grandpaul
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2008
- Messages
- 13,271
I've started with worse, but not MUCH worse! It's a special order (U.S.Navy) T120 Bonneville, but with a 6T single carb head (unclear as to whether it was dispatched with it in place, or if it was a replacement due to the typical cracking). Rear alloy rim probably rim not come from the factory. Dispatch records indicate that it DID have the QD rear hub, very rare on a first-year Bonnie. Also, the Kingfisher Blue & Silver paint was not typical first-year "Tangerine Dream" color scheme, but is noted on the dispatch record. (Thanx to "Bushy" for the dispatch info)
The first thing I did was yank the seat from my '56 T-Bird bobber to get a better idea of what the bike will look like (it had a modern chopper seat on it that actually fit the curves almost right).
After seeing THIS, I know why there were never pix of the primary (left side) in the sale posting - LOTS of total rust-out...
It's likely that I'll sacrifice additional parts from the T-Bird (tool box & cover at least) to get it "complete" and running before I even DREAM of restoring it. I suppose I'll end up selling the T-Bird to fund whatever minimal stuff I start to do to it, but I want to RIDE IT. Probably keep it as an "oily rag" special 'till the day I have so much play money that it makes more sense to do a full restoration ($$,$$$.$$)
The first thing I did was yank the seat from my '56 T-Bird bobber to get a better idea of what the bike will look like (it had a modern chopper seat on it that actually fit the curves almost right).
After seeing THIS, I know why there were never pix of the primary (left side) in the sale posting - LOTS of total rust-out...
It's likely that I'll sacrifice additional parts from the T-Bird (tool box & cover at least) to get it "complete" and running before I even DREAM of restoring it. I suppose I'll end up selling the T-Bird to fund whatever minimal stuff I start to do to it, but I want to RIDE IT. Probably keep it as an "oily rag" special 'till the day I have so much play money that it makes more sense to do a full restoration ($$,$$$.$$)