Thread: Headlight ears K3 chromed or painted

Get on some of the Euro sites. They have complete CT's and Dax's and see them in some of their sites from time to time. Aussie sites also.

Not sure what to pay ? I suppose if someone found them we would have to work out a price. I can't do a 100 point resto without them. I assume the painted ones are exactly the same as the chrome ones but obviously just need to be stripped and chromed ?

for a good non dented/bent pair be prepared to pay over $80 and possibly into the hundreds , which is a good deal considering to restore a damaged pair will cost over $150 plus the cost of the ears.

pair I bought was dented and pitted for $60
pair I sold was dented pitted and bent for $30

keep in mind these are prices for chrome ones, I would expect half the price for painted

JP, I would be happy to pay $80 or thereabouts for a good straight pair of these.

Thanks everyone for the help with the headlight ears. I was posted a set this week in mint condition, no dents, twists or damage. And the best part, I only had to pay for postage and a small present from Australia.

Originally Posted by pigsy

a small present from Australia.

Let me guess........a didgeridoo? (not exactally small).





Perhaps a jar of Vegimite (tastes hideous)

If your goal is a 100-point bike, then at some point the waiter is going to present you with a reality check. Beginning with the K2 model, production numbers went off the proverbial cliff. Those pre`80 turn signal stalks are too long for the bike, most likely to meet some arbitrary US DOT spec, which made them not just damage-prone but damage magnets. The 2-piece inner/outer shell construction makes these parts damn near impossible to repair. Just to add some final decoration to the icing on this cake, the chrome was really lame. A K3 restorer could not have dreamt of a more perfect shitstorm.

Repairing a dented K3 headlight ear rates 15 on a difficulty scale of 0 - 10. The only way to straighten the metal is a combination of hammer & dolly. The ears themselves have to be cut apart to allow access, then they have to be re-welded and in such a way as to replicate the factory appearance. With chrome, the only filler possible is solid metal. These are of thin sheetmetal construction, which basically limits the restorer to a single option...low-temp silver brazing. Even then, it's nearly impossible to prevent heat warpage. The plating shop has to receive a headlight ear that's virtually the same as what Honda sent for chroming 37 years ago. Only they were virgin parts then. So, the first step, before walking to the tool cabinet for the first time, is to have the original chrome stripped...if you can find a shop that's willing & able to do this. Once the metalfinishing is done, the original pre-plated surface texture must be replicated (it wasn't polished) and that comes down to the restorer to get it right. All-in, the project involves seven stages of which none are quick and only a couple might be considered easy.

Almost every project has one or two details that come in with swollen price tags. Chrome headlight ears can now be considered billet unobtainium. A perfect R+L pair for less than $250 isn't bad value, all things considered. And, within the context of a $3500 project a 7% premium for one of the rarer models just isn't enough to result in sleep loss. For anyone who considers the current market price of these parts daunting...stick around for the next few years and we'll all be discussing "the good old days" when $250 was all that stood between restorer and perfection.

Thanks for the info, sounds good but why have you gone to this detail in how to repair the headlight ears? As mentioned in my last post, the ones I have now are MINT, no dents, cracking, twists etc and I don't know why you think it's so hard to find someone to strip the chrome ? it got done this week and the base metal looks perfect.

Anyway, the turn signal signal storks are the least of the problem there seems to be heaps of these around, I came across two sets last week which just need to be re-chromed.

And to finish, isn't it the goal of most restorers to get a 100 point resto ? at least start out with this and give a try. If I wanted a peice of crap I would have bought a Chinese replica !!

Originally Posted by racerx

If your goal is a 100-point bike, then at some point the waiter is going to present you with a reality check. Beginning with the K2 model, production numbers went off the proverbial cliff. Those pre`80 turn signal stalks are too long for the bike, most likely to meet some arbitrary US DOT spec, which made them not just damage-prone but damage magnets. The 2-piece inner/outer shell construction makes these parts damn near impossible to repair. Just to add some final decoration to the icing on this cake, the chrome was really lame. A K3 restorer could not have dreamt of a more perfect shitstorm.

Repairing a dented K3 headlight ear rates 15 on a difficulty scale of 0 - 10. The only way to straighten the metal is a combination of hammer & dolly. The ears themselves have to be cut apart to allow access, then they have to be re-welded and in such a way as to replicate the factory appearance. With chrome, the only filler possible is solid metal. These are of thin sheetmetal construction, which basically limits the restorer to a single option...low-temp silver brazing. Even then, it's nearly impossible to prevent heat warpage. The plating shop has to receive a headlight ear that's virtually the same as what Honda sent for chroming 37 years ago. Only they were virgin parts then. So, the first step, before walking to the tool cabinet for the first time, is to have the original chrome stripped...if you can find a shop that's willing & able to do this. Once the metalfinishing is done, the original pre-plated surface texture must be replicated (it wasn't polished) and that comes down to the restorer to get it right. All-in, the project involves seven stages of which none are quick and only a couple might be considered easy.

Almost every project has one or two details that come in with swollen price tags. Chrome headlight ears can now be considered billet unobtainium. A perfect R+L pair for less than $250 isn't bad value, all things considered. And, within the context of a $3500 project a 7% premium for one of the rarer models just isn't enough to result in sleep loss. For anyone who considers the current market price of these parts daunting...stick around for the next few years and we'll all be discussing "the good old days" when $250 was all that stood between restorer and perfection.

No.......he just wanted the Sydney Harbour Bridge. If you think Vegemite is hideous? I bet you eat that over processed, salty, fatty, preservative filled McDonalds crap ? Or let me guess, Dunkin Donuts?

Originally Posted by hornetgod

Let me guess........a didgeridoo? (not exactally small).





Perhaps a jar of Vegimite (tastes hideous)

My opinion is , You should take Racer's quote as it was meant, Bob is probably the most knowledgable person on this site and has helped many people along the way, he is stating a fact as to what most people will go through to get a nice piece for there project, count yourself lucky to get a set, I gave up finding a good set when I was doing my '74, and I live in the States! I imagine the regulations might be a little more lax in Austrailia as far as chroming is concerned(I might be wrong) but we are stuck with what we get and it's not cheap. Also IMOP Vegimite stinks! LOL!
Anyway, have fun with your resto and please post pics.
Don

Originally Posted by pigsy

No.......he just wanted the Sydney Harbour Bridge. If you think Vegemite is hideous? I bet you eat that over processed, salty, fatty, preservative filled McDonalds crap ? Or let me guess, Dunkin Donuts?

Mmmmm.....your making me Hungry. Wait! Don't forget White Castles