Basket cases, WHY do we buy them?

[T-Bird]

Hi.

I'm a gear-head, a grease monkey.

Every once and a while I buy a basket case, a bike usually, sometimes a car. Cheap, not running.

EVERY SINGLE time I swear that it'll be the last one. And IT WON'T.

WHY?

Does anyone else have the same "problem"?

Regards
Sam

 

[MJ5150]

The natural desire to conquer something, and inanimate objects tend to fight back less than humans?

-Mike

 

[MakiSupaStar]

Better to buy them than date them.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

^ basically what I was going to say.

 

[Linas]

For me its a couple things. 1, im a cheap ass, so usually i can buy a beater bass/car whatever it might be, put a little money and a lot of effort into making it nice, and have a good outcome. The second is the satisfaction that comes with a DIY job.

$300 volvo before and after. Although it wasnt running and it took a lot more than just cosmetics to get it up to par, it was a fun project. And i swear it will be the last one i will buy. But.... we all know thats not true.

 

[Mike N]

$300 volvo before and after.

Please tell me you shoved a smallblock Chevy in that thing.

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Thanks guys, I'm glad I'm not alone .

I guess I'm was just venting a bit, kicking over a KTM GS600 (Rotax 560cc) gets to You REALLY fast. Anyone who's ever tried to kickstart one of those engines on a CCM, CAN-AM, H-D, Matchless, Jawa, MZ, etc. (the list is really endless), knows that this particular engine has got some real character .

To make matters worse, the carb is a bit of a mismatch (a pumper though), the spark is weakish, and the bike has seen a few "techs" since -85'.

The engine fired eventually and with straight pipes, the snappy, low rumble puts any stock H-D engine sound into shame. Again, anyone who's heard this or any other over 500cc single would probably agree.

Better to buy them than date them.

Been there, done that, agreed. DON'T recommend .

Nice Volvo Linas, great job. The older ones are getting rarer and rarer over here, but we used to have a bezillion of them in various shapes and sizes back in the day. The guy who sold me the KTM had one really clean and nice B21i just a month back.

Regards
Sam

 

[bassteban]

Never done it(not finished one anyway)but I'd love to find a near-complete-but-in-pieces Triumph Bonneville to turn into a sem-rat chopper. Not sure why.

Edit: On 500cc singles, my first street bike was a 76 XT-500 all tricked out for super singles racing- THUMP.

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Basssteban, the bloke who sold me the KTM has a -85 XL-500 basket case too . The chopper hatchet has landed badly on that bike, 10" stretch, a bit of rake, 5" over forks etc. and I was going to buy that project, but the KTM is a semi-race bike after all. And the KTM has most of the vital parts, the XL project was missing a few key ones.

The vintage enduro guys will probably faint, but the bike will recieve a dropped rear frame first, and a stretch and a rake for a long, low look later . PITA with the frame mounted oil tank though.

Flat black as my rats have always been .

Regards
Sam

 

[bassteban]

I hope I speak for all here when I say pics, please(when done).