And away we go . . . . LTD style

[polkadot]

Well, I took the plunge again! I have been looking for an LTD since I sold my yellow restoration. I found an ad for one in Jackson Michigan. A woman was selling her Dad's LTD for him. I drove up to take a look at the bike yesterday. It had 26,000 miles but was a non-runner. It was in decent shape, but really in need of a full restoration. She was asking $1,500. It was missing the original seat and the left side cover. I decided to pass and drove home empty handed. Today I called Tom (Streetwing) to tell him about it. Sure enough, after that conversation, I decided to call Barb back to see if we could make a deal. Long story short, she sold me the bike for $1,000 and is trying to find me the left side cover. She is a wonderful lady, told me she was glad I was buying the bike (some other losers had been looking at it) and I am glad to have the bike! I took the first pictures at her home and the rest in my driveway. You may note the broken plank, jack, steps and other misc items in the background. DO NOT ASK, suffice to say that getting the bike out of the trailer was a thrill ride. (no damage to me or the bike!)

[Bert]

Great story and another LTD will live.

[vwfye]

man, that makes me miss my 76. nice find!

[Dog Boy]

Well my curiosity has been satisfied. Was wondering if u picked it up.
I think you got a great find for 1K.
Bike needs work but most of them do.
Good luck with your project.
Fun times ahead!

AL

[rogue1000]

Sweet!! I hope she finds that cover!

[achmedachmed]

Nice find, but promise us you wont sell it as fast as your yellow, when its finished!

[Roady]

Very nice and it looks to be mostly original.

Let the fun times roll!

[polkadot]

Achmed, Can't make any guarantees. I guess you sell a bike when you find a buyer! Anyway, the sooner I sell one, the sooner another project search can begin. (I sold my 58 Thompson boat this summer too) My garage space is limited. Of course I could put the project in my truck and take it to Roady's massive garage. I bet he wouldn't even notice the extra bike! ernie

[ms03]

Nice find and it looks like 99% of it is there.

[polkadot]

A big day of dis-assembly. Before beginning that, I hooked up a good battery to the bike. All the lights worked. The neutral safety switch worked. The starter turned over well and I could tell there was compression. I should have checked that, but had things off before I thought of it. There was spark to all 4 plugs and they looked good. I drained the coolant and it looked good. It was green and no signs of oil. I then drained the oil and it looked good too. No coolant there. Everything looks good except the muffler. I have not checked it throughly yet. It looks ok except that one of the necks broke off. I did a search and found the repair method. I have a buddy that is a good welder, so that should not be too bad. Lots of Grime, dirt, junk, crud etc. removed today. At least I can work on it as time presents itself. Here are some pics.

[northwood]

Wow, awesome, congrats and good luck!

[Graham Cracker]

Another one saved

[STREETWING78]

GEEZ DUDE, whats the rush !!!!!!! I thought I was more excited than you...
Guess I was wrong !!!! Dug right in, good for you... Any thing good from
Dog boy? I comin' over one of these nites w/JB n Ginger and watch the progress...

[Roady]

You're welcome to store them in the shop ... just don't expect the odo to read the same when you come back.

Man! You are crankin' this one. If you do decide to sell, it'll make a pretty nice profit. "Restored '76 LTD. Accepting offers over $3800."

[polkadot]

Here is an update. I worked on the bike again this morning before work. Some current pictures are attached.





Yes that is a real cannon! Doesn't everyone have one? Anyway, I took off the valve covers and it looked like new in there. Timing belts and tensioners looked good so I'll just run them as is. I am making up a list of things that need to be done. I am still looking for that left side cover. It appears to be the holy grail of the GL1000. I talked to Dave at Cycle psycho, and he just laughed. I will probably end up painting two new side covers to match as best I can. Maybe I can at least find an emblem. Where can I get the paint for those covers, if any of you know. I found that I am also missing 4 pieces from the tool kit. I suppose that those are also part of the holy grail. (screw driver grip, ratchet handle, 12 mm socket and points file). I am beginning to feel like Monty Python on my quest! It may take some time, but we shall see.
I was also wondering about the right controls for starter and kill switch. Mine also has an on/off switch for the headlight. Was this original or was it replaced from another year bike?


Thanks for joining me on my journey. ernie

PS. Just kidding Roady about using the timing belts!