The Chrome Shop at Rock Island Illinois Does it Again

[JTR249]

Here's a result of work from Doug Matheson and The Chrome Shop out in Illinois.
Beautiful work on this 1949 Indian Vertical muffler.
-JR 1949 Arrow Muffler A.JPG
1949 Arrow Muffler B.JPG

[exeric]

I'm glad you found a good chrome source, John. They did a good job and it surprises me that they were willing to do an old muffler. I had my '41 Sport Scout exhaust system done by a shop in Miami and they were insistent that the 3 piece system be un-used and new. I would love to see some pictures of your Indian vertical project as I have seen how conscientious, and devoted you are to the vertical Indian motorcycles. I've told this story before; I was offered a garage full of vertical Indian parts, and promised there were 3 whole bikes in the pile for $1,000. The pile was left over from Schmidt Indian of Orlando, Fl. and the current owner was desperate to free himself of the burden. . . . I have no idea where all of that went. I regret not going for it, but that was about 1974, I really didn't have a place for that much stuff, and I was wanting a Chief. As they say, it's not what you do that you regret in life, it's what you didn't do that keeps you awake at night:)

[JTR249]

Thanks, exeric.

The Chrome Shop has never turned any of my work away. They even repaired and blasted my Road Warrior cases for me. I couldn't believe it. They did fine work.

I wanted to begin with what some call an entry level motorcycle; safe if built correctly, easy to learn how to ride, fairly easy to learn shop maintenance (that's another story), economical for the intended use. I chose the Indian Verticals, started collecting parts here and there about four years, well, five years ago and that's how its gone. I sent the first bike, a 1949 Scout to Wally Brown at BMB Cycles in 15 boxes FedEx ground and everything will be ready this fall. Wally said it is going to look "pristine." I can't wait to see the bike and look forward to learning the basics.
Those large parts piles are still out there, though you don't see them every day. I purchased one several years ago from California and used many of them on various bike projects. Some of the parts looked as if they had been stored for 70 plus years or so, almost perfect in appearance; a wheel, a gas tank, a magneto and other small parts.
I like helping people identify the parts when they don't know what they have. With models that are twins, that's an education in an of itself! Wally, Pete and Jim have taught me most of what I know along with this forum of course. This is really an indispensable resource for people who want to learn the history, processes or facts about the bikes.
I don't have a Chief yet, but I still have that surplus 741 powerplant in the crate and some day I'll send it off to be civilianized into a full bike. My first V-Twin.
I have never heard of Schmidt, though there is a man at Wes Scott Cycles who does mostly British bikes and he has been there for about 52 years or so. That's where my TT originally came from, though only the frames and cases. All my bikes are numbers matching survivor bikes except two of them.
-JR