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Not sure where I left off with the posts about this winters rebuilding but here are some of the photos. I ended up refinishing many old clear coated parts and a lot of plastic damage. A lot of epoxy and fiberglass. Put on some small 2 inch driving lights under the highway boards that worked great ($20 from Napa). Did not paint anything since the damage was so minor. Just had to replace the radiator hose from the thermostat housing to the radiator. The Advanced Auto part number A71651 worked perfectly after cutting off an inch. I still have a cold night drip that I cannot find but it is a small amount and I really have no idea what to change next. I found a new thermostat housing and o rings that I must have purchased some time ago. I think someone said that might be the problem but I have still never done the replacement since it requires some significant disassembly to get to it. I am very happy with the way the new finish on the metal parts looks. I don't think the bike has looked this good in 10 years. Looks like I will be keeping it even though we are getting a new 2018 gold wing later this month. That one is for the wife. The Venture is too top heavy for her taste. Oh ya, the original problem of an oil leak and low voltage has been corrected with the new parts and probably a little copper washer.

Quick update, just in case anyone is actually following along... So, I gave up on the dual scissor lift idea and bought a freestanding front wheel chock (accepts up to 7" wide tire) and a single narrow scissor lift. Theoretically, I'll be able to pop the front tire into the chock, run some straps from the handlebars to the chock's horizontal brace (which i intend to lengthen), and lift the rear high enough with the scissor jack to remove the rear wheel. Chock: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GRRFLOK/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_imm_TJMARBH29YWE6HN7M98S Scissor lift: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L4X6NQC/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_imm_BFZ7Y5ZJ1WV2Z4S25BDV I have a paddock stand that I think will safely support the front end and allow me to change the front tire, especially if I slip the scissor lift under the rear of the engine cradle to keep everything stable.

No earth shattering progress this week, but I have a couple of pics to share. I did work on the new wiring harness I purchased. I spent an evening re-wrapping it only to find out it's for an 84-85 model year. So I decided to stick with the one I have. I worked on fixing the issues with it this afternoon and started to re-wrap it. I am also working on putting the generator coil back in the engine cover. The should be back together this weekend. Here are the two pics for tonight. I'm told it's in the details so even though these are small they needed to be freshened up a little. Not perfect when up close, but much better than before. This is the before and after pic. More to come this weekend.