Barn Fresh

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

These two "diamonds in the rough" arrived here this week. Both customers want safe, reliable riders made out of them, cosmetics are a secondary concern. I have my work cut out for me...

http://www.antietamclassiccycle.com/barn_fresh/

[Cheese]

Looks like fun! I love working on loops. Enjoy!

Peter

[guzzisteve]

Is there green moss in the float bowls? Nice work if you can get it!!

[herrdrpepper]

That project will be the epitome of " keeping the classics alive"! ;-T
Charlie, feel free to post any shots of the V7 Sport project to show the resurrections that you perform.
Tom

[Cam3512]

Ran when parked?

[Tobit]

Ran when parked?

Parked and ran away from.

I see the potential for great garage therapy sessions.  And lots of money being spent.

How long will something like this take, given the owners aren't looking for concours cosmetics?

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Ran when parked?

Yes, both "ran when parked" (at least 20 years ago) according to their owners.

That project will be the epitome of " keeping the classics alive"! ;-T
Charlie, feel free to post any shots of the V7 Sport project to show the resurrections that you perform.
Tom

Haven't made much progress the last several weeks. Cold temps have made it difficult to get the shop up to even 50*F and then the flu kicked my butt for a week. Still trying to get rid of the cough. Here are all of the photos so far:
http://www.antietamclassiccycle.com/toms_v7_sport/

[motoguzzibill]

Maturity is when you have the will to walk away, and know when to do so. But if somebody else is doing the work and money is no object, there is no pain.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Parked and ran away from.

I see the potential for great garage therapy sessions.  And lots of money being spent.

How long will something like this take, given the owners aren't looking for concours cosmetics?

The Ambassador was bought, ridden enough to see what needed to be done and then stashed away. Owner's good intentions of doing the work himself became tempered with reality over time.

The Eldorado was a good running bike before it was disassembled for painting by the owner's brother. Never got reassembled, farming takes all of their time.

No small amount of $$ will be spent on each.

I'll likely have at least 70 hours labor in each of them.

[normzone]

Wow. That brings back memories. I didn't realize how good I had it - when I found my '72 Eldo it was only missing side covers and passenger grab handles. Left crash bar was chewed up and against the valve cover.

 It had been painted with a brush with marine enamel and was sleeping under an aboveground  pool liner in a storage yard in Sausalito. The owner had taken it as payment for a debt and done nothing with it for several years.

I took it apart, painted it, replaced some minor doodads, bought a battery, dealt with fuel issues and rode it. You have a little more work ahead of you I think.

[nick949]

I expect Charlie will be going whole hog on these, as they deserve, but sometimes you just get lucky. ;-T

I turned this:



into this:



It just needed a bit of a clean-up, a new clutch, a rattle-can paint job and a bit of love.  I swapped the 4LS on to my Eldo then sold the bike it to my friend Doug who had seized his old Bonnie.  Its his daily rider now and completely reliable.

Nick

[Perazzimx14]

They look like lots of fun to me bring them back into riding condition. I can't wait to find another to do the same.

[John Ulrich]

A lot of Guzzi's still coming out of the barns   ;-T

[oldbike54]

A lot of Guzzi's still coming out of the barns   ;-T

Maybe there is a captive breeding program .
Dusty


Sent from a submarine in Oklahoma .

[Penderic]

Could be worse ....

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Both of the bikes are now finished and awaiting pickup. A year to do both - much longer than anticipated due to "expansion" of each project (cosmetic work after all), "sub-contractor" (painter) delays and just plain much more that needed work.

The Ambassador was finished at the end of October:





...and I squeezed in the first test ride on the Eldorado yesterday:

[Chuck in Indiana]

Nice work for 70 hours each, Charlie.. ~; ;D

[steven c]

 What bars are those on the Eldo? I need something lower for mine, I have the high ones great behind a faring not so good wo.

[drlapo]

70 hours + parts so around $9,000 to $10,000?

[Chuck in Indiana]

I'll betcha there's more than 100 in each one.. ;)

[Gliderjohn]

WOW! 70 hours each? I would have 700 at least in and they would still look and run like a barn find. My hat off to you.  :bow
GliderJohn

[Cam3512]

Remarkable as usual Charlie.

Hey, if that male underwear model thing doesn't work out for you, you should try doing this for a living.

[oldbike54]

Nice work Charlie  ;-T

  Dusty

[Chuck in Indiana]

WOW! 70 hours each? I would have 700 at least in and they would still look and run like a barn find. My hat off to you.  :bow
GliderJohn

Oh, yeah. Very few people can *do* this level of work, much less do it fast enough to make wages.  ;-T  :bow

[arveno]

 :drool :drool
speechless

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Nice work for 70 hours each, Charlie.. ~; ;D

The Ambo ended up 80 billable hours and the Eldo at 72. I can get a lot done in a short time when working on Loops because they're so simple. Tontis, BMWs, etc. - not so much.

What bars are those on the Eldo? I need something lower for mine, I have the high ones great behind a faring not so good wo.

Wish I knew, I'd like some too. Asked the owner, but they were on the bike when he bought it from his brother over 30 years ago.

[Lannis]

Funny how that "safe reliable rider with minimal emphasis on cosmetics" quickly morphs into something else once they see it coming together.

I promise that when I trailer mine up to you, I'm going to want a "Barney" and no fooling around with coatings except to keep it from rusting.   (I say "mine", I haven't bought it yet but will find one someday .... !)

Lannis

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Funny how that "safe reliable rider with minimal emphasis on cosmetics" quickly morphs into something else once they see it coming together.

I promise that when I trailer mine up to you, I'm going to want a "Barney" and no fooling around with coatings except to keep it from rusting.   (I say "mine", I haven't bought it yet but will find one someday .... !)

Lannis

 ;D Yep. The Ambo's owner saw how nice the engine, transmission, etc. looked after soda blasting and decided the frame should be powdercoated too. The Eldo needed a few frame repairs from a hard life and there wasn't a lot of paint left by time that was done.

I loathe crusty hardware, so generic bits were replaced with stainless and the proprietary pieces were exchanged with stuff I already had replated. Doesn't add much to the cost, but makes a huge difference.   

[Lannis]

;D Yep. The Ambo's owner saw how nice the engine, transmission, etc. looked after soda blasting and decided the frame should be powdercoated too. The Eldo needed a few frame repairs from a hard life and there wasn't a lot of paint left by time that was done.

I loathe crusty hardware, so generic bits were replaced with stainless and the proprietary pieces were exchanged with stuff I already had replated. Doesn't add much to the cost, but makes a huge difference.   

I agree!   "Patina" good, "Crusty" bad!

Lannis

[balvenie]

Thanks for posting Charlie. They look beautiful. ;D