Vor's 7 Year (B)itch aka Legend of the Purple Pre-Unit BUILD

[vorhese]

I figure it's about time to post this, as I'm hoping to finish in the next couple months. It has been a long long journey getting this done. Many life-altering occurrences, tools acquired, skills learned, mistakes made, many favors granted, much bartering took place, and much time used up and money has left my wallet.

2005 The beginning:
I traded my old '63 Galaxie for a "63 Pre-unit", which ended up being a Duplex '62 Pre-unit with a 57 gearbox, unit front end, and an oddball 4" stretch hardtail. It was leaking oil from every orifice. Forward controls, drag pipes, a mediocre cobra seat with a Honda rear fender, and some other things that didn't fit what I was going for.






Digging deeper, I found out this was an old Hack-A-Saw chop. In an even earlier life it looked like this:


Hey sexy


I did things here and there for a few years but wasn't able to concentrate on it. About 4 years ago things started accelerating.

[vorhese]

I ditched the forward controls and made my own mid controls with the correct right side peg and modified a BSA peg.


Made a tail light out of an old microphone.

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Got an old ribbed fender


Ol Timer flat tracker gave me an old taco'd Bultaco front wheel


Poppa made me a custom axle




Leather seat from Caulfield Leather in UK


I made a perch for the brake pedal, modified an old Triumph brake pedal.

[vorhese]

Ditched the old hardtail and got a 2" drop/2" stretch from Factory, made my own sissy bar. Some friends helped me get everything to jive.

[vorhese]

Rebuilt and lowered the front end with 3" spacers.










Found some NOS MCM FC-5 fork covers


Oil tank is a modified 50's Tiger Cub, increased capacity, re-plumbed










Final mockup


My main time eater and priority

Next update will be motor work...

[Dr. Benway]

Nice purple. My bikes are already painted, may I ask what purple that is?

[worn]

I really like what you've done.

Hackasaw, haven't seen that name for years, didn't he get asked to leave the planet?

[vorhese]

Dr. B, not sure on the color

Motor was in pretty sad shape




Removing bearings and bushings


I soda blasted all the cases


Nice and clean


some good ol JB weld repair on the inner primary


Some case repair welds, new bushings and bearings, roller on drive side


Timing side together


Crank rotor side was damaged and flaired out


Wes @ 4 Aces fixed that, ground journals to .20" under, and I did the sludge trap. Now ARP conrod bolts


Magneto needed some love




Sent it to Grep Poirier in Phoenix for full rebuild


Head needed some love


Polished the intakes smooth as buttah


Sent that to Wes for a full rebuild and 3 angle grind


Also got some chromed rockers to replace my damaged ones


And some Choppahead inspection caps


New Amal Premier 930s


Barrels .060" over and new pistons


Final assembly on motor is where I'm at

[vorhese]

Complete gear box rebuild, all new bushings, seals, replaced broken bits







Picked up an extra gearbox adjuster as apparently the Duplexes only had one adjuster

[vorhese]

And now on to finish and assembly


I'm using black appliance enamel. I will probably doa year long shakedown run, then invest in a nice paint job.


To be chromed (except oil tank)
Thanks to Craig at Front St Cycle for helping


Back from chrome






Fork covers on


Modified seal cups



A few hours of polishing


Motor mockup


Polished the hub (very messed up) and a new steel rim




And where I'm at, custom bars by Front St Cycle. So many thanks to many people:
Craig @ Front St Cycle, Wes @ Four Aces, Pops Cook, Paul Gion, Greg Poirier, Bultaco RJ, Jason @ SF Vintage Cycle, Rabers, Chico, Caffeine, Troop and Mittens, Mr. Young, and my dad busting out some things before his factory closed down, and my very very patient wife.


I'll update this post as it occurs...

[Dr. Benway]

Holy shit, man. Nice work.

This couldn't have come at a better time, thanks.

[spent]

I remember that Galaxie, it was one of the few four doors to stick in my memory. I had my '63 fastback at the same time.

Bike looks good, real fuckin good. It was an 'almost got it right' when you started, but it looks like a home run with what you've done to it. That motor is beautiful- love the attention to detail with the carbs and the like.

[Cali Kingpin]

Great job vorhese.Really coming along fine. What size carbs came with the bike?
How long has it been that you polished the carb parts? And are they still shiny?

[need louvers ?]

Cool man! It's good to see the whole deal in one place - I always start out to read through your blog then get side tracked part way through. We managed to pick the same tail with the same drop and stretch figures too! I had to laugh when I saw the first picture come up, 'cause the first thing I thought of was "the purple pimp of pain". What a rediculous name! Glad to see your getting it straightened out!

[radarsonwheels]

I'm loving all the attention to detail- one thing though, don't polish intake ports, polish exhaust ports. You want a roughish surface on the intake to keep the gas and air mixed up.

Keepin the purple?

[byronj76]

Now its a nice looking bike. Great job..

[vorhese]

@radar
I've heard two schools of thought, the don't polish crowd, and the polish crowd. Groups of old timers and internet experts on both sides. I'm taking a bet it will be fine, the carb should do it's job and atomize everything and no gunky buildup. But if it doesn't... I'll go grab some 220 sand paper and report my findings.

@cali
They were old 930's. The polish is only a few weeks old, I'm sure over time it will lose its luster. I've been making a lot of bolts too, polishing those, and smoothing out the bolt markings on the end, polishing. Lots of little detail things no one will notice.

@spent
I miss her. Last I know she's somewhere in Tennessee. I got another '63 a few years ago and it never was the same.

[HD48FL]

Looking good, time goes by quickly, that's for sure!

[panman]

Very nice build here!

[vintagespeed]

lookin good man! color me in as another member of the "i lost my '63 galaxie" club.

[Apehanger Hank]

Nice job bringing it back to life! Subscribed.