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04-11-2019, 09:26 AM
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#1 |
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Special Order
  
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,863
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R.I.P. Arlen Ness
Yep, he passed away. 79 years old. The man was the king of custom bike builders hands down no contesto. He did more, he did different, he did it longer, he did his own thing through it all. Always an innovator.
R.I.P. Arlen Ness
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ Last edited by special-K; 04-13-2019 at 12:24 AM. |
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04-11-2019, 12:57 PM
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#2 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Moss Bluff, LA
Posts: 381
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
i saw this last week....always at the top of the game.
as always, even if it isn't your flavor, one MUST appreciate the outcome. Truly some of the most easily recognized bikes in the industry. |
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04-11-2019, 05:15 PM
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#3 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Trenton,Ontario & South Carolina
Posts: 755
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
Amazing bike builder and great business man,RIP
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04-11-2019, 06:03 PM
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#4 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: concord ga
Posts: 185
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
Ride on brother
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04-12-2019, 05:05 AM
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#5 |
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Special Order
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,863
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
Yeah, he pretty much filled the gap through the AMF years keeping the custom Harley thing going. Most names known in custom bike building owe the market they enjoyed thanks to Arlen. For a couple decades it was "I build it Ness style"... not that he was limited to one style. But his laid low and long bikes took customs away from the chopper to a new dimension... Diggers! Then came the nostalgia era with customs put back to original (Pans & Knuckles) and custom styles came out of that like the taildragger and just better detailed stripped down full-fender bikes. One thing for sure. Arlen was not born to follow
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ Last edited by special-K; 04-13-2019 at 01:09 AM. |
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04-12-2019, 09:14 PM
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#6 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: San Carlos, Ca.
Posts: 3,048
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
Man, I had no idea. RIP.
He was ahead of his time. I remember seeing an EVO motor that he had done up with an external belt drive / overhead cam set up which allowed him to get away from the sharp Cone Motor geometry that we all fought when running an exotic cam. Then HD came out with the Twin Cam. Always thinking outside of the "Rocker Boxes" that guy. I think he still has a shop out in Pleasanton or Livermore.
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Chris '63 k15 long step Vortec 7.4 - L29 Blackbear tune, Five 0 Motorsports injectors, Chris Straub Cam, NV4500, divorced 205  52" front and 63" rear spring swap D44 / 14bff - disc axles Milemarker 9K and 10.5K hydraulic winches 63" & B52 Spring Install http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ng+swap+thread NV4500 Reverse Build Thread http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=reverse+build L29 - 7.4 Vortec Build http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...&highlight=L29 |
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04-13-2019, 12:49 AM
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#7 |
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Special Order
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,863
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
It's true. His customizing went as far as to require new engineering, machining one-off parts/designs/concepts. He'd run a jackshaft off the opposite side to enable running a huge back tire, and so many mechanical alterations it isn't funny. Just look at the bikes. He didn't "buy" custom parts to build a custom bike like Orange County. I always said "Those guys are famous because they have a TV show. Arlen is famous for being a custom bike builder". He's not the only one who carried that torch into the new era. But if you ask any one of the old school about Arlen they'd say he was king.
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ |
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04-15-2019, 10:28 PM
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#8 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: nevada
Posts: 649
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
RIP MR Ness! You were a great innovator
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2003 Dodge 2500 1969 C10 2014 Camaro SS/RS/1LE |
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04-16-2019, 06:22 AM
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#9 |
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Special Order
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,863
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
You know, I always knew this ^. I knew it by 1970 and he just kept on comin' through the decades. Through the big TV bike show boom that didn't pay him much mind. Yet, now that I hear he is gone my appreciation for who he was and what he did, I am appreciating it all together as one thing and he really was amazing. He went where no one else did and many followed a few of the many paths he left behind
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ |
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04-16-2019, 03:38 PM
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#10 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DALLAS,TX
Posts: 21,910
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
Respect. RIP Mr. Ness.
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67SWB-B.B.RetroRod 64SWB-Recycle 89CCDually-Driver/Tow Truck 99CCSWB Driver All Fleetsides @rattlecankustoms in IG Building a small, high rpm engine with the perfect bore, stroke and rod ratio is very impressive. It's like a highly skilled Morrocan sword fighter with a Damascus Steel Scimitar..... Cubic inches is like Indiana Jones with a cheap pistol. |
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04-16-2019, 07:00 PM
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#11 |
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"Tail Gate Best Seat In House"
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Nampa Idaho
Posts: 7,343
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
Wonder if he and the guy who built the Indian ever got together and chatted..mybe too young to have done so ..
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When you learn a thing a day you store up smart. |
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04-16-2019, 07:21 PM
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#12 |
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BlahBlahBlah
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Monroe, Wa.
Posts: 19,773
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
Heck of a builder, a real talent for sure. But I don't care for any of the pics shown so far. I prefer a traditional style of choppers and trike builds. Same with the rest of the builders that came after Ness. Lots of talent, but most just don't do it for me.
I know he built plenty of bikes that I love. I used to subscribe to some of the biker mags, like Easy Rider and a couple of the lesser known mags. RIP ...
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… … … … … … … … ... … … … … … … … … … … … Monroe Swap meet May 18-19. Mike has the same spots for the NW guys he's had forever. Lunch time BBQ at the spaces. If you have stuff to sell bring it along. If you have a question PM stllookn (Mike) here via the board. https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=851291 |
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04-19-2019, 08:26 AM
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#13 |
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Special Order
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,863
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
I guess you could say he built enough and did it long enough that his 'is' a traditional style. Here are the most chopper style of his I could find. He definitely liked the tank lower than traditional and it went from there. He got into getting the rake way out there, alternate steering, and all that and it's not for me. But my custom bikes have always been low-slung. Never had an all out chopper. I don't care for a lot of the stuff he did, but I knew he was exploring and every now and then he did something I just had to love.
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ Last edited by special-K; 04-19-2019 at 08:38 AM. |
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04-19-2019, 09:41 PM
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#14 |
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Who Me?
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Royal Palm Beach, FL
Posts: 4,065
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
Main stream news doesn't cover guys like this. I had to find out here.
RIP!
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 Steve1997 Tahoe LT 4D 2WD (DD) 1961 Apache 10 (sold) 1965 C10 Stepper (sold) |
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04-20-2019, 06:36 AM
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#15 |
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Special Order
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,863
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
Nope, not even all this motor media we have out there. He never had a TV show arguing with his son. He ran an excellent example of American free enterprise in a classy way putting the helm into the hands of his son, laying down track for the gravy train other would come along rollin' easy on
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ Last edited by special-K; 04-20-2019 at 09:22 AM. |
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04-20-2019, 07:23 AM
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#16 |
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Proprietor of Dale's Corner
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Vacaville , CA
Posts: 15,834
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
I live in the bay area and found out about it on a truck site..
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"Some Days Chickens And Some Days Feathers" Dale XNGH ECV Sam Brannan 1004 R.I.P. 67ChevyRedneck R.I.P. Grumpy Old Man |
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04-20-2019, 07:51 AM
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#17 |
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laying low
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Searcy, Ark. USA
Posts: 12,954
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
I rode a bunch of bikes in my younger years though I never owned one. Guys like Arlen helped many others decide on a favorite style of bike. His style was low and long. Not my favorite but I do appreciate his talent and artwork.
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Boog 69 Chevy stepside, 358/T350, 4.11 posi, 4.5/4 drop, rallys, poboy driver primer is finer 91 Chevy sportside, Tahoe, Yukon & GMC Crewcab All GM..'nuff said. I stand for the flag and kneel at the cross |
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04-20-2019, 09:32 AM
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#18 |
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Special Order
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,863
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Re: R.I.P. Arlen Ness
I should have posted this first
I should have said "these"
__________________
"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ Last edited by special-K; 04-20-2019 at 10:06 AM. |
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