"HUNTING HARLEY'S - 1949 HYDRAGLIDE WITH ORIGINAL PAINT" . . . . ANOTHER OUTSTANDING ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNEARTHING FROM THE TODDSTER . . . . AS MUCH AS I'VE ALWAYS LOVED CUSTOM BIKES AND CARS, THERE HAS LONG BEEN A SOFTSPOT IN MY HEART FOR UNRESTORED, ORIGINAL CONDITION CLASSICS . . . . I KNOW THERE'S A BUNCH MORE OF YOU OUT THERE TOO WHO FEEL THE SAME WAY . . . . I GUESS IT'S SIMPLY THE TANGIBLE CONDUIT TO THEIR PAST.

I can totally dig a bare metal, frame up complete resto for sure, everything pristine and shining, patina and wear replaced by immaculata mechanica, pretty as a factory brochure from the day it was released, a thing of glorious but sadly sterile beauty. I did it once with a GTR Torana, it came out beautifully, even if I did have the original colour changed to Porsche Guards Red which was a huge mistake in retrospect, but it never had the soul it possessed in its original condition, kinda like a lovely motorised zombie/replicant, looks cool but isn't quite the same thing. 

For whatever reason, whether it be cars, bikes, guitars, watches, chicks, whatever, I've always been drawn to those things that show visibly the physical indicators of the life they've had, patina, the tell-tale signs of the love and care that has been bestowed upon them over time . . . . there's an honesty to it that infects me and those like me, the dings, chips, fading, stains and discoloration are all integral components of the beast's character, its steel soul, and to remove all of that for the sake of some surface level facelift is the same as a stunning and naturally glamorous middle aged woman filling her lips with plastic and having the skin on her face pulled back so taut she looks like a cat's bum.

Enough, this has skewed far enough. Just take a good look at the star of Mr Henning's latest acquisition and suck in the nuances of a piece of Milwaukee's finest in all its original, unmolested glory . . . . and hope like hell it doesn't end up being raped by some well heeled perfectionista looking for a podium finish at the local motorcycle show and shine.