As I’ve posted earlier, I’ve decided to build a second Hindall framed DT1, a flat tracker companion to my recently imported Hindall DT1 desert racer/MXer. I’ve owned another almost identical frame which for various reasons kept getting put back on the shelf after being considered and then rejected for whatever my latest project was. The frame had started life as Dirt Bike Magazines 1972 ‘Project Bighorn’ project bike where the mag tried to turn a lumpy Kawasaki Bighorn 350 into a serious racer using the Harry Hindall lightweight frame and other lighter and better components.
Unfortunately the Hindall frame used had gone from being the media sweetheart of 1972 to a forlorn, rusty hulk by the time I bought it around ten years ago. The previous owner Leon Roach in California had purchased it from a junkyard with the intention of fitting one of his Ducati 450 engines but he thankfully abandoned the project after he realized that the big Duke motor wasn’t going to be a happy fit. All Leon had done was to melt the bronze welding to remove the bottom crossmember and footpeg mounts and they were included in a box with the frame.
Now, the little Hindalls day has come. A quick measure up told me that it was as near as buggery to my DT1 motocross version. There are minor differences such as the swingarm pivot chain adjusters and footpeg and brake pedal mounts but other than that, the frames appear to have come out of the same jig. The first problem that became obvious was the poor condition of the nickel plating when compared to the mint nickel on both of my other Hindalls. It was far worse than on my recently completed Cheney but being the eternal ‘glass half full” kind of bloke, I’ve decided to try and bring the nickel up to the best condition possible. I’m a stickler for not restoring the patina out of a bike so even if the nickel plating does show a few (many) pock marks…that’s a part of its soul. I figure that replating or painting over the patina is removing a part of its history and personality.
Having gone through a similar frame resto process with my Cheney and regretting not documenting it, I’ve decided to photograph and post the restoration procedure of both Hindalls. The first cab off the rank was to do some test areas on the corroded frame to see if it’s worth the effort in shining it up. If it turns out to be too big a job, I’ll bite the bullet and paint it. First up I’ll use two different grades of rotary wire brushes mounted in my trusty Black and Decker to remove the loose rust and green corrosion and bring it to a reasonable lustre. The next process is to use a buffing wheel mounted in said drill and utilizing three different grades of buffing ‘soap’. The buffing equipment can be purchased at Bunnings or any of those hardware emporiums.
Below: The bare frame as it was when I got it.
The shots below show the before and after results of my tests.
The swingarm before and wire brush (L) and buffer (R)
