GT 750 gauge restoration service

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Waterbuffalo
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Re: GT 750 gauge restoration service

Post by Waterbuffalo »

I recently revised a lot on my gauge website, there are new photos, more detailed descriptions on the photo gallery pages and a separate gallery just for the 750 J gauges.
Two strokes, its just that simple.
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Waterbuffalo
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Re: GT 750 gauge restoration service

Post by Waterbuffalo »

I though I'd show the temp gauge differences for the 74-76 GT750 models as a reference, and how the restoration work performed on these items look. All of the parts shown here have been fully restored, the camera lighting does show some shade variations in the photos, but in reality they are all the same colour.

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The differences in the print font for the 74-76 inner surrounds, the early style is on the left, the later one is on the right. The lettering is a pale light blue colour. These inner surrounds have had the exterior surface seen here restored and the inner blue illumination area redone.


Image

The 74 to mid 75 plastic faceplate. This inner mechanism and faceplate goes all the way back to the J model. For 72 and 73 its a dark green coloured piece that was painted flat black with the molded/raised areas painted cream, and blue and red for the registered marks.
In 74 the dark green faceplate was painted dark blue and the raised portions in light blue, with blue and red for the registered marks. The two reference 'dots' and the 'Made in Japan ND' (partially seen) lettering along the bottom of the face, was simply painted over. Like from the 73 gauge, the glass lens was a curved piece. The most easily noticed issues are the hot red mark fades to an orange colour from the sun and general age, as does the needle tip.
On this gauge its been fully restored as well as other areas such as the face, hot mark and needle tip etc.


Image

The first of the aluminum faceplates, this one has the older font for the water temp wording, but the faceplate now matched the print process on the large gauge faces by this time. The new face had the reference 'dots' and the 'Made in Japan ND' lettering across the bottom of the face in light blue (the latter not seen at this angle).
These gauges had flat glass and the later style inner surround from late 75 but some were transition gauges with the older inner surround such as this one has and a curved or flat lens, so possibly this is an early mid to late 75 production gauge. The most easily noticed issues are the hot red mark fades to an orange colour from the sun and general age, as does the needle tip.
On this gauge its been fully restored as well as other areas such as the face, hot mark and needle tip etc.
Two strokes, its just that simple.
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yeadon_m
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Re: GT 750 gauge restoration service

Post by yeadon_m »

Allan,
Remarkable detail work to still look good in such close up shots. Congrats!
Mike
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Waterbuffalo
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Re: GT 750 gauge restoration service

Post by Waterbuffalo »

Yes Mike, at this level of close up viewing, any flaws/issues will immediately be seen. As you and I have talked about before, its all in the attention to detail.
Two strokes, its just that simple.
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mark.read3
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Re: GT 750 gauge restoration service

Post by mark.read3 »

Unbelievable detail Allan. Got to be the best ive seen.
Might be an idea not to use photobucket though as we only tend to see half of your work displayed.
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Waterbuffalo
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Re: GT 750 gauge restoration service

Post by Waterbuffalo »

Thanks Mark, I see the full photos on my screen, what size screen are you viewing the images on.
Two strokes, its just that simple.
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mark.read3
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Re: GT 750 gauge restoration service

Post by mark.read3 »

Whoops , my bad. Sorted.
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Waterbuffalo
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Re: GT 750 gauge restoration service

Post by Waterbuffalo »

On a GT 750 gauge restoration besides having everything clean and spotless you've also got to have three important items updated on the face. These are the needle tips, the trip and odometer white reels and the tach redline and the hot mark back in the correct red.

Image
A fully restored speedometer showing the white reels as they should be

Image
A fully restored GT750 tachometer with correct redline segments.

Image
A set of GT750 gauges with the correct colour needle tips, trip and odometer reels in white again and of course the temp gauge hotmark and redline in the red colour as it was when new.
Two strokes, its just that simple.
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yeadon_m
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Re: GT 750 gauge restoration service

Post by yeadon_m »

Allan,
As they say out of respect for a sportsman doing something great, "that's too good" !!

This winter I'm going to send you a PM. Those clocks look so nice.

Cheers,
Mike
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Waterbuffalo
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Re: GT 750 gauge restoration service

Post by Waterbuffalo »

Thanks for your comments Mike, its sort of pointless doing a full restoration and not having everything correct as it should be. Its not about making them 'too good' but more of making them look like they stepped out of a time capsule.
Many people over polish or over chrome their parts for a Buffalo restoration and yet in most cases their gauges never look 'quite correct' or under restored with some minor issues that are easily noticed.
Baring an actual set of NOS gauges these photos I've shown are the closest thing to such a set. However don't console yourself NOS gauges are not going to be100% correct either, as technically being in a box for over 30 years causes all sort of issues.
I've had to restore quite a few NOS gauges for customers as grease dries out, glass gets surface film or mold growth on the interior as well as on the face. Improper storage means damper fluid leaks onto the face and gauge interior as well as calibration also looks looking at.
By the way on the speedo photo, notice the number font is not the same for the trip and odo reels, its all in the details as they say.

NB Your clean up of the 550 gauges came out quite well, and for what you did, it was a marked visual improvement over their age related issues. I'll await your PM.
Last edited by Waterbuffalo on Mon Feb 09, 2015 12:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
Two strokes, its just that simple.
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