How I made a motorcycle from an old Black and White photo // Paul Brodie's Shop

[@MotoDeSoto]

Yes. I had a similar experience when I started working on a 1916 Indian motorcycle about 7 or 8 years ago. There are many, maybe most, people in the hobby that will not share their knowledge. They hold their cards close to their chest. Ironically, many of those same people can’t understand why there aren’t any young people coming into the hobby. On the positive side, I met a few people who were willing to help, and I’ve made some lasting friendships. One of those friends shared your channel with me and I instantly subscribed. I also started my own KZbin channel to share my experiences. Anyway, thanks for sharing.

[@paulbrodie]

That's a great story. Thanks for watching and commenting. I hope your channel is a success.

[@MotoDeSoto]

@@paulbrodie thanks Paul.

[@donaldasayers]

There is a fellow member of a Kit Car club like this, he continually boasts of his knowledge and huge database of information relating to the donor cars used. But he hides this data online on a site that requires a login and other passwords, passwords that he capriciously only gives out to those he likes, whilst mocking those who don't, or can't be bothered to kow-tow to him to access his data, but continue to ask questions on the owners club forum.

[@paulbrodie]

@@donaldasayers I don't think I could be friends with someone like that.

[@donaldasayers]

@@paulbrodie I'm not.

[@haazimkhalid8087]

Knowledge not shared is Knowledge lost. For those that refuse to share often die sad and alone....I love motorcycles becuse I was blessed enough to meet many great people like you.

[@paulbrodie]

Haazim, very nice comment. Thank you.

[@1963corvette327]

Brillante man, Paul Brodi is, very inspirational and encouraging to watch and learn By Thank You sir For Sharing,,,....,.,.

[@paulbrodie]

Dell, thank you very much.

[@allanherrera9549]

Hermoso motor muy bello trabajo gracias ppr compartir 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🙏🙏💖

[@ampassionstruck9138]

...adore the board trackers !!!😍😍

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you!

[@ezragonzalez8936]

I came across your channel looking at scale model Radial aircraft engines which I been working on a 9 cylinder Lee Hodgson designed scratch built radial 3 years of work and not even halfway done! unfortunately just don't have the time .. Magnificent craftsmanship my jaw dropped when I realized you made the engine yourself!! that is one beautiful Racer! cheers from Salt Lake City

[@paulbrodie]

Ezra, thanks for watching and commenting 🙂

[@scoobydog411]

Hi I’m 57 Years old. I have worked in machine shops in the past. All your castings are like ART work. I’m glad you made several motors.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you so much! I'm 67.

[@michaeltaylor8835]

Great job Paul. I wish I had your talents

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Michael. I've been making things out of metal for 55 years, so my skills developed over many, many years.

[@Colin399]

My goodness it’s mind boggling the amount of work you have put into all this.

[@rickfazzini22]

So cool! I like that the guy with an original wouldn't even share a pic with you (all he had involved in owning the bike was purchasing it) and here you are showing us how you created your masterpiece, Bravo Mr. Brodie Bravo! Wednesday can't come soon enough. Great work on the editing Mitch.

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Rick!

[@lydwood]

Fascinating project! Thank you for sharing

[@davidparker3346]

Love hearing your story about living life. Spend it you can't take with.

[@davidmays3333]

I still have pictures of your green bike you built!! When I saw that bike I fell in love with the Excelsior board tracker!!! Such a work of art!

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks David. The green bike is Excelsior #001 and now lives in the Motorcyclepedia Museum in NY state.

[@joaquimjosedelemosvianaboa5658]

wonderfull work Paul! And thanks to share .And It looks so good .

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you very much. Appreciate your comments!

[@khaccanhle1930]

Wow! You are a master! I love the old Henderson, Excelsior and Indians.

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks :)

[@MacksCurley]

WOW, I am speechless. The skill and determination.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you. Never give up!

[@innofirman]

thanks for sharing this process! i'm still amaze by your computer LOL!

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks for watching. I'm still using my 486!

[@richball9576]

I love hearing the stories of your incredible journey. I'm blown away by the level of craftsmanship and dedication to building bikes from scratch. I sure do wish I could do what you do. Great job Paul!!!

[@paulbrodie]

Thank You Rich.

[@bigjim8088]

I agree. I enjoy seeing the amazing things you have built. From almost nothing. You put tremendous dedication into your work.

[@domenicomonteleone3055]

@@paulbrodie excellent work you have done

[@paulbrodie]

@@domenicomonteleone3055 Thank you Domenico.

[@domenicomonteleone3055]

@@paulbrodie Paul brodie Thank you kindly 🙏 for responding back to me say HI to Mitch for me

[@louisfaasen4511]

Outstanding craftsmanship. This is the skills that I long for to have. Congratulations on an outstanding build.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Louis!

[@johnpartridge7623]

When I Listen Look & Learn at Engineers like you & Allen Millyard etc I'm so surprised at the vision & the results, I wish I could the same but my end result would resemble a Boat Anchor, so I will keep on Listening, Looking & Learning. Thanks for sharing Paul 👍

[@paulbrodie]

John, thanks for watching and commenting

[@chrislee7817]

Wow what a story. Full commitment 👏

[@GoldenSim27]

its mind blowing the work you done to keep those bikes running ,even if a replica ,at least they run , they look amazing and will fascinate for years to come by how they are made and perform , thank you , very good job

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you for watching and commenting :)

[@kevingambrell]

I take my hat off to you! I restore and build full size road steam engines and i know how much you put into the build. Well done and a cracking nice job.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Kevin.

[@808bigisland]

Civilisation is alive! Beautiful work!

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you.

[@davemeyen650]

As a senior casting dimensional engineer, with 35 years making investment castings for jet engines, all I can say is impressive. You are a fine design engineer. Cheers.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Dave.

[@roybartran6756]

one more item to add to my list titled "must have" along with a P51 Mustang when i win the lottery....wonderful machine..amazing work

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Roy, yes it is for sale.

[@bernardoc9531]

Very, very good job. Beautiful motorcicle. Congratulations! 👍

[@matthewsmith6486]

Unbelievable! You're a genius!

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Matthew!

[@ussweeneyd]

Fascinating project. Thanks for the excellent tutorial.

[@TL243]

Wow. What a story. We are so lucky to have you share your skill and have you still with us. 😎❤️‼️

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you very much!

[@TL243]

@@paulbrodie I am a 4x RAAM’er. Would love for you to build more bikes. I would love to see you build again. You are a treasure!

[@paulbrodie]

@@TL243 When chemo is over I hope I will be stronger. Maybe then I will build another Excelsior? 😉

[@zakaroonetwork777]

Incredible. Nice work.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you very much.

[@johndeere1951a]

Amazing engineering and shame on that man who wouldn't share even a photo of his engine. Maybe he lit the match for your foundry fire?🤔 Beautiful work. ✌️👍

[@stevecarlisle3323]

I remember that project, i saved every photo and drawing on that build that you posted. Fantastic build.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Steve.

[@broughxtreme]

First time I have come across you Paul. I do many projects but nowhere near the craftmanship that you talent that you show. But I had to have a little chuckle to myself when you spun the oil pump the wrong way. It shows that nun of us are infallable. It was only a couple of years ago i learnt that the oil goes around the outside too. And I'm 67. Keep up the fantastic work (or is it play) I'll be sure to watch all of your videos now.

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Ken. We are the same age. Remember the Hanlon brothers Excelsior Henderson around 1998? Their oil pump went backwards too.

[@blairguinea6811]

Paul you are the Master of fabrication, love it thank you

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Blair.

[@perlidberg7351]

What a journey you have made. It's a very interesting video and I'm looking forward to the next episode. / Per Sweden

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Sweden! Yes, I have been on a journey 🙂

[@messidor4399]

Paul, you are a genius. Wish you were in France! Thanks for your videos

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Messidor.

[@JacobASwanson]

Paul, I just discovered your channel, but I followed your blog when you were building these Excelsiors. I was in college and would spend hours reading your posts and studying the detailed pictures you took. I couldn't wait for the next installment. It still blows my mind that you did what you did by reverse engineering the entire thing from a few pictures. When KZbin suggested one of your videos, and I realized you were the Flashback Fabrication guy, it brought back all these memory's that I had kinda forgotten about. So I've only just watched a couple of your videos, but I'm excited to relive the build again this time in video form, which is even better. If only you had been videoing the entire build, that would have been epic! I really just don't even know what to say to complement you on the dedication and attention to detail it took to accomplish this kind of project. Well done, you really should be proud of this accomplishment! Looking forward to more videos on this, keep up the great work!

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Jacob. I always took a lot of photos of my projects, but I was never into video like I am now. I wish I had video of me road racing. Oh well...

[@Martin_IPL5990]

Your talent and passion clearly has no limits Mr Brodie, brilliant.

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Martin!

[@mightymikethebear]

The bikes from back then had so much style. I am fond of the style of some of the Excelsior and Crocker bikes. Imagine if you had access to 3D printing and CAM equipment.

[@paulbrodie]

Yes, the early 1900s was a Golden Age for Motorcycling. Thanks for watching!

[@mmazz30]

Some collectors do not deserve to own anything. Your bike is stunning Paul.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you!

[@Maxtowers71]

I have no words to explain my admiration for you and your work... you deserve waaaay more subscribers for sure, and definetly a lot more of coffee... thank You and Mitch for these awesome videos. It's kinda frustrating to see channels with no real meaning having millions of subscribers meanwhile channels like yours and other that show craftmanship, use of the brain and so much more not gettin' the attention they deserve... guess it's the law of the market...

[@paulbrodie]

I agree with you 100%. Thanks for watching.

[@ww321]

I have a picture of my great uncle and his brother riding his excelsior motorcycle. Thanks for the video.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you.

[@xpndblhero5170]

I'm the type of person that would memorize every little detail of a bike like that because it's so beautiful.... I just can't get over the fact that it has pedals, that's one of my favorite parts of old motorcycles, I'd love to work on bikes like that.

[@aaronblakeley9442]

Brilliant! I always make excuses why I can't make something, as in not the right tools or equipment (I have a very limited shop), and this video reminds me that the most advantageous thing I have is creativity. Totally inspiring!

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Aaron. I hope you make something that satisfies you very much!

[@aaronblakeley9442]

@@paulbrodie working on a fiberglass fender now, your fiberglass seat pan was another great video.

[@paulbrodie]

@@aaronblakeley9442 Thank you Aaron. Hope your fender goes well..😉

[@CraftedChannel]

Out of all this amazement I like that he is using a Craftsman Micrometer. A great tool leftover from budget times.

[@jamesangelucci5052]

You n Millnor need to have tea together bravo your both one in a million

[@darkoflight4938]

I am in awe over this masterpiece!!!!!

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you!

[@thumpershd]

Outstanding craftsmanship, design and fabrication Paul. Looking forward to the series!

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you. There's a series?

[@thumpershd]

@@paulbrodie Hopefully there will be more.

[@G58]

@@paulbrodie Yep, very impressive. Ivan Rhodes build the internals of The Roarer from a technical drawing. But you built an entire bike from just a photo!! Outstanding. I thought how you could have helped out El Presidente Jestine Castreau when he tried to raise the Canadian flag in Kiev. 👀🧐😎😜 Peace

[@paulbrodie]

@@G58 Thank you.

[@freiheitfur2takte354]

Hallo Paul Man müsste 100 Jahre alt werden um all das zu lernen was du weißt. Es ist mir immer wieder aufs neue eine Freude, deine Videos zu sehen. Die Art und Weise wie du Dinge umsetzt, inspiriert mich immer wieder aufs neue. Vielen Dank für deine Videos und das du dein Wissen mit uns teilst. Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland 👍😃

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks for watching!

[@mementomori4972]

This is just incredible,...and a perfect showcase of what a man can achieve with determination, patience, endurance...and the motivation of an ex wife, whose trying rob him of his last penny....

[@paulbrodie]

She wasn't my wife, but I did live with her. Thanks for watching!

[@motocash]

Excellent story! I too, started on AutoCad release 12, back when I was 16. I was a welder/gopher in the shop of a local mechanical contractor. The owner had a project that none of the engineers were willing to work on over the Christmas break. I told him I would teach myself Autocad and produce the required drawings (HVAC routing for a theater in Gatlinburg TN) if he was willing to pay for it. I was making $7.50/hr at the time. The rest is history. Thank you for having such excellent content.

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Rob. You too have a good story. Sounds like you have a bit of an entrepreneurial streak :)

[@toastrecon]

Dude. AutoCad R12?!! I can't believe he's still using it and a 486. Get that man a new computer and F360... I was using that back in 1996.

[@motocash]

@@toastrecon well, now I'm on R2023 and have been retired for some time now, but the story did have me reliving some fond memories.

[@bruceedgecomb8722]

WHEW! talk about talent

[@hordboy]

Stunning. And all that work condensed into 18 short minutes… I’m not sure what the right words are.

[@paulbrodie]

Very nice comment. Thank you.

[@lotus7even]

Thank you for sharing your story on how the bike came to fruition great

[@paulbrodie]

Neil, thanks for watching.

[@joshschneider9766]

Paul I remember you doing this as it happened. Always loved your story! Henderson "four" ever hehe

[@paulbrodie]

I believe the Henderson Four came later... around 1930?

[@mariozamprogno1654]

Not only was that informative how the process worked and how your mind works to create this it’s just freaking awesome you’re doing a marvellous job

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Mario.

[@Sekhmet6697]

What an incredibly ambitious project to undertake... those parts look beautiful - thanks for sharing!

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Diego. Yes, I wanted a project I could sink my teeth into.

[@gph42]

Tremendous mate. Thanks for the video.

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks for watching!

[@stratocaster1greg]

Gorgeous work Sir! You are an inspiration for sure. So sad the ole timer would not share. The great ones are humble and share like you. God Bless.

[@rickmcdonald1557]

I was raised on motorcycles in the late 50's and rode them up until the late 70's mostly BSA's and Harley's and Triumphs'. Now in my late 70's I am still in love with them so to see what you have done seems surreal and I applaud you for being able to resurrect this old time Bike the way you did. I really enjoyed your slide show of the project~!

[@paulbrodie]

Rick, thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@NotaRobot_gif]

incredible work !

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you.

[@geoffreymandzuk5708]

kudos to you for taking on such a large design project....

[@dannyboy3619]

Ok I found your video where it all explained.. amazing!!

[@paulbrodie]

Very good! Thanks for watching...

[@mdc503]

So glad I stumbled across this posting. It felt good just watching. Laid off from working with my hands and a baby at nearly fifty years old has me redirecting my efforts. I miss “the shop” so very much. Thank you for the details.

[@paulbrodie]

Sounds like we had a timely meeting. Thanks for watching.

[@marcopintodelavega471]

Hello Paul... my name is Marc i'm in France... you're a génius !!! Your job is incroyable !!! Félicitations 👍👍👍

[@paulbrodie]

Hello France! Marc, thanks for watching..

[@jwoodyr1]

What a fantastic story! Congratulations and thanks for sharing!!

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you!

[@tommontgomery2674]

Fascinating! I first found the build blog for this motor years ago and was blown away at the work that went into this. I had already known the story of this legendary motor and the tragedy of the death of Ignaz Schwinn's favorite rider on the original which resulted in the destruction of all the existing race bikes. What an amazing era for motorcycle racing and development.

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Tom! Yes, that truly was one of the Golden Ages of Motorcycling.

[@boganphelps195]

Paul...I stumbled onto your bike frame building videos and couldn't put my figure why you seemed so familiar. Well, when you were here in Davenport, we had a few beers and talked about fabrication for a good time at the pub. I'm certainly a fan of your videos. Even more, I've had the chance to tip a few and talk about your fabrications....small world..

[@paulbrodie]

Yes, it is a small world. Thanks for watching!

[@johnmartin720]

Fantastic workmanship my father and I did a 1903 Packard the same way we were lucky bill Harrah had one and Henry Ford museum had the other. We started with an original engine and transmission. Dad made a deal to restore HFM car so we copied every thing we needed. Finished it in 83 then drove it coast to coast.

[@jumpfortyfour9965]

Hi Paul just come across your video of bike from old photo [ wow the work that went in to the engine , you are just fantastic .

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you. Very nice compliment :)

[@donhuebert9151]

Thank you Paul and Mitch. It is fun to watch what I would be capable of doing if only I was smarter and more dedicated. When I started working on old beetles 40+ years ago I ran into some of those same people who were not interested in sharing and would even get mad sometimes if you asked a question. It is hard to understand that because the help I have given over the years has paid me back 10 fold easily.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Don. Yes, I agree that sharing is a very good thing :)

[@Hoggdoc1946]

Paul, I knew you were good but this is amazing what you've accomplished building an engine from scratch. I've lived down near Vancouver Washington and would love to come up and see your shop sometime. Congrats again on your accomplishments.

[@derekcollins1972]

Beautiful machine and the craftsmanship that went into this is second to none. I really appreciate you sharing this to the world.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Derek.

[@pbysome]

Incredible dedication and determination, not to mention confidence. Hat off.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you.

[@POWERnick.]

WoW it's amazing job, you are a mechanic/artist at the same time, thank you Paul!

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@thedr309]

it's funny, I stumbed on your channel right after you started it, and I have not missed one single episode since, you have inspired me on lots of levels, personal, professional, and even in y work on the history of racing dirt tracks, having you on my radio show was a huge hit, with the listeners, most of whom are dirt track racers in the south and they love your story, and once I read your book, I have been amazed at the things you have done, and overcome in your life. your openness and honesty on these video's is truly refreshing, your level of craftsmanship is second to none. you are truly a legend in so many ways. I can't thank you enough for the channel and your story that you have shared with the world. truly amazing. if you have not read Pauls book, your truly missing out on a huge treasure of stories.... go get it! and now Paul will tell you where to order it from........lol awesome job sir, and a tip of the hat to you.

[@paulbrodie]

Hi Mitch! Thanks for watching and commenting :) That's amazing you have not missed a single episode! I thank you for that too. I do still have a few books left. It was published in 2017. All the best to you.

[@markparent3323]

Thank you Paul. Excellent work.

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Mark.

[@AAURAW181]

Wow you are an Artist my Friend!!!!

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Tom!

[@BlueSkyScholar]

Ha, the day you posted this I drove by Turett and Osborne while visiting Wichita for mothers day, I hadn't given the place a second thought in almost 20 years.

[@WireWeHere]

Well, I'm thinking... Well said on the freedom in doing exactly what you want to be doing.

[@paulbrodie]

There's nothing quite like it.

[@tiffinthyme5822]

Hello Paul, what an intriguing story. Thank you very much for sharing it with us, I actually binge watched the two episodes! You were clearly driven to complete quite an exceptional challenge. Very dedicated. Also I suppose your circumstances were unusual and helped enable as such, simply inspiring. I appreciated the detail you went to in the preparation of each segment of the engine, and lawn aside, you must have felt quite ecstatic when it first started. Exceptional. Best regards Kevin.

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Kevin. The Excelsior really has been a great project for me.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Very nice Paul. Many years ago, I may have sold you a Tiger 100 engine, you look very familiar. Great series, I look forward to the "heads" video. Have a good weekend!

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Mr. Carlson. I have never owned a Tiger 100 engine.

[@davidhayward5207]

It never ceases to amaze me what can be achieved, if one has the determination, vision and skill. Incredible workmanship, with the end result speaking for itself..

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks David :)

[@ekim000]

A-bloody-mazing! Can't wait to see the next episode.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Ekim.

[@jimallen199]

Thanks Paul very interesting and an exceptional designer & fabricator

[@paulbrodie]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks Jim.

[@brunodealmeidajabrayan5563]

Very nice and great job, its big big determination to do this, is very good to know more about the Excelsior, thanks to share with us,👏👏👍👍, from Brazil.

[@paulbrodie]

Hello Brazil! Thanks for commenting.

[@charlespotter769]

Thank you for sharing this. I have built many motorcycle's. Except the bike I built were in shopping carts.🤣😅🤣 This is so cool to me I hong on to every word. 👍

[@paulbrodie]

Charles, thanks for watching.

[@twistedtrail8414]

I love how the guy tried to stop you but he was sidestepped and you carried on with your plan despite that.

[@paulbrodie]

It's all part of the story, right? Thanks for watching.

[@dmitriybelousov7246]

Awesome job ! That is real professional work

[@paulbrodie]

Dmitriy, thank you!

[@bronevaya]

I enjoy that you are so pragmatic in your candor

[@dozer1642]

I knew you put a lot of work into those motors but I had no idea it was entirely from photos. My mind is blown. This motor and bike are truly an amazing work of art. ✌️👍

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you very much.

[@leonardofurlan7034]

Congratulations Paul your works are amazing!!!👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏🙏🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@paulbrodie]

Leonardo, thank you very much! 😉

[@MarcosCodas]

“I won’t show you pictures, I don’t like you preserving motoring history” is totally the kind of thing some entitled old people have as a mentality. The younger generation? Who cares. I’m so glad you didn’t let it disuade you.

[@paulbrodie]

Not much stops me. Thanks for watching!

[@MarcosCodas]

@@paulbrodie some of the most fascinating content I’ve seen recently. Proficiency is intoxicating to watch.

[@paulbrodie]

@@MarcosCodas Thanks Marcos. Appreciate your comments!

[@MarcosCodas]

@@paulbrodie pleasure!

[@valtito9297]

genius. i promise to buy one when i get some extra money for moving art. God bless.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you Val. I do have an Excelsior for sale.

[@valtito9297]

@@paulbrodie i will work hard to get one. blessings

[@feeldiben]

Incredible man....incredible story...

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you very much!

[@TheMobileBoatwright]

Acad R12.0 was one of the best releases of the platform. Loved it.

[@oldhillbillybuckkowalski]

On a much more limited scale I got to experience some of what you did during this project. My situation was with a JAP 1,000 cc 50 degree VTwin, liquid cooled overhead valve with exposed valve springs and rocker arms. Had to make an oil pump with Lathe, Mill, and Tig machine with a handful of broken original parts to study. Crankcase were spider webbed with cracks all through cam bushing and crank bearing bores so after Tig welding the cases new bores had to be machined for the bushings and bearings and of course line reamed with the cam cover to get proper alignment... rocker arms had to be welded up and reground, and missing rocker box pedestals had to be made ( didn't even know they needed to exist before trying to assemble the engine) . The engine had 2 camshafts, one front and one rear,, and each cam had 2 roller followers that were something I'd never seen before,, they swung on a pivot. The rollers were bushed and completely worn out as were the pivot bushings and pivot pins so I made all new rollers/bushings and pivot pins and bushings from scratch tude had to be made from scratch. I had to redesign how the left side flywheel mated to the sprocket shaft because this engine was for a 1936 Morgan Sport and would have an automotive clutch affixed on the end of it operated by a pedal and it all had to resist flexing which is what caused all the crankcase cracks to begin with. Instead of the small tapered sprocket shaft I went with an S&S Pro Mod Dragbike splined shsft and had to bore the flywheel to accept it as well as bore the clutch flywheel to accept a female splined insert. All was done press fit then Tig welded. Also the engine came with a very unique magneto that was correct in every way but one. The magneto was made in 2 versions, for a 50 degree Vtwin or a 60 degree Vtwin, this was a 50 degree but the mag was for a 60. On this magneto the "Points cam" is actually a ring that is stationary and the points themselves spin around inside the ring rubbing it's non circular inside surface to open and close the points. It's not just something I could order. I had to plot out the correct part on paper and handed it to another shop that used an EDM machine to make the part. We did use JE Pistons as well. The entire car took me 2 and a half years tobuild/fabricate/restore working 4 to 8 hrs per day 2 to 4 days per week and about a year of that was the engine. Making parts for this was one of the most challenging mechanical experiences I've ever had and I can't imagine trying to do it for a production run of parts.

[@paulbrodie]

James, thanks for watching and commenting. Your experiences have given you a good story :)

[@oldhillbillybuckkowalski]

@@paulbrodie that restoration was the first time for me where I was not only responsible for the machine work and engine build but for the car as a whole, doing almost everything with the exception of the final paint on the body. I would say that it is between that job and a "Big Valve" Lotus Twin Cam engine build I partnered with my mentor to build for a Brabham Formula car ( can't remember the model number off the top of my head but I think it was originally built and raced in 1966 or 67, I believe in Formula B class) that we used a fresh Kent 1600 cc cast Iron block and a new casting for the head that came semi finished with almost no machine work done except for cam journals and the gasket surfaces. Running some pretty big cams, valves that were at the limit for what that bore size would except. With the aggressive cam timing, high lift and lots of overlap sitting on top of 14:1 compression getting valve to valve and valve to piston clearance within acceptable tolerance was difficult to say the least. The 2 of us had 6 months of building that engine and no real handle on the hours of labor. But that early 60's engine design based off a modified Ford Fiesta 4 cylinder made over 180 hp. Those two jobs are probably the most intensive builds I've ever done in a career that spanned about 30 years professionally and included building Nitromethane Harley Dragbikes, both Pro Fuel and Top Fuel. I'm glad I did those 2 builds in my early 30's because I don't think I could handle the stress, the long hours, or the sleepless nights spent going over every detail of what I'd done that day and how best to accomplish tomorrow's tasks. For my mentor who was in his early 60's that Brabham engine build/install/tune was his swan song and he retired after we handed the car back over to the owner. Now I'm retired (health reasons) and just build insane Vtwin minibikes for myself and friends. Based off Coleman minibike chassis with crude brakes and handling they are simple but provide enough acceleration and speed to be fun (and probably way to dangerous) A couple of us are considering a business building and selling these, no more than 75 to 10 per year. Not quite as intensive as engineering an Excelsior Henderson from a picture and creating your own castings (You should be proud, I don't think there are more than 3 or 4 men on the planet that could do what you've done in the manner you did it) but it's enough for me now that I'm old and decrepit.

[@paulbrodie]

@@oldhillbillybuckkowalski I was 50 when I started the Excelsior Project. I still had a lot of energy at that time. And no regrets. Thanks for commenting.

[@findingretreat]

OMG u r a true legend!!!i started off AutoCAD 12 20 years ago!!!am using please do use auto cad 2016.its so much simpler!!but i love your guts!!!if u need any help with AutoCAD please let me know.i can draw stuff for u!!even 3d mechanical drawings!!!love your work sir.true inspiration.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you very much.

[@73ake]

That is one beutiful engine! You are a true artist sir👍

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you very much!

[@tomfortson5147]

WOW! You really nailed the design/build on the engine! Looking forward to episode 2 as well

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Tom.