'47 Indian Chief, Original With History

This bike has been in my family since it was purchased and assembled by my Uncle. I am only the second person ever to put a wrench on it. Sat for over 30 years before I acquired it 2 years ago. This classic piece of Indian Motorcycle history is painted Sea Foam Blue. Which was one of 3 colors available for the Chief in 1947. My Uncle purchased and installed several add ons including:
Spot LightsIndian Chume SeatFender TipsCrash BarFender RailsRear Bumper GuardPowerFlow Sprocket
In her heyday she was the talk of the town. There was not another Chief in its class.
Since I acquired the bike I have installed/replaced the following:
New Carb Float (Rubber Ducky)New Copper Head GasketsPoints, lugs, ondenser, amp; rotorGasket to carb intake manifoldNew Fuel FilterNew Fuel lineNew Petcock for primary fuel tankNew BatteryNew aftermarket coilNew generator belt
The battery box is missing.
All parts were purchased, xcept for the carb float & battery, ere purchased from a well known supplier of vintage Indian parts with a great reputation for quality. Other than that this bike is as she was when assembled new from the crate. No major engine parts or components have been replaced with reproduction parts. And no major engine work or modification has been done.
Fuel and oil tanks have been cleaned of small amounts of rust. The bike's oil system does not wet sump and the oil scraper functions as it should. In short, his is a bike that has survived almost 70 years & shows the patina of her age. Knowledgeable Indian collectors will see this bike for what she is....A Survivor. Unlike the many Chiefs you see up for auction that are built from reproduction parts or those advertised as "almost original". This bike, xcept for the consumable parts described above, emains in its original state as it was assembled.
I had the honor of firing this bike up for the first time in over 30 years. You can see the bike running in the video below.
There is a dent right behind the Indian logo on the primary gas tank. The reserve tank on the other side also has a small dent on the front of the tank. I tried to depict them with photos. The original exhaust headers are rotten metal where they press up into the manifolds.They can most likely be repaired although I have not looked into that. I have a set of repro headers and pipes that I acquired from another Indian owner that are stainless, ut I have not installed them & they are still in the bubble wrap used to ship them. They came from a '48 Chief and should fit although I cannot guarantee it. The left grip is split from wear and age. Easily replaceable with new grips or NOS grips if you can find them. The shifter knob is missing the Indian Head insert. Again, here are a multitude of them available as replacement. The bike needs tires & I have a set of lightly used tired to replace them. And again, hey are still in the original shipping packaging. I have the original saddlebags. But they are in rough shape after having been stored without treatment for so many years. I have tried to restore the leather using Lexol with some success. But the leather is pretty rotten. The Chume seat has some tears in it. Again, rom being stored without treatment for decades. She shows her age of almost 70 years. And that is evident in the photos you see above. But that makes this bike all the more desirable because she is a survivor.
Clear Florida Title in my name.
Let me be clear. This bike, ith its verifiable history, s unique and rarely found in the world of vintage Indian bikes. It is not a conglomeration of repro parts slapped onto a frame. This bike will go to the highest bidder that knows what this bike represents in the world of vintage motorcycles. That is the person I want to have this truly authentic piece of motorcycle history. I will be just as happy to keep the bike should it not reach its reserve price.
I welcome questions and will reply as promptly as possible. But please remember that I work offshore and may not be able to respond immediately. Shipping is the responsibility of the winning bidder.

Also published at eBay.com