EL1950

[Misch182]

are you thinking of painting the p arts that a chrome ,,,, the Bruse Palmer books are brilliant ,,,, but there is so much info that its mind blowing !!!!!

there is a description of how too parkerize ,,,

i think i was lucky as the bike i bought is not so far from stock,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,until the rivit counters start looking

have a good look at Jan willem Boon site as he seems to have most parts

i have a order now for him ,,,, cables and a few odds

heres my bike the day i picked it up ,, i have now painted the few parts that were chrome ,, the tool box ,regulator cover chaingard coil and genni cover .. i have sent the handle bares and a couple of parts for rechromeing i think i am there then

johnP1090400.JPG

Hi John
Yeah, your bike even seem to have original logo on the gastank (I heard colour of the writing was red originally). Really a nice bike, congrats! Just wamted to order the Palmer book, seems to be out of stock but a second edition available, which is not a re-edition but a new book?

[Misch182]

thanks again guys

Well, I will definitely have to check belly numbers and will take more detailed pictures of the bike. If motor and R-H case turn out not even matching I will really have to reconsider my plans ... and my wallet

Thanks alfajuj for the very helpful links to Speedometer restoration and parts that are not original. would it be at least possible to get NOS parts e.g. for the fork, tank logo and riser link?

[devon john]

if you have problems getting the Palmer books there are two and you need both ,,, a member of are club was selling them ,,,, not sure if he has any left ... i can ask !!!

i did wonder if your bike was a 1950 as there seems a few bits wrong ,,,,

anther book thats a must is PANHEADS by Greg field a very good year pacific model reference book


john

[Andygears]

That seems a very nice bike you got yourself. Congratulations! I too have what started in boxes years ago as a '50 EL. Trends change and your bike got the restore/chrome routine at some point, the trend now is: as original as possible. You have a great basis to work in that direction and be able to ride it as parts are collected. My bike would require so much change that there would be, maybe 10% left of now yet uneducated eyes still ask if it's all original. Enjoy it as is, enjoy changing it, it's a very nice bike!

Andygears

[Bigincher]

Misch, you have asked a couple of times if NOS parts are still available. The short answer is No, not the major components. Once in a blue moon something might show up on eBay, but the price for parts like that is astronomical! The best you can do is watch for used parts in *good* shape, which is difficult to judge sometimes. A lot of parts need a repair of some kind, that's why they are being dumped on eBay. If you are capable of making a variety of repairs, and willing to do it, you'll be okay.
Swap meets are usually a better choice for finding good used OEM parts; you can handle them and examine them to determine how good they are, and you can dicker the price.
Frankly, if you plan to return the bike to its factory original condition, you're in for an uphill climb.

[Misch182]

Just bought this EL1950, Anyone interested in explaining to me, what needs to be done to restore the bike to be original? I think the original owner from Kentucky has restored the bike once.
Misch

Misch, welcome to the forum. Are you sure it’s 1950? And are you sure it’s EL?

The R-H case does not appear to be 1950. In your picture below, notice the cap for the oil screen. The presence of that cap indicates the R-H case is mid/later-52 or later.

IMG_5385.jpg

Hard to tell from your other photos what year the left case is. Can you post a clear photo of the serial number please. If you’re concerned about it being shown on the net you could just show the 50EL and the first sequence number.

What are the belly numbers? If you’re not familiar with them they may be stamped under each crankcase half near the outer edges and somewhat toward the front. The belly numbers will help tell us what year the cases are. If the left case is 1950 then you may find something like 350-1234 or 150-1234.

As the R-H case appears to be mid/later-52 or later you may find something like 152-1234 or something similar. Let us know what you find.
Eric

Hi Eric
Thanks for the warm welcome and helpfulness here. I really am a total rookie concerning old bikes. 50EL it says on the I'll check on these numbers. Thought this would be easy but I will have to remove parts to see the crank case, gonna take some time sorry for that. I can send you the Pic with the VIN via PM, if that's ok? Since the fork cover is aftermarket or from 55, maybe the rest is also.

Just to understand ... I learned on this site, that factory produced some 2046 bikes as EL in 1950. So the VIN of the last bike they produced should look like 50EL2046, isn't it? If my VIN shows a higher production number, would that be a incorrect number then? Thanks

Misch

[Misch182]

if you have problems getting the Palmer books there are two and you need both ,,, a member of are club was selling them ,,,, not sure if he has any left ... i can ask !!!

i did wonder if your bike was a 1950 as there seems a few bits wrong ,,,,

anther book thats a must is PANHEADS by Greg field a very good year pacific model reference book


john

Thanks John, told my girlfriend about the Palmer book ... and early Christmas I got one now. Greg Fields book is already in my collection because of the nice pictures . I 'd be interested in the new Palmer book, if someone has it and doesn't want to keep it, although it's still rather new in the market.
Misch

[Speeding Big Twin]

Cheers, Misch. You may be able to read the left belly number (BN) with the help of a torch (flashlight) even if there is a crankcase guard fitted. Sometimes it’s a bit harder to read the R-H BN due to the S-pipe but it may still be visible. Anyway, no need to hurry with them.

Yes, I’ll be happy to see the VIN via PM. H-D used certain different types of stamps for VINs (and for BNs) over the years.

Panhead models were mixed in together as far as VINs are concerned because they are all in the same engine family. Two engine sizes available for 1950 (61ci and 74ci) but in the same engine family. For 1950, apart from the EL, other models available were E, ES, F, FS and FL. (S only on the paperwork, not stamped on the engine.)

Panhead VINs for 1950 began at 1000 but that number could have been assigned to any of the six models. VIN 1001 was assigned to an EL and the bike is in Palmer’s book. VIN 1002 could have been assigned to any of the six types and this also means that VIN 2046 could have been assigned to any of the six models. Authentic VINs for 1950 Panheads can run into the 11000s although exact total production is unknown.
Eric