Hey gang! It’s been a while since I last shared any updates on shop work. I haven’t been able to work on much since selling my dad’s place last November. However, I’ve been slowly working on getting all my equipment back up and running and creating a somewhat functional workspace for now. That said, I’m excited to announce that I’ve made the first sissybar in the new spot, and it’s all for a good cause! A little background... Kate and I met Frank of @pedro_and_bettys_big_revival last year @fuelcleveland and we instantly connected over Honda Shadow choppers. Frank and Mike are real grassroots garage chopper buildin’ dudes out of West Virginia and throw down the miles on their Shadows. These guys have class and character. In a world drowned in chopped Harley’s, it’s cool to meet people that “get it” with building metric bikes. They may be cheap and easy to acquire, but to be built right and look good, is not for the faint of heart. So! Frank and Mike have a new chopper build underway! They have been working tirelessly on a wild VT600 Honda Shadow chopper that will be raffled off in October to benefit the @sweetjuliagrace foundation. This foundation’s mission is to provide support with day-to-day needs for families with children who are seriously ill, have special needs, or are currently facing a medical crisis. If any of you know my brother Ray, you know this kinda thing is close to my heart. So, we had a quick chat with the guys and they sent us their design and a mock-up bar to pull measurements from. We then turned their dream bar into an all-polished stainless reality. I thank Frank and Mike for the opportunity for Kate and I to make a contribution towards this. Within the next week or so I’ll be posting a video of how this sissybar was built start to finish. We wish these guys safe travels to Fuel Cleveland this weekend! If ya’ll are out there be sure to pay a visit to their booth and check out what they’ve been building and their own chops, “Pedro” and “Betty”! #stainlesssissybar #pedroandbettysbigrevival #fuelcleveland #retrofitcycleworks #choppers #vt600chopper #hondashadow #charitychop

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I want to wish this amazing woman at my side, @miss_mundy a very happy anniversary! 🎉🥂 I love every single project 🛠️ or adventure 🌄 we embark on together and I love every single night falling asleep watching Mysteries of The Abandoned with you 🏚️ I’m an incredibly lucky man to have someone like you to be with on this wild roller coaster called life🎢 Through the ups and downs and loop de loops and sometimes puke 🤢😆 2 years hitched flew by already however, I can’t believe it’s been 12 years total we’ve been in each other’s lives. We’ve experienced and learned so much together. I’m looking forwards to what the next 12 years will bring ❤️

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For Sale: NOS South Bend drill press quills. One looks like a Morse Taper Shaft with the slot. The other may fit a Jacobs J-33 Chuck. $60 shipped for both.

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For Sale: 1944 South Bend 9” x 36” lathe. 220v but could be changed to 110v. Forward only at the switch but can also be changed. Power cross feed. Comes with the table and drawer set up on wheels. Very easy to move around. Table top is 31” x 48”. Drawers have little pull out shelves at the top. Light not included. I’ve owned this machine for over 12 years. It’s served me well. Ways have some wear. Comes with tooling pictured, 2 3 jaw chucks, collet set and draw bar, left and right tool holders, knurler, cross cutter, gears to change speeds, steady rest. Cuts nice. $1200 or best offer. Located in Newton, NJ. Also have an Atlas 10” for sale. Check my feed.

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For Sale: Atlas lathe. 10” swing. 42” bed. 110v. Forward and reverse at the switch. Serviced and greased. New wiring. New head stock bearings, gibs replaced and adjusted, new way wipers, belts in nice shape. Comes with a Cushman 3 jaw chuck, thread counter, Colton quick change tool post. Power cross feed. No tooling. The work bench its sitting on is not included. There are 2 knicks in the ways on the front side, doesn’t affect the carriage, ways are still decent. Cuts nice. $995 or best offer. Located in Newton, NJ.

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FOR SALE: Craftsman 150 psi 33 gallon air compressor. Works great. Light use. I put a new piston and ring kit in it a few years ago. Regulator and water trap included. No hose. $100 or B/O. Located in Newton, NJ. Got my heavy duty 220 compressor up and running and no longer need this one.

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A week ago this Sunday, I closed the doors at my dad’s place, the shop, for the last time. Although my dad passed over a year ago at this point, we finished up what jobs were left and packed our bags. 10 images for Instagram doesn’t nearly capture 15 plus years of history, Halloween, Christmas parties, and stories by the fire made at this little barn turned house. To say history feels egotistical, but I don’t know how else to put it. So many bikes and builds have passed through this garage door and closing it for the last time feels strange. I can’t thank my dad enough for putting up with my antics running a shop, supporting it, wanting to tell stories and share photos from back in the day to anyone who passed through, and giving me the skills to run things out at his place as long as I could. “The shop” has moved home to my place and I’m still finding my footing. Moving just sucks in general. I don’t know when the door will be open again exactly, but RetroFit will not die on the vine. It just has to get through the winter. Many thanks to @makeshift.matt @nick_fortuna @bengottheinsta59fl for the final push moving things and riding motorcycles to the new spot. I also can’t thank @marctremain and @lakemohawklocals enough for an easy and smooth sale. Hope y’all have a great holiday and we’ll see ya in the new year.

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WANTED! 2 piece chopper seat that looks like this. I believe it's a Corbin Gentry "Dragoon". Swipe to see what the stitching looks like.

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I had an awesome visitor come to my garage sale this past weekend. @24ouncepbr and I have talked about getting the dad bikes together for a while and we finally made it happen! For those that don’t know, Leigh’s dad and my dad both bought brand new black XLCHs in 1969. Absolute identical bikes. Leigh’s dad bought his from Dean’s in PA and my dad bought his from Tramontin’s in Clifton NJ. Only difference is 54 years later Leigh’s hasn’t changed a bit, my dads original ‘69 is lost to the sands of time. However, the photo op couldn’t be passed up getting the clone and Leigh’s together. I unfortunately don’t have a photo of when my dad bought his new, but the 3rd to last photo is the best I got. (Photo before that is Leigh’s dad) I don’t think it was even a week before my dad ripped off the decals and had the bike pinstriped. 2 years later it turned into the flame bike. 2nd to last photo is my dad’s original owner’s manual pictured with Leigh’s bike. Way too cool. Seeing these two together is making me fidgety for another ‘69 to build the next version… Lastly, thanks for the shirt Leigh!! #dadbikesrule #69XLCH

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Here’s the details folks! Massive yard sale at our house this weekend! Large lot of vintage motorcycle parts - Harley, Honda, Yamaha, Chopper - exhaust, tanks, fenders, wheels, sissybars. Household Items, Cookware, Utensils, Furniture, Clothing, Kitschy Items Car/Truck Parts - Ford/Chevy. Some tools. Automotive/Motorcycle and Other Literature. 12' Rowboat with trolling motor. 1996 GT Convertible Mustang, red, with 90k miles, fantastic condition. 9am-4pm No Early Birds! 2 Parsons Rd, Newton NJ 07860 (Hampton Township)

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Mark your calendars you local yokels! I'm having a giant yard/estate sale at "Rancho Relaxo". The time is closing in for my dad's place/the shop to be put on the market and I need to get rid of a lot of stuff!! Motorcycle and car parts and books, household items, cookware, furniture, artwork and clothing. Sept 16-17, 9-4pm. Address will be posted the night before.

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For Sale: 1981 GS550 Chopper Project This project was started about 12-14 years ago. I hate to see it go but I just don't have the time or see myself fully finishing this in the future. Custom rigid frame, Mustang tank flipped upside down, split and narrowed with Triumph oil tank caps. The coils are actually hidden between the two tanks. Stainless horseshoe battery box, stainless sissybar and seat pan made to fit but needs to be covered. Custom hand made forward controls with spoon pegs you'll never find for a GS550. These forward controls have the ability to be foot shift/hand clutch or foot clutch/hand shift. Pictured is the hand shift setup using the original shifter flipped up, and a second brake pedal modified to act as a foot clutch. Frame is smoothed and welded, stamped seams are gone. The wheels are RARE GR650 Tempter aluminum 16 Rear/19 Front with brand new tires. Rear fender was radiused to match the wheel and trimmed and blended for chain clearance. Top triple tree is smoothed, filled and polished for a slick look. Bottom tree is ready for a Bates bottom mount light. This bike comes with a TON of extra collected parts like clutch/basket, carbs, extra forks, nice shorty mufflers, etc. It pains me to see my early college project I cut my teeth on at Pratt in Brooklyn, but I'm hoping it can go to a good home that'll finish it. My dad's estate has more sentimental projects I want to hang onto, so I'm selling this bike. Hell, I think this is the second stainless sissybar my dad and I ever made. Cat eye taillight for the sissy bar is included. It did run, and ran well, it's just been sitting. Needs wiring and bungs welded in the tank for petcocks. Can provide more pictures upon request. Clean NJ title in my name. Asking $800. #chopperswapper

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