1971 750 Roadster Fireflake Golden Bronze

Johny-G · Oct 6, 2013

It took nearly two years but I've finally finished my Commando rebuild. It should be on the road this week for the first time since 1991. It's had nearly everything done and cost loads more than it's worth but I'm pleased with it.

1971 750 Roadster Fireflake Golden Bronze

Roadrash · Oct 6, 2013

Congratulations!
Looks excellent. Could you show us some better pics? I was thinking of similar paint for my 71 project.

concours · Oct 6, 2013

Hi, Welcome! Looks good from a distance (better pics please!) Is that a re-paint? Or original?

Johny-G · Oct 6, 2013

Thanks for your comments here are some more photos. The paint seems original because the gold leaf flakes and base colour are actually in the gel coat of the fibre glass, but I have a small doubt about the tank because it's just too good and the lettering in the decal doesn't have the black outline to match the side panel. Does anybody know whether the tank and side panel lettering had the black outline for the 1971 UK bike?

L.A.B. · Oct 6, 2013

Johny-G said:
The paint seems original because the gold leaf flakes and base colour are actually in the gel coat of the fibre glass, but I have a small doubt about the tank because it's just too good and the lettering in the decal doesn't have the black outline to match the side panel.

The 750 "Fireflake" colour schemes didn't have a pinstripe, only the Black Roadster, and none of the 750 colour schemes had pinstripes on the side panels as standard.

http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Broch ... chures.htm

http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/A_Link/Norton_A.htm

The 1971 parts book lists the "Norton" tank decal as: "Gold/Black Edge" (062021) the only alternative listed for '71 was 062022 "All Black".

Hobot · Oct 7, 2013

Dang Jonny they don't get any more detailed beautiful so a shame to have the nic pics point out its non issued features. Yum.

nortriubuell · Oct 7, 2013

Gorgeous "Fireflake Golden Bronze" beauty ya got thar' yesiree. 8) Always been my favorite Norton color, and OEM ones are very rare indeed. Below is a pic of my repaint set of "Fireflake Golden Bronze" (more like metalflake orange though, closest match I could find; and it's a STEEL gas tank) ... in Norton 850 livery (pinstripes and 850 stickers on sidecovers. I kept a lookout for 20+ plus years for a set ... and finally found these on ebay.

Rohan · Oct 7, 2013

If the pinstripe has been applied over the gelcoat, maybe it could be polished out.
Possibly without even disturbing the gelcoat ?

B+Bogus · Oct 8, 2013

Very pretty bike!

Interesting that the flakes are in the gelcoat - I've done a couple of blue ones where the flakes were definitely sprayed on, and a silver one where the flakes were definitely in the gelcoat.
The only way to be sure is to sand them out :shock:

I believe the correct decals for the glass tank are actually waterslide transfers - I used stencils & paint

I couldn't find a proper match for the Golden Bronze, but the more 'orangey' colour still looks OK to me

Thomasdunstall · Oct 8, 2013

Hi Johny,
Look at the Fastback 71 in fireflake golden bronze

sorry for the picture i couldn't resize
black decals on the thanks and gold on side cover
Roadsters should have both in black
http://thomasdunstall.blogspot.it/searc ... n%20Bronze
It keeps its original paint on tank and tail (only polished) with new decals
How it was just before

Thomas

dingbat · Jan 13, 2016

hi after looking at the photos of your 71 commando i,m pretty sure it used to be mine! if so i owned it from 87 to 2010 [ish] i would be happy to answer any questions about the bikes history .

Paddy_SP · Jan 13, 2016

dingbat said:
hi after looking at the photos of your 71 commando i,m pretty sure it used to be mine! if so i owned it from 87 to 2010 [ish] i would be happy to answer any questions about the bikes history .

On a different note, can I ask where your username came from? I used to have a 750 hillclimb racer called 'Dingbat'!

rwalker28 · Jan 13, 2016

Bee-u-ti-ful...

That is mostly likely the color I am going to use on my 1974 restoration. (although I do wish that metal flake purple was a 1974 color, so too hard to do...my hang up there.)

Nice and thanks for sharing!!!

pouchy750 · Jan 13, 2016

My 1971 Commando Roaster had the original Fireflake Golden Bronze tank with silver Norton decal, no pin strip.
Not sure about the side covers, they had already been re sprayed by a previous owner.

pierodn · Jan 14, 2016

Fireflake golden bronze is my favourite Commando colour.
Your bike is beautifull.
Please, howewer change the 850 seat.
Ciao
Piero

aceaceca · Jan 14, 2016

Very nice piece of work Johny-g. When I see those nice metal flake colors it takes me back to when I bought my first Norton in North Finchley back in 1970. The shop owner took us into the back yard of his little cottage shop. He opened a rickety old wood shed that was full of Nortons. There were all these lovely metal flake colors as well as the plain yellow. I got the blue metal flake and my brother got the plain yellow. Seeing all those sparkling colored bikes sitting all side by side gave one a rush of excitement.

B+Bogus · Jan 14, 2016

FF Golden Bronze is one of my top three, and after painting my PR I finally got a source of the correct colour.
Not sure I'm about to re-spray the PR, but now I know it isn't 100% correct it's a bit of a niggle :|

Was this a correct colour for the 'S' type, or just the very early Roadster?

Rohan · Jan 15, 2016

B+Bogus said:
Was this a correct colour for the 'S' type, or just the very early Roadster?

Why wouldn't this be a correct colour for the S type.
As in, the factory didn't offer it ?
Or your Norton logo isn't the right color ?

B+Bogus · Jan 15, 2016

Rohan said:
B+Bogus said:

Was this a correct colour for the 'S' type, or just the very early Roadster?

Click to expand...

Why wouldn't this be a correct colour for the S type.
As in, the factory didn't offer it ?
Or your Norton logo isn't the right color ?

I don't recall seeing an 'S' in this colour, so I'm curious

I'm in the process of putting one together and I'm fighting the temptation to go purple, and I've already got a FF blue 850.
I have a suspicion the bronze and green schemes only came in after the 'S' was dropped but can't be certain.

Yes the tank decals aren't correct but they're what the customer wanted

DogT · Jan 15, 2016

I'm fairly certain the S didn't come in bronze. But if it's what you want......

1971 750 Roadster Fireflake Golden Bronze

Johny-G

Roadrash

concours

Johny-G

L.A.B.

Moderator

Hobot

nortriubuell

Rohan

B+Bogus

Thomasdunstall

dingbat

Paddy_SP

rwalker28

pouchy750

pierodn

aceaceca

B+Bogus

Rohan

B+Bogus

DogT

Similar threads