Wheels Through Time has been onerous at work on its ‘39 Rustoration project for some time and it’s getting nearer and nearer to completion. If you haven’t been following alongside, the bike is a 1939 Harley-Davidson EL Knucklehead from Indiana that, at one level, was in a hearth and was utterly disassembled in 1975. Thankfully, miraculously, the elements stayed collectively all these many years and it’s now coming again to life in Matt Walksler’s store.
Although he hasn’t gone deep into the historical past of this bike within the movies up to now, Walksler was crystal clear about wanting to maintain the outside patina on this bike in its current situation. Opinions will, in fact, range—however his feeling is that when a motorbike has lived a life, it is sensible to indicate it off, not attempt to disguise it behind a better-than-showroom-fresh restoration.
When we final checked in on the ‘39 Rustoration, it was missing its cylinder heads, pushrods, exhaust, and a few other pieces here and there. In this video, we get to see the cylinder heads, pushrods, exhaust, and recovered seat go back on—along with the carburetor and accessory air cleaner.
Although Walksler chose to keep the exterior patina, all the mechanical bits are getting a full restoration as needed. Things like making sure the bores look good and have nice crosshatching, new valve seats, and so on are all being carefully ticked off the list, while the outside stays as crusty as makes sense for this build.
Interestingly, Walksler also says he thinks this could end up being the most correct bike that he’s put collectively up to now, simply because all the correct elements got here collectively on the proper time. From new-old inventory gadgets to issues he was capable of supply by way of his numerous connections, there are many uncommon elements that he’s introduced collectively to make the ‘39 Rustoration a runner. Where that wasn’t attainable—akin to with the muffler on the exhaust—he was capable of get a particularly good duplicate that he talks a few bit on this video. (The fishtail on the tip, in addition to the remainder of the exhaust, are OEM Harley elements, although.)
There’s a very charming second when he’s putting in the pushrods on this engine, after he’s received the heads again in place. He pulls a screwdriver out and exhibits off the particular divot his dad modified it with, only for the precise job of getting the pushrods into place on these engines. It’s not simply bikes that inform tales—generally, it’s your instruments, too.
Source: www.rideapart.com