1980 Sportster Ironhead - Part 2
Life's a Bitch... Thank God There's Sportsters!
Greg from St. Louis, Missouri, United Sates, sent us these photos of this cool 1980 Sportster Ironhead that he rebuilt together with his sons Ted and Jon.
Click HERE for Part 1 of this 1980 Ironhead story!
Greg: "This is my 1980 Ironhead Sportster that I have owned for 10 years. I let the plates expire in 2004 and the bike sat in my garage collecting dust for five or six years. This spring my son wanted to start riding so we started this project."
1980 Sportster
The Springfield Mile
Greg: "We replaced the battery, changed the fluids and rebuilt the Bendix carburetor. We were able to get her running, but had tons of problems and break downs due to rust in the gas tank, sludge in the oil, etc. We used a sealant on the inside of the gas tank and flushed the engine with Sea Foam and got it back on the road. Next we had valve troubles and blew a head gasket on the rear cylinder. That happened on our way to the flat track races in Springfield, IL."
The Ironhead Sportster at the Springfield Mile.
Back into the Garage...
Greg: "After trailering the bike back from Springfield we had to tear down the top half and found a hair line crack in the rear cylinder wall. We replaced the jug, and did a head job on both cylinders, replaced the Bendix carburetor with an S&S Super "E", replaced the points with electronic advance, new coil, plug wires and oil gage. Then she ran like a sewing machine."
Time for Cosmetics!
Greg: "Next it was time for cosmetics. We relocated the front blinkers, installed rear blinkers, mirrors, new tachometer, 12" ape hangers, o-ring chain and sprocket set, chrome battery box, cables, controls, and then started the body work. We wanted to stick to the original color scheme but ended up using paint codes for a 1972 Chevy."
Sportster fenders in the paint shop.
Painting the gas tank.
Rebuilt 1980 Sportster
Greg: "After the paint shop we put everything back together and as you can see we have one of the sportiest Ironheads in town. It was a great project and a great summer for me and my boys. Hope you enjoyed the story and the pictures. We'd love to see it posted in the gallery and take it's place in history."
1980 Harley Davidson Sportster
Ain't that a proud Dad? Thanks Greg! Great Job!
January 2011
Click HERE for Part 1 of this 1980 Ironhead story!
MORE Ironhead Classic Sportsters Photo Albums:
Clymer Service and Repair Manuals
Even if you have no intent to get your hands dirty - these books are a joy for every Harley Davidson fan!
