Anyone doing "winter" mods or getting new Turbo Buick toys for Christmas?

[Squid4life]

I have been seeing some folks talking about mods they are doing over the "winter" since their cars will be in storage, and of course, being in San Diego I chuckled inside as we can drive year round (and in flip flops the entire time!). But, even without a real "winter" or storage it seems like the time of year for upgrades.

Anyone here in the wonderful SW section doing anything exciting? Any big conversions or upgrades? I am converting the daily driver 85 over to E-85. Chip should be here today or tomorrow, so I am excited. I know I should leave the damn car alone and just clean it up as I am "supposed" to be prepping it for selling... But, I haven't gotten to mod much lately and am bored. Process is slow on the 87 Twins SII car, so I will play with this one. Christmas for me should be a set of Crower rods (finally) for the 87. That is about it for me...

Anyone else? Santa being nice to any of you?

 

[cruzn57]

I'm gettin white walls for the GNX,
"DARE TO BE DIFFERENT"
and I found some "TIM" (mean chicken) exhaust pipes should look purty good on my 57 !!

 

[Squid4life]

Oh yeah, I guess I also put Pypes stainless exhaust on the 85, and played a bit with the welder. I put a 3 bolt flange on the bottom of the THDP, and have 2 "intermediate" pipes between the THDP and the Pypes exhaust; one is a straight test pipe, other has a high-flow cat for smogging. Just unbolt the 3 bolt and 4 bolt flanges, swap the intermediate pipes out. I also installed the Recaro's I had redone in GN fabric, so that is much, much better than having springs poke me in the ass. Also going to swap brakes from the 87 to the 85 as the 85's are shot and the 87 had brand new stock rotors, pads, etc. Gave me an excuse to spend the $ on Wilwoods I got a good deal on for the front of the 87 GN, so now they match the Wilwood rear discs. She stops real nice while rolling around the garage.

The Wilwoods lightened the nose of the 87 by 24 1/2 lbs, and I have an aluminum core support I scored from the yards down here, so that'll knock a few more pounds off. I already have the front bumper and fillers off to replace the fillers, so I might as well throw the alum core support on.

I got both my sets of SII heads done, one as a spare on the shelf with Ti valves still, and the set I am going to run got superalloy valves and a bunch of other crap done to them. Valves are NOT cheap, are they Neal?!?!?!?

Speaking of Neal, I just finished framing around my big shelving units, enclosing them and putting nice doors on them. So now, my wife can't SEE what I have on my shelves. That is always an option instead of selling off your LS stuff.

 

[mikes86ttop]

Power logger, injectors and chip, and a few other things on my list...Mike

 

[coach]

I just started a complete build thread. All new 109 with forged internals, billet caps, girdle, GN1's, ported intake, 67HPQ, PTC, XFI, RJC Megacooler, high boost wires, the list goes on and on.

 

[we4Mateo]

I bought a std/std 109 block and a 4340 stock stroke external balance crank and a set of K1 rods. Block has been checked and cleaned and I set the crank in it for storage. Getting my spare set of free 8445 heads checked now and I'll get those ported and stuffed with new valves over the winter. Getting a new front cover from T/A and having Nick Micale set it up. Probably won't get to machining the block this winter yet but budget will determine that. Hopefully a competitive TAI car for 2014 if things go well.

 

[Squid4life]

Power logger, injectors and chip, and a few other things on my list...Mike

Nice! I keep saying I need to buy a powerlogger... The 87 Stage II car has one, the daily doesn't...

I just started a complete build thread. All new 109 with forged internals, billet caps, girdle, GN1's, ported intake, 67HPQ, PTC, XFI, RJC Megacooler, high boost wires, the list goes on and on.

Damn, did Coach win the powerball? I will have to check out your thread, and keep an eye on it. Sounds like a bad ass build!

I bought a std/std 109 block and a 4340 stock stroke external balance crank and a set of K1 rods. Block has been checked and cleaned and I set the crank in it for storage. Getting my spare set of free 8445 heads checked now and I'll get those ported and stuffed with new valves over the winter. Getting a new front cover from T/A and having Nick Micale set it up. Probably won't get to machining the block this winter yet but budget will determine that. Hopefully a competitive TAI car for 2014 if things go well.

Starting a nice collection of parts there too! I am itching for a new build as well...

 

[daves87gn]

so since it seems i'm destined to never finish a project i figured i would start another , but in a twist of faith its pretty much done

i picked up this 07' Big Bear Chopper Merc, not running for $7500 last Saturday, got it to my buddies house where i have my lift and some of my tools i lent him for side jobs. I knew if it wasnt up and running that day it would turn in to another long term project, so in a matter of 3 hours did a full tune-up went through the front end (shop that last had it took it apart to powder coat and copper coat assembled it wrong) fix 2 shorts and replace stater (which was included with purchase, owner was told original was bad by last shop). after three hours, i stated it up and rode home, which was a lot harder than i would have thought, but not surprised since its just shy of 12' long

then there is the 79 shovel that has been a two year project, its finally almost done just needs paint (being painted by Danny D, who painted a few of the bikes from the biker build off, and is known for his work in the low rider world) and that thing is completely gone through all matching numbers but with a big bore/stroker motor and every bit chromed or polished.

then finish the 87 which i now just got the second to last missing part, then the 86 which i think i got all the part to, and last but not least the 69 Z/28. luckily i just got a second job which will help finance my projects without pissing the wife off two much.

 

[Squid4life]

so since it seems i'm destined to never finish a project i figured i would start another , but in a twist of faith its pretty much done

i picked up this 07' Big Bear Chopper Merc, not running for $7500 last Saturday, got it to my buddies house where i have my lift and some of my tools i lent him for side jobs. I knew if it wasnt up and running that day it would turn in to another long term project, so in a matter of 3 hours did a full tune-up went through the front end (shop that last had it took it apart to powder coat and copper coat assembled it wrong) fix 2 shorts and replace stater (which was included with purchase, owner was told original was bad by last shop). after three hours, i stated it up and rode home

I know what you mean about never finishing a project... My wife keeps adding projects to my "to do list"; it seems like I will never finish any of them!

Got any pics of the bike? (EDIT: they show up now...) what you doing with that one now?

 

[Squid4life]

Damn nice toys there brother!

Now get to work on your damn Stage II car!

 

[daves87gn]

the Big Bear is pretty much done, just needs paint touched up from where a weld leaked and bubbled the paint a little in the gas tank, but wont touch it till the shovel is done, i want to enjoy ride for a change.

The shovel, where do i start

its been in the family for 18 years, was last taken apart about 7 years ago before i got it, and decided to do it all over
got it with 7K in chrome and polish already done, some of it had to be redone as it tarnished for sitting for so long (polishing was done by Juan, who did all the polishing at West Coast Choppers)
picked up a 77 shovel for the stroker swapped out the guts and heads (STD) with the one from my motor and had them rebuilt (sold bike to an employee)

motor consists of stock matching # cases that were bored out to fit new cylinders, new S&S big bore stroker cylinders which i removed all the lettering from and had powder coated, S&S high comp pistons, truitt and osborne stroker crank, old casting ported STD dual plug heads (new stuff is junk), solid lifters, crane cam, pretty sure your get the picture on the motor. was a 74" now a 96" and barely fit in the frame, used to have about an 1/2 clearance now not so much lol

pulled trans since they dont have # on them and replaced with a 5 speed in a 4 speed case with a kicker want to keep it stock/sleeper if such a thing exist for a Harley

frame was powder coated, swing are is a Kraft tech adjustable (you can move the bottom shock mounting tab in order to raise or lower the bike), with 2" lower progressive shocks, front end is all stock with progressive 2" lower internals (looks like it will have about 2 1/4" of travel in the front)

wheels are 70's hubs with diamond spokes on new harley radius rims, kept the originals as spares as i seem to always break rear rims from wheelie's or launching from street light ( ive embarrassed a few street bikes as in GSXR's ect with my last harley and snapped a few spokes or half of them in the process.

found some good 70's tanks since, the originals had too much rust, front and rear fender are original to the bike and will be repainted the same color they sport now.
will post more pics as it progresses if its cool.

 

[Squid4life]

Wow, I love it. Those pics are very nice. I always wanted to pick up another bike, even if just to restore, ride for a month or so, then sell. I love working on stuff, and would love to do a bike. I probably shouldn't ride though. To me the throttle was always like a light switch; either all on or all off. I see wrecks all the time coming and going for work with bikes involved, so I prob should stick to 4 wheels.

Let me know if you need to farm out some work on one of those. I do my own powder coating, welding, etc.

 

[daves87gn]

Damn nice toys there brother!

Now get to work on your damn Stage II car!

yea i know right, but that one is after the shovel, which is getting closer to being finished by the day, then the 87, damn i miss driving that car, its been down for 5 years now, some how my project seem to snowball

 

[daves87gn]

Wow, I love it. Those pics are very nice. I always wanted to pick up another bike, even if just to restore, ride for a month or so, then sell. I love working on stuff, and would love to do a bike. I probably shouldn't ride though. To me the throttle was always like a light switch; either all on or all off. I see wrecks all the time coming and going for work with bikes involved, so I prob should stick to 4 wheels.

Let me know if you need to farm out some work on one of those. I do my own powder coating, welding, etc.

yea, think thats what is gonna happen with the chopper once it gets a little closer to summer, already been offered good $$$ for it but want to ride it a little more before i sell it, and with the holidays around the corner i know the market is gonna get soft, so will just wait for the California sunshine and put a for sale sign on it, oh wait is sunny now

as far as riding goes, i do it for fun, not transportation, most of the people i know that have wrecked on bikes were on the way to or from work, or riding beyond their ability, and i seem to be able to have someone to ride with which i think helps make me more noticeable to people in cars.

and on the throttle thing just get a harley dont you know there slow

 

[Instro84]

installing baer front and rear brakes, install dash and wiring hopefully during my xmas break

 

[Squid4life]

installing baer front and rear brakes, install dash and wiring hopefully during my xmas break

Nice! I think my next car will be wearing Baers. Very nice stuff!

 

[bobs84ttype]

For Thanksgiving I recieved and installed my gauge cluster, For christmas I am kooking to have the engine placed in the car.

 

[Squid4life]

For Thanksgiving I recieved and installed my gauge cluster, For christmas I am kooking to have the engine placed in the car.

Wow, need some details on that cluster, looks sharp! Clean motor too, very nice. Like the up/down pipes!

 

[bobs84ttype]

It is the vhx from dakota digital .. I replaced the stock digital cluster

 

[jlat]

hello people; I'm not doing anything to my TB this winter. But hello to the man with the Shovel. I've had mine since 79 and it's been going thru a rebuild for years. I got a site you might like. ShovelheadUS. Check it out and let me know what you think. I've benn going there for a bit.
IBBY