Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1525821
September 2024 35 With chrome rims and rust-free handlebars, there was no ques on this DT1MX had been in dry storage all its life. Straight rims, s ll fi ed with the original Dunlop Sports knobbies, con- firmed my thoughts. Other tell-tale signs, like foot peg wear and a kick-start lever that was s ll ght, told the rest of the story. Ini al plans were to wake it up mechanically and leave the pa na, but a er closer inspec on, the red paint job was horribly executed. I suspect it was mastered by a kid back in the '70s, as who- ever handled the brush painted right over the old mud, dirt, and grease. All plated items and anything bolted to the frame were painted with some sort of silver colored very thick mung. Be- ing a real DT1MX, this bike was just too cool and deserved to be dressed up a bit. Before stripping the chassis down to every last nut and bolt, a parts list was gathered. I like to have most of the components replaced on hand before exploding a bike all over the shop. It minimizes assembly me and reduces lost parts. All cables were ordered from KDI Reproduc ons (kdirepros.com) along with a new seat cover. The carburetor was totally disassembled and cleaned in an ultrasonic tank before reassembly. Although not perfect, the original tanks, oil, and fuel, were s ll spor ng original factory paint. Hav- ing sat for decades with fuel in it, the gas tank was somewhat nasty. A trick I found years back was to flush the tank out as best as possible, then pour in a few bo les of toilet bowl cleaner. "The Works" found at the Dollar Store works great for a job such as this. With a capacity of two gallons and more than a bit cruddy inside, three bo les of The Works was dumped in the tank. Being water-ac vated, the tank was filled to the brim with the hose, where it sat for 24 hours or so. A quick glance inside proved The Works had done the job. What was a rusty, gooey mess, was now shiny fresh metal. To pre- vent flash-rus ng, I like to fill the tank with waste oil un l I'm ready to use the bike. If it's going to be put into use immediately, I'll slosh some pre-mix through (this is where ethanol fuel is actually useful as it absorbs water), dump it out, and re-fill with pre-mix to coat the tank. Whether it be a 2-stroke or 4-stroke, I've yet to have a problem with this method.