Sportster Rebuild Part 1 – Painting The Sheet Metal

I’ve started the Sportster rebuild for real this time. I took the fenders and gas tank up to InDepth Customs to have them repainted. Matt looked them over and is comfortable that he’ll be able to repaint them with the stock color, using the original decals I found a few years back. We’ve discussed what my goals are, and I think we’re going to be able to work together on it. I’m going with 2004+ 1200 heads, N4 cams, and some sort of performance exhaust. I’m also going to have to do a lot of cosmetic repairs and upgrades, because well, it’s twenty years old. Those are things that Reese and I can do when he’s down here though.

I’m not sure what the actual timeline is going to be, but I’m hoping to have it up and running by the end of May at the latest. Here’s a couple pictures of the sheet metal on its way up there. In addition, there are a few rust spots on the frame that will have to be touched up. I’m going to have him repaint the oil tank as well, because it also has some surface rust. The next step is to get the bike up to the shop so that we can determine what’s wrong with the engine. That will control which direction this project goes.

Tank decals

Tank Decals

Sheet metal in need of fresh paint

Sheet metal in need of fresh paint