The Hodaka Club Forum

I was looking thru Craig’s list in different towns & I found this Model 03 for $300 in AZ. It’s missing the rear wheel, (have one) the head light bucket (easy to find), handlebars (3-4 on the wall) and a 26mm carb (have one on my tool box!). I may even have a front fender for it in the garage! So Saturday I’m off to pick it up! Victor

Got her home. Started ordering/buying parts! Time to start disassembly!!! :ugeek Victor

looks like a project i may have a headlight bucket for you . what direction are you going with the restoration? street legal, perfect restoration , just get it running ? .....albert

Albert! I’ll be doing a Street Legal on & off road use. Black frame, white fenders, baby blue tank & air box. It’s a surprise for a friend’s wife! Baby blue is her favorite color. Headlight bucket would be great! Message me! Victor

She’s coming apart slowly. Forks, headlight brackets, rear rack, seat, tank, all removed. The bolts holding the handlebar clamps all twisted off.

Yesterday I cut one bolt with a hack saw, drilled it twice & retapped it for the 8mm x 35mm bolt. Looks like that will be the treatment for the other 3 bolts as well. Cheaper than trying to find/buy a 34mm fork tree top. Slow going for sure.

I also removed the exhaust and had a pipe BBQ! So not all an exercise in futility! Ordered the bottom end rebuild kit and a fork rebuild kit from Terry along with a few other minor parts.

Onward through the fog…. Victor

Well, she’s about as “APART” as she’s going to get! I got the frame all stripped down, literally as well as figuratively! Had frame, tank, rear fender, bash plate, battery cover & air box all sand blasted. But it’s just too cold to risk painting. I also ran out of propane for my heater tank tonight.

Today I disassembled most of the motor. Still waiting is the right side snap ring which holds in the main shaft bearing sand the oil pump in the clutch cove needs to be removed. The snap ring didn’t want to pop free, and, the oil pump has a stripped screw head I can’t turn to loosen. Doin enough I will defeat these last 2 obstacles! Victor

Looks to be a fun project Victor, I do like restoration stories as you've probably guessed. Looks like that workbench is full again! Same here. Where does all that stuff come from? Maxie

Well, it’s not quite as full as it would have been! But I need to get that main bearing snap ring off, and there’s a stripped Phillips head screw holding the oil pump in place which needs to come out so I can remove it from the clutch cover for vapor blasting. Then a bit of parts washing before it goes.

I may try some frame painting in the garage with the heater to keep things warm. Large tarps to cover the bikes and hopefully the heater & parts will be far enough apart as to not be an issue. But I ran out of propane. Don’t know if there is any place in town which does a propane refill on Sundays!

The next thing will be to tackle the wiring harness. Someone cut a lot of the ends going to the headlight bucket. I think I may have one I got from Danny Cooke then we thought about wiring up my grandson’s 03. Then he decided to leave it non-lighted. So we will see how that goes. Victor

“Where does all that stuff come from?”

Maxie, you know as well as I do! It comes from our Hodaka additions!!! 9 bikes ago, I told myself I wouldn’t buy another. Then Paul Schwarting gave me 5 frames, 7 boxes of parts and a reeded CW motor in a box! Still building, still buying!

This one is number 16! Yes, it’s true, I haven’t bought all of them! But how can you say NO to free Hodaka stuff?

This current Model 03 Wombat cost me $300, 2 tanks of gas and a 12 hour round trip drive! The drive actually took me about 15 hours because I stopped on the way home in Grants to see Rick Buehite! This is what she looked like before I took her completely apart! Victor

That’s amazing do you still have everyone that you built ?

I have all but 2. One is with a nephew in Frisco, TX and the other with a nephew here in Santa Fe. The Tx nephew has the blue Ace 90, and the Santa Fe Nephew has the Red Toad! Victor

Victor just a suggestion, Warm up the shop with the propane heater but don't run run the heater while you paint. You could end up with a Bang up paint job. Fumes and flame do not mix. ---- Clarence

That’s really cool thanks for sharing

viclioce wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:10 am I have all but 2. One is with a nephew in Frisco, TX and the other with a nephew here in Santa Fe. The Tx nephew has the blue Ace 90, and the Santa Fe Nephew has THF Red Toad! Victor

Clarence, my thoughts exactly! Victor

I was able to pull the snap ring today! Yeay!!! Victor

Looks like another cool project Victor. I think Max and you have blood hound instincts for finding Hodakas !

Mac. I just kept my eyes and ears open. This one I found just looking thru various Craig’s List sales within driving distance. When the add said $300, I took a day drive! Victor

In today’s market $300 is hard to pass up !

That’s great I look probably 2 times a day for something to show up in my area

I look as far as I can drive out and back in one day. Sometimes I find a bike, or 2, where I must drive 8-10 hours one way. I’ll try to find family, close enough by, to spend a little time with a visit there. I considered a trip to Ohio once but my Dr. advised against it due to the spread of Covid earlier in 2019. Victor

I think that’s what I am going to have to do is broaden my search area hoping some stuff pops up know it will eventually

Well the cases and such are out to the vapor blaster. He will start on them this weekend! When he is done with them I can start motor building!

I’ve been able to sneak in to the garage from time and paint frame & frame parts. I also got the rear fender painted white. And today I put the first coat of Baby Blue on the colored pieces! Second coat tomorrow because it’s supposed to be even a few degrees warmer! Victor

Victor what sealer are you using on your engine cases? ---------------- Clarence

Usually none! I have them vapor blasted. Victor

Between the two engine cases when you put them together? ------- Clarence