New (old) exhaust and rear shocks
There is a steady stream of vintage parts arriving on our front doorstep. The FedEx truck is a regular sight at our house. Most of these are used parts that I've bought online at eBay or special-interest websites. The challenge is finding the nicest-condition parts and getting them for a decent price. There is very little new stock for 1965 bikes outside of maintenance items (gaskets, piston rings, and filters).
The two latest deliveries were for a complete exhaust system and a set of rear shock absorbers. When I took the exhaust off back in June, it had rusted through in many spots. I found a much nicer exhaust system that includes both the exhaust pipe itself plus the chrome heat shield that protects the riders' legs. The heat shields are in great shape. The pipe has some surface rust but should clean up by hand without too much trouble. Here are the old and new side-by-side:
The rear shocks were an even better find. The rust on the original shocks is quite deep and they may have been a total loss, though the plastic covers are in great shape. I found a pair of replacements that look darned close to new! I'll clean up the orange plastic covers from the old shocks and put them on the newer ones.
