GOOD THINGS AND BAD

HELLO TO ALL,

SINCE IT HAS BEEN AWHILE , I'M GOING TO TAKE A MINUTE AND SHOOT THE BREEZE. WE HAD GREAT THANKSGIVING, ALL THE BOYS AND THE MIDDLE ONE'S WIFE CAME AND WE HAD A BALL. WE ATE TOO MUCH, PLAYED CARDS, VISITED AND JUST HAD TOO MUCH FUN, NOT SOMETHING THAT ALWAYS HAPPENS AT OUR GATHERINGS.

NOW, TO THE REALITIES AT HAND. I FINALLY RECEIVED THE BRAKE CROSS SHAFT FOR THE SIDECAR AND I QUICKLY PUT IT INTO THE SIDECAR FRAME. IT FIT NICE, BUT I DISCOVERED THAT SOMEONE HAD CUT THE END OF THE TUBE OFF. AS I WAS STUDYING THIS DILEMMA, THE ONLY IDEA I COULD COME UP WITH AS TO WHY THEY WOULD CUT THIS OFF IS TO HAVE MORE ROOM TO KICK START THE BIKE. SEEMS KIND OF STUPID, BUT I'LL HAVE TO COME UP WITH A CURE.

SINCE MOST OF YOU REMEMBER THE BIKE IN ONE OF TWO PREVIOUS FORMS I THOUGHT I THROW ANOTHER PICTURE IN OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW. BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THAT IT DOESN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THE FIRST TWO TIMES. I PICKED UP A BUNCH OF HARDWARE TO MOUNT THE SIDECAR TO THE FRAME OF THE BIKE BUT I HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY YET TO PERFORM THAT TASK. I NEED TO GET SOME TIRES MOUNTED ON RIMS SO I CAN SET THE BIKE UP AND ATTACH THE SIDECAR FRAME. I ALSO NEED TO HAVE THE LOWER LEGS OF THE FRONT END RE- BUSHED, AND I FOUND A PLACE IN PA. TO HAVE THAT DONE. WHEN I GET THOSE TWO THINGS ACCOMPLISHED I CAN START MOVING A LITTLE FASTER.

WELL THAT'S ALL FOR NOW,

TVI

WHAT A FIND

HELLO ALL,

IN 1979 WHEN I BOUGHT THE SIDECAR FROM MY COUSIN'S NEIGHBOR, THE CROSS SHAFT FOR THE BRAKE ON THE HACK WAS MISSING. I WENT TO MOLENAAR'S HD IN HAMMOND, IN. AND TALKED TO THEM ABOUT BUYING THE CROSS SHAFT. WELL, THEY QUIT MAKING THEM IN THE EARLY 70'S, SO I ASKED THEM TO DEALER SEARCH AND NONE WERE AVAILABLE.

WELL, I'M ON EBAY THE OTHER DAY AND LOW AND BEHOLD THERE A CROSS SHAFT FOR THE SIDECAR( LIFE FINDS A WAY!). SO I BID AND I WIN. I DON'T HAVE THE PART YET BUT THAT MAY BE ONE OF THE FIRST PICTURES I POST.

I HAD ALWAYS FIGURED I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE MAKE ME THAT PIECE BUT IT TURNS OUT, EBAY IS A WONDERFUL THING. I ALSO FOUND SOME LADY OUT EAST WHO HAD A BUNCH OF NEW HARDWARE FOR MOUNTING THE SIDECAR TO THE BIKE, SO I BOUGHT THAT ALSO.

PROGRESS IS STILL SLOW, BUT IT IS STILL PROGRESS.

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW

TVI

FRUSTRATION

HELLO ALL,

THIS WEEKEND HAD SOME UPS AND DOWNS. SATURDAY MOSTLY WORKED, SUNDAY WAS MOSTLY BAD.

I DIDN'T GET ANYTHING DONE ON THE BIKE THIS WEEK, AND THE MALE SHEEP BROKE DOWN THE GATE, SO I SPENT SUNDAY TRYING TO STRAIGHTEN THAT MESS OUT.

I GOT HIM BACK IN THE RIGHT PASTURE, BUT HE IS SO BIG AND NOW AGGRESSIVE THAT I AM PRETTY SURE HE'LL HAVE TO GO. HE IS REALLY FRIENDLY MOST OF THE TIME BUT THE FEMALE IS IN HEAT SO HE GETS NUTS WHEN THAT HAPPENS. HE KNOCKED DREW AROUND, BECAUSE I WASN'T HERE WHEN THEY FOUND HIM. HE'S OK JUST SHOOK UP.

WELL, I'M WATCHING SOME PARTS ON EBAY, FOR THE BIKE, SO MAYBE I'LL HAVE SOME NEWS NEXT TIME.

WELL, THAT'S ALL FOR NOW,

TVI

A NEW BEGINNING, SORT OF

HELLO TO ALL

THIS IS ALL NEW TO ME, SO GIVE ME A LITTLE BREAK. I STARTED THIS BLOG AS A WAY TO GIVE THE FEW PEOPLE WHO REALLY CARE A WAY TO FOLLOW MY PROGRESS ON BUILDING MY 1954 PANHEAD MOTORCYCLE. I'VE OWNED THE BIKE SINCE 1974, AND IT'S BEEN THROUGH A FEW DIFFERENT PHASES, BUT MOSTLY IT'S SAT IN BOXES FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS.

I JUST STARTED LOOKING THROUGH ALL THE BOXES AND DOING SOME FITTING, SO I DON'T HAVE ALOT OF PROGRESS FOR MY EFFORT YET. I ONLY WORK ON IT A NIGHT OR TWO A WEEK, SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE. THAT'S ALRIGHT THOUGH BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A TON OF MONEY TO SPEND ON IT ANYWAY.

I HAVE KEPT THE BIKE ALL THESE YEARS AND COLLECTED PARTS ALONG THE WAY BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST MOTORCYCLE I EVER OWNED. I PURCHASED THE BIKE FROM THE SECOND OWNER AND HE HAS SINCE PASSED AWAY. I ALSO WNAT TO PUT IT TOGETHER BECAUSE I HAVE AN ORIGINAL TIN SIDECAR.

AS I GO ALONG AND FIGURE THINGS OUT, I WILL POST SOME PICTURES AND THINGS OF INTEREST. I SUPPOSE THIS BLOG WILL ALLOW ME TO SHARE SOME OF MY OTHER INTERSTS AS WELL.

WELL, THAT'S ALL THERE IS FOR NOW. TALK TO YOU SOON,

TVI