I also did a little clean up just for the hobby of it. I prepped the big rust spot by sanding off rust with fine grit paper. You can also use steel wool, brass wool, or some crumpled aluminum foil depending on how much abrasiveness you need. I try to stick just to the spot, I don't mind a visible ridge of paint where it's chipped. Keeping the area you need to paint to a minimum is key, big spots are easier to see, especially if you don't mix your color right. I clean thoroughly with a damp cloth and make sure the site is free of debris or oils.
It took me a bit to get the color just right and hand-fill the broken decal. I touched up the big rust hole with a hand-mixed enamel, Testor's Dark Blue and Testor's Black for the body, and Testor's Steel for the decal lettering. Of course it looks better in this photo than close up IRL, but still better than a gapping rust spot. I ended up re-dinging that spot and more oxidized paint chips fell off so I had to paint it again. I'm getting a lot of practice hand lettering the bottom of the W and the O.
The brakes were stiff but could stop okay. Changing the cables and cable housing did the trick, this bike can now skid like hell out of control when you don't modulate the rear brake.
New leather straps:
Fresh hoods, new tape, a slightly more aggressive road bar for short hops, and my 77 is ready for a trip to work.
