SHOW vs. RACE QUALITY

 

When looking to purchase a restoration you need to decide exactly what you are looking for as this helps us define your expectation.  There are two basic intentions for a restoration:

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Show

Do you want to recreate your first dirt bike? Did you always want to own a certain model? Phoenix Precision Restoration can recreate your dream bike just the way it sat on the showroom floor over three decades ago.  Our vast supply of core bikes and used parts allow us to replicate OEM standards like no other restoration company.

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Race

Have you ever dreamed of returning to your glory years of racing motocross?  We can make that dream a reality. Our team of race proven technicians can build your motor from mild to wild.  We can tune your suspension to meet your personal and environmental needs. Our unique ability to blend old school look with modern technology makes us your short cut to the podium.

PART TYPES

 

NOS (new old stock)

Which basically means this is an original unused part.  These pieces are highly coveted and therefore expensive and hard to find.  Like the saying goes “It’s only new once”.  Generally, NOS parts will have some scratches from “shelf life”, being moved around throughout the years.  The finish will generally be duller than that of aftermarket parts.  NOS parts can be purchased in two ways:



Original part number - This is the exact part for the bike as it would have been from the factory.
 

Supersede - In this case the manufacturer no longer has the original part number available, however they have determined that another part number (from a different year or model bike) will work.  The fit or look of a superseded part may not look like to original but it will work.  For example a cable may be a little longer or a fender may be a different color.

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Aftermarket

This is a new part made by a manufacturer other than the factory.  Aftermarket parts in general will have a newer look than those of NOS parts and the finish may not exactly match that of NOS.  For example, an aftermarket seat cover may have a slightly different texture from an NOS seat.  Because aftermarket parts are new they are generally more durable that NOS and better suited for racing applications.  Aftermarket parts fall into three basic categories:

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Reproduction of the original part - Most fenders, decals and seats would fall under this category.  A manufacturer, other than the factory, has done their best to recreate the original part.  In general, aftermarket parts look great but to the “purest” there will be a noticeable difference when compared side-by-side with an original.  In addition, the installation of an aftermarket part may require modification to the part and therefore create a slightly altered look from factory.  For example, reproduction fenders do not come with the mounting holes pre drilled like factory fenders.

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Universal - This is a “generic” part make that happens to also work on the bike we are restoring.  In most cases universal parts can only be identified by the “purest”.  Items such as cables, grips, tires, bolts and other fasteners fall under this category.

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Racing Equipment - If you’re building your bike for the track, most likely will not want to use the original rear shocks, even if they are NOS.  They were great back then but pale in comparison to modern technology. In this case we turn to manufacturers of modern racing equipment that manufacturer parts such as shocks, pipes, foot pegs.  Some racing equipment can be both NOS (of the equipment manufacturer) and build for racing applications.  These products are items such as heads, pipes, and swing arms from manufacturers such as DG, Simmons and FOX.  Here again these item are highly coveted and therefore hard to find and expensive.  However, if you’re building a vintage racer they are the only way to go.



Restored

This is where we take the original part from the bike and make it look as close as we can to the way it looked when it came from the factory.  In general, they steps to restore a part are:

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Teardown –- removing any secondary components from the part until we are dealing with only the item in its purest form. 

For example, taking off all parts until we have a bare frame.
 

Stripping –- The process of removing any of the original finish including grease and dirt. 

For the most part we use two methods for stripping:
 

Paint stripper –- used on plastic parts such as tanks, air boxes and other plastic/rubber parts.
 

Sandblasting - used on metal parts such as frames and hubs.

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Repair - Now that we have the bear part we can inspect it for problems such as cracks, broken/missing pieces, and any modifications that have been done.  At this point we perform any fabrication required to bring the part back to original specifications,
 

Finishing - This is the process of making the part look like it did when it came from the factory.  We use many types of finishes depending upon the part we are restoring:



Paint - Is used on parts such as metal gas tanks, engines and exhaust pipes.  Obviously, there are different types of paint used depending upon the part, for example, high heat for engines and exhaust pipes.  In general the process is the same for both, coat, sand, coat, sand………. until the part is smooth.  Paint is easy to work with as you can wet sand and recoat the surface with quickly, however, paint is not as durable therefore we us powder coating for parts suck as frames and hubs.

Powder Coat –- Whereas paint is a liquid powder coat is as the name implies a powder that is sprayed onto a metal surface that is electrically charged so the powder sticks.  Then the powdered part is baked is an oven until the powder melts into a liquid and coats the part evenly with the desired texture.  Because of the nature of powder coat it is very durable.  However, as you can see from the process powder coating can only be performed on metal parts.  Most Vintage bikes used painted frames and hubs but we have found powder coating provides far superior durability and a great finish on scratched hubs and frames.

Plating –- The process of coating a part with Chrome, Zinc or Anodizing to recreate a finish and prevent the part from corroding/rusting.  For example, bolts after stripping are bare steel and if left uncoated would rust.  The Zinc plating process applies a thin layer of silver (clear) black (black) or gold (gold) zinc that gives the bolts an original look and protects them from rust.  The same applies to forks (Chrome) and some sprockets and levers.  Some manufacturers also used anodizing to turn their aluminum parts into a different color.  This can be seen as gold rims, shock reservoirs and sprockets.
 

Polishing -– Is done to both aluminum and plastic parts. First you remove any scratches and gouges buy sanding them out.  Then through the polishing process you return the finishes glossy appearance.  On aluminum it’s the process of making it shinny as chrome.  Not many aluminum parts on a factory bike were polished but if you want your bike to really stand out at a show just polish the rims, levers, fork tubes and if it has one, the aluminum swing arm.  Wow, does it make a bike look beautiful.  It may not be a factory finish but you are going to love the way it looks.  On plastic parts (mainly tanks) it returns the natural glossy look of the tank. Tank polishing may not take out all the gouges (you can only sand so deep before you compromise the integrity of the tank) and in some instances some discoloration from decals and stale premix may remain, but your tank will still have the factory look.  The alternative would be to paint the tank like you would with a metal tank.  The result is an obviously painted tank.



Phoenix Precision Restoration will discuss these options with you and help you decide the exact parts and process you would like to use and meet a price point that falls within your budget.

THE PROCESS

 

Location

Send us your bike, choose a bike from one of our many cores or we will locate one for you. Phoenix Precision Restoration will arrange pickup of your bike and delivery to Phoenix Precision Restoration.  If you do not have the bike you want restored, we will locate one and have it trucked to us.

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Tear Down

Completely disassemble the bike down to very nut washer and grommet. Create a parts list of required items, locate and quire the needed components for the restoration.
 

​Restoration

Return all parts to like new condition utilizing the procedures you asked for (see Solutions)

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Assembly

Reassemble the bike using factory employed procedures and specifications documents for torque and tolerances.  In addition, we have a complete library of microfiche exploded diagrams that we follow to insure every seal grommet and lock washer match factory standards.

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Detailing

Inspect the finished product for any imperfections caused by assembly and correct those issues.  Final polishing of all parts and prep for shipping, which includes the wrapping of side panels and fenders to protect your work of art during shipping.

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Delivery

We can provide you a list of our approved delivery services or we can arrange pickup, delivery, crating and international customs documentation.