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1936 EL Harley Davidson Knucklehead
- 1936 EL Harley Davidson Knucklehead
- Replace Valance
- Frame
- Oil Tank
- Fender Brace Repair
- Sheetmetal
- Sheetmetal Done
- 1936 EL Sheetmetal Done Often people say "They never looked that good new" My answer is this, they weren't worth $100K new, and more each year. Let me recount a story my father told me. He worked at " Pete Andrews Indian Sales "in Roxbury Mass after the War. His friend Vaughn Monroe was a big band leader and when Monroe was to get a new Chief, My father went to Springfield to be sure he got a perfect motorcycle. not a farmers bike. Monroes picture would be on magazines and he needed to be on a prime example. That said, I;m sure Clark Gable got similar treatment from Harley-Davidson. I build the motorcycle celeberties would have gotten. And yes, Some looked that good new.
Brilliant black rear fender.
Brilliant black front fender.
Brilliant black front fender.
Teak Red top of rear fender.
Teak red top of front fender.
Decals applied on the gas tanks.
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We use fine line pinstripe tape to properly place the decals. Then the pinstriper uses tape as a guide for his stripe. at no time does the stripe touch the tape. doing that would create a square line. this particular pin striper, Bruce Deveau, is the the best I've ever seen, or had the privelage to stripe my work, and I''ve known numerous stripers. After the stripes dry over night , a coat of Spar varnish is applied , by brush .
After the decals and the stripe were applied, we then applied a catalysed Spar Varnish.
This same varnish was used over all the stripes on this bike, as it came from Milwakee, so we did the same.
Bruces' work is flawless.
We were fortunate enough to be loaned an original 1936 VL new old stock Teak Red and Brilliant Black Rear fender. Thank you Steve at the 74 Shop, Bob Provencher and Dan Henke for their generous help. In the interest of preserving history, they went out of their way to help me.
Two shots of the new old stock fender next to George Tsnuis' 1936 EL fender, there can be no question as to color stripe patterns start and finish of the strips, interestingly, the stripe on the black is not Teak Red, it is slightly orange, more of a Chinese Red .
These are more shots of the sides of the rear fender the stripe is so perfect, a focused look is needed to reveal the brush work.
These are more shots of the sides of the rear fender the stripe is so perfect, a focused look is needed to reveal the brush work.
Two nice shots of the gas tanks.
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The front of the fender received a lot of metal finishing, it had been in several collions , the finished product is well worth the time as is evidenced by the two-tone with the stripe. We made tools to pean the rivitts over , as O.E.M. , it makes for an authentic repair . Each year Judging gets better , driving the quality of the retorations , to stay ahead of this you need to duplicte the origonal manufacturing methods , despite the often poor quality of the parts .
These shots show the replaced valances, stripes, the fenders look at least as good as new.
These shots show the replaced valances, stripes, the fenders look at least as good as new.
These shots show the replaced valances, stripes, the fenders look at least as good as new.
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The 1936 and 1937 fenders used a butterfly strap over the fender brace. Front and rear. These 2 shots are of the finished inside of the front fender.We spent a lot of time on this Chevron stamping to retain its shape inside and out . The rear looks the same. This N.O.S. 36 VL fender did not have the Butterfly straps on the inside . With the steady increase in the Knuckleheads collectability , the inside finish has now become an important factor in it's value .
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