New World Datsuns...

Hope it does, have a safe trip.

Wow! That was a long drive. Towing that big sail anchor at 60 takes waaaay longer than setting the cruise at 70-75 and just truckin'. Also managed to drop down to 13 mpg on the trip down (headwind) and 16 mpg on the way back. Lots of fuel stops. Icing on the cake was screwing up the bottom of the front fender in the trailer.




I wasn't shocked that it looked better in the photos than in person but a bit surprised that it was so filthy. Didn't matter. It checked the boxes I'd been looking for so I did the deal.

On the way home, I stopped in Pendleton to see Jerod and put the 2 bikes side by side so we could compare notes and figure out exactly what I bought. He was extremely helpful in that area. His bike is beautiful.



So, I'm home now and as soon as I eat some breakfast I'm going to go do some fender surgery and wash it up. Hoping to take a ride down to Murphy to do paperwork and get a plate for it.

Well that sucks(the fender) It is a cool looking bike

Nice bike. Only thing I’d change is to put some saddle bags on it.

I can’t talk you out of it; how else would I live vicariously?

It came with bags that zip on to the piece under the passenger seat. I had them off to wash it. They aren't right for it and I don't love the style, plus they beat the shit out of the paint. I'll be replacing them at some point.
I rode it about 60 miles to the DMV this afternoon. It's a runner, for sure.

More info to follow.

So, let me explain exactly what this thing is along with some company history. Over the years the Indian brand has gone under and changed hands several times. Currently they are owned by Polaris and doing well. Their biggest comeback was in 1999 when a group of investors started building them in Gilroy, California. 1999-2003 is referred to as the Gilroy era.
That production run can be basically split into early and late. 1999, 2000, and 2001 models were assembled at the plant but almost all the parts were supplied by outside vendors. Most of these parts would be considered aftermarket Harley parts.
By the time the 2002 and 2003 models came around they were producing many more parts in-house. Some quality issues compounded with losing key investors led to their demise in 2003. Remaining inventory was sold off.

My bike wasn't built at the factory, it was built by a guy who bought a bunch of parts at the bankruptcy auction. It's officially titled as a 2013 assembled Chief but, based on the parts used, is essentially a 1999/2000 model. The 2001s (like Jerod's) had a few minor differences.
My frame came from Ultima which was the supplier to Indian at the time. My engine is an S&S 88 which is what was used for the early years. Everything else appears to be from the Indian sale or a correct substitute, as near as we can tell. The odd thing is, records are spotty and image searches show lots of variations so it's not an exact science. Either way, you don't ride the title and most people can't tell the difference anyway.

Couldn't have said it better.

Sold the Chevette. Out of the diesel game.

That was quick.

Too many irons. Was planning on having it as a winter project and hauling it down to the swap meet in April. Decided to just make a couple hundred quick now rather than gamble on maybe a thousand later after a bunch more work.

The first of my parts came in.

Those look nice.

I have used Testors paint on my Datsun grill badge. I lost its luster pretty fast. You may try and find a decent clear coat for it.

I also found an NOS derby cover and a correct pair of running boards.




It's coming together a little at a time. The windshield is on order but hasn't shipped yet. I'm still looking for bags that will work. Correct sets run about $1600 so that ain't an option.

Pretty shiny!

I somehow neglected to mention that my brother bought this thing a couple months ago.


Some history if you aren't familiar with them.


His has had a ton of recent cosmetic and mechanical work done (including a 455 swap) so he's just sorting out some electrical stuff in the cabin. Very cool ride. He says it gets way more attention than he anticipated.

The color scheme of his is awesome!

Definitely a pretty cool RV.

Yeah, the guy he bought it from had it painted not long ago. All new interior too. It's pretty nice.

Side note; My brother is trying to buy a little body shop in North Plains right now. Wish him luck. It could be a real game changer.

Was supposed to go do some hill riding with a local buddy this morning but he bailed last minute. Did a little 125 mile loop to the lake instead.

Too on the nose?




Pretty much had the whole place to myself. On the 15 or so mile road along the lower Owyhee river up to the base of the dam I only passed 1 truck. There were quite a few fly fishermen out though. Didn't see a single boat on the lake and the campground was all but empty.



Stone corrals.




I filled up before I left and when I got back. Looks like I'm getting about 45mpg so it must not be too far out of tune. The rear-most pushrod tube is leaking a bit but other than that seems solid. I've got an appointment to get it looked over by a guy my dad knows who's pretty knowledgeable about these in a couple weeks to see if he sees anything I've missed that I should be concerned about.

I myself never liked riding my motorcycles on unimproved/gravel roads, I figured it was only a matter of time before I went down.
I did ride year round though, I recall one time that we were supposed to get freezing rain or snow, I looked at the Ford Ranchero and wondered if it would even start as it had been last winter since I had drove it and it was winter again, it felt very strange to get in that car.