L
Loki
Guest
Well, finally. I have been searching for about 3 months now for a larger displacement bike project being that the 550 is done and my daily driver.
About a week ago I contacted a guy through CL in northern Illinois who had 2 for sale, a 82 850G and a 78 1000. His description was that they were all there, clear titles, rough and rusty, ripped seats, dents, etc. So I gathered up the trailer and some straps and set out this morning for a 200 mile drive figuring their both seized and basically basket cases so expectations were low, which is good.
I get there and go with him to the garage out back, there they are in all their abused dormant glory. :clap:
Neither has any resemblance of being complete, missing tank here, no seats there, air boxes not present. A heavily dented creased spray bombed blue tank sits atop the 1000, not a 78, looks more like the 82 850G tank. So I get looking around the garage, on a shelf I see dark blue metallic paint and indentations on what appears to be a 78 1000 tank. So I ask, do you have the tank for the 1000? Sure do but its all rusted. I grab the tank and give it the once over, pfftttt I think, thats all surface stuff. How about side covers? Yep, got em right here, hands em over, no cracks, ok cool im thinkin. airbox? check, carbs are on the bike but their dirty he says.
I then see a new battery on a charger. I ask can you turn the 1000 over or have you tried to start it recently? It will turn over fine but wont start. Well lets see it, sure does turn over and oil pressure light goes out.
So we move to the 850, already in my mind this 1000 will be mine but my trailer will fit two. The 850 has a butchered harness, wrong handle bars, tank almost dented beyond recognition, and so on. I ask if the 850 will turn over, he says no its dead. So we put the battery in it and turn the key, hit the button and nothing. Says it did start at one point but then stalled when put in gear and the clutch released, and it squealed. Ok, Im gonna pass on the 850.
So we work out the price, load it up on the trailer, throw the tank, seat, fender, airbox, side covers in the jeep and I head for home. So I now have a 78 1000 project to work over the winter. If anyone is looking for a basket case 850 let me know, I will send his info. Pics tomorrow as it was way dark out by the time I got it home.
About a week ago I contacted a guy through CL in northern Illinois who had 2 for sale, a 82 850G and a 78 1000. His description was that they were all there, clear titles, rough and rusty, ripped seats, dents, etc. So I gathered up the trailer and some straps and set out this morning for a 200 mile drive figuring their both seized and basically basket cases so expectations were low, which is good.
I get there and go with him to the garage out back, there they are in all their abused dormant glory. :clap:
Neither has any resemblance of being complete, missing tank here, no seats there, air boxes not present. A heavily dented creased spray bombed blue tank sits atop the 1000, not a 78, looks more like the 82 850G tank. So I get looking around the garage, on a shelf I see dark blue metallic paint and indentations on what appears to be a 78 1000 tank. So I ask, do you have the tank for the 1000? Sure do but its all rusted. I grab the tank and give it the once over, pfftttt I think, thats all surface stuff. How about side covers? Yep, got em right here, hands em over, no cracks, ok cool im thinkin. airbox? check, carbs are on the bike but their dirty he says.
I then see a new battery on a charger. I ask can you turn the 1000 over or have you tried to start it recently? It will turn over fine but wont start. Well lets see it, sure does turn over and oil pressure light goes out.
So we move to the 850, already in my mind this 1000 will be mine but my trailer will fit two. The 850 has a butchered harness, wrong handle bars, tank almost dented beyond recognition, and so on. I ask if the 850 will turn over, he says no its dead. So we put the battery in it and turn the key, hit the button and nothing. Says it did start at one point but then stalled when put in gear and the clutch released, and it squealed. Ok, Im gonna pass on the 850.
So we work out the price, load it up on the trailer, throw the tank, seat, fender, airbox, side covers in the jeep and I head for home. So I now have a 78 1000 project to work over the winter. If anyone is looking for a basket case 850 let me know, I will send his info. Pics tomorrow as it was way dark out by the time I got it home.
Here are some before unloading pics:
