When I bought my 1948 Panhead it was in boxes and hadn't been registered in ten years and that was from North Dakota and this was in San Diego. I rebuilt it in my apartment living room, and painted it on the little patio.
i bought my 56 pan after it sat in the owners basement for 7 years. wrecked front end. loaded it up and sprayed it off at the 25 cent car wash on the way to my friends house. we put it up on a milk crate in his kitchen and took the front end of , installed new battery and it started on the third kick. rebuildt that bike right there in his kitchen. best $1000 motorcycle ever. those days are long gone now.