# My first project! But need help identifying first.



## scooter (Sep 30, 2013)

Hey everyone.  This is going to be my first bike renovation but Im having some issues identifying this one correctly.
I know its a Shelby and the tank looks like an Airflo, but the rear end of the bike does not.
Can anyone clue me in and point me to a resource showing what this beauty looked like original?

Also, are there resources on how to clean, buff paint on bikes? I want to keep as much original paint as possible, but make it look good too.

well, thanks for any help in advance.


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## scrubbinrims (Sep 30, 2013)

Let's see...what did your bike look like originally...you are looking at it now, just a later edition equipped speedline airflow.
Clean it carefully, turn the bars back around and you have a real winner.
Congrats, Chris


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## Freqman1 (Sep 30, 2013)

Congrats! You do have a Shelby Airflo (Speedline). This bike represents the end of the lne for this model and is probably a '40 based on the chain ring and lower level components (guard/rack/seat) and also the straight fender braces. The bike looks pretty complete/original the way it is. Do a search/look through the restoration section of the forum on ways to preserve the paint--wise choice--do not restore/repaint this bike it looks like a great survivor. V/r Shawn


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## bricycle (Sep 30, 2013)

...did you hear my jaw hit the floor?
FIRST project????????  we should all be SO lucky. Amazing find. 
Please don't repaint...... if you did probably 10+ people on here would die of a coronary.
Just clean a tad and enjoy it.  wow...... did I say wow?


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## scooter (Sep 30, 2013)

cool!
I just went from being pretty excited to 'running out to my garage to start' excited!
thanks for the good news everyone and dont worry about repainting... its staying just like it is.

and thanks for the point to the other section of the forum.  last request:
is there a condensed "book of knowledge" bible type thing that guidelines proper workflow, materials, solvents for a job like this?
I dont want to start using some metal polish that totally ruins the paint and i dont want to rub my fingers to the bone when all i needed was the proper solvent.

thanks again, and ill post after photos too!


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## dfa242 (Sep 30, 2013)

Wow, everyone should be blessed with a first project like yours - good for you!!


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## sbusiello (Sep 30, 2013)

scooter - i have been doing a LOT of derusting these days and this may be a prerequisite before you start the buffing.

If you are able to, buy a baby pool, or a small plastic container to fit your pieces. I have a baby pool for the frames and a waterheater drip pan for the tires. Load it up with vinegar and let the piece sit there depending on the rust level for at least 20 hours. I have dropped some items in for 40 hours.

Right after you pull the object out when it is still wet get either a buffing attachment for your drill, or use #0000 steel wool and scrub off the rust.

After that or if the piece isnt rusty wd40 it. This is an example of where I JUST wd-40'd it for about 40 mins and used steel wool: http://rustysi.blogspot.com/2013/09/folding-japanese-puppy.html 

Since then i "marinated" it in vinegar and did another wd-40 and took it all apart. 

in terms of buffing, once you are sure it is clean, i would use a turtle wax type product. I havent gotten to that stage in my restores, but from other posts the guys have mentioned waxing it.


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## Freqman1 (Sep 30, 2013)

Personally I don't think this bike will require a vinegar bath. I would get the 0000 steel wool and some WD-40 and be very careful around the pinstripe-it can come off really quickly. After that a mild polishing compund followed by a good wax and you should call it a day! I just caution you to go slow and easy--once paints gone it don't grow back! V/r Shawn


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## bike (Sep 30, 2013)

*It is too good for a learning project!*

you will mess it up!
Start with the mildst thing dont do anything you cant undo- if you mess up the paint it is gone-

This is a valuable bike and you should play with other stuff first, or you may seriously devalue the bike
imho...(you will be suprised how fast you can wipe a pinstripe off---- then you will cry)


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## bricycle (Sep 30, 2013)

bike said:


> you will mess it up!
> Start with the mildst thing dont do anything you cant undo- if you mess up the paint it is gone-
> 
> This is a valuable bike and you should play with other stuff first, or you may seriously devalue the bike
> imho...(you will be suprised how fast you can wipe a pinstripe off---- then you will cry)




.....NO, you don't KNOW that he will mess it up. He said he will be carefull... It's his bike, we'll have to trust his judgement.


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## Gary Mc (Sep 30, 2013)

Freqman1 said:


> Personally I don't think this bike will require a vinegar bath. I would get the 0000 steel wool and some WD-40 and be very careful around the pinstripe-it can come off really quickly. After that a mild polishing compund followed by a good wax and you should call it a day! I just caution you to go slow and easy--once paints gone it don't grow back! V/r Shawn




WOW!!!!!!!  A first project most of us on here only dream of finding, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

I agree with Shawn, this bike is in great shape to begin with. The only parts I would do the distilled white vinegar bath on are the chrome & plated parts.  Painted parts need just a careful polishing followed by a good wax.  Be extremely careful around the pinstripes, they will come off very easily.  I would suggest masking them off when polishing to completely avoid them. Use 0000 steel wool & WD40 on the rusty areas (avoiding pinstripes) followed a a polishing compound and then wax.  Be careful & go extremely slow with polishing on the paint.  I use Meguairs' and Mothers products with great success.  There are lots of good threads on here in the restoration tips section of the forum or just ask questions but remember you may get some good advice and some bad so weigh what you are hearing before proceeding.

Whole key is go slow and ask questions before if you are not sure.

Congratulations again.


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## Boris (Sep 30, 2013)

I like the concept of working on a cheap test bicycle first, just to get your feet wet, as suggested by "bike".


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## bricycle (Sep 30, 2013)

Dave Marko said:


> I like the concept of working on a cheap test bicycle first, just to get your feet wet, as suggested by "bike".




there are no "cheap" bikes... all bikes are precious!


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## kccomet (Sep 30, 2013)

im lost on the renovation. your bike doesnt need solvents and vinegar baths. special chemicals. just clean it gently then wax it. it is a later bike as scrubbinrims said. turn the bars around as he said and you will have a bike to make most collectors jealous. whats the back story on this find im sure everybody would like to hear it. i have an arrow thats almost a twin to your bike. i thought it was my bike at first glance on the small pics. great start to the hobby


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## sbusiello (Sep 30, 2013)

Gary Mc said:


> I agree with Shawn, this bike is in great shape to begin with. The only parts I would do the distilled white vinegar bath on are the chrome & plated parts. .




gary - it is funny because the plated parts are the ones i tend to give the least amount of time in the vinegar.  i usually use brasso and most surface rust comes right off. will leave the black specs here and there. I started doing a bianchi folding bike, not 100% done yet, but this was all done with brasso on the chrome and wd40 on everything else. #0000 steel wool. Here are some before and after pix http://rustysi.blogspot.com/2013/09/italy-bronx-nj-staten-island.html

i find that the paint they used is pretty much bonded to the metal UNLESS the rust has gotten under it. The options for this scenario is to leave it as is, give it the lightest of cleanings and then possibly clear coat it to prevent it from chipping. In doing this you will still have the existence of rust with a layer of paint over it. I personally prefer to give all the bikes a vinegar bath as vinegar is a very light acidic and will remove grease, dirt and you can make a salad afterwards  http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/1144891-will-using-distilled-white-vinegar-harm-paint-finish.html 

once the dirt is off, you can buff and shine. *Again this my personal preference*, but i like the bikes as natural and clean as you can possibly make them with out repainting. if the paint has rust under it and chips off, these bikes are 60+ years old, so be it it was destined to happen.


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## rollfaster (Sep 30, 2013)

*Unreal*



bricycle said:


> ...did you hear my jaw hit the floor?
> FIRST project????????  we should all be SO lucky. Amazing find.
> Please don't repaint...... if you did probably 10+ people on here would die of a coronary.
> Just clean a tad and enjoy it.  wow...... did I say wow?




This bike is incredible. I think everyone on this site has this bike on their want list if they don't already have one. Your very lucky!!!:o


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## bikewhorder (Sep 30, 2013)

I just had to double check the calendar and make sure it wasn't April fools day.  If this is seriously your first project then I'll have to echo many others with a go slow approach.  There is really nothing you can do to increase this bikes value short of finding the missing lens for the light.  If it were mine I wouldn't go near it with any solvents more potent than wd-40 and any abrasives coarser than a cotton rag.  And yes please do share the backstory on how you came to own it.  Many of us waste a great deal of time hoping to find a gem like this and come up empty handed, but the success story's of others give us some small consolation.


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## slick (Sep 30, 2013)

Killer Shelby Airflow. So how many offers have you had on the bike already? LOL!! It is a very desirable bike. Some guys love them like myself, and some guys hate them. I love mine. It's in my photo album on here.

The first thing i would do is slowly polish the wheels with a very mild compound being extremely careful with the pinstripes. Then degrease the hubs on the outside. I'm not sure how many hubs you have serviced but do that next. New Departure hubs are very easy to do. The rebuild the insides. I would suggest installing new heavy duty tubes that are thick so you don't accidentally get a blow out. The last thing you want to do is eat pavement on a pricey bike over a cheap old tube. 

As far polishing, i use 3m rubbing compounds. I use the #1 compound with 000 steel wool ONLY for heavy rust areas. Your bike doesn't need this so don't do it! I would mask off the pinstripes with fineline tape that you can get at any automotive paint store. About $6 a roll but worth it on a pricey bike like this. Use the #2 compound and a very soft rag to polish all the painted parts one by one with the bike fully disassembled. Then wax every single part and reassemble it. This whole process will take a long time but the payoff is huge so just go slow. The last bike i did this to took me a good 4 weeks every night after work doing one piece at a time while watching TV. But the bike looks incredible now. I do this process on every one of my bikes. 

So have fun on this one, start another thread under the project rides section with lots of pictures, and if you need any help with anything shelby, let me know. I'm one of the handful of guys on here that love shelbys dearly and are obseesed with them. Oh, and the headlight lense is available repop. I might have an extra i'll send you on the house for sharing a killer bike that made my day! THANKS!!!


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## scooter (Sep 30, 2013)

awesome!  thanks guys!  i am definitely going to take it low and slow with this bike.  especially after all your posts.  thanks for making me put the brakes on and not go after this thing with some sandpaper 

Today I ended up going to the hardware store and getting some 0000 steel wool, some WD40 and citrus degreaser.  And thats going to be the extent of any stripping/solvents I use.  I also ended up taking a bunch more 'before' photos just for posterity!

As for the backstory: 
My mother is a picker/antique dealer/hoarder:o  She has a sister that lives next door to an elderly man and said sister has been delivering hot meals to the guy whenever she can.  My aunt went over there last week and there were 2 old bikes at the curb for trash pickup. One was a beat up Huffy(mid 1980's) and the other was this Shelby.  My moms sister(my aunt) asked the old guy what the deal was and he said: 'take em'.  My aunt grabbed the Huffy for herself and knew my mom would be interested in the older bike since shes an antique dealer.  According to my aunt, 30 mins after she rolled the bikes into her yard the village junk guy stopped back at the old guys house and asked where the bikes where.  Apparently he had seen them at the curb earlier, but had to go grab his junk truck.  So the bikes narrowly missed the scrap heap.  I think. 
No sure how much of what my aunt says is 100%true...

But then I stopped over at my parents house last week to help with something and the Shelby was in the garage.  I took a seat on it and the tires held air and the crank turned.  So I ripped it down the driveway and said: "I want this thing!"
Now its sitting in my garage

So theres the story.  Hope you liked it.

Here are the photos I took this evening before I started cleaning.



















Last questions for tonight:  
The chrome on the handlebars is shot.  As is the chrome on the crank.  Should I just strip this to the bare metal?  Brasso?  Something harsher?
And theres a tiny button on the handlebars.  Its a black push button. It doesnt connect to anything.  What the hell is it?>


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## bike (Sep 30, 2013)

*Yikes!*

Just bide your time!
 pics did not load for me- 
button sounds interesting!
Those bars are very rare and ANY plating is good!


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## Boris (Sep 30, 2013)

LA's Totally Awesome Orange degreaser WILL remove paint! I'm not sure about other brands. Use with caution! Check your rag frequently for paint.


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## cyclingday (Sep 30, 2013)

What I love about this bike, is that if it showed up in restored condition, everybody would say that it's a Morphodyte, and that they never made it in that trim configuration.
 I really like its schizophrenic syling. With one foot in the 1930s and the other foot in the 1940s.  Very cool bike and as original as it gets.


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## slick (Sep 30, 2013)

DON"T STRIP THE CHROME!!! Just leave the chrome as is. Try to clean what you can with steel wool you bought. Other then that, leave it. Original rust is better then rechroming, or stripping it to bare steel which will be even rustier then it is now in no time at all. 

As far as the button, it looks like an aftermarket horn button from a made in taiwan style 60's or 70's horn. The wire would have ran to the horn to activate it. The horn was most likely mounted on the handlebars. Btw, spin that stem around and loosen the stem bolt that holds the bars and reverse the bars so they look like this...... Oh and you can buy some repop coke bottle grips for it or the torpedo style grips here on the cabe from one of the guys on here. 

Here is my bike for some inspiration. Mine is earlier then yours. And the fenders,rack,and guard on mine are optional and extremely hard to find. Took many years to aquire. The knuckleguards are hard to find also.


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## silvertonguedevil (Sep 30, 2013)

I can't believe this was sitting out on the curb!!


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## THEGOLDENGREEK (Sep 30, 2013)

Killer bike and also killer story to go along with this bicycle. Just clean her up as best as she will clean up and enjoy riding it. This is a great save  another bicycle form the scrap heap!!


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## ZOOK (Oct 1, 2013)

great story and find. I can't even find an old jc penny bike at the curb around here the scrappers snatch everything up within minutes.


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## cyclonecoaster.com (Oct 1, 2013)

*Leave the chrome original & the paint too ....*

ORIGINAL IS KING .... Everyone hopes to find a bike in this condition -- UNMOLESTED & as original as it can get -- Most likely a 1940 model with the parts - but man what a cool survivor -- Thank your Aunt for us in the hobby -- 

MILD CLEANING on it ... but the way it sits is great too ... 
If you wanted to tackle the chrome & the chrome only on the bars & crankset - the best product that I have run across is called " Bar Keepers Friend " sold at Lowes & other stores ... get the powder form which is in a gold cardboard can with a blue shield on it ... then get a small toothbrush & wet it & dip it into some of the Bar Keepers powder ( usually put a small amount in a plastic cup ) & do small a small area at a time & rinse & repeat - just let the product work its magic -- again great for chrome - the product should not be used on paint -- 

If you wanted to tackle the painted parts ( again stay clear of the pinstripes ) ... mild ... try Lemon pledge - you might be surprised ... steel wool ( even 0000 ) WILL REMOVE PAINT no matter how careful you are with it .... if you want to polish it a little here is what a old timer told me to use ... toothpaste ... that's right toothpaste ... a simple Crest without whiteners & gels in it is ideal & a damp cotton cloth .. a very fine polish that works surprisingly well ... the shine will come back .. protect finish with a PURE CARNUBA WAX ...

Maintenance is general -- Clean & re-grease and / or replace the bearings in the hubs - headset - bottom bracket & new tubes & modern tires for a better ride or originals to keep the authenticity of the Shelby .... either way you have yourself a real gem there ... 

Below is a few pictures from our "Shelby Invasion Ride" a few months back ....

Please feel free to contact me with ANY questions or concerns - OR if you EVER want to sell this beautiful bike .. Ride Vintage .. Frank


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## Oldnut (Oct 1, 2013)

*Clean up*



Freqman1 said:


> Personally I don't think this bike will require a vinegar bath. I would get the 0000 steel wool and some WD-40 and be very careful around the pinstripe-it can come off really quickly. After that a mild polishing compund followed by a good wax and you should call it a day! I just caution you to go slow and easy--once paints gone it don't grow back! V/r Shawn




This works the best ive seen so far.sometimes chemicals can tarnish-dull the chrome .wd 0000 steel wool.will work magic freqman is on it


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## scooter (Oct 1, 2013)

Putting off any cleaning/polishing till i read some more.

but i do want to get the mechanicals working. i noticed the headset was loose when i rode it so i tried to tighten the quill bolt.
this did nothing
so i dissasembled the headset and found the quill bolt attaches to nothing(in photos).  I also found the front wheel doesnt fully attach to the headset/stem.  Theres just a little 2" nub with a pin sticking thru it.
it appears the pin has been worn down/sheared off and is not doing its job properly anymore.
or am i reading this wrong?

what do i need to do to get this headset/fork back in good order?

thanks


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## rollfaster (Oct 1, 2013)

*Shelby airflow*

I still can't believe someone was gonna throw this beautiful machine out to trash. Again, your very lucky!!!


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## ThegoodThebad&Therusty (Oct 1, 2013)

*what do i need to do to get this headset/fork back in good order?*

You're going to need one of yer new best friends here to donate a new replacement fork looks like to me 

I think that one done busted and someone Macgyvered it back together.

pap
.


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## Bicycle Belle (Oct 1, 2013)

scooter said:


> Putting off any cleaning/polishing till i read some more.
> 
> but i do want to get the mechanicals working. i noticed the headset was loose when i rode it so i tried to tighten the quill bolt.
> this did nothing
> ...




Hopefully you or someone you know might be able to repair that. I've seen cases where a smaller piece of tube is used and the larger ones (steer tube) are sleeved over it and welded. It's not perfect but it might save your nice original fork.


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## bricycle (Oct 1, 2013)

If it is broke, save the old fork and have it rewelded a bit at a time to save the paint, or have it spliced together.  ...gotta save dat paint!


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## cyclingday (Oct 1, 2013)

scooter said:


> Putting off any cleaning/polishing till i read some more.
> 
> but i do want to get the mechanicals working. i noticed the headset was loose when i rode it so i tried to tighten the quill bolt.
> this did nothing
> ...




You've just learned the most important rule about collecting classic and antique bicycles.
NEVER! Jump on your new found old bicycle and go for a ride, until you've thoroughly gone through it and checked it all out. You could have been killed on that thing!
Now you know why it was rolled out to the curb for the junk man. Hey! It's a Shelby, what did you expect? Ha Ha!
But, all is not lost. You're still alive, and the broken steerer tube can be repaired. Bicycle Belle described the technique pretty well, but some guys, have been known to completely replace the entire steerer tube, but that is impossible to do without significant paint loss to the fork crown. The cut and splice method is probably going to be your best bet.


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## slick (Oct 1, 2013)

Bicycle Belle said:


> Hopefully you or someone you know might be able to repair that. I've seen cases where a smaller piece of tube is used and the larger ones (steer tube) are sleeved over it and welded. It's not perfect but it might save your nice original fork.




This is the correct way to repair this fork without ruining the original paint. I have done quite a few of them and have never had a problem. Trust the repair to someone who knows old bikes as well as a certified welder ONLY! 

As cyclingday said, i too am glad you took the bike apart before a long ride anywhere. This is HIGHLY suggested to anyone who buy an old bike no bad you have the urge to go for a maiden voyage on your newly aquired vintage bike. Asphalt hurts. Let me tell you from experience at high speed. Mine wasn't bicycle error or failure, human error and misjudgement.


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## hcdsign (Nov 10, 2013)

bikewhorder said:


> I just had to double check the calendar and make sure it wasn't April fools day.  If this is seriously your first project then I'll have to echo many others with a go slow approach.  There is really nothing you can do to increase this bikes value short of finding the missing lens for the light.  If it were mine I wouldn't go near it with any solvents more potent than wd-40 and any abrasives coarser than a cotton rag.  And yes please do share the backstory on how you came to own it.  Many of us waste a great deal of time hoping to find a gem like this and come up empty handed, but the success story's of others give us some small consolation.




I was also introduced in to the hobby with a silver spoon in  my mouth.  My first pick was a 1941 Colson built Firestone Super Cruiser.  While it was cool to find, it was discouraging to find the prices and availability of correct parts.  I sat on the bike for almost 2 yrs before I had the correct parts to get it in riding condition.  I was almost afraid to touch the bike due to the hard to find parts, and the $$ to replace them.  In the mean time I picked up a rough 1941 Murray built Elgin, and 1942 Hawthorne V.60 to hone my skills.  

I agree that you should hone your skills on a less valuble bike.  Good luck with your project.


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## hcdsign (Nov 10, 2013)

bikewhorder said:


> I just had to double check the calendar and make sure it wasn't April fools day.  If this is seriously your first project then I'll have to echo many others with a go slow approach.  There is really nothing you can do to increase this bikes value short of finding the missing lens for the light.  If it were mine I wouldn't go near it with any solvents more potent than wd-40 and any abrasives coarser than a cotton rag.  And yes please do share the backstory on how you came to own it.  Many of us waste a great deal of time hoping to find a gem like this and come up empty handed, but the success story's of others give us some small consolation.




I was also introduced in to the hobby with a silver spoon in  my mouth.  My first pick was a 1941 Colson built Firestone Super Cruiser.  While it was cool to find, it was discouraging to find the prices and availability of correct parts.  I sat on the bike for almost 2 yrs before I had the correct parts to get it in riding condition.  I was almost afraid to touch the bike due to the hard to find parts, and the $$ to replace them.  In the mean time I picked up a rough 1941 Murray built Elgin, and 1942 Hawthorne V.60 to hone my skills.  

I agree that you should hone your skills on a less valuble bike.  Good luck with your project.

View attachment 122371


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## Iverider (Nov 10, 2013)

Have the fork inner sleeved and TIG welded by a pro! Don't know exactly what it would cost but it'll be worth it. Tig welding will keep the heat localized and the welder should use a heat sink putty over the fork crown to keep the paint from getting too hot. Also--go out and buy a bunch of lottery tickets you lucky son of a gun!!!

here's a video http://youtu.be/HNbJ9dadNYo


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## Hermanator3 (Nov 11, 2013)

*Braze, not Weld*

The steer tube on my Ranger was in really bad shape so I took it to one of the best frame builders in Minnesota.  He removed the old tube & BRAZED in a new one.  Not any paint left on the fork crown so can't say if it would have affected paint.  No discoloring of the nickel.  I don't think brazing generates as much heat as welding.


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## cyclingday (Jun 16, 2015)

Refresher bump to update the progress on this bike.

When Scooter first posted the pictures of this incredible find, I quickly fell in love with it's character.
Of course like most of us did, I sent him a message that I was definitely interested in the bike should he ever decide to sell.
As most things do, this project faded from memory and was soon replaced by new interests and was pretty much forgotten about.
Well about a month ago Scooter sent me a message asking me if I was still interested in the bike. I about choked. The timing was bad because I had just purchased another bike so I hesitated for a second. Then I quickly came to my senses and said emphatically YES! I'm definitely interested.
I had made him an offer back in 2013 and so that is what we agreed to.
The only real issue that the bike had was the broken fork.
After I took delivery of the bike, I realized that the fork had not broken at all, but had just become separated.
Shelby fork crowns plug into the steerer tube and then get pinned and brazed .
This fork seemed like it had just never been brazed. Very strange!
(See post#29 page 3)
All that was needed was to reattach the steerer tube to the fork crown, and this bike was back in business.
The detached fork crown was both a blessing and a curse.
The curse was that the bike could not be ridden at all and the blessing was that the bike could not be ridden at all.
I'm not sure when the separation occurred, but this bike sat pretty much untouched ever since.
Tonight. Tuesday June 16th 2015 was probably the first time this bicycle has been seriously ridden in decades.
The bike rides straight as an arrow and as smooth as glass.
Thank you, Scott Gable, aka Scooter for saving this bike from being rolled out to the trash, and for making it available.
I really appreciate it!










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## vincev (Jun 16, 2015)

Super find.Just wash it and dont put chemicals on it.


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## cyclingday (Jun 16, 2015)

vincev said:


> Super find.Just wash it and dont put chemicals on it.




Refer to post #40 on page 4. 
Cleaned and detailed with Meguires #2


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## the tinker (Jun 16, 2015)

Scooter, where did you find this bike? Whats the story? For your 1st. project you have one heck of a desirable bike!  "Bike's" post is most correct. Before you tear into it please go easy. All of us here have learned some hard lessons, but for most of us we learned them on common bicycles. Have fun but take it slow......


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## tripple3 (Jun 17, 2015)

cyclingday said:


> Refresher bump to update the progress on this bike.
> 
> When Scooter first posted the pictures of this incredible find, I quickly fell in love with it's character.
> Of course like most of us did, I sent him a message that I was definitely interested in the bike should he ever decide to sell.
> ...




Wow Marty! Super Cool! 
I am glad you found this old thread about your Shelby....
I look forward to seeing it at the Invasion....


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## cyclingday (Jun 17, 2015)

Thanks, Mark.
 I ecourage anyone interested to go back and read through this OLD post about this bike. It literally had been rolled out for trash pick up.
Scooters aunt was the one who saved this bike from being destroyed by thinking that her sister might want it.
When Scooter posted it here originally he was all motivated to give it a going over. After much advice from the regulars here, he cooled his jets and put the bike in a corner where it sat untouched for a couple of years.
By the time he decided to sell it, I figured it had been stripped and repainted. He assured me that the bike was in the exact condition it was in when he got it. And it was!
Completely untouched for decades. As I was servicing the bike, I quickly realized that this bike had seen very little use outside it's initial years in existence.


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## rickyd (Jun 17, 2015)

Congrats Marty! Invasion ride? Hope the boys don't get on you to hard for changing out that stem. Rick


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## cyclingday (Jun 17, 2015)

rickyd said:


> Congrats Marty! Invasion ride? Hope the boys don't get on you to hard for changing out that stem. Rick




I know 37 Fleetwood won't approve, but I couldn't resist.


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## rickyd (Jun 17, 2015)

Lmao


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## RustyK (Jun 17, 2015)

To me this configuration of chain guard and rack looks much better than the chunky deluxe rack and guard. This configuration puts more focus on the tank and the whole bike looks leaner and meaner.


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## cyclingday (Jun 17, 2015)

RustyK said:


> To me this configuration of chain guard and rack looks much better than the chunky deluxe rack and guard. This configuration puts more focus on the tank and the whole bike looks leaner and meaner.




I think so too.


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## cyclonecoaster.com (Jun 17, 2015)

cyclingday said:


> Refresher bump to update the progress on this bike.
> 
> When Scooter first posted the pictures of this incredible find, I quickly fell in love with it's character.
> 
> ...




Marty - You've come a long way my friend - from not being a fan of the Shelby big tanks - to finding & liking the perfect mix late Shelby big tank that Scooter's Aunt found & saved it for Scooter which now eventually made it your way - Congrats on the "Perfect Storm of events" - The bicycle looks killer ... Ride Shelby - Frank


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## cyclingday (Jun 17, 2015)

Thank you, Frank.
 It really was the perfect storm of events. It's funny how life happens if you let it.
When I saw this bike, I was so impressed with its blend of 30s/40s styling that I thought,"Now there's the Shelby for me!"
Never thinking that exact same bike would be the one I'd own someday.


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## Tim the Skid (Jun 17, 2015)

great bicycle and a great storyline as well. Congratulations!


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