Restoring a 38 sidecar.

[len dowe]

Len, call me when you can, but not too late!

Just seen this, I have the day off and I'll call you tomorrow.

[len dowe]

I'm glad you're back, Len. You always have something interesting going on !

Thank you my friend.

[len dowe]

I was able to get the rear out using Ric Bolduc's recommendation but the front one is being more difficult.

[len dowe]

Done. Frame is ready to strip and paint.

I called and left a message yesterday Robbie.

[len dowe]

Before and after.

[exeric]

Nice job as always, Len. Spring steel is weird stuff so curious how you put that back into shape. I had to do the same thing on the H-D sidecar I had. I cold bent my spring on advice from a car guy I worked with. Rode it for years and never had a problem. My sidecar rarely had any load on it and was mostly just a gas wasting, tire scrubbing accessory on the motorcycle

[len dowe]

I heated and quenched to spread the c-clamps Eric. Took a bfh and massaged the spring on the anvil. I have a little to do on the other set so I'm thinking I'll pull both completely apart for a true complete restoration and shoot with single stage paint and some grease.
I went up north yesterday to drop off the steel trim at a ss restorer friend of mine. Rodney restores to concourse condition and people send trim to him from all over the world. When I was up there, he was working on some trim for a 58 Cadillac 2 door for a customer in Sweden.
Some great news is that my good friend Dave Clemons called me and seen I needed the rear top trim and he had a nos one. I am truly blessed on that and it's people like Dave and all of you people here is what makes this hobby worthwhile.
Last but not least is that Gene Harper and I are getting together soon to get going on the interior then Robbie and I talked yesterday as well. I am truly humbled beyond words.
Almost forgot to mention that I'm also setting up a blast cabinet/tent to start stripping the frame.

[len dowe]

John Pierce's Venetion Blue. I did all the sheet metal work and shot the single stage. Then I had the pinstriping done.

[exeric]

Venetian Blue looks very good on your tanks, and fenders, Len and obviously you have done a lot of hard work to get where you're at. I was recently talking to a friend who is finishing the paint work on an Indian (as I am), and now he's getting ready to do the paint & body work on a '47FL. From my experience, the sheet metal work on a rigid frame/springer H-D is the most difficult motorcycle body work I've ever done, and most difficult if the fenders have been wonked, or half-assed in the past. When I get into the minutia of fender stays, rivets, side skirt waves, and tail-piece alignment; I can only bow in reverence to the tool & die makers, designers, and a company willing to open their wallet to make such high quality sheet metal parts. It's remarkable when you think their parts came out of the stamping presses, were spot welded, riveted, and given a super thin coat of paint, no trace of lead work, and job done. You only know how amazing that is if you have tried to bring those parts back to original shape. You mentioned Dave Clemons, who I think does the best body work I've seen. . . I try to go 82.322% to 91.974% (if I feel like it), Dave goes 99.897% and it's that extra amount of effort, and care that is obvious in his finished work. Thanks for posting pictures of your work, Len and keep it coming.

[len dowe]

Have a little time between jobs so I'm trying to pull this tire. I had a local Ducati shop pull one tire and they got disgruntled about it and wouldn't do the second one.
Man this thing is hard as a rock. Turns out the first rim is a 40 with a 40 thru 43 hub.

I talked to Dave again yesterday for awhile, I don't take it for granted and I really do cherish the time and conversation with my friend.