Article & Photos By Chris Callen
Originally Published In The April 2020 Issue
The guys at Three-Two Choppers have this buddy; we’ll call him “Bob.” Bob has a unique talent for finding deals. He is a true, modern-day treasure hunter. He has come across everything from a free sub-zero refrigerator, to a 1997 Ford F250, 7.3 PowerStroke, four-door unicorn with only 86,000 miles. Bob can hunt. It would not surprise me if he eventually unearthed a hidden copy of the Declaration of Independence. One day, early last year, the phone rang. It’s Bob. “Hey, Bro, I think I found an old Harley. The guy wants two grand. What do you think?” “Really, Bob?” I said, “Why are you calling me? Go get it.” Another remarkable find. Bob stumbled onto a 1979 Harley Davidson FLH Electraglide with all the touring bags. The guy threw in multiple seats, some other miscellaneous parts and he even had the elusive, bat-wing fairing. When the bike got to the shop, we cleaned the carburetor, replaced the battery, and gave it a quick static timing. The bike fired right up, and a new project was born.
Sometimes the key to building a great bike is more about what not to do than what to do. Like the famous adage says, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” This was clearly the case for the ’79. The initial plan was to take the bike apart, clean it up, put it back together, and ride it. It was agreed that a solid plan was in place, but we needed to modify a few things.
The first adjustment, and probably the most important, was the decision to lower the bike. The original square-tube swing arm was swapped for an early model round tube style. That switch allows you to drop the lower shock mount, which in turn, lowers the rear of the bike. To achieve a level stance, they cut 2-1/2 inches out of the front legs and added another inch of spring for a lowering total of 3-1/2 inches. The solid wheels were Bob’s choice, and they really added a nice hot rod element to the project.
For the exhaust, Three Two Choppers started with a set of Paughco, true dual headers. They then built a slick set of double-barrel shotgun slip-ons accented with brass tips. The pipes run long and low and really emphasize the bike’s lowered stance. The slip-ons were a copy of a set Jimmie Lee built-in 1994 at a muffler shop in Reseda, California. That set still lives on his brother’s 74/74, and like the first set, their sound is undeniable. As an unexpected bonus, the great Ryan McQuiston from McQuiston’s Chopper Designs hooked us up with a set of his hand-made brass shot collars. Ryan’s collars are a significant way to dress up your Shovelhead engine.
Updating the brakes to a set of Performance Machine Vintage Series calipers was a must for this build. JC and Jimmie Lee designed and built the mounting brackets for the front and rear to allow the new brakes to work with the stock FLH chassis. As the true over-thinkers that they are at Three Two Choppers, they also built three different styles of handlebars, until finally settling on a set of wide pullbacks.
Bob is not only an esteemed treasure hunter; he is also never afraid of learning and trying something new. He took the sheet metal home with him one day after leaving the shop and brought it back painted and ready to mount. Jimmie Lee recalls when Bob sent the initial photos of the tanks and showing that he was able to save the original sticker emblems. His first attempt at painting was an absolute home run. Along with replacing rotors, shocks and other clean-up items like kicker covers and floorboard rubber, that’s the nuts and bolts of the build.
A funny thing happens when you take apart a forty-year-old motorcycle; you find stuff. That is why old Shovelhead projects like this can become a bit dangerous to your budget. The phrase, “As long as we are fixing this, we should clean this up, too,” becomes very common. It’s like renovating a bathroom in your house. Never look back at all the receipts to the Home Depot. Twenty-eight dollars, eleven cents. Seven dollars, thirty-two cents. Fifteen dollars, sixteen cents. It adds up quick. Instead of sandpaper, caulk and grout, it’s updating bolts, gaskets, wire, heat shrink and oil lines. Again, it adds up quick. In the end, when all the late nights are done, when the last trip to the hardware store for that 2.5” 5/16-18 chrome, button-head is done, and the bike rolls off the table, it is all worth it. This 1979 Electraglide was definitely worth all the extra hoop-jumping. Bob decided to name the bike, “Big Booty Judy.” Word to the wise, do not Google that term looking for more pictures of Judy, you might not like the results.
TECH SHEET
Owner: Jesse Hubbard
City/State: Fort Worth Texas
Builder:Three Two Choppers & Jesse Hubbard
Year: 1979
Model: FLH
Value: $1
Time: 222 Days
ENGINE Shovelhead
Year: 1979
Model: VTwin
Builder: Three Two Choppers
Ignition: Dyna S
Displacement: 80
Pistons: S&S
Heads: S&S
Carb: S&S E
Cam: Andrews
Air Cleaner: yes
Exhaust: Paughco Headersw/ Three Two Choppers Duals
Primary: stock
TRANSMISSION
Year: 1976
Make: Harley
Shifting: 1 Down/ 3 up
FRAME
Year: 1979
Model: Harley
Rake: 32°
Stretch: none
Forks 41mm
Builder: Harley/lowered by 3/2
Type: Juice
Triple Trees: wide
Extension: -3.5”
WHEELS
Front Wheel: RC Components
Size:21-3.5
Tire: Avon
Front Brake: PM Vintage
Rear Wheel: RC Components
Size: 16×3
Tire: Avon
Rear Brake: PM Vintage
PAINT
Painter: Jesse Hubbard
Color: tan/cream
Type: pretty kind
Graphics: Jesse Hubbard
Chroming: none
ACCESSORIES
Bars: Three Two Choppers
Risers: stock
Hand Controls: PM
Foot Controls: stock
Gas Tank(s):stock
Oil Tank: stock
Front fender: stock
Rear Fender: stock
Seat: swap meet
Headlight: stock
Taillight: stock
Speedo: stock
Photographer: Chris Callen