1961 Ironhead basket case: Just a few missing parts, & thats it.

So I looked at this project and thought how tough could it be? Only missing a few parts. With a little work and a few bucks, I'd be stylin.

I took a few pictures to the local HD dealer service dept manager & asked his opinion. What do I have? Is it a classic worth restoring to original? He laughed out loud and suggested I run away screamin. Said I should put it online "RIGHT NOW". Maybe some teenager will give you $500, and you'll be free of it. Otherwise you'll be into $10k and end up with a $4k bike". Bah, what does he know?

Next I went to a local infamous harley restoration guy for a second opinion. He drooled over the pictures, said his mechanic loved old ironheads & would likely give me $1k for it on the spot, as is. He showed me a dozen or so bikes in various stages of re-build and promised to build me a medium rough seventies chopper for only $7-8k. I think they saw me coming...

Third opinion was from a co-worker who built a 1969 XLH from scratch. "It's a simple machine, really". He said. "Nothing to it, it's easy". That did it. I decided to give it a go myself.
In my trade as an electrician, "nothing to it, it's easy" can be said about many things. But, to an accountant, whats easy for me might as well be brain surgery to him. Same for me doing taxes for a Corporation. But hey, it's just a few missing parts. What could go wrong?

Before the demo carnage began