1982 Honda ATC 185S Resurrection

[FLynes]

Hi all,

I bought this 1982 Honda ATC 185S off of Craigslist for $100. I know that, to many people, it probably looked like a basket case not worth the time to restore, but I have a soft spot for things that have been neglected and need to be fixed. I introduced myself on this thread: http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthr...n-Angelo-Texas . Since my uncle, who passed away in 2004, had a 1982 ATC 185S, I thought this would be a great way to feel like he was still around.

As long as I have a manual to follow and the right tools, it's hard to screw things up. I did have to order a puller, but I had everything else. I consider fixing this trike good therapy, especially after a long day of instructing young Soldiers.

So far, I've sanded down the frame, forks and rear plastic (still missing the front plastic) and painted everything. I've had great luck with Krylon Fusion, so I chose Red Pepper and did the forks and rear plastic with it; I am very happy with the results. This weekend I stripped the engine down to pieces, degreased everything in my parts washer and then threw the case parts in the dishwasher. A nice coat of Duplicolor Cast Aluminum made everything look great.

My next project is to get a cylinder jug, mike it and hope I can get away with just honing, and get a rebuild kit to put everything back together again. Here are my before and during pics....all comments and suggestions are welcomed.

[shortline10]

Looks great !!

[Worden18]

Very cool. It's nice to see someone take the time to bring it back to life. Enjoy the journey! Keep us updated

[Big G]

That engine paint almost looks bang on! Are you going to do the wheels the same color?

[dustrunner]

great job...keep up the good work....

[FLynes]

That engine paint almost looks bang on! Are you going to do the wheels the same color?

I actually bought some Duplicolor Stainless Steel and painted the drum brake side of the front wheel. I like the way it turned out, so I think I'm going to stick with that, just to give it a hint of contrast. I have been very pleased with Duplicolor products, as well as the Krylon Fusion paints. Preparation is the key to getting the paint to adhere properly.

[Keepah Rolln]

Looking good. I also have a 1982 185 that I am getting ready to tackle this spring..I got mine for free and its in alot worse shape..

[FLynes]

Scuffed the rear wheels with my drill this evening and hit them with the Duplicolor Stainless Steel. I know I oversprayed onto the tires, but they're getting replaced, so it doesn't bother me. Tomorrow, I'll take the footpegs off and spray them with Duplicolor Gloss Black.

Here are the pics.

[FLynes]

I decided to go ahead and do the footpegs, since we have an extra hour of light! I also painted the front engine mounts and mocked the bottom end into the frame, to motivate me. I don't think I've been this excited about something, unless you count my CJ-5 restoration, which is a slow work in progress....this resto gives me more immediate satisfaction.

[sstark82]

Really digging the restoration! I was looking for an idea on my engine, debating whether to paint her up or just scrub her down. I like the Duplicolor cast aluminum to the engine idea! looks like that may be the way I go! Here is another idea that you may like. On my 81 atc200 I rebuilt the pullstarter (after the rope broke in my hands) and spruced it up with a few layers of Krylon High Gloss enamel. I am happy with it and it gives a little contrast as well. Let me know what you think!

[FLynes]

Really digging the restoration! I was looking for an idea on my engine, debating whether to paint her up or just scrub her down. I like the Duplicolor cast aluminum to the engine idea! looks like that may be the way I go! Here is another idea that you may like. On my 81 atc200 I rebuilt the pullstarter (after the rope broke in my hands) and spruced it up with a few layers of Krylon High Gloss enamel. I am happy with it and it gives a little contrast as well. Let me know what you think!

I gotta tell ya that I really do like that contrast and am gonna steal your idea! That looks sharp! I need to completely derust the inside of my starter housing. Since no one makes a decal, I was thinking of making a stencil of the Honda logo, then painting on there.

Thanks for the idea, keep em coming!

[sstark82]

Go to Ebay, There are a bunch of decals and stickers there for these oldies. I believe there was a silver and black one on there the other day, it doesnt say "made in Japan" but it may be a nice addition. There are also original tank and fender decals there as well. Was your seat pan shot on yours? Mine is toast, as you could see, Duct tape and Gorilla Tape is holding mine together.

[jb2wheels]

I love the Duplicolor Cast Coat Aluminum color engine paint. I used it on my 350X swingarm, too:










But I prefer the Duplicolor silver wheel paint for the wheels - it's what I used on these crappy old TRX wheels:

[marc250Red]

Great ! Good job

[FLynes]

Go to Ebay, There are a bunch of decals and stickers there for these oldies. I believe there was a silver and black one on there the other day, it doesnt say "made in Japan" but it may be a nice addition. There are also original tank and fender decals there as well. Was your seat pan shot on yours? Mine is toast, as you could see, Duct tape and Gorilla Tape is holding mine together.

I've seen the tank and fender decals for the 185S....I've also seen the triangular decals that go on the fender, by the rider's legs, somewhere else....I have it all saved on my home computer. Yes, my seat pan was completely shot...rusted beyond repair, but I managed to find a seat on eBay, which has a near-mint seat pan; the seat does need to be recovered, but it only has about three slight rips in it....I got lucky and bought it for $89.