Wow, good luck on finding one, keep us posted on your progress.

 

Yeah, I know it's a long shot, but there are a lot of people on here. I have some of the Harley sales brochures back to 1992, so I thought maybe there was another pack rat like me that liked Honda stuff back then.

I read somewhere that Honda never released their paint formulas, so there was not even touch-up paint availble. If I stay with the original color, I think it can be computer matched pretty closely.

 

That seems stupid that they would never give out there touch up formula....hey can't blame them for trying to keep it at the dealership.

 

My info shows that for a 71 K3 (serial number began CL350-3000001) that is was indeed Candy Topaz Orange, Strato Blue Metallic, or Poppy Yellow Metallic.

 

try here for matched paint.

Kev

 

Thanks for the info on the colors, Custom85VT. Sounds like your reference agrees with mine. Also thanks Kev, for the link for the paint color match.

I think I am gonna have a friend who runs a body shop paint the parts for me. He says he can color match via a computer scan. I'm gonna stay with the strato blue metallic color the bike was born with. He has matched paint on cars for me in the past. When I walked in with the fuel tank off my CL350, he knew what it was right away. He had three 350's back in the day.

After reading all kinds of things (not all good) about Kreme Kote and Red Kote, I think I am going to take it to a shop that uses a heat extraction process to remove the rust. This also removes external paint.

After they do this, they cut 2 holes in the bottom of the tank and lightly sand blast the inside to get completely clean metal. They re-weld these holes, and pressure test the tank. Then they coat the inside and oven cure it in a controlled atmosphere oven.

Another local guy that has a vinyl graphics sign shop is going to make a paint mask so that I can get the black design put back on the outside of the tank.

I'll let you know how all this turns out, but it may be awhile. I've been called in to work all week. Oh well, gotta pay for this stuff somehow!

 

FXray, the cream coating for tanks are not that great in my opinion. Instead of the heating process try searching for electrolysis. There is a good thread on here about using that process to remove rust from gas tanks. That might help save your paint.

 

re: electrolysis

Kevhead, thanks, but I have been reading about the electrolysis process. I think it would work, except for two problems.

First, it sounds like it is difficult to get all the inside surface area rust-free, and the only way you will really know if you are successful is if you don't keep getting rust and scale in your carbs or fuel filters (if you added them).

Second is that the original tanks were terne plated inside. Electrolysis will remove the rust, but if the terne plating is gone, the tank will rust again. I have read that the ethanol in the modern fuel acts as an oxygenate that will cause re-rusting even if you keep the tank full of gas. The oxygen is in the gas, in the form of ethanol. Without some coating over the bare steel, the tank will rust again.

My thing is that I only want to mess with this once, and move on. Also, there are some nicks and scratches in the tank paint. The other painted pieces cleaned up nicely and would be O.K. as they are, but I think I will paint them all to be sure of matching the color.

This tank was put away with 1976 gasoline in it. There is a lot of crud.

I understand the difference between preserving the original machine, and doing a restoration. I respect old motorcycles that have survived and show their age. That was my original plan, but I think now I'm leaning toward restoration (like chrome, paint, new tires, new chain, etc.).

The very best way to get ahold of a classic motorcycle in good shape is to buy it new and let it age with you. If you keep it clean and do the general maintenance, time slips by and people start asking you where you got that nice older bike.

 

ethanol is just a scam, harvested by automakers so we have to buy/fix more cars/bikes. it has no emissions value(yeah the actual burning of fuel will have less emissions VS regluar gas, but the ammount of emissions put out to make the ethanol is far greater)

 

as for kreem, dont use it. BAD NEWS. it will get torn appart by the ethanol in a year or two. if your gona use a coating, use POR15 or Redkote

 

A buddy of mine used Redkote, and besides the fumes, he was very happy with it.

 

you can do a search on ebay and then select it to do the search everyday for you

 

Well, I just bought the original, like new, 1971 CL 350 sales brochure I was looking for. You can find about anything on eBay if you wait long enough. It even has the picture of my bike (Strato Blue) doing a wheelie on the front!