the easiest tasks first. The gas tank is about 4 gallons and will be positioned over the rear tire between the frame members for protection. I still need to attach the fittings and solder it together.


My next series of tasks will be to fabricate the interior aluminum sheeting in the front wheel well and engine compartment. Right now I’m waiting on some zinc-chromate self-etching primer for these areas. Hopefully after that I will be up to the challenge of the exterior sheeting. I will be using counter-sunk rivets on the outside, making it even more difficult. Between working on these larger tasks, at times when I have less time, I intend to work on the wiring, cabling, and plumbing. Hopefully this new plan will help move the project forward.

[Tango Charlie]

Nice! It's great to see this project come back alive.
You know what they say about how to eat an elephant; one bite at a time.
Are you going to be bucking solid rivets, or pulling Cherry (blind) rivets?

[Ken Fry]

Great to see your progress! Great craftsmanship.

As I suspect you know, flush rivets can be countersunk by either drilling or dimpling - the second being a little faster. Flush Riveting Tips

[ChadB]

Some information that may be helpful about windshields and a lack of wipers:

I had a Subaru XT that I could not get parts for my broken wiper. I used RainX and just had to clean the windshield and reapply every week or so. There are other products out there that are supposed to be semi permanent like aquapel. I've never used them so I'm not sure how well they work. I also read on a harley forum that during the winter last year harley was experimenting with a permanent rainx like coating that would be going on all of their windshields. I'm not sure if they starting selling them or not.

Google searching "permanent rainx" will provide links to aquapel and the post on the harley forum.

[Frank Lee]

I looked at hardcoating plastic windshields for production once; same stuff as hardcoating plastic eyeglass lenses. Has a rich appearance, offers much improved scratch resistance, may even have had anti-rain properties but I didn't get that far with it because the cost premium was ENORMOUS. But then, Hardley-Ableson riders seem to think money is no object.