This is all a lot of good information, and gets me started on the right track. Thanks everyone.

When looking for something with a bit of nostalgia, a somewhat easy restore based on availability of parts, has a certain personal appeal to me being made the year I was born, has the look I'm desiring, and as mentioned has a lot of knowledgeable people out there with maintenance experience......I think a '78 Shovel would fit the bill very nicely. I understand that the EVO might be better overall, but I think the Shovel is more in-line with what I'm looking for as a restore project. I was hesitant with the AMF years, but there have been some good posts here that make me more comfortable with the decision.

So, now I need to decide on a '78 model to go with. Then I can start looking online and checking with local shops here in south Texas. By the way, that '78 Low Ride pictured above is a real nice piece of machinery. That may just be where my search for a '78 begins.

 

Don't be put off by any year shovel , people slam the AMF yrs and it's been posted before that's second or third hand hogwash . I live for shovelheads they are my thing I've run a small shop out my garage for many years and the number of shovels I've worked on go into the hundreds . As stated before EVERY year bike had quirks and after 30+ yrs we know what they are & how to fix them all , no hidden surprises like today's overly complicated electronic sleds . My personal favorite years were the 66 to 74 for shovels , they were a little crude stock but when cleaned up and trimmed out damn they are good looking bike and a head turner in a crowd .

here's a shot of a stock 73 FLH that had sat for 17yrs we just finished with the oem paint still on it . Gets more attention at Sunday watering hole than any of the new ones .




If you want to customize and tweak off on one well away from stock it's the best starter platform you can get , had " Bitch " here 28+ yrs now and she's still my daily and at 93" it runs as hard as any of the new $35,000 ones around here . Go for you'll have a good time .

 

Damn I love those...especially that 73!!!!

 

Dual plug head Shovels...Good Job!

 

I would recommend an EVO. I had a 90 Heritage about 80-90% restored with 35,000 miles and I would trust it to go anywhere. Parts are everywhere and cheap. Needed a speed-O cable and the dealer had one in stock--$29 for braided steel and the dust was an inch thick. Wish I had it back. REALLY!

 

My current ride is an '85 EVO, very dependable, etc. But shovelheads do havea real cool factor. I've had two. I bought an '81 Low Rider new...no problems whatsover. Of course, that was toward the end of the AMF era when most problems were ironed out. However, I wouldn't be afraid of earlier AMF years. Yeah, there were problems, but like others said, the stories have become exagerated over the years. Plus, any bikes that had some of these problems have been repaired over the years. I don't really think it's an issue anymore. A '78 Super Glide/ Low Rider or FLH would be a great starting point!