[Curt Miller]

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I have an opportunity to buy a good running 1984GLI cheap (<$1,000) from a neighbor's co-worker. I have an '86 GLI and was thinking this may be a good opportunity to pick up a good parts bike for cheap, strip off the stuff I want (radio, wheels, mirrors, engine, brakes, shocks, fork - to name a few items) and sell the rest of it on eBay (or our list). My '86 has <25k miles and is in good shape.

My question to the group is: am I wasting my time? Am I only imagining that this is a sensible idea? It seems to me, it's a lot easier to rebuild an engine, like Gambler's doing right now, when you aren't tearing down your daily ride, than when you're under the pressure of the season. You also seem to have the luxury of being able to screw something up that's not going to keep you off the road during the season, not to mention learning the intricasies of the bike.

Any thoughts solicited and welcome.

 

[stretrod48]

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It sounds like a good idea to me if you have the extra money and a good place to store the parts. :goofygrin::goofygrin::goofygrin:

 

[Wildcat]

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Hmm I guess you have to consider storage space, having enough and keeping things dry, coating with oil to stop rust etc. For many years I used to have parts cars for my older rigs. I always found it best to leave it assembled, take off parts as needed, and anything else removed in the process was left in the car so I could find parts when I needed them. It always seemed like anytime I sold some parts I figured I would never need that within 3 months, yup I needed em :?

Bikes of course ya gotta store inside, oil metal parts to prevent rust etc. Best to label em or sure as hell ya will end up with other parts and after a few years you won't be sure what fits what:shock:

I've sold a bit on ebay and websites, of course shipping and packaging is always a pain, especially on lower priced items, ya end up working for almost nothing a lot of the time. I would think with a low miles bike that you will most likely not need many parts for a few years, and by the time you need em, well seals dry out, things start to leak, and generally the parts may be more trouble than they are worth at that point. I am thinking of engine, carbs, forks, shocks any brake parts etc. So my guess is that if your bike is in good shape its prob not worth it other than as a learning tool, but hey thats why they make manuals :baffled:

Of course i may be biased, I would love to find a cheap fixer upper so I could build my Mrs a trike :goofygrin: so if ya don't go for it ummmm call me :waving:

 

[johnmac]

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Quite a few parts changed on the 1986 model. Often parts will fit 84-85 or 86-87. I have found this while looking for parts for my 85A.

 

[Curt Miller]

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johnmac wrote:

Quite a few parts changed on the 1986 model. Often parts will fit 84-85 or 86-87. I have found this while looking for parts for my 85A.

That's certainly a concern!

 

[Gambler]

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there are some differences between the years. on the trans I bought, the two parts I needed were the same, but other parts were not.

and yes I have other bikes to ride, I like the idea of rebuilding the bike as a long term project. go for it, if it doesn't work for you there is always ebay.

 

[RedWinger]

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[Curt Miller]

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I can't thank the group enough for all the advice that got me into my first GW a few months ago...and for the advice that probably save me from making a big mistake today.

Well, I saw this treasure this afternoon. Wow, I know that some folks don't takegood care of their stuff, but this bike was a sight. At first glance, it doesn't look so bad, but the closer you get, the more the abuse/misuse becomes apparent. This was an '84 gray Interstate with 66K on the clock. There wasn't a piece on this bike that was unmolested, except, perhaps for the fairing and a few other body parts. There wasn't a part of the engine accessoriesor piece of chrome thatwas - or could be restored to - original condition. Oh, the rust, the tarnish, etc. Surprisingly, however, I did check the infamous 3 yellow wires and connecting block and they were pristine!

You guys gave me perspective on this and I appreciate it. No way do I want anything to do with this bike. It's not restorable through sweat equity alone. This piece is going to need a lot of money for new parts, no getting around it. Perhaps I'm too much of a perfectionist but when I took my girlfriend out for a cruise through the Berkshire hills tonight on my '86 GLI that I've taken pains to clean up and get purring, it was nice to feel all that work beneath me as we sailed smoothly through the twilight.

Thanks againto all who took the time to respond. If anyone really needs a parts bike for the bodywork and engine internals, let me know and I'll put you in touch with the owner. This beast does actually run!

Curt

 

[Wildcat]

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Curt,
How much does he want for the basket case? Are you able to get pictures? I am serious about wanting a beater to take to a trike conversion, and you would not beleive what you can do when you have lots of time and metal polish, painting equipment etc. But of course you need a bike to start with............
Tim