When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Its almost as far apart as it can be now.....so first I need to clean up this mess. I will have black grease under my fingernails for weeks!!! What I have learned so far:
- It is NOT original paint.....which is fine, but I liked that idea when I bought the bike...but?? I need to find out who painted it, and if I can get a paint code for the chips repair.
- I need to send the speedometer out for rebuild...retaining original miles.
- I have found and bought ONE new Harley NOS muffler....looking for another Harley NOS muffler.
- Definitely need a new wire harness, so will order that. I would love to keep the handlebar wires sleeve gray like original, but it appears the new harness has black sleeve.
- The wheel rims are beyond hope for me.....too much rust pitting.
- Inside of fuel tanks are spotless and clean.
- I will be getting frame, swingarm, and a few other black steel parts blasted and powdercoated.....going to try and carefully salvage the VIN sticker on right downtube so I can reinstall it.
- I will be opening up, inspecting and rebuilding the transmission and engine.....I just hope I can keep it to a minimum and use what I have. As I said....NO UPGRADES. I want to experience the bike the way Harley built it.
- For me......this is the stage of building that is THE most fun.
Last edited by Shovels & Vettes; Mar 11, 2025 at 05:06 AM.
I would like to only have real Harley parts......but in some case I may have no choice. And.....my personal experience with aftermarket parts is that most of the stuff is often better than Harley parts...especially from the AMF years. I have been looking for nice NOS front and rear fender tips....and I did find some new in the box, Harley NOS rear fender tips.....the the quality of the real Harley parts is kinds of marginal. I found it to be true with the NOS mufflers I found.....not as nice as the Aftermarket repros. So.....I have to decide what is acceptable to me and what I want the bike to be in the end. Originally.....I wanted the patina of an old bike....and try very hard NOT to over-restore.....but, that is now up in the air. What I will NOT do is turn this shovel into a MODERN Harley. NO UPGRADES. Did that before....big mistake. It just engineered the COOL right out of the bike. I already have a 2004 Road King that is plenty good.....but it will NEVER be a SHovel.
Not my experience with Harley parts. They bolt right up. Aftermarket parts usually have to be massaged to fit. Agree with your philosophy on the upgrades. Lots of guys try to modify their bikes to attempt to get more modern performance. To each his own but like you, I leave them as stock as possible. Brakes are marginal especially the front but you have to ride with your head on a swivel to try and anticipate what the other idiots may do. You have to visualize what you want in the end. I have a couple restored bikes and I find that I dont ride them as much in fear of picking up a paint chip etc. More fun on the riders with no worries.
- Definitely need a new wire harness, so will order that. I would love to keep the handlebar wires sleeve gray like original, but it appears the new harness has black sleeve..
When I restored my 82 FXR, I removed the black sleeve and replaced it with this. It was tedious work, but doable.
Not my experience with Harley parts. They bolt right up. Aftermarket parts usually have to be massaged to fit. Agree with your philosophy on the upgrades. Lots of guys try to modify their bikes to attempt to get more modern performance. To each his own but like you, I leave them as stock as possible. Brakes are marginal especially the front but you have to ride with your head on a swivel to try and anticipate what the other idiots may do. You have to visualize what you want in the end. I have a couple restored bikes and I find that I dont ride them as much in fear of picking up a paint chip etc. More fun on the riders with no worries.
I was not really referring to "fit", as much as quality. The NOS Harley fender tips have pretty sad chrome compared to todays standards.....and propably why so many original parts did not survive time. As for fit...yeah, sometimes stuff takes some adjusting,.....but it better than not have any parts at all availalbe. If it was NOT for Taiwan.....China, etc....there may be ZERO parts available for old Harleys. Same is true with old Corvettes.....I am glad SOMEBODY makes these parts. And if they did manufacture the stuff in America....it would cost more than most would spend. Companies like S&S, Jims and others etc are the only American companies that truly support old Harley parts. The rest....while may not fit perfectly, some from foreign countries. In the words of my favorite band....SAD BUT TRUE.
Spent several hours today cleaning up all the tools, grease, parts, ..........and that marks the bottom of the rebuild curve....from this point on, it's up the curve on the rebuild. No timeline, as spring has arrived in PA, and that means on the road on the Road King and the Corvettes.
What did rear turn signals look like on a brand new 1972 FLH? My bike currently has red lenses in what I call the "flat" turn signal housings, but I see lots of bike with yellow lenses, and the thicker profile turn signal housings. I am sure they were single element lights.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
