resto book ?

[flthead]

thought someone published a restoration guide on the shovelheads , have the panhead book by greg field [motorbooks international] but can't seem to find any thing on the shovelheads ,could of sworn it was out there . any info on the book ?

[Tommo]

Greg Field and Tom Murphy did one that covers Knuckles,Pans and Shovels.

ISBN # 0-7603-1356-3

It's called "Classic Harley Big Twins"

Is that the one your'e looking for?

Tommo.

[flthead]

no ,not the one i had seen . the one i'm talking about covers just shovels ,it's a resto guide

[jimwat]

asked simmilar ??? below,let me know what you find.thanks jim

[Tommo]

Are you Guys sure this is not the book. A very good cobber of mine has the knuckledhead one and the shovelhead one as seperate books but said he wished he had waited until this one was printed. It appears that the three seperate books have been printed as one. Knuckles, Pans and Shovels.
Tommo

[flthead]

not ISBN # 0-7603-1356-3

not that book ,i have the book by greg field titled harley davidson panheads [isbn 0-87938-998-2 ] this book covers year to year specs on pans ,now i could of sworn this same type of book by same author was done on the shovels ....but can't locate the book . their is also the same type of book out on the knuckles by same author

[Lonnie]

After a lot of looking, I'm convinced there is not a Shovelhead restoration book along the lines of Bruce Palmer's great book.

I did see a reference on the internet to a "Shovelhead Restoration Guide", but it turned out to be one person's website/blog on what he went through rebuilding a late shovel FX.

Since Tom Murphy's book does not go into much detail, I would also like for such a book to appear.

However, there are a lot of nice original shovelheads out there if you are patient and look and ask around that can be used for reference. Many have survived unscathed from the chopper craze of the 70's.

Lonnie

[Buster]

Harley Davidson Shovelhead

Been looking for a Shovelhead book I though I had and just found it. It is just on shovels, "Harley-Davidson Shovelhead" by Tom Murphy, 1996, Motorbooks International Publishers & Wholesalers. ISBN 0-7603-0164-6. It gives history of shovels and year by year changes. Many of photo examples are over restored, but book is fairly informative. Nothing like Palmer. Is this the book you are looking for?

[Lonnie]

Not trying to speak for the man, but having that book also I seriously doubt it would do him any good - not trying to put it down in anyway.
It seems that there is very little interest in such a book in the restoration "market". Bruce's Knuck and Pan book is a necessity since it references bikes, the early models of which were 60 years old when published for bikes that could have undergone many, many tear downs/tear ups in their lifetime. Another factor in the success of his book is the influx of boomers able to afford the restoration, since the value of the older Harleys is such that the sometimes monumental expense of restoration is worth it in the value of the finished product. And with the numbers of true authorities of the H-D's declining as they passed on to the dealership in the sky, the knowledge begged to be captured. Finally, all of the years noted in his book are eligible as an AMCA antique under the 35-year rule.
Shovels, in contrast, except for extremely pristine original examples, are not worth near what the knucks and early pans are. In the shovel lifetime, tens and tens of thousands were produced and many never saw the chopper's saw and torch. The value of Shovels seems to hinge more on the value of the early Evos than on the value of the late Pans - for many non-antique riders faced with a choice between a late Shovel or early Evo their choice would be the Evo. With the value of early Evos declining due to the market being now flooded, the value of most Shovels is in decline also. Currently, only those from 1966 - 1972 are eligible as antiques but that still has not pumped up the value for those, especially the cone models. As an example, a friend recently purchased a pristine original paint '72 with low, low miles for $5500.
So, if we Shovelhead owners desire knowledge on what is correct and what is not, we need to cultivate relationships with those who still have that information fresh in their brain, like at an AMCA chapter ride or the National events. Else, we wait on someone with a whole lot of time on their hands to produce a book for us - (good luck).

[rousseau]

Lonnie
Lets keep it real here. A pristine original paint '72 with low, low miles for $5500. This is not typical. I would call it the deal of a lifetime.

[Lonnie]

True, that is a good deal - but the deal of a lifetime would be finding a similar condition Knucklehead for three times that.

My whole point is that until certain conditions are met I believe it is unlikely that a genuine Shovelhead restoration guide will be produced. Those conditions are (1) a generally perceived significant value in an accurately restored motorcycle, (2) persons willing to invest the significant amount of money involved in restoring a motorcycle to that condition from a collection of often mis-matched parts and (3) someone willing to invest the tremendous amount of time and effort to put together such a guide.

Though in any hobby there are persons who fit the bill for #2 above irregardless of the end value, those persons are a rarity. The other two conditions have yet to be met.

Regarding the $5500 deal, it just goes to show that for many motorcyclists there is not the perceived value I mentioned in even a nice original Shovel. It is not uncommon to find really nice ones with non-original paint languishing unsold for $5500 - $8500.

As a sidenote, an unrestored Super Glide or Low Rider seems to be a rare bird - I see a few now and again, occasionally plastered with "Live to Ride" emblems all over, but not near as many as unrestored Electra-Glides.

Lonnie

[mmoore]

jeez reading this makes me feel old!!! I remember back in 72 early pan and even a few knucks were cheep! i picked up a 47 knuck for a weeks paycheck (and I wasnt making much) it was pretty rough and did run (not dependly) but now they are a little more I see the same thing comming with the shovels in the next 20 years or so if I make it. they might be a step down on the classic list but their day is creeping up! if i were a lot younger and wanted to start a easy restore the shovel would be a great start. even now I see one and it brings back a lot of memorys( remember the chrome birds nest? that was on a shovel!) july 2008 im heading back to find it!!!30 years later one last note I dont see many shovels for sale around central iowa anymore

[INLINE4NUT]

5500 seems like right on the money for a 1972 FLH to me that year had nothing special going if my memory serves me correct! my goodness what did a 72 FX go for maybe 1800 ??? Prices on Shovels in my opinion will never be as good as pans or knucks but then again 500 bought a nice pan in 72.Its all what someone wants to pay,Ive had dozens of early Shovels some with hacks all with orignal -paint except for 1 or 2 and they never fetched more than 5500 on a great da, but there was a day that they pullled more than 10k..try that today....good luck!

[rousseau]

I'll agree that $5500 my be a fair price for a FX that you could ride home (running)
but This bike was described as A pristine original paint '72 with low, low miles.

I do know this. I've seen some original shovel parts go on ebay for (IMO) big money.

Nos point covers (#1logo) over $80
Finned derby cover 80cubic inch over $60
Original two into one "stovepipe" exhaust systems in terrible condition over$300.

These parts are for the later model FX's that are still several years away from 35.

[INLINE4NUT]

id didnt say a parts as well as MCs werent selling for Crazy prices,I thought 5500 was all the wood!Ive had a fair shae of early shovels (66-69) and loved each and everyone,But would I pay 7500+ for one even say a 5k miles original paint??? Id commit myself 1st! Like alot of things today its look at me Ive got a balh-balh balh,but I dont ride it or use it or noone else sees it,get where Im going ? Any rate Happy Easter and Passover to one and all !