PART 7, March 9...'68 Harley Sportster: 1/8 scale Bronson bike resto and upgrade

[Ace-Garageguy]

After doing a little more research into this kit, I found that, though it was apparently never reissued after 1971, PARTS of it appeared in at least two others.

[nphd@outlook.com]

I know it has been a long time since this has been posted but amazing job. Wish I could see the final result.

[Mike999]

I'd like to see the rest of this one too.  Until I read this thread, I never knew the Bronson kit was (partly) re-issued.  And until just now, had never seen or heard of the 2 other Harley kits descended from it.  I learn something new every day on this board!

Since Ace's pix disappeared, here's the Scalemates entry for the Bronson Harley and its siblings:  the "Baja Burro" off-road racer and the "Dream Machine" stock Sportster.  

The Bronson kit was released in 1970, the Baja Burro in 1971 and the Dream Machine in 1972.  And that was the end of this kit.  It would be great if Round 2 found the molds buried somewhere.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/mpc-413-bronson-motorcycle--1245450

EDIT TO ADD:  a "Baja Burro" recently sold on eBay for $76.00. The listing shows all the parts:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-8-Scale-Harley-Davidson-Baja-Burro-Off-Road-Racer-MPC-418/303552521006?hash=item46ad23e32e:g:w04AAOSwE0pepyZG

Edited July 6, 2020 by Mike999
omit4

[David G.]

Wow Bill, you've put a tremendous amount of work in this one. Is there any chance for a Part 8 in the future?

David G.

[r60man]

Back in 1970 I was 6, but I had two older sisters. My father worked at a Harley dealership. Dad brought home the model and we built it as a family project. My oldest sister who was 14 at the time had built quite a few model, and she was good at it. She took the lead, and they let me do real simple stuff. Dad took the built one in and put it in the display case. Someone came in and asked about it, and Dad showed him the kit. He didn't want a kit, he wanted the one in the case. Dad made what he thought was a silly expensive price, and the guy paid.

So he brought home another kit. Meanwhile my other sister who was 11 thought that the plastic sleeping bag looked crappy, so her and my Mom went about making them out of cloth. They also started doing something with the seat (I forget exactly what to make them look more realistic). We started to crank them out, Dad wound up selling every single one. Probably my first memory of modeling.

Sorry for the hijack. You are doing a great job on the rebuild.

 

 

[Agent G]

This show was responsible for confirming my love of bikes and travelling on them. I had this kit oh so many decades ago. I love what you're doing.

G

[oldscool]

I built the time machine back then. From what I can remember it was just a stock Sportster. My buddy had the Bronson kit but never built it.

Edited August 16, 2020 by oldscool

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 7/5/2020 at 1:19 PM, nphd@outlook.com said:

I know it has been a long time since this has been posted but amazing job. Wish I could see the final result.

 

On 7/6/2020 at 8:31 AM, Mike999 said:

I'd like to see the rest of this one too...

 

On 7/11/2020 at 9:30 AM, David G. said:

...Is there any chance for a Part 8 in the future?

 

On 8/5/2020 at 10:54 PM, r60man said:

...You are doing a great job on the rebuild.

 

On 8/13/2020 at 6:03 PM, Agent G said:

..I love what you're doing.

 

On 8/16/2020 at 9:24 AM, oldscool said:

I built the time machine back then. From what I can remember it was just a stock Sportster. My buddy had the Bronson kit but never built it.

Thanks for the interest and comments, gentlemen. I hadn't realized until just this moment that anybody had looked at this thing recently.

It's still resting real close to the bench. Honestly, I'd been intending to get it "trailerable" in time for the November ACME meet here, to show along with my big 'ol 1/8 '32 Ford.

This will definitely be my last year here in the Southeast, and I'd wanted to go out with something kinda special.

But since the crazy health mess, it's not going to happen.

For what it's worth, this build has inspired me to start putting together enough stuff to build something very similar in full scale. Lotsa the old parts are still surprisingly affordable.

[Oldcarfan27]

Updates, Bill please, updates!

[Mike C.]

Wow. that's quite an undertaking. this project looks like its going to be a real nice one. Love the old sportsters I still have mine (although, '86 isn't that old) . A friend had a mid 70s sportster that was similar to this one with the brake pedal and shift leaver that were reverse on some of these years for some reason. He used to tell me "your brake and shifter are on the wrong sides" . I was always like "how do you even ride that thing?". 

That sportster tank is iconic. just an all out great looking bike from the K model to today.

Beautiful work!?

[iBorg]

This and the Sportster would be so nice to have reissued.

[Mike C.]

9 hours ago, iBorg said:

This and the Sportster would be so nice to have reissued.

I'll second that!

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 10/25/2021 at 12:06 AM, Oldcarfan27 said:

Updates, Bill please, updates!

 

18 hours ago, Mike C. said:

Wow. that's quite an undertaking...

Beautiful work!?

Thanks for the interest, gentlemen.  Probably won't get back to this until after Christmas at the earliest, most likely well into 2022.  Moving, etc.

13 hours ago, iBorg said:

This and the Sportster would be so nice to have reissued.

Agreed.   

[Dodge Driver]

Thanks for the thorough and informative WIP. Few things rival seeing a beautiful thing crafted from raw materials and cast-offs.

[Chappy]

Great work!

[ybsluos]

Very nice!- Mark