Value of a 1937 Harley UL 80? Starting a business and need some capital...

[Beinggodisgreat]

I have a 1937 Harley UL 80 (I believe it is an 80) it is not running but is pretty damn complete aside from some of the chrome bits, brake lines and throttle lines. Engine turns freely it can be restored easily for sure paint is a mess there is a lot of surface rust. I'll post pics later.

Basically I am trying to understand what I should do with the bike. Do I get it running (I dont have much time as a new dad, working and planning a business), do I just get it together as much as I can since the body and tank are off the bike? Are there any resources local to Connecticut or the Northeast I can reach out to that wont want to steal it?

I am trying to start a business and after many years of this being in my garage waiting to restore it after the endless amounts of BMW's that keep filtering in and out of my garage. I think its time to sell it I just don't know the best way or how I could understand close to what its value is.

I'll post pics tonight.

[NCriding]

Pictures are everything, take many, in focus, with details. Ability to show an unmolested engine number and matching case numbers also helps build value. An engine with mangled numbers is not worth much, as that's an indication of a previous theft.

[Beinggodisgreat]

Got it Im a photographer I am going to try to pull it out this weekend and do a detailed shoot. Here are some pics to hold you over.
https://pixel8.smugmug.com/37-Harley-UL/n-N8tPhs/

Click the link above apparently my pictures are too large.

[Chris Haynes]

It is a "Johnny Cash" special. Parts from the '30's-'60's.

[Steve Slocombe]

That's a high engine number, so maybe among the last of the 6800 Big Twin U flatheads made that year. Do you have a title? Does it have the one-year cylinders? If you have other priorities, leave it to someone else to restore or part out. You could tack it together to look more complete, or just leave it as the photos. Put it on eBay with a low start price and it will find its value, perhaps to someone on this forum, or maybe you'll get a fair offer before then and save the auction costs.

[Beinggodisgreat]

I do have the title. Not sure on the cylinders. I got the fenders, bags, light bar and all the bits I could back on the bike. Unfortunately dont have enough of the mounting hardware for the pizza cutters / cheese cutter bumpers. This thing 95%+ all there minus some trim lines for throttle and electrical like wiring harness. Its kicking over smoothly. This is going to be a good runner for someone to restore. I made sure storing it all these years I've had it that it has been in dry places usually temp controlled.

I am getting closer to selling the bike I have about 30 offers and they keep going higher and higher. I am debating throwing it on Bring A Trailer or EBAY to see what she'll go for.

In the interim I have a 1994 BMW R100R for sale if anybody wants it make me an offer!

https://hartford.craigslist.org/mcy/...953427603.html

[kitabel]

Only 1937 U, UL cylinders are 3-5/16" bore (3.3125", same as EL) as always for 74" U, UL, but use the 120-37/371 13 fin casting otherwise only found on 1937-41 80" UH, ULH with 3-27/64" bore (3.421875", inherited from the VL). 1938-48 U/UL use the 11 fin 120-38/381 casting.

[Beinggodisgreat]

Well it is a 13 FIN so what does this tell me?

[Rubone]

Well it is a 13 FIN so what does this tell me?

That they are likely the original cylinders on that bike, however without seeing inside them it doesn't tell you anything more than that. And your pics already had shown they were 13 fin.

[1950Panhead]

I am getting closer to selling the bike I have about 30 offers and they keep going higher and higher.

List on ebay, you will get the best offer, my guess is $13.5k in present state.

If you have the original tanks, fenders, wheels, handlebars it would bring more.

[Beinggodisgreat]

I have 30 offers $18k to over $20k

Here are updated pictures
https://pixel8.smugmug.com/37-Harley-UL/n-N8tPhs/

[Rubone]

I have 30 offers $18k to over $20k

Here are updated pictures
https://pixel8.smugmug.com/37-Harley-UL/n-N8tPhs/

You should jump on that. Every time I look at it I see more reasons not to like it. Just the upside down fender brace on the Servi-Car fender makes me cringe!

[Sargehere]

It IS a 1937, but none of that stuff displayed in front of it belongs to that bike, being ALL later stuff. The cheese graters, lights, fishtail muffler, even the saddlebags, which are post-war. The bike tells us that it led a tough life and was ridden hard and put away wet. Many times.
Fenders and taillight and spotlight bar are all later, as is the "dogbone" handlebar, dashboard and the tanks, both gas (which are 1947 or 48)) and the flare-fitting oil tank... As parts for that bike, they're all basically swap meet inventory to trade for correct parts. At this point, just build what you have into a good-looking bike and don't address originality at all, and you could build a $20-30K bike out of it. But it's no where near that yet.
It's worth basically the sum of the parts bolted to it when you get past the engine and frame; and maybe, the trans. It looks like someone may have kept a Thirty-seven running by slapping later parts on it when it needed refreshing, for several decades. The number you scraped the grease offa looks original, and unmolested. You can look with a flashlight into the crotch between the cylinders, under the carburetor and see numbers, the casting numbers for the cylinders, which happen in their case to also be the Harley part numbers, as Kitabel mentioned in shorthand: 120-37 on the bottom flange of the front cylinder, facing a 120-371 number on the rear cylinder flange. That was the first and only year Harley factory put 3 5/16"-bored 13-fin cylinders on their 74-inch bikes. Took um a while to realize that as a result, owners could rebuild those cylinders over-and-over alla way through o.s. 80 sizes without HAVING TO BUY NEW CYLINDERS FROM THE FACTORY!
Couldn't have that! In 1938, new "120-38" and "120-381" thinner-walled 11-fin cylinders were made for 74s, and the dash-37 13-fin cylinders were reserved only to 80-inch UH and ULH models, through 1941. You have the right cylinders, but it would take removing the tanks again to remove the heads to see what o.s. they are. And you could check out the valves and lower end clearances while you're in there. Good luck!

[Sargehere]

I think it may well be the original 1937 Frame, that was upgraded with the factory-recommended tab welded on the left rear axle hanger to keep the rear brake arm from falling out of its retaining slot, as shown in this pic. In 1938 that fix, "recall" was issued from Milwaukee, and many 37's got it.

[Sargehere]

THAT is a good, untouched late-1937 engine number.