'48 Panead value?
Thread Starter
|
Stage I
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
'48 Panead value?
I'm looking at an old '48 Panhead and was wondering if anyone would have any insight to what it would be worth. Basically it's been sitting in a barn for some time. It doesn't run, probably due to an electrical problem. So with a new wiring harness it might be good to go. So with all that said I'm just wondering what it would be worth in that condition or what one ready to go would be worth.
How original it is will be a very large factor in determining a price. Pictures would help..
Road Captain
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 525
Likes: 9
From: Brooklyn
Need pics. Also look all over the internet. Some go for a lot of money and some not. I have been researching late 60's early 70's Sportsters and they are all over the map. Original stock appearance always brings way more money than chopped and modified.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 3,807
Likes: 1,488
From: SW Washington State
Visit www.hydra-glide.net You can not own a vintage bike and have fun with it unless you visit this site. Everything you need to know is there.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,499
Likes: 3,717
From: Santa Klaus County, Cali
Have a 49 EL and a 65 FLH. As has been mentioned, the closer to stock the better the value. Lots of folks go overboard on old bikes and then try to call it "restored" when all it is is a V-Twin/Tawain Tedd collection of parts with way too much chrome.
An unrestored barn find will usually be worth more than one restored because a bike can only be "original condition" one time. With that you are stuck trying to determine if, in the barn find condition, the bike can be driven or it needs major work to get it going. Then it might be necessary to go to a "restored condition" using as many NOS/OEM parts as you can find.
Parts (original and not the C h i n k $hit) for old iron are becoming increasingly expensive. Been riding pans since October of '70 and I wish I had some of the parts I took off some of my pans in order to chop them. But guys were chopping bikes even in the 40/50/60s so if the bike has already been chopped, sometimes the value is in keeping it a correct period piece chopper rather than attempting to get it back to original configuration.
Couple of things....
Get an opportunity, pics always help, good quality and not the size of an avatar.
Someone posted up the hydra-glide site, another is www.caimag.com.
Get a copy of Palmers Guide on restoration of Harley Davidson Motorcycles. There are several on Amazon I am told but hold off spending your money. He is currently in the process of putting a new one together and correcting some of the mistakes in his earlier work (at 600 pages + pictures, there was going to be a couple of mistakes made). It is IMO the best guide on HD motorcycles. Word is that Donny Petersen is also working on a complete guide on pans (he already has one for the Evos and two volumes for the shovels). If so the two will be an excellent resource.
An unrestored barn find will usually be worth more than one restored because a bike can only be "original condition" one time. With that you are stuck trying to determine if, in the barn find condition, the bike can be driven or it needs major work to get it going. Then it might be necessary to go to a "restored condition" using as many NOS/OEM parts as you can find.
Parts (original and not the C h i n k $hit) for old iron are becoming increasingly expensive. Been riding pans since October of '70 and I wish I had some of the parts I took off some of my pans in order to chop them. But guys were chopping bikes even in the 40/50/60s so if the bike has already been chopped, sometimes the value is in keeping it a correct period piece chopper rather than attempting to get it back to original configuration.
Couple of things....
Get an opportunity, pics always help, good quality and not the size of an avatar.
Someone posted up the hydra-glide site, another is www.caimag.com.
Get a copy of Palmers Guide on restoration of Harley Davidson Motorcycles. There are several on Amazon I am told but hold off spending your money. He is currently in the process of putting a new one together and correcting some of the mistakes in his earlier work (at 600 pages + pictures, there was going to be a couple of mistakes made). It is IMO the best guide on HD motorcycles. Word is that Donny Petersen is also working on a complete guide on pans (he already has one for the Evos and two volumes for the shovels). If so the two will be an excellent resource.
Last edited by panz4ever; Mar 5, 2014 at 09:58 AM.
Trending Topics
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9,511
Likes: 13,828
From: Pa.
Just don't be in a big hurry to do anything if you're worried about the value. Depends on a lot of things, but sometimes these old bikes are best left alone (even if not running) if they are highly original.
See it happen all the time with old guns. Guy find an old, rare, highly valuable gun that's in rough shape. He then "fixes" it, and polishes all up nice and shiney....taking all the value out of it.
See it happen all the time with old guns. Guy find an old, rare, highly valuable gun that's in rough shape. He then "fixes" it, and polishes all up nice and shiney....taking all the value out of it.
Last edited by AJSHOVEL; Mar 5, 2014 at 09:54 AM.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window
Verdad Gallardo
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,499
Likes: 3,717
From: Santa Klaus County, Cali
Value can determined by many things including what one is willing to pay as well as what one is willing to let it go for. MoCo only produced just under 13K pans in 1948 and a total of 29K overall. Not many are still on the road today. Compare that with MoCo today and how many units do they put out what something like 250-300K units? Think most of the "value" advise comes from the later model discussion and not bikes of this era. And dollar for dollar I think the value of old iron will hold up well. Pans and shovel took a serious hit during the economic collapse a few years back. Didn't seem to affect knuckles or pre-war bikes a bit. Values are slowly returning...
Last edited by panz4ever; Mar 5, 2014 at 01:59 PM.