Got 'er! 1957 Panhead bobber (in pieces)

That's why I've been away for so long. I've been tracking down and digging out the pieces for the last month.

No pics yet, I can take them but until my wife has time to upload them to her site I can't get them transferred over so you can see them.

She's rough, I'd guess 60% of the original late 70s butchering is there. Much of that is junk. BUT, it is a real deal 1957 FL (foot clutch tank shift sport solo), with clean papers. Too bad someone put on a Mustang tank, chrome fat-bob rear fender, Super Glide bars and foot shift/hand clutch crap.

Good thing the local swap meet season is coming up, I'm gonna need parts...

The bike is a 15 years neglected heap, but there is enough left to justify rebuilding her.

AWESOME!!!!!

Sick man! Can't wait until you get some pics up!

Scruffy said:

She's rough, I'd guess 60% of the original late 70s butchering is there. Much of that is junk. BUT, it is a real deal 1957 FL (foot clutch tank shift sport solo), with clean papers. Too bad someone put on a Mustang tank, chrome fat-bob rear fender, Super Glide bars and foot shift/hand clutch crap.

Click to expand...

When I was reading this, I thought at first you were talking about your wife.

Can't wait to see this!

I am really stoked to see this build. I really want a vintage harley to build.I want to find a partially there molested bike so that I don't feel bad rebuilding it my way, also so that I have a chance at affording it.

Getting a beater Panhead isn't the expensive (or particularly difficult) aspect of a project like this...

I need:
New tanks to fit the 85-99 flatside framesaver mount kit. Need new fender(s). Rear stand. Seat and t-bar. Wheels, tires and brakes (fixable, just, and the spool front wheel is a joke). Inner springs for the stock Knuckle springer. Kickstand kit. Handlebar (maybe risers, what kind of dumb-ass ruins a set of antique Flanders dogbones by heating and bending them for narrow bars). Axles and spacers (existing ones are iffy). Springer shock or ride control assembly. Complete electrical system (generator, regulator, harness, head and tail lights, probably the distributor guts; I have all that but the harness, may be cheaper to replace than repair though). Chain guard of some kind. Inner and outer primaries...

I could go on, but, without getting into the engine, transmission, final drive, primary drive, hardware packs, etc I set down the catalogs when I hit over $5500 worth of parts if I go with all new old stock and/or replicas.

By the time it is all buttoned up, painted, inspected, licensed and all that happy horse shit, I could have a brand new Cross Bones (gag) and a couple more Savages or VLX 600s.

This will be the third Panhead I've had the pleasure of rebuilding since I started riding back in 87. It's old, it's slow, it's funky looking (by today's standards) but that is what makes it fun. Good thing i like fixing busted up junk, I can't afford to get all new pieces. Just hope I can keep the 57 Harley and 63 Honda parts from getting too friendly with each other...don't need another Suzuki.

This is gonna be good...

Consider this one on the DCC watchlist.

J

Good? Maybe. Time consuming and expensive as hell? Definitely.

Don't really care how long it takes to do it up right. I have a high rise barhopper already, so this one is going to be more Hawaii/ Peurto Rico beach cruiser in style. Low and wide bars, full rear fender, large sprung solo, front crash bar (scored a FACTORY one for $25, re-pops are $85, love bike boneyards), spotlights, late model Softail wire wheels (the heavy spoke ones) with chain drive conversion...

Found the perfect set of 3.5 gallon seafoam green and white tanks online... got to get them priced and ordered before they are gone. Wheels (used of course) will set me back about $500, without tubes or tires.

I haul heavy export containers for a living. The trucking business is still slow. This one is going to take some time.