Summer Cleanup - BMW R1200C

For many years I watched these bikes. In parking lots, occasionally on the highway, and at the dealerships. Unfortunately, the high cost of entry kept me from jumping on one for a very long time. Then I started a slow and steady search on Craigslist. Checking the RSS feeds, looking for that perfect deal. After a couple of years I found it. A silver 2004 BMW R1200C.

I really wanted to find a Phoenix Edition bike, but something about this silver one grabbed my attention. It is a bit cleaner than stock with a couple minor mods; a Remus exhaust, the pencil beam driving lights, clear lenses, and a trimmed down seat. Truth be told, I appreciate the little bit of windshield when it is cold or drizzling and the bags turned out to be handy.

Yea, it doesn't have 200 HP or massive amounts of the twisty stuff, but it's good for 90 MPH if you need it. It turns nicely, stops fast and is reasonably comfortable for a 300 mile ride. I do wish it had a little more room in the cockpit and that the cylinders weren't quite so close to my toes in the summer, but in the winter it is nice to have a foot heater.

It's a good bike, it's solid and I like its German weirdness. It isn't exactly like the other hordes of American Iron and Japanese Speed I see everyday. Nothing against those makers at all. I still fantasize about a chopped Harley Davidson FXR and maintain  dreams of rebuilding my wrecked 1978 Yamaha SR500. The way I see it, if it has two wheels it is nothing but good.

NOW, STOP SURFING THE WEB AND GO RIDE!

Thoroughbred Motorsports Stallion

I found this unusual trike at the Trail Ridge Road Alpine Visitor's Center in Rocky Mountain National Park. I've never run across one of these before. I did look around for the owner, but was unable to locate him (her?). Maybe I didn't look around hard enough, but at 11,796 feet I didn't want to waste the oxygen.

The Thoroughbred Motorsports Stallion is powered by a 143 HP Ford four cylinder engine with a Ford 5 speed automatic with reverse. The hand-built motor trike is crafted in the U.S. and features a long list of luxuries that are usually reserved for vehicles with doors; things like air ride suspension with an on-board compressor and air conditioning and heat. They are distributed through Motor Trike Dealerships.

Is it a convertible Mini Cooper?

Stallion? Because the front-end is equine?

Steering wheel and cup holder = 3/4 car with no roof.

Ducati Monster S4 Corse For The Spring

A friend of a friend broke out his Ducati Corse for some springtime riding. Andrew's Ducati is a Corse edition that is near stock. The only tweaks he's made are an aftermarket Arrow exhaust and bars that sit him a little bit more upright. It's so comfortable that he rode it all the way down to Texas recently. 

The bike's unique paint scheme is an OEM feature on this Special S4 Monster. Normally I'm not a big fan of factory custom paint, but this is just perfect for this sport bike. Great bike Andrew!

Rare Ducati Checkered Flag Tank

Nice find before a business meeting at Starbucks!

Arrow Exhaust on a Ducati Monster

Harley Davidson Shovelhead Rat Bike

I found this hardtail Shovelhead sitting in the parking lot of a local car show recently. It turned my head as fast as any of the cars at the park. Stretched frame, straight pipes, rat rod finish, and an extreme rake; what a bike! This is a nice chopper.

Almost as long as a full-sized pickup

93 cubic inches or 93 inch wheelbase?

HD Shovel with oil cooler

Synergy Green Camaro

SYNERGY. Perhaps the most over-used word of the first decade of the new millennium. I'll give it a pass in the case of Chevy's "Synergy Green". Sure, they could have been lessY2K about the name, but what the heck, it's vibrant and reminds me of the massive non-issue of the "Y2K bug".

Here's a late model Chevy Camaro I saw on I-25. I'm not a huge fan of the "New Camaro", but I do like the color, Synergy Green. Shot with a GoPro Hero HD at 30fps. Soundtrack is the outro of "Barking Mask" by velkro kitty. (c) Deichmann, Willetts. Performance credit; Dave Ortz - Drums, Jim Favero - Bass, Pete Deichmann - Guitars.

 

BMW R1200C Spring Country Ride

Playing with the GoPro HD again. This time it's hard-mounted to the crashbars on the BMW R12C.

 A ride around in the country, past Bruce's Saloon in Severance, and on Highway 14 in Northern Colorado. 

Soundtrack is Credit Card by Jim Favero. Performed by velkro kitty. (c) 1995 Favero. Performance credits; Jim Favero - Bass and Vocals, Pete Deichmann - Guitars and Vocals, Dave Ortz - Drums

Recorded at Time Capsule Studios in Denver Colorado.

Spotlight on local businesses- part 2- Classic Restoration by Country Club of Englewood , Colorado.

Next , I would like to introduce the nice people at Classic Restoration by Country Club.

Like many of you, I have been in 100’s of car and bike shops, and this is the cleanest , nicest facility I have been in.   I walked in and introduced myself and Office Manager Cindy Sumner was gracious enough to tell me all about the company, what they do and where they came from. It is a great story, starting as a high-end detail shop and becoming the complete restoration facility that it is today.  

Some of the specialties done by Classic -

World class restoration and repair on classic cars. 

Interior restoration

Consignment car sales 

Buying and selling for personal collections

Detailing

I cannot improve on the story that they tell on their website, please take a look-

www.classicrestorationdenver.com

Make it a point to see the videos , too !  great stuff.

Outside of the shop are a beautiful red Jaguar E-type, a 280-SL Mercedes and a very nice yellow Mustang. Inside are even more gorgeous cars in various stages of restoration. Typical fare for this high-end car restoration company.

We urge you to contact them for your restorations , or they may have the car of your dreams just ready and waiting for you.

Thanks to the nice folks at Classic Restoration by Country Club. 

A current customer project, a very nice Tan 280 SL Mercedes Benz ragtop.

Beautiful Jaguar convertible- for sale !

Call Cindy Sumner at Classic for your next project.

Cindy Sumner

Office Manager

Classic Restoration

303-761-1245

Spotlight on 2 local business catering to Classic car, motorcyle and all kind of automotive afficionados - Blast-Tech

This post spotlights Blast-Tech of Englewood,Colorado

We would like to call attention to two local business in this post. Both are in Englewood, Colorado on Kalamath Street, across the street from one another. I recently had the opportunity to meet these fine folks and would like to share my experience.

First, let me introduce Blast-Tech, Automotive paint and rust removal specialists.

I am currently restoring an antique piece of gym/boxing equipment.  It is a speed  bag platform made by Narragansett Machine Company. It is old, I think it is about 80 years old. It was finished at the factory by a method called Japanning. Japanning was used by Henry Ford (“any color, as long as it is black .”). Ford, Singer Sewing machines, and many other hard-wearing industrial items and equipment used Japanning, because it last for 80 years- or more. It does not come off ! My platform was in tough shape, I  have included the before and after pictures. Gary and his crew at Blast-Tech made these parts like they had just been taking out of the cast iron molds at the factory. See the before and after pics.

As I dropped off my parts and visited with them, they showed me around their shop- motorcycle frames, old exhaust manifolds, entire Porsche bodies, a 1963 Ford Galaxy, frames, fenders , front ends, wheels, leaf springs- all in a day’s work for Blast-Tech.

Many of our readers and followers of this blog are doing a project like this now or have done them before and you will agree - there is nothing like sand blasting to get the job done. When you do as many as Blast-Tech does, have a jig that holds a whole car frame and body so that you can rotate it and get at 360 degrees, ensuring complete rust removal for the customer.

I was very impressed by the people, the work being done and the service that they provided. We suggest you look them up when you tackle your next project.

Here are some pics from their shop with current customer projects-

Van with welded on patch panels being blasted and readied for body work.

New panels welded in place

When you do so many full car rust and paint removals, you have jigs to turn the whole car around 360 degrees- and put it on wheels to move easily about the shop.

Someone's motorcycle frame and fender after blasting.

Exhaust mainfolds ready to clean and blast.

Blast-Tech does the entire car in many cases. Gary Nardi the owner mentioned that he has done a few cars more than once- from one owner and then the next. Many failed projects are brought back to life after a thorough cleaning and sandblasting.

Body part from Denver Mattress' NASCAR car.

A Nice old 1963 Ford being readied for restoration.

Nothing like sandblasting to clean up 50 year old paint, grime, and rust off of the front end and frame as in this 1963 Ford.

Always popular Mustang in mid-process.

Before.

After.

I have spent many afternoons with wire wheel and grinder on some of my motorcycle frames- not any more. Sandblasting is the only way to go.

Another Mustang - patch panels welded, will be smoothed out and sandblasted and ready for a full restoration.

All good candidates for a serious clean up and paint removal.

More customer cars in the blasting process.

Gary's office- he is a car guy , for sure.

A Bathtub Porsche sitting quietly awaiting a new lease on life.

Here is my project- 80 year old cast iron-parts of a Narragansett Machine Company speedbag

platform.

My Project- Before # 1

Before- # 2

Before- # 3

and.... After !

80 year old cast iron- now beautiful again.

Ready to prep and paint.

Excellent work, love the way this turned out.

Blast-Tech

3775 S Kalamath St,
Englewood, CO 80110
(303) 806-9992
ask for Gary Nardi.