Little update on Gallo’s shovel bound for CA. Rear fender is from @lowbrowcustoms and we made a new taillight out of an old Harley dual filament signal as a brake light. Fortunately his sissybar is stainless (that we made a few years ago) and that Harley signal happens to nestle in that curve just right. Next up is a plate mount and we’ll be able to strip the bike for paint and head work in the motor. This bike will be hammering the streets of Long Beach in no time.

via Instagram

FOR SALE! 1991 S10 Blazer with Tahoe package. 4.3 V6. 2wd. Power windows (new regulators) power locks. Truck originally came from Florida, then to Connecticut, then to me. It's been my daily for the past 5 years. Body is in really nice shape, the rust is just starting to pop in a few spots near the bottom corners. Floors are solid. New headliner with later model blazer ceiling console. Dash is cracked but I have a spare with no cracks. Interior is in great shape! 2" receiver in rear, both trailer plugs work. Truck is lowered with a Belltech Lowering kit. Heat works great, AC does not. CD and Radio work. It needs tires, alignment, and exhaust (If I can get to them I will fix them) Smokes a little on startup randomly. Check engine light comes on randomly. It needs a paint job. The PO replaced the rear gate and resprayed the gate and driver side of the truck. Not sure why he didn't just spray the whole truck. Comes with extra hood, original wheels, oem clutch pedal set up. I had intentions of doing a v8/manual trans swap. Extra dash that is not cracked. Spare ignition key and tumbler for column. $5,000 or B/O. May consider trades. Looking for something larger, 4x4, extended cab short bed. If interested shoot me a DM.

via Instagram

Another one finished and ready to go back home. “Hemi” (short for “hemorrhoid” as the owner affectionately calls it due to all the problems that kept coming back with this bike.) A lot of weird issues too. I cast out all the electrical gremlins and took care of some tuning issues. Runs great and rides like a cloud! All signals and idiot lights are working again. Onto the next one!

via Instagram

Another shovel on deck is Scott’s bike to be prepped for the west coast. Meaning matching numbers frame and motor to appease CHP... It had a paughco frame but to make things smooth for its transfer to CA, about a month ago we hardtailed the original frame so everything matches. Now we’re about to transfer everything over. Heads need work and a few other things and it will be ripping again soon. Happy Halloween and keep on choppin!

via Instagram

As soon as one rolls out another rolls in. Coincidentally also needs a wire clean up, tuning and some other odds and ends. Don’t judge a book by its cover, this bike has a bunch a gremlins we’ll sort though. This shovel couldn’t be more fitting for today being Halloween! We’ll get a priest lol.

via Instagram

Another one out the door. This was bright to me for a freshen up on the wiring from headlight to taillight. Salvaged what I could and ditched anything that was even remotely stiff or crusty and simplified the rest with soldered connections and new crimped ends. It had about 4 different grinds running all over the place. Relocated the solenoid and relay to under the battery. Headlight is bright now and runs and starts great again. Onto the next the job.

via Instagram

This Sunday folks! The 15th Annual Secret Bike Show in Milford PA! We’ll be there as a vendor with some parts and some of @joepanhead1313 sculptures. Stop by say hi! About the Milford, PA Secret Bike Show... (taken from the Facebook page) The Secret Bike Show has been an annual event since 2006 founded by Golden Fish Art Gallery Proprietor Edwin Longendorfer in conjunction with Fisher Fabrications and Big "W" Mechanical. It grew out of a weekly event called "Fire In The Hole" where every Wednesday for 8 years a bunch of drunks would get together and swing wrenches, and get some bike, (or anything with a motor) that had been sitting for 20 years or so with a tree growing through the seat, to fire up and do a burnout within 30 to 45 minutes or less depending on how many carbs it had. The bike show was originally held in the super secret back yard of the Golden Fish Art Gallery each October, the show got its name due to the last minute planning of the initial show. Fliers were printed less than a week in advance, locals swore that no one would attend, and that the show might as well be a "secret". 15 years later, the Secret Bike Show still holds on to it's original name, though it has grown over the years in popularity and general awareness. The Secret Bike Show is geared toward home-builders who complete their own builds and kustom bikes. It features kustom bikes and choppers across many makes, models, and decades. As one of the last antique and kustom bike shows of the season in the North East, the Secret Bike Show is a very laid-back show with no cash prizes and no entry fee. With improvised and home-made trophies in categories such as: Best Antique, Best Chopper, Best Cafe Racer, Best Paint (AKA The Easter Egg Award ), the Secret Bike Show is a place for bike builder's and restorer's to admire each other's work, shoot the shit and get new ideas. Asking only for small donations to local charities. As with all gatherings of mechanically and artistically inclined people, donations of food, beer, booze, parts, scrap metal, musical talent and of course hairy hippie chicks with hula hoops, are always appreciated! More info call 570-296-0413

via Instagram

Want to give a shout out to @24ouncepbr for schooling me on Tillotson carbs yesterday! They seem strange and daunting to deal with but after a total tear down they’re quite simple. (Just need to be aware of their quirks) I was also shown how to make a tickler out of a nail for the diaphragm to make for easier starting. (I may have taken it a few steps further and Calvinized it...) Can’t wait to see what it does! It worked fine on the original bike so why not this one?! Few more odds and ends to do and we can actually fire this thing up for the first time.

via Instagram

Quick photo dump from @cheapthrillsseaside It was such a blast and was so glad to see old friends and make new ones after being cooped up with no events for almost a year and a half. Everyone definitely made up for it for last weekend! Some pics I took, some I stole. I tried to credit where I remembered. The video at the end is total credit to @mikeyrevolt and @lowbrowcustoms thanks for capturing that moment. That was the cherry on top for the whole weekend. See y’all on the next one!

via Instagram

Speechless. Elated. Exhausted. First three words that come to my mind after @cheapthrillsseaside After the show I had to take a few days to collect my thoughts and put this post together. It was one Hell of a weekend and one for the record books. To think I almost bailed too because of a situation that arose with the front wheel. (Those who know, you know.) Thinking back I realize how stupid bailing would have been. We've all been there especially when we're overtired, pushed to our limits and also perfectionists. I struggled with unveiling the bike if it wasn't 100% right. However, we pulled through and got the bike done. The response was absolutely overwhelming. It couldn't have debuted at a better show being a Jersey built bike. This bike has been stuck in my head since I was a kid looking at my dad's old photos. I started collecting parts about 12 years ago and took approximately 9 months to build. Watching my dad win Best in Show at the Sportsters at The Shore made all the hard work and mountains of stress worth it. I'm happy my dad took that credit because he was the one who built it the first time around. I did my best to replicate his ideas from 1972 and source the parts he had. To top it off the Hondaster also won "Weirdest" Sportster. These two bikes I believe really show what RetroFit is capable of. From the meticulously accurate to the unexpectedly fun. I have to thank Walter, Dusty and Truth for also winning the free weekend and putting on an amazing show. Huge thank you to Ed for replicating the paint job. I knew this was a tall order and you nailed it my friend. Thank you for the numerous sprayouts and patience with me haha. Ben for absolutely everything you did from lifting, lugging, wrenching, welding, polishing. I couldn't have made it without your help. Greg for fixing up the seat in record time. I also have to thank all these people below that helped with the build by sourcing/donating parts their time and just overall moral support. I can't list everything you all did but you know what you did to make this bike come together and I am forever grateful. Thank you! I'm now going to catch up on the last two months of sleep I lost...

via Instagram

And now for something completely different! This week marks one year ago that @miss_mundy said yes to me! An absolutely unforgettable occasion at camping at my families farm with our best friends. A few months back we commissioned @deanchoochlandry to do an engagement photo shoot with us right in our own back yard. The experience was incredible. Dean is one of the most down to earth people I’ve ever met. He spent more than half the day with us talking and learning about his process and cameras. He could not have been more generous with his time. To mark our one year “engage-iversary” Kate and decided to post a few of our photos now. I can’t wait to make things official with you next year babe!

via Instagram

We’ve got paint for the @joepanhead1313 Sportster clone! Huge thanks to @eddispeachy for replicating this paint job. I knew it was a tall order and he did a fantastic job. Swipe to the next photo and these photos are 49 years apart from each other. The old photos may seem darker but that’s because they were taken in a basement with just a 60 watt bulb where my dad originally built the first bike. Lots of assembly work ahead of us to have it ready for @cheapthrillsnj next weekend.

via Instagram

Tonight is officially the last night this bike will be together until it comes back for paint and chrome. It was just over a year ago we picked up this bike for it’s big transformation and took about 8 months to get to this point. I’m blown away by the generosity of those who have helped out with time, parts and information. I knew this bike would be a tall order. Very challenging at some points driving myself crazy with the little details. Probably driving my dad crazy too, but this is an opportunity of a lifetime to do this with him so why not go 100%. Last two photos are my great grandfather Karl (who originally co-signed the original bike for my dad in 1969) and my dad @joepanhead1313 Tomorrow it’s heading out for paint to @eddispeachy Next will be prep work for chrome and seeing what we can do freshen up the motor.

via Instagram

More progress on the @joepanhead1313 Sportster clone. Been working towards closing in the neck area for moulding. Bent up by hand some 3/16” round bar for the two outside edges and the center peak. Then bent up by hand some sheet metal to fill the gaps to only have a small amount of bondo take up the rest. Next is side plates but I’ll do that once the bike is stripped. Also finished up the lunch box oil tank mount. The original mount was cut. However, thanks to @24ouncepbr and some photos of his fathers original ‘69 XLCH I was able to copy the mount and cut it out of a piece of square tubing and weld it in. Up next is finishing the rear fender, seat, sissybar mount. Getting closer to paint and chrome!

via Instagram

Making more progress on the @joepanhead1313 Sportster clone. Gas tank mounts are finalized, so we’re good to go on that. Next item to tackle was the rabbit ear handlebars. The ones I found were close but not right. (Calvinising here remember). After lots of careful measuring and referencing in photoshop I had a pretty good idea where to go with these. Took about 2” off the bottom, welded in new bungs, and then added another 2” to the pull back. Then added another 1.5” to the grips. The bridge was in the wrong spot so I made a new one and brought it higher like in the old photos. Getting closer!

via Instagram

For Sale: 35 mm Showa single disc front end. Chrome is nice. Tubes are new. Timken bearings with neck cups. $300 plus the ride. #chopperswapper @roadsidemarty_swapshop

via Instagram

@joepanhead Sportster Clone Update: Replicating motorcycles are a pain in the ass! That’s the update thanks for tuning in. Seriously though, we’re making headway. If you know me, you know how anal retentive I am and it’s affectionately known as “Calvinising”. (Thanks Ben...) I’ve been wracking my brains out the past week making these taillight brackets. Blowing up all the blurry pictures I can and studying them with a fine tooth comb and I’ve still overlooked some things. It’s almost caused me start over just like the struts... After finishing the brackets and looking at the old photos close up to verify what I have is right, it dawned on me I was using the wrong taillight, or was I?? (Yep, I lost sleep last night on that one.) Turns out both are actually right. I originally started with the larger light because it was easily identifiable in one of my dad’s photos. However, the version I’m going for is from the parking lot photos and what’s on the back of our shirts. After letting my brain settle it’s clear as day between photos the taillights are different. Fortunately I happen to have the correct smaller one on the shelf but now the holes are off! I was thinking great I have to make new brackets now, but a little squeeze of the hand on the bar the holes lineup and the light fits perfect. Thanks to @bengottheinsta59fl and Frank for press braking the brackets for me. Last item for the bar is inspect sticker plate. (The insanity continues with that story...) Stay tuned! #RetroFitCycleWorks #JoeSportsterClone #Calvinising #chopcult #69XLCH

via Instagram

Hey gang! It has been quite some time since I have posted anything! Just been incredibly busy working nonstop and I’ve reached a point to make a post for the @joepanhead1313 Sportster clone! Well here it is! This bike has come a long way over the past few months and it couldn’t have happened without the help of some amazing generous people. It’s been an incredible challenge trying to locate the original odd ball parts my dad used back in 1972. The biggest needle in the hay stack was the spool hub he ran. That was generously donated from @jway_83 I cannot thank you enough for the hub man. I missed out on buying it. Long story short he ended up contacting me some weeks later and offered it up for the build. Jason I can’t thank you enough! It’s what this chopper community is all about! On the fabrication side my dad and I have been slaving away trying to reproduce his struts and sissybar he had. I actually made 2 sets of struts because the first pair I made were too short. So I made a new set at 12.5” and all of sudden everything fell into place. My dad also remade his original highway pegs. Last photo is of my dad’s grandfather, Karl, who originally co-signed for the bike in 1969 so my dad could get the bike in the first place. This photo is also what helped me confirm the seat that @marinosjunkpile had for sale and I knew it was the one. For the rest of the parts and help on the build I’ve gotta thank these characters: @24ouncepbr @magneto_sportster @jodyzero7 @cyclestopnj @hotdoggin @antisocial83 @marinosjunkpile @jway_83 @dnseats6779 @bengottheinsta59fl @chopcult We’re getting there and we’ll have the big reveal @cheapthrillsnj in the sportster show in Sept! Life long dream coming true building this with my dad. More updates to come!

via Instagram

First time out this year!

via Instagram