A Sweet Running Mill
It’s basically a 1947 Chief, assembled in a manner befitting a bygone era. The idea was to reassemble a machine in the spirit of a shade tree mechanic, using as little money but as much imagination and ingenuity as possible. Having a bit of a parts stash is also helpful. I am proud to say no two parts on this machine ever knew each other prior to assembly. Consequently, this also meant that there was a time where they had to get to know each other, but that’s to be expected.
Driven by a strange notion and an enticing trade deal, the engine was assembled by rummaging through a friend’s parts stash. Each part was thoroughly eyeballed, then selected. This process was time consuming, but seemed to add more of a challenge and interest to the endeavor. The only new parts in the power plant were rings and gaskets. The result was a sweet running mill and shit load of satisfaction.
The chassis was assembled in much the same manner, gathering parts of questionable merit and sifting through them to find the good ones. The idea was to use only basic tools with little outside help, hence the bent frame and forks were straightened with a large hammer, car jack, vise, torch and a tape. It must have worked, since the machine tracks like an arrow.
The rear fender had been run over and flattened, but with diligent use of a variety of hammers (my favorite tool) and some all thread, it was made to fit. At the suggestion of a style conscious wife, the rear fender was bobbed to match the contour of the front fender. A vintage pillion pad and bates tail light were added for that “just right” look.
continues