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I have a "barn find" 1946 FL in need of a new life. If I choose to invest in either a partial or full restoration, who would be the best person or shop to do this? Preferably east coast.
The bike is not running a this time but appears to be all original. The bike is not for sale at this time but I would be interested in knowing what it is worth as it sits, cleaned up and running, and what a fully restored value would be.
Any advice is appreciated.
Get a hold of johnjzjz. He is active on the forum in the Panhead and Shovelhead section. He has a shop in New Jersey. Very knowledgeable & very honest & no BS kinda person.
I would suggest that the value in that bike is to keep it as close to original condition as possible. You go for a complete "restoration" you lose a large percentage of your value. I know it is not pretty as it sits and that a restoration makes it look all pretty, but a bike can only be "original" once. An "original" survivor will alway bring more than a "restored to original condition" bike.
Doesn't mean you have to keep 75 years of crud on it, doesn't mean you can't use something like Evapo-Rust to mitigate the rust or clean up the sheetmeat or fix wiring so that it doesn't catch fire first time you start it.
John would be a very good person to consult with however to determine what to mess with and what to leave alone.
Beautiful barn find you have just as it sits. Know zero about Knuckle models other than that they bring big bucks whenever the come up for sale.
Get a hold of johnjzjz. He is active on the forum in the Panhead and Shovelhead section. He has a shop in New Jersey. Very knowledgeable & very honest & no BS kinda person.
I would suggest that the value in that bike is to keep it as close to original condition as possible. You go for a complete "restoration" you lose a large percentage of your value. I know it is not pretty as it sits and that a restoration makes it look all pretty, but a bike can only be "original" once. An "original" survivor will alway bring more than a "restored to original condition" bike.
Doesn't mean you have to keep 75 years of crud on it, doesn't mean you can't use something like Evapo-Rust to mitigate the rust or clean up the sheetmeat or fix wiring so that it doesn't catch fire first time you start it.
John would be a very good person to consult with however to determine what to mess with and what to leave alone.
Beautiful barn find you have just as it sits. Know zero about Knuckle models other than that they bring big bucks whenever the come up for sale.
Thank you. This is exactly the information I needed.
Do NOT restore that motorcycle, money to the wind.
Get someone like like John to do a respectful mechanical restoration so you can take her out and enjoy the ride, but as far as the look, leave her alone. She earned all of that patina and worth more money like that.
Unless it becomes the 90's again, than chrome everything and ask $100k for her.
We can help PM me for phone and e mail - we are in north west jersey just starting a chassis up on 2 bikes a 1948 Indian chief just went up on the table today - for re assembly and a 1941 FL knucklehead still in the collecting and preparing for also a chassis up museum quality restorations both machines
also in the shop is a 1959 same family since 1961 under going mechanical up grades top end and linkert work
i am actually going to be in up state NY on Friday
DO NOT CHANGE THAT BEAUTY, I will buy it as it sits or trade you for something................looks to have been painted some time along the way , but its still got a great look.
Who is the best for vintage HD restorations
