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Morning all,
New member here and thanks to Sargehere for the invite. I am thrilled beyond words for the circumstances that brought me to this great group of antique motorcycle enthusiasts.
Just briefly some background. My Uncle Bernie was the lead mechanic for an Indian dealership on the Florida Panhandle. He bought this bike and assembled it himself. He used to take me on rides when I was around 6-7 years old; terrifying and thrilling me all at the same time! It was those rides that sparked a lifelong passion for motorcycles. I can remember seeing the bike, gleaming in the dimly lit garage.
When my Uncle died, probably 30+ years ago, this bike was the most contested item in his estate. He had 4 children and the oldest ended up with the machine. But it was passed around like a hot potato for years; with its final destination in the garage of his youngest daughter. I was unaware of any of this until I got together with his youngest son, my cousin Jim, at my mom's funeral last year. I mentioned the bike and my curiosity of its condition and whereabouts. Needless to say I was a bit distressed to hear about its status. So, in an offhand way, and realizing that my mom's funeral was not the place to be talking about it, I mentioned to Jim that I would love to have the opportunity to save this vintage machine from just wasting away into a pile of rust. I got his phone/email and sent a couple of messages with no reply. Until last Friday.
I received an email with a ton of pictures of the Chief. And Jim said he had talked to the family and they had decided to give me the opportunity to acquire it! To say I was thrilled would be a gross understatement. I immediately made plans to travel to North Alabama to see Uncle Bernie's pride and joy.
This past Tuesday my wife and I drove up and I went over the machine pretty good. To a novice's eye the bike looked much better in person than it did in the photos. Even the original Bill of Sale, for the grand total of $754, is there. Title is clear. Engine and Frame numbers match. The corrosion is superficial. The motor turned over. Primary fuel tank is very clean but the reserve needs some treatment for rust. All in all I was very ecstatic to see this old machine again.
No other mechanic, other than my Uncle and his oldest son, has touched this bike in almost 70 years. It's never been outside the possession of the family either. After some serious discussion we arrived at a price and she is now my 1947 Indian Chief!
I do not intend to make her into a showroom worthy machine. To me, the patina of age gives her character and dignity. My intentions are to make this a running and driveable machine with the look of dignified lady of almost 70 years of age.
And that brings me to you folks, the experts. My work schedule will not allow me to transport the bike to my garage until early December. But no worries, she's in a climate controlled atmosphere and safe. I will be in Brazil working until early December. During that time I would like to have as much material as possible to pour over in order to educate myself on the bike.
So, I'm asking if any of you good people know where I can get my hands on some literature that would serve such a purpose? The Rider's Guide maybe? A parts catalog? A reasonably priced edition of Hatfield's restoration manual? Anything that I can take with me to Brazil that will occupy my time for the next 3 months. Any guidance and advice will be greatly appreciated.
Oh, and your opinions on her condition as you view the photos will be priceless.
Thanks!
indian3.jpg indian4.jpg indian6.jpg indian7.jpg indian8.jpg
New member here and thanks to Sargehere for the invite. I am thrilled beyond words for the circumstances that brought me to this great group of antique motorcycle enthusiasts.
Just briefly some background. My Uncle Bernie was the lead mechanic for an Indian dealership on the Florida Panhandle. He bought this bike and assembled it himself. He used to take me on rides when I was around 6-7 years old; terrifying and thrilling me all at the same time! It was those rides that sparked a lifelong passion for motorcycles. I can remember seeing the bike, gleaming in the dimly lit garage.
When my Uncle died, probably 30+ years ago, this bike was the most contested item in his estate. He had 4 children and the oldest ended up with the machine. But it was passed around like a hot potato for years; with its final destination in the garage of his youngest daughter. I was unaware of any of this until I got together with his youngest son, my cousin Jim, at my mom's funeral last year. I mentioned the bike and my curiosity of its condition and whereabouts. Needless to say I was a bit distressed to hear about its status. So, in an offhand way, and realizing that my mom's funeral was not the place to be talking about it, I mentioned to Jim that I would love to have the opportunity to save this vintage machine from just wasting away into a pile of rust. I got his phone/email and sent a couple of messages with no reply. Until last Friday.
I received an email with a ton of pictures of the Chief. And Jim said he had talked to the family and they had decided to give me the opportunity to acquire it! To say I was thrilled would be a gross understatement. I immediately made plans to travel to North Alabama to see Uncle Bernie's pride and joy.
This past Tuesday my wife and I drove up and I went over the machine pretty good. To a novice's eye the bike looked much better in person than it did in the photos. Even the original Bill of Sale, for the grand total of $754, is there. Title is clear. Engine and Frame numbers match. The corrosion is superficial. The motor turned over. Primary fuel tank is very clean but the reserve needs some treatment for rust. All in all I was very ecstatic to see this old machine again.
No other mechanic, other than my Uncle and his oldest son, has touched this bike in almost 70 years. It's never been outside the possession of the family either. After some serious discussion we arrived at a price and she is now my 1947 Indian Chief!
I do not intend to make her into a showroom worthy machine. To me, the patina of age gives her character and dignity. My intentions are to make this a running and driveable machine with the look of dignified lady of almost 70 years of age.
And that brings me to you folks, the experts. My work schedule will not allow me to transport the bike to my garage until early December. But no worries, she's in a climate controlled atmosphere and safe. I will be in Brazil working until early December. During that time I would like to have as much material as possible to pour over in order to educate myself on the bike.
So, I'm asking if any of you good people know where I can get my hands on some literature that would serve such a purpose? The Rider's Guide maybe? A parts catalog? A reasonably priced edition of Hatfield's restoration manual? Anything that I can take with me to Brazil that will occupy my time for the next 3 months. Any guidance and advice will be greatly appreciated.
Oh, and your opinions on her condition as you view the photos will be priceless.
Thanks!
indian3.jpg indian4.jpg indian6.jpg indian7.jpg indian8.jpg
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