My Chief history

[exeric]

This is my '47/50 Chief history for the brief time I had it. A friend gave my phone # to a guy in Tavares, Florida (North of Orlando) and he had a 1947(?) Chief to sell. I wasn't in the market for another Chief as I had a '40, a '48, and loads of Indian parts. He made it sound like a nice bike for the decent price of $1,500 so I made the long slow drive through picturesque but numerous small towns. When I got there and saw the bike I told him there was no way I would pay that much for a bike that was so beat, abused, and in need. He lowered the asking price to $1,200 and I politely told him I wasn't interested in a non running bike. He claimed his Grandfather said it would only take him 2 hours to get it running and I let that comment go by. I tried to tell him how much work and money would have to go into that project and that I already had my hands full with the bikes I had. The seller was truly desperate to sell and I suspected problems I didn't want to know about. I finally tore myself away and went home. I wasn't home more that 2 hours when he called and said $500. I still wasn't interested and really wasn't trying to get him down on price. He finally said $200 in cash. . . Who could say no? Back to Tavares, loaded it up. As it turned out, the motor and transmission were 1950 and I believe the chassis was 1947. It had been horribly abused, but someone tried to keep it going with many creative McGiver upgrades so you have to be grateful that they made the effort.

I haven't seen these pictures in quite awhile but came across them today and thought it might be interesting to share that strange mixed blessing here on the forum.

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[painterdale]

What became of it, Eric?

Dale

[exeric]

Dale, the 47/50 Chief, the '48 Chief, and a 70% 1940 Chief went into a trade for the 1917 Henderson I have. The fellow I traded with had most of a 1950 Chief minus the motor and trans so he was very motivated. The '17 Henderson was about 80% with lots of other problems but no complaints from me because it was a matter of trading an old set of problems for a new set of problems. Both of us walked away happy. . . Well, that's what I told myself anyways

[DEEBS47Chief1991]

I love these stories. I picked up my 47 back in 1991 from the friend of a 40 year old drug dealer who was smoking crack and had a heart attack (after destroying many lives). I put a $500 deposit on $5K and they said they would get back to me with the title that was supposedly in Florida at the time. I waited for weeks and would call periodically and would hear some sort of excuse. Finally after about 2 months of B.S. I called and demanded, "I'm coming down to pick up my bike with the rest of the money. F - the title". They agreed and I brought my bike home. Come to find out (the word on the street was...) this guy's druggy friends were trying to buy the bike out from underneath me the whole time but could not stop doing drugs long enough to rub two nickels together. I restored the bike about a year or two later and rode it to the local chop shop where I heard the stories originated just to see what would happen. I was there a few minutes when an emaciated mechanic comes out of the back to look at the Chief and states "That was supposed to be my bike." I looked at him and said "They don't call it dope for nothing, son". I was much more confrontational back in those days. Also, I lost my best friend to drugs a few years earlier so that did not help my attitude. But any who, we are still together 34 years later.


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[micmac]

Deeb, you were lucky you got the bike and I'm glad you did. I have learned a great deal about my '47 by reading your posts.