I was looking for a project and this is it. Running when parked and in fairly stock condition. I just can't decide whether I want to build a hard tail chopper or restore it.

For those who don't know this is right hand shift and kick start only.

Here she is before I loaded her up to take home.

I vote resto, but only because so many ironheads have been chopped that it's hard to find an unaltered one.

Restore has my vote. My first Harley was a '68 XLCH with a magneto. I wish I still had it.

Cool bike.  I've got a '73 on a rigid frame.  If you decide to get rid of your frame, please let me know.

Keep it stock would be my vote.

My first street bike (1977) was a 1971 XLCH. Still miss that bike and wish I could find another.

I agree...restore.

I'd build a little rigid bobber/bar hopper out if it, but just because I think stock Sportsters of that era are really ugly. No offense, OP.

None taken. That is part of the charm I think. It is the mark of an era, no bike looks like that today, but back then it was a hot bike.

Dual sport.

Oh' I would love to build one up into a dual sport but probably not one that is 42 years old

Old bikes are just like Boats......the two happiest days of a Boat owners life are the day he buys it and the day he sells it.  

 
If it were a Rigid_Evo I'd agree with this post seeing as there's already a few production parts that would make the conversion quite easy...but seeing as it's an ironhead and how many parts for a DS conversion would need to be one offs for this year and version (R side shift) it's kind of cost prohibitive.  

Well, I have started going through it and I am getting ready to start in earnest after I get my shop set up.

The good: The bike is complete and was running when parked. Over all it is quite sound. Of course I don't know what the engine will look like until I crack it open and take a peak. Tank is in great shape inside and out. front fender has a small repairable ding.

The bad: Parts I am ordering off the bat that I know are bad or beyond repair. New fork tubes, rear fender, handlebar controls and master cylinder, shocks, of course rebuilding the forks, the Mikuni carb could be rebuilt but it cost almost as much as a new one($95)so I am just replacing it, new gauges. There is some minor fin repair needed on the heads that I could skip but I will have fixed. Bearings will be replaced as needed.

So of course the engine is a mystery. It may be fine or it may have to be bored. I can tell it was messed with before so I expect the top end was redone at some point. The rocker boxes and engine covers have been replaced with chrome...it looks like shit. I am dreading refinishing these. I am going to attempt to sand the chrome off and polish back to the way it should be. If anyone has any experience with this I am all ears.

I paid $1500. My major components are going to run about a grand. I will take this to the frame and redo everything but salvage what I can. I would value a bike like this in my area with fresh everything including paint at about $3500-$4500. The XLCH will bring a little more interest though at this point I am not building it to sell. a newer Evo would have been better for that. I will of course incur many nickel and dime expenses and my time involved will be tremendous. The only thing that will save me is that I will be doing the prep and paint myself.

check BKrider for some parts.  Their website kind of sucks, their ebay store might be easier to navigate.

Unless you 100% on what your gonna do with it, id sit back and wait on some of those parts. Ive had projects where I though it was gonna go one way, so ordered ton o parts and ended up going a different direction.

Find new rocker boxes and engine covers, I wouldnt mess with the chrome unless you have to, if you really look hard enough, you might find some NOS. stuff.

I hear you. Basically the stuff I would be ordering now is necessary mechanical things like fork tubes and seals so I can start rebuilding those. But, then again, I really wouldn't mind putting 35 degrees or so of rake and stretching it a little...But that is beyond my skill set, I am no welder.

I am already bidding on some stuff on ebay that is not chrome. I am just anxious to start and I am busy for the next month or two. I have to do what I can when I have a spare moment.

Get rid of that before it destroys your KNEE.
There is one reason the Electric  Motorcycle starter was invented, and that was because the number of crippled  XLCH riders threatened the Nation's defensive capability.