Some Fabulous Fab, Rad

Been plugging away on the Boober( yeah I have been calling it The Boober). Scored a old Sportster fender that got a bob job done to it. It really is in the details. So with that said I made these fancy pants struts and the pipes tonight.  I like the over under look on any bike I see them done on. So I gave it the old college try with a pile of used pipes and bang here they are. Got them mounted in three spots and will be strong as a bull. Think they will get the black paint and leave the tips chrome and use a little heat shield right where the kicker is to tie it all together and keep the flow going. After working on sportsters for almost three years straight this has been a mind fuck figuring all this BT stuff out. Had to due a bunch of grinding and fitting to get the primary to fit right . Decided on mid controls like a stock FX would have. Pieced together the brake set up and all I need to do is the master cylinder on the right side. Lots to do on the left side still. Like jockey lever and foot clutch.I am gonna cut up the primary cover like Swiss cheese so I have some figuring out to do. Car show is this weekend so I will be out of the blog world for a few days. Enjoy the long weekend everybody. If you are at Greaserama come by the registration booth and say hello.

Chopped and Bobbed

So I think I am on the right path. As you can see I swapped out the front end to a Sportster set up and a Avon tire. So 16 rear and 19 front. Always liked the look of bubble tires front and rear. Also I do not want to build this bike looking just like my other bike. I am gonna lower the front 3 inches and that should get in level. Fat Bobs are a go and I need a little bit bigger seat and fender to balance out the rear. Anyways this is what I do and so far so good. I loath the term Bobber but I have to say that this is looking like a chopped and bobbed motorcycle if I ever saw one.

David Mannly

I think Shea has coined a new phrase. Rather then saying your bike looks manly now you say it looks David Mannly. Funny right! So here is the wide glide standard length and a set of 12 inch apes. I am trying to do a tough as nails 70's street chopper. So a wide glide looks perfect and the 16 rear 21 front is in the chopper handbook so who am I to change the rules. The little leather seat is not working for me and I think it needs a rigid mounted seat like a cobra style but we will see as I change some stuff out and mess around. Got the kickstand mounted and some fork stops that will need some more work but they are stopping the forks so I guess they are working. I have a friend that is dating Susan Mann how was married to the late David Mann through all the early days. She sells prints of David's work and is a very nice lady to sit and talk to. Anyways today I saw Doug who had a little present for me, which was the first of the Highway gremlin David Mann bells they are getting done. Fucking Karma is in the house. So that is the way it happened and now my Mannly bike will have a Mann bell. Sweet.

Top 5 Saturady

So Top 5 reasons to NEVER build a bike.

Number 1. MONEY- Jeebus it cost allot of money to put one of these sickles together. Even if you are the one building it they still cost money. I have the bike built in my head but the rest cost money. Damn.

Number 2. STRESS LEVEL 11- Maybe it is just me but when I start a new build all I can think of is the project. Sleep doesn't matter, money doesn't matter and all the other things in my life get juggled around to make as much time for bike building as possible. I should just join the circus because I can juggle some fucking shit for real.

Number 3- PERFECT WORLD In a perfect world I would buy everything I wanted new and not broke ass used fucked up not working pieces of shit to work with. Well that is my world and here is a good example. Ryan gave me a sporty tank and it was nasty. It had almost two inches of lacquered up 20 year old gas. Then I decided to clean it with a half gallon of brake cleaner and a few hand fulls of screws. Works everytime if you just take the time and do the truffle shuffle with the tank. As for the outside I started sanding on it and to my surprise( not really ) there was 8 layers of paint on top of a very beat up tank. Shit so buying a new tank would save time but not money. I guess I will just be doing a ton of body work. Cool

Number 4. The OH SHIT MOMENT- This is the minute where you realize how much your project really needs. This is where most of my customers get then they bring it to me. I am fine with this moment and just put my head down and plow through it. You will be a better person if you learn how to deal with them.

Number 5. MISSING OUT- Damn straight I would much rather be out riding my bike or playing with the kids but I have to build these damn bikes so I do what I have too. Back to juggling but these are the best days of my life and with out  the craziness I would not be as stable as I am. You should see me try and relax it is probably like giving my boy a Mountain Dew then sitting him in a chair and telling him to sit still. He would take off like a rocket to mars. Funny


PS So I am three weeks in and a big chunk of the build is done a big bunch is still on the boards. I am loving the stance so far but I am gonna swap out the front end and see if I like a wide glide with dual 16" wheels.

Getting Stuff Going

Helped Shea get his car going today. Shea said it goes like 700 MPH now so I guess that is pretty damn good. Not only that but The Flying Weasel paint job is amazing and to see this thing rolling is a thing of splendor. So one week after buying the Shovel I have the loose beginning of the bike, As it sits now I am gonna have me a road burning proper chopper sometime in 2013. Need a rocker clutch set up and a brake set up so if you got one hit me up. Be apart of my dream.

Wild Wild West

Kool Moe Dee never would have guessed that 25 years after his hit record there would be a killer Lowrider show sharing the same name. Well actually maybe he did. Anyways Zack puts on a pretty killer show and we strolled through real quick today. Love that Chevy long roof SOOO much. I want to drive the family for ice cream every day in that thing and I mean everyday.. Seeing that I am Mexican and grew up around the culture and all that comes with it it makes me feel like I am back in Cali and that is always good. So thanks Zack and keep it coming.

All Naked

So here it is all naked. If you live in KC the only blasting service I use is Industrial Blasting Inc Located on Beardsley in the West Bottoms. Dropped it off at 10am and picked it up at 4:30 the same day. Anyways the frame is in way better shape then I thought considering the age and life it has led. Checked the neck and it is a solid 30 degrees so no rake which is awesome. The just filled the neck pocket for smoothing purposes. Did see some super booger weld spots and about a trillion holes to fill but other then that it is chopper glory and legit. So this weekend there should be some progress made. Lots of grind marks to make round again and I have to figure out what to do with the brake pivot and side car loops. Possibly the best money I have ever spent ever in the history of spending money. Yes I am ridiculous.

Craigitis or Listaphobia

A few years from now there will be a epidemic of assholes telling there therapist that they get on Craigslist 1000 times a day. Well I already do that and finally it paid off. Been looking at the Shovelhead and decided I can not ride a softail. Sorry but I have crossed that line before and hated it. So rigid until my back or brains give out. So with that said I have been deciding in which direction to go. There are a ton of frame companies out there but for me the rigid Harley frames are where its at. OK so that is a good choice but getting one for under 2000 dollars is the key. Well due to my persistence somebody 80 miles away listed this 57 pan chopper frame under a front end listing. Duh for real so I call the guy and chat him up a little. Super cool and had the back story with the frame. Sold! So I drove after work 160 miles round trip and pick it up. He thought it was raked, it isn't they just filled in the neck area and bonded the shit out of it. So off  to the blaster tomorrow to see what needs fixing and what needs replacing. So fucking stoked right now. Harley frame and Harley motor you'd think I was planning this or something.

Harleys For Everybody!

So here is the new victim. 77 Shovel is so clean as a starter bike I almost teared up. Guy was cool and kept pulling out parts for it just saying take these they go with it. Awesome deal at 3500 bucks. Motor is rebuilt and all the other shit is getting sold. So Shea bought the 63, Eric bought the 71 and I bought a Shovel all in one week. As a side not Johnny Chop bought a Evo 1200 and Aaron is on the hunt right now for his first Harley. Travis traded his car for a super plush full bagged out 80 inch and that is the end of the Harley craze for this post. Fun stuff is about to drop. I love ripping shit apart and seeing how shit works. If any one out there has a stash of 74" parts like brackets and any other hoo rah drop me a line I am gonna need a ton of shit.