Article and Photos By: Chris Callen
Originally Published In The March 2016 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine
This year marked the ten year anniversary of Steel City Harley-Davidson and along with a few of the hooligans we know in the industry they invited the staff of Cycle Source down to celebrate the occasion. We host their bike show and like most of the shows we hold in the area where we started the magazine, the bikes that came out were off the hook! One such motorcycle was the incredible ‘51 of Tom Hollowood. This Pan is what I like to call an original custom. Back from the time when I was old enough to lay my peepers on a copy of Easyriders, this was the type of custom bike you would see. It’s a working class special that probably would have started life as what we today know as a cut down. It turns out that Tom is one of those individuals we proudly do this magazine for, he’s in it for the long haul. A mechanical contractor by day Tom carries on the work of a four generation company that is nearly celebrating one hundred years in business. He fills his free time with everything motorcycle, be that riding, building or dreaming. In a little workshop located in the garage behind his house Tom goes about the craft of amassing an impressive collection, one bike at a time. Sitting right next to this ‘51 you can see a ‘59 Duo Glide, a ‘77 undressed Shovel and an ‘81 frame that he’s starting to piss around with after having it hard tailed by Jeff Cochran.
When it comes to the ‘51 the story is short and simple, over the course of a quick 18 years that is. He had been on the hunt for a Panhead for some time when he ran into this bikes original owner, Rooster. Rooster has a little shop in Virginia and was running a rebuild motor in the ‘51 for about a year when Tom made him a deal for it. He quickly swapped out the 21 inch front wheel, went back to floorboards, and modified the rear fender, a favorite part of mine. You see, this was a signature part for the kind of bikes I looked for as a younger man. The big empty fender with the tip kicked up high in the air. It was not a stock look that you could spot a mile away back then, not many people were doing it. One of the other key features is the CV carb, yeah that’s right… It’s a CV carb. Tom has a Linkert on his other Pan and has run just about every carb known to the Pan universe but when it comes to all-around performance, starting and strong pulling, the CV is the only choice for him. Of course there were the typical re-building demons along the way. When he first pulled the top end off the bike he quickly learned that the pistons were as far out as they could be. Luckily he had socked away a good set of jugs and pistons for just this occasion and with the help of his motor man Stroker, the mill was made new again.
Tom likes old iron for the simple fact that they make you pay attention. When you have shitty brakes and a foot clutch, you don’t let too many things distract you from the operation of the motorcycle. This is a passion that goes all the way back to his first memories of bikes. Tom started riding on a Honda Super 90 before graduating up to a Hodaka that he raced. If you’re reading this and don’t recognize names like Hodaka, Montessa and Bultaco, go in the other room and ask the old man, he will explain about the time when only big husky sons a bitches who smoked cigars and ate steaks raced motorcycles. Once we got on the subject of old woods and motocross bikes we talked each other’s ears off, that’s what you do when you have a bunch the bike he quickly learned that the pistons were as far out as they could be. Luckily he had socked away a good set of jugs and pistons for just this occasion and with the help of his motor man Stroker, the mill was made new again. Tom likes old iron for the simple fact that they make you pay attention.
When you have shitty brakes and a foot clutch, you don’t let too many things distract you from the operation of the motorcycle. This is a passion that goes all the way back to his first memories of bikes. Tom started riding on a Honda Super 90 before graduating up to a Hodaka that he raced. If you’re reading this and don’t recognize names like Hodaka, Montessa and Bultaco, go in the other room and ask the old man, he will explain about the time when only big husky sons a bitches who smoked cigars and ate steaks raced motorcycles. Once we got on the subject of old woods and motocross bikes we talked each other’s ears off, that’s what you do when you have a bunch of memories from days gone by in motorcycling. Eventually we came back around to the ‘51 and Tom’s words summed it all up perfectly “It’s just the bike… just how a bike should look… It tickles my fancy and has been a hell of a machine.” And that’s what I meant in the beginning of this article when I said he was the type of man we do this magazine for. Yeah it’s a hell of a bike, yeah it’s damn impressive but the real value of the bike is that he enjoys it and probably always will… And that’s exactly how it should be!
Just A Old Pan Tech Sheet
Owner: Tom Hollowood
Fabrication By: Rooster & Hollywood
City/state: Eighty Four, PA
Year: 1951
Model: EL
Value: ???
Time: Never Ending
ENGINE
Year: 1955
Model: FL
Builder: Stroker
Ignition: Harley Davidson
Displacement: 74”
Pistons: V-Twin
Heads: Harley Davidson
Carb: CV
Cam: Crane
Air Cleaner: Snoot/None
Exhaust: Paughco
Primary: Harley Davidson Tin Can
TRANSMISSION
Year: 1951
Make: Harley Davidson
Shifting: Jockey W/ Door Knob
Frame
Year: 1951
Make: Harley Davidson Wishbone
Rake: Stock
Stretch: Nope
Forks
Type: Repop Springer
Builder: V-Twin
Extension: None
Triple Trees: None
WHEELS
Front Wheel: HD Star Hub
Size: 16”
Front Tire: Shinko
Front brake: W&W Duplex
Rear Wheel: HD Star Hub
Size: 16”
Rear Tire: Shinko
Rear brake: Drum
PAINT
Painter: Rooster
Color: Red Metal Flake/Flat Black
ACCESSORIES
Bars: Owner
Risers: Flanders
Hand Controls: Almost None
Fuel tank: Harley Davidson
Front Fender: Nope
Rear Fender: Bob
Seat: Small
Foot Controls: Rocker
Oil Tank: Harley Davidson
Headlight: Small & Dim
Taillight: 2Maltese Cross
Speedo: V-Twin
Photographer: Chris Callen