Restoration question

[Rank1]

Hey everyone, I'm a new owner of a 1976 Gl1000. I have had the project bike itch for some time now after getting a place with a garage and filling it with tools. My plans are to do a complete restoration to get it as close to factory as possible. I will be stripping it down completely to every last nut and bolt. My bike is a 76 with matching frame numbers to the title. The previous owner mentioned the engine was swapped over at some point to a 78. The engine serial matches the 78 year code. Here is my question; will having the mismatched engines affect its sell value? Ultimately I want to restore bikes to sell. I want to determine if I should source a 76 motor or continue with the one I have. I am an apprentice mechanic at a classic car shop and my boss is generous enough to let me use tools and equipment after hours (sandblasters, welders, etc). It is an ambitious project but I am excited to have a motorcycle in the garage again. I look forward y'alls advice and knowledge. Thanks!

[Rednaxs60]

I'll weigh in here to start. Welcome to the forum and its insanity. These are great bikes when on the road.

Having mentioned the above, flipping older Gold Wings is not for the faint of heart, and there is a limited market for this considering what you can get for similar money in a later model motorcycle. You will have to closely monitor your budget. Costs can escalate quickly. Parts can be a challenge to source. It's easy to expend some 2K to 5K dollars on these without too much trouble. Going further than this budget and you could have a difficult time selling. If this is expected to be a revenue stream, have to put together a business case to determine the feasibility of what you are thinking of embarking on.

Just a few thoughts, but very important ones. Easy to break the bank with these Gold Wings.

Again, welcome to the forum and good luck.

[Rank1]

Thank you for the detailed reply. I appreciate the straight forward response and the potential pitfalls. After my tear down and inventory is done, I'll have a better idea of the cost it would take to accomplish this goal and if it is financially feasible.

[sfruechte]

With your auto experience and shop access, you can likely, successfully, restore anything. If you're paying somebody, you are usually better off starting with the best example you can find. You've probably seen some $10,000 rolling chassis come through your shop, get restored for $30,000 or $40,000 or $50,000 and end up worth a fraction of the investment, which only really matters if you are a flipper. For the hobbyist or enthusiast the investment pays off in appreciation of the machine. Compared to new vehicle costs, registration, deprecation, we all have a lot of money to work with on the classics.