Original Fibreglass Metal Flake Tanks

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interstateOz

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May 16, 2010
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hi there, im currently trying to find an original fibreglas blue metal flake tank to match my side covers for my 1970 roadster, i was wondering if anyone here knows anywhere that may still have one or two hidde away or even if there avaiable or ever come up for sale???
I would love one to match with my original side covers :D

Thanks heaps!
 
I must say that you need to be a wee bit more patient. It may take you a while to find the tank you want. :roll:
 
The panels are available at British Spares in NZ, but I have never seen the tank. The part number for the Blue Fireflake tank is 06.1110 from the '69 Spares supplement. I doubt if anyone is making them, and an original one in good shape will be near impossible to find. Good Luck.

Dave
69S
 
It will be very difficult to find a 'glass metalflake tank that has not been painted in the last 40 some years. The blue ones were only made in '69 and '70, so that will make them even more rare.
 
hhmmmm thanks guys for ur reply, yeh i know patience is the key to any and all good Nortons, although i know nothing is impossible i think they would be pretty rare, i think if i cannot get an original il just go with the black instead it just seems a shame to paint the original blue metal flake side covers black, they look sooo good sparkling, thanks heaps.
 
Buy a second set of side pannels and paint them along with the tank and keep your shinney like new side pannels hanging on the wall in hopes of that tank showing up sometime in the future. Knowing my luck as soon as I painted over the side pannels the tank would show up on E-bay or something like that.
 
Why not paint a new or good used tank to match the side panels?
 
Ron L said:
It will be very difficult to find a 'glass metalflake tank that has not been painted in the last 40 some years. The blue ones were only made in '69 and '70, so that will make them even more rare.
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I've got one! Original Fireflake Royal Blue, never painted. I was never able to find a matching set of unpainted sidepanels in good condtiion though. A couple of times I saw a single sidepanel on ebay (they bring good money), but never a matched set.

There were actually two shades of blue metalflake bodywork: Royal Blue like my tank, and Sapphire Blue on the earlier models. Royal Blue is a little darker and was produced for the 1970 through 1972 model years. Sapphire Blue was 1969 only (according to Roy Bacon).

A friend of mine bought a basket case a few years ago that came with Sapphire Blue tank and sidepanels. The bodywork was in poor condition, but I could see from the unfaded areas that it was definitely lighter than my tank.

My tank has seen better days too. The top has sun fading and crazing and I've noticed recently it's looking a little "bumpy" on the top surface, probably from ethanol getting past the Caswell coating.

Debby
 
I just thought id ask another question i have been wondering about fibreglass tanks, if the original metal flake tanks are damaged i guess they are not repairable is that right? I guess here in Australia were a bit luckier as ive never talked to anyone thats had petrol/gas affect there tanks on there bikes, i dont think we have ethanol in our petrol, i guess we are luckier than u guys in the US.

Thanks
Adam
 
Adam NSW will have no 91 ulp by next year, only E10 or pulp. So be careful if you fill up in new south as a lot of garages have done away with 91 ulp and only have e10 so you only fill up with pulp (no ethanol in Pulp). I only have run pulp in my bikes. Have you thought about a fibre glass copy made of your tank, to match your side covers. I had a quote from a bike shop to copy my Fastback tank in the same fibre glass colour with the same metal flake finish for less than a 2nd hand tank. I did not go ahead as I did not feel comfortable leaving my tank to be used to form a mould which he could use over again, not many fastback tanks around. If it was my roadster tank I would have no problem leaving the tank with them as they can be replaced. Just a thought.
Ian
 
Adam NSW will have no 91 ulp by next year, only E10 or pulp. So be careful if you fill up in new south as a lot of garages have done away with 91 ulp and only have e10 so you only fill up with pulp (no ethanol in Pulp). I only have run pulp in my bikes. Have you thought about a fibre glass copy made of your tank, to match your side covers. I had a quote from a bike shop to copy my Fastback tank in the same fibre glass colour with the same metal flake finish for less than a 2nd hand tank. I did not go ahead as I did not feel comfortable leaving my tank to be used to form a mould which he could use over again, not many fastback tanks around. If it was my roadster tank I would have no problem leaving the tank with them as they can be replaced. Just a thought.
Ian
 
hi Ian thats actually a great idea i will look into it further il do dome hunting around and try and find one that sounds like they know what there doing, thanks for that good idea!
 
What was the name of the place that gave u a quote that said they could do it, if u remember?
Thanks
Adam
 
I've got one! Original Fireflake Royal Blue, never painted. I was never able to find a matching set of unpainted sidepanels in good condtiion though. A couple of times I saw a single sidepanel on ebay (they bring good money), but never a matched set.

There were actually two shades of blue metalflake bodywork: Royal Blue like my tank, and Sapphire Blue on the earlier models. Royal Blue is a little darker and was produced for the 1970 through 1972 model years. Sapphire Blue was 1969 only (according to Roy Bacon).
Click to expand...

Yes, there seems to be a lot of uncertainly on metallic blue color Commandos. My buddy who has a one owner '69 'S' swears that blue was not offered in '69. The blue and red tanks on the '69 and '70 'S' had huge metalflake in them. Of course this was gelcoat and not paint. I bought a NOS 1971 Fireflake Royal Blue Fastback tail section from the NOC spares scheme in the early '80's that was much smaller flake. We would call it metallic as opposed to metalflake. You can see it even in the '71 brochure http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Brochures/1970/1971Commando.pdf. Quite different from the '69-'70 stuff.

Then I bought my 750 Roadster in 1973, again it's called Fireflake blue, but is a steel tank and the color is paint. This is definitely a metallic and appears to be over a black or dark base. (Still has tthe orginal paint)

A friend bought a '74 850 Roadster in blue and it was obviously over a lighter base and had no dark flecks in it as my set does.

My point is all these were listed as Fireflake Royal blue in the parts books, but look quite different. I've never found a reference to the Sapphire Blue other than in Bacon's book.
 
My point is all these were listed as Fireflake Royal blue in the parts books, but look quite different. I've never found a reference to the Sapphire Blue other than in Bacon's book.

The 1969 Brochure (The norton Experience - the four fold one with a red fastback on the cover) introduces the Commando 750 'S' type and say it comes in 'Fire Flake' Red or Sapphire Blue.
 
The '69/70 supplement Spares list for the '69 'S' in the '68 Spares book only lists "Red" and "Blue" for the panels and the tank. That's no help.

Dave
69S
 
From Jim Bush's extensive treatise on the 'S'

"•1969 S colours were fire flake red, solid sapphire blue and later in fire flake blue"

Can't say I have ever seen a solid blue fiberglass tank (save for the '72 Interstate tank)
 
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