z1000 a1 /2 diamond sky blue

[John hallard]

can anyone post a clear picture showing the colour of a z1000 1977 diamond sky blue with original decal layout...your help would be appreciated..thank you

[Iain marshall]

John hope this is of some help,its off the back of the sales brochure

[John hallard]

Thanks Iain, still not conclusive as a clear colour match,i have read somewhere that it can look a green colour and this does...! any one else got piccies,....... thank you

[chrisNI]

Mine was originally green - they only list two colours for the A1 - red and blue but there are loads of green ones and as you probably know the red ones can be anything from red to almost burgundy.. See this one on ebay mentioned on the discussion board - mine wasn't a kick in the arse off that colour when it was new.

I have a photo somewhere of an original (very faded) striped tank with Iain holding a Z1OC membership card beside it for scale to stripe width if it's any use.

[Keith]

John

i've been trying for the diamond wine red but as with all the kwaka shades it's probably impossible to get an exact match to the "original" without a sample for the painter to match up to.

i spoke to john whyatt @ rising sun restorations the other week about something and mentioned kawasaki shades - his pianter was off but said that if he had codes for best match he would let me have them - painter is due back in next week or so and i'll follow up and ask about the blue at same time - will let you know outcome

Regards

Keith

[MaineKZ]

Hi John
The A1 colours are a thorny old issue. I went to see one the other week that had the original paint and stripes and it was midway between green and blue. I gather the colour was achieved by spraying a 'candy' tinted lacquer over a silver base coat - hence the huge variation - so there really isn't one 'definitive' colour. i have a theory that they achieved the colour by spraying both blue and green candies?
Anyhow, here's a pic of the A1 KZ I own in the States - original paint and VERY green - though you can see the blueish hue on the ducktail - if you squint! Ignore the brown patches - that's the colour it fades to after prolonged sun exposure! Kwacker paint is wierd.
Hope that's confused things for you...

[John hallard]

Thanks for all your help,i agree the paints on kwaks are a very subjective, i think i will spray it black , unless anyone knows of a darker colour.......!

[Keith]

john

what shade of black do you have in mind then?

Keith

[John hallard]

The shade you would paint a red door..........!!

[Sorf]

John,
There was a bloke way down here in Oz who I think did this colour.
From memory I'm sure he got hold of a NOS tail and matched from there.
Could probably put you in touch if your keen.

[John hallard]

sorf

Fair dinkum, i could send the missus with it as she is an aussie ,what part are you from........

[GEZ635]

I have an original diamiond sky blue tank still in the box so I will dig it out and take some decent photos of it for you. Bought it over 20 years ago from Kustom Kawasaki in Hednesford for ?10( the shop had stopped selling Kwak bits and we asked if the new owner had any stock left...oh yes he did!!). We also picked up Z1/Z1B paintwork for the same money. Just out of interest, we recently took these tanks upto Dave Marsden to see how good a match his repro paintwork is against an original tank that has never been on a bike...and believe me they are an excellent match. I have recently used a green and yellow z1a and a candy red from z power for two of my customers bikes and they look fantastic. Sorry to change the subject!. I will try and post you some pics this week.

Gez

[Sorf]

sorf

Fair dinkum, i could send the missus with it as she is an aussie ,what part are you from........

Wise choice Originally from NSW - Central Coast, now in Tassie.
Maybe you could offer GEZ ?20 for his tank..........he'll double his money, you get the colour......a win / win outcome

[phil churchett]

GEZ635, are you the guy i used to see at Clay Cross Open day years ago, i also saw you at Bassetts Pole last year?

[John hallard]

sorf

missus says her watch dont go back 10 yrs otherwise she woul [joke in there somwhere] good idea about gez doubling his cash ,i would even triple it ,or stick to z theme i would give him four times,thread gone quiet though.

john