Even though I'd saved a lot of bikes over the years, this was the first CB500 Four I saved after wanting one for years. I loved the look and styles of this bike, but they were always way too expensive, way out of the area or way too gone to consider, with rotten gas tanks, exhausts, missing side covers and the like, until I found this one...

Yes, she looks pretty gross here, but I thought she was beautiful! The previous owner was in the midst of renovating an old house and found this buried under a falling-down shed. I made the man an offer, he said Yes, and I went down to Richmond to pick it up, seen above after being dragged out of its decrepit prison. 

It met all my checkmarks - rusty, yes, but not eaten through anywhere. It still had its original seat, exhaust (unfortunately not the 4-into-4, but if you know these bikes you know that those are about as hard to find as an honest politician) and some fairly low mileage.

Yes, it sure looks gross, doesn't it - but it was mine! It's amazing how motivated you can become when you get something you really want and have been searching for, so I loaded her up and came back home. 

Fresh Off the Truck! 

As the title says, here she is right after I got her off the truck. I love using this time to triage my bikes; grab a can of PB Blaster and/or Kroil and spray a little bit on ever nut and bolt I can find, because usually they are pretty rusty with age. It just helps take her apart later.

I flipped over the seat to check out the air filter, wiring and tool tray and found this...! There's a little what I call a 'glove box' on these bikes under the seat, and if you get lucky you can sometimes find stuff like this - the original owner's manual and fuse holder, that part circled in yellow, there...both are extremely rare to find! 

No fuses though...still, Very Cool! 

And I was especially pleased to discover the points were in great shape! These are more often than not rusty and in generally unpleasant condition.

I did my thing - cleaned the carbs, stripped and repainted the frame, side covers and tank...the carbs needed some work, obviously - all that dark stuff in the bowls is dried 'lacquer', or whatever you call that stuff that is dried and baked on, especially on the floats. This was a big PITA to get off/remove...

Here's the frame 'mid-strip'...I love doing it, but it Sucks at the same time. I like repainting MUCH better! 

And the tank - totally hand-painted with rattle cans, minus the trim. I don't think it came out that bad (better than it was)! 

Yes, I know there's a dent in it - it was there when we pulled the bike out from under the falling-down shed;

(1) I didn't bother to pull the dent out, because (2) I kinda like it; we all have 'dents' of some sort, so I think it gives a little character to the bike. 

FWIW, I used a gray basecoat, masked off the tank and painted the black areas, then masked that off and laid down a can of Rustoleum Glitter, then topped that off with a can of Kustom Canz Candy Orange. I think it came out pretty well! 

So, from THIS...

...to THIS...! 

Yup - same bike! The rust I handled with Brillo pads, wire wheels and elbow grease, and of course went over the engine with my vapor blaster - the only thing that's painted on that engine is the case itself, which is of course hidden behind that side cover/clutch adjuster.