You are here - /gallery/project/54panhead.html
Modified: 04/13/09
This is your photo - /gallery/project/54panhead/img06.jpg
Go UP to - /gallery/index.html
Go to Colorwrite Index Page

1954 Panhead golden annniversary model repair and refinish photos

1954 Panhead golden annniversary model Daytona Ivory and Glacier Blue
Barn fresh
- 1954 Panhead golden annniversary model Daytona Ivory and Glacier Blue as is and Barn Fresh. To some enthusiasts, a barn fresh find is the pinnacle of their expectations, a stored forgoten relic from the past. Many people do cosmetic repair work and these bikes are pressed back into service. Sometimes reliable, sometimes less. Other enthusiasts look at a barn fresh find as begging to be restored to its former glory.
  John Caracciolo, the present ownder of this 1954 had been searching for a birthyear bike, having riden choppers back in the seventies, he is very familiar with Panheads. The 54 pictured had belonged to the same owner since new. He recently had to make a decision to sell the bike as the storage building was collapsing on top of the bike. Several would be buyers with handfuls of money were turned away after admiting they were going to chop this bike. As fate would have it, Johns brother saw an ad in the local paper for a 1954 Harley a mere 10 miles from their business. John went and looked, bought it immediately promising to restore the bike. Found a local enthusiast one block away, Chris Messner, owner of Valley Auto Service, himself a Panhead enthusiast who commited to perform the restoration. Chris talked with me several times, and with Johns approval, we started the project. It's tough enough to find a birthyear bike, and if this story isn't eerie enough, the date of manufacture on the frame is the same as his birth month!
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
- Barn fresh find.
Brilliant Black
Sheetmetal 1
Paintwork
- Paint Work. For the enthusiast who dreams of going back in time, walking into his local Harley Dealer and riding out on that new Knucklehead, Panhead, we strive to recreate that experience with our metal work and refinish work. When this bike is completed more photos will be included in this page.
- Front and Rear fenders painted Daytona Ivory on the outside.
- Rear fender buffed and assembled. We straightened the stainless trim on either side of the taillight and also straightened the -48 rear fender tip and had it re-chromed
- We also installed the screws in the top of the fender to be sure the slots were in line and no damage was done by the lock washers to the paint we also shim the fender tip mouldings to avoid damage to the paint.
- Another picture of the outside of the fender.
- Inside of the fender all welds ground down and dents given one coat of filler and 2 coats of primer, then painted.
- Front fender assembled with the golden anniversary medallion installed. We had to make a patern from a 1954 fender to properly locate the holes for this medallion. it required shiming to avoid damaging the paint as did the other mouldings.
- This is what Glacier Blue and Daytona Ivory look like together.
- The decal is permanently protected with clearcoat.

Your picture should appear here!

John Pierce Colorwrite - Paint for and how to paint antique and vintage motorcycle restorations. Original Factory colors, modern quality. DuPont single stage and base/clear paints. Every known Harley color before 1970. Questions, current pricing, Call days between 9:00 AM and 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

(603)942-5610 or Fax (603)942-5675
Our E-mail Address is John@hdpaint.tk
To E-Mail the Proprietor Click Here
HTML Code and website maintenance By Harley Pierce.
To E-mail Harley Pierce admin@hdpaint.tk

if(typeof(urchinTracker)=='function'){_uacct="UA-230305-2";_udn="none";_uff=false;urchinTracker();}_qacct="p-44naSaXtNJt26";quantserve();