Thread: 2/3 scale Indian Straight Four.

Hey Peter.
I get what your saying!
I did a little more hunting around and found this one.

image.jpg

I'm assuming this one is a 28 because of the single down tube at the front of the frame.
It has ACE written under the Indian script.
It also has front brakes as well as the Indian front end.
Which would suggest it can't be an ACE.

Can you tell me which model it is.
Great stuff this I'm learning tons of Indian history here!
It makes the build more fun even when I get it wrong.

Cheers mate
Trev.

Trev

Another resource I've got (Jerry Hatfield's Indian Motorcycle Photographic History) shows a sales leaflet "Announcing the New Indian 4" with a RHS picture of the Indian 4 (no Ace tag on the tank) with a RH gear shift, front brake, single down tube frame for the Series 401 Indian. Jerry mentions that the Model 401 was announced in August 1928 and released shortly thereafter.

The spring '29 version was called the Model 402 however and had the double down tube frame (ref Tod Rafferty).

As far as the Ace tag is concerned, Jerry states that the fours were sold by Indian as the "Ace 4" in '27, as the "Indian Ace" in '28 and as the "Indian 4" in '29.

I have looked a bit more into the (for me as an Indian person anyway) strange gear shift and clutch arrangement provided on the bike above and can confirm it is an original Ace arrangement, as sold on the '27 fours. This would seem to indicate that the bike restoration was not 100% historically correct in its paint & logo job.

The Indian history is not always straight forward. Other items produced by Indian included shock absorbers, fridges, ventilators and cars (!!!). The financial drain caused by some of these 'unrelated' lines resulted in a [significant] decrease in the working capital position of the company......In the closing months of 1929 the production of unrelated lines was discontinued....
Cheers, Peter

Well that just seems to be a can of worms.
I could mess around with possible versions.
But in the end I think it's best to go with the one that's generally excepted.
So I'll follow your research and advice and stay with the 29 version.

Thanks for all your help with this it's really appreciated Peter

Cheers
Trev.

No worries Trev.

I would not get too hung up about year specific detail, so a roughly '29 look would be good.

As you know, the next major changes to the Indian line up were introduced in the '32 models, when the "between the tubes" style tank was replaced with the split tank design that hides the upper frame.
Cheers, Peter

I'm still staying with number 1 but I'll add number 3 just because I like the maroon color better than the red. My last motorcycle (a 1200cc Soft Tail) was close to that color.

Originally Posted by johnnie52

My last motorcycle (a 1200cc Soft Tail) was close to that color.

SWEET

I had a bit of go at making something that looked like the rubber hand grip's.
I couldn't find the right sized piece of PVC so I had to cut down it's length to reduce it's diameter.

IMG_2258.jpg

After adding some MDF for the ridges and the end cap I shaped it out with bodyfiller.
Then sanded it back with 240 and gave it a few coats of paint.

IMG_2253.jpg

Cheers
Trev.

I kept looking for the next piccy of the grip...

I saw the raw materials... And I also saw the rubber grip you had 'found' to use as a 'sample' to model off... But.... where's the 'work in progress'....

Doh!.... It's the black grip... Right?

Damn, you did it yet again...
I see it with my own eyes.... But 'still' my eyes don't 'believe it'...

Hey Andrew.
I took some pictures of the second grip being made.

IMG_2263.jpg IMG_2264.jpg

You can see in the first picture the cut through the length of the PVC at the bottom
were I reduced it's diameter.
On top there's a slight burn mark from holding it over a gas stove to close the gap.
Then after gluing the MDF strips in place I ran the bodyfiller in between each of
them with my figure.

In the picture beside it I've added the end cap and sanded the filler to shape.

IMG_2267.jpg IMG_2269.jpg

After that it's just a couple of coats of primer and some flat black to finish off

Cheers mate
Trev.

Hey Trev,

Just got home from Hervey Bay, long drive home - 2170 klms, anyway back to your work - like a red wine you are just getting better and better with age (LOL). Great stuff.

Regards

Keith

Hey Keith great to have you back mate.
I hope you had a great time up north.
Just make sure you unpack the car before you start working in the shed

Today I started on the lever for the front brake.
Hopefully it looks a little like the one on the left.
d1.jpg IMG_2283.jpg

I don't often do step by step.
But I took some extra photo's today.

I started by drawing a rough sketch of the lever onto a piece of old timber.
I think it's from a bed rail.

IMG_2272.jpg

Next I cut it's basic shape out on the bandsaw.

IMG_2273.jpg

Then I cut it's profile down to get closer the shape I was looking for.
And added the cut marks to make the flat end section.

IMG_2276.jpg

Instead of carving the end of the lever out.
I cut right through the section and removed the piece that would make the
stepped part of the lever.
Once that was shaped I replace it using bodyfiller to take up the space of the saw cut.

IMG_2280.jpg

I used more bodyfiller to form the curve in the recessed.
And the small mound on top was made by putting filler in the dimple on the negative end
of a D battery.
Once it dried I took it out and glued it in place on the lever.

IMG_2282.jpg

It looks somewhat like the original I think.
Tomorrow I'll get started on the lever plate and the clamp.

Cheers
Trev.

Trev,

Thanks mate. Trip was excellent. Fishing really good. My Ford went beautifully. Ute is unpacked. Nearly ready to get back to shed. Your build is looking great.

All the best

Keith

I'd just like to say that while I'm not here as much as I would like I still find this build gripping

Originally Posted by DaveTTC

I'd just like to say that while I'm not here as much as I would like I still find this build gripping

That's a quality pun right there mate