1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross restored by
WELL, WHO KNOWS
I don’t think they should quit their day job.
The following is an unfortunate example of how you can be taken advantage of when buying from limited number of photos.
A customer sent me this bike to “Re-Restore” He purchased this bike for a large sum of money as a restored motorcycle. The sellers were under the impression they did a excellent job.
The first two photos are a reenactment of what the buyer got to see. This could happen to anyone. My heart goes out to my customer.
The rest of the photos are what he did not see.
There is a happy ending.
At the bottom of this page there will be a link to the bike after I re-restored it.
Caution! This is going to get ugly. Captions have a little sarcasm.
Nice looking bike. Right?
Right off, it is the wrong year tank. Wrong mounting bolt and wrong bolt size.
This is a 1971 and later tank not for 1970
Appears they ran the paint, so they just did the pin stripe over it.
Not the best paint job. Must have been a little cold or something.
Nice decal. Just stick it on when your done painting, no need to clear coat it and forget the 400 Cross decal that goes under it.
More tank defects and lots more I don’t show.
Original cap, that it is good, but the chrome worn off around the edges, not so.
It appears the hose is a little to big. I would be surprised the tank holds fuel.
Not good. Few defects.
Not pretty.
The front fender mount is for 72-73 and I guess dents and poor polishing is good enough? They forget the mud flap.
Few defects, not real good polish job, wrong style fender and wrong size fender washers.
Few dents in this inner fender, not so good paint work, didn’t finish the bondo repair, wrong rubber washer and no Disclaimer decal.
Looks like they forgot to restore the carb and the air bell brackets never had that hole in them for no reason.
Appears they ran out of NEW bolts for the fender.
Wrong year front fender mount. Clutch cable ran outside the motor mounts.
This exhaust is later version with springs and not of the clamp type. There was a conversion to do this but this is not it. Update: It was a later1973 450 pipe.
Center washers should be dual one piece.
I guess they did not think the shock covers needed new chrome. The other cover is the same with dents.
Update: The springs were two different spring rates.
Ah, don’t you just love Scotch Brite pads. No need to polish.
A few dings, the used spoke nipples look good when you stand back and we don’t need the stinking rim lock.
Update: Many of the spokes were longer ones cut and re-threaded. Tubes were used.
NOTE: See the space around the spoke nipple? The rim is laced backwards.
No, No, No. No allen cap screws on side covers. Nice surface finish.
What can I say? Dents and gouges in the pipe and bumps in the seat!
UPDATE! When I took the pipe off I found out they used a 1973 450 pipe not 400. AND in order to do that you have to cut off the four the cooling fins on the cylinder for it to fit.
So the pipe does not fit that well, its on isn’t it? Phew.
Few little oil leaks. So what.
Handle bar chrome?
At least 98 percent of the chrome is on.
Not the best homemade number plate bracket but it does do the job
No cable oilers? No need to polish the levers or throttle, and that throttle trap door looks fine, I guess.
And so what if the side number plate is different type from front one, They are all yellow.
Used handlebar clamp screws and washers. Oh, ya they look good.
So the wire loom cover is cracked, it will dry the wires in the wind.
Notch in the number plate? I don’t think so. Forgot the fender washers.
Not the best surface quality. What happened to the zinc coating on the shock spring retainers.
Lets cut the top of the chain guide off and then we have easy access to the rollers. What! Love those Japanese bolts.
Oops, wrong year chain guard. Boy that 71 parts bike came in handy. Chain should be ok, No?
Over spray from the engine quicky paint touch up. Shame, shame…….
I think you get the idea.
It’s a jungle out there.
Please be careful and know what your buying.
UPDATE: The piston, cylinder, cylinder head , connecting rod and several gears had to be replaced.
The brake plates, brake shoes and springs were sandblasted without being removed and then painted.
The carburetor was from a 1972 250, jetted for 74 and had a 1976 throttle slide.
The air cleaner cover aluminum standoff spacers turned out to be made from fork dampener rod. The rod was a tapered type, so each spacer was different diameter, tapered and all three were different lengths.
Many parts were spray painted over grease and dirt.
Here is the happy ending.
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