# 1969 Orange Krate is finished



## Grey Ghost (Nov 13, 2022)

Well, I’m done.

Paid $1400 for the bike and put about $650 into it. It cost me around $2050 to get to this point.

I know you guys who bought these when they were 4-800 bucks probably think that’s a ridiculous amount of money for an old bike like this, and, your right. But seeing the prices keep going up made me decide I had better jump at the chance to purchase a local one. The eBay offerings scare me...

I actually had buyers remorse the day after I got it home and posted it back up on CR for what I paid for it. LOL!
Fortunately, nobody responded that day. I thought about it and decided to go ahead and see what I could do with it.

I did not have spare parts, like a lot of you, so I had to purchase everything it needed and pay for shipping which added to the cost.

The incorrect, but original seat, turned out to be worth a bit of money so that saved me some cash on the restoration.

I have never restored anything before, car, bike, etc., so it was a learning experience. Seems every time I turned around I realized that I was missing a piece like a cable clip or something. Don’t know what’cha don’t know and all that.

I replaced the shock springs with heavier ones to make it sag less and added the sissybar cross brace to keep everything a little tighter in the rear. I plan on riding this bike.






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All the bearing sections were overhauled. The races weren’t in bad shape at all and everything moves pretty smoothly now.

The chain guard decal was a ghost of its former self so that, and all the decals are new.

The grips are repops. The lever covers aren’t NOS, repops or anything original at all. I just liked ‘em back then and wanted the look on this bike.

I switched the 1970 handlebar for a 1969 style.

The paint is original but I had to polish a lot of oxidization out of it. It was almost a pinkish hue before I started. It looked pretty bad.

 I also lightly touched up the many scratches, being careful to “not paint outside the lines”. I used a very thin liner brush, it took a while.
I resisted the urge to use more than one touch up coat and I think it looks better that way. I didn’t want the frame to look like it had the measles. If you look closely you can still see the scratches, but they look more superficial than the nasty black gashes it had before. 


I applied several coat of sealant/wax to bring back a little of the shine.

Considering the rough paint, the chrome was all very good. Fortunately, the bike had been bought and stored in Kansas so it wasn’t exposed to corrosive moist air, or worse, coastal air.

I have the original front Superior tire but I wanted to paint an orange line on the front rubber so I bought a fresh donut and applied the paint. All the cool Krates in my hood had the color stripe upgrade and that what I wanted so this one has it too.

A big shout out to local fellow CABEr Pale Painter. He talked/texted me though many questions and even helped me with some bodywork. His patience is much appreciated.

I would also like to thank the many people on this forum who politely answered my many questions and helped me learn about the nuances of this project. There was some wonderful constructive criticism and some good input from you guys.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Nov 13, 2022)

Great job, killer ride.


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (Nov 14, 2022)

Very nice!! 😎😎

I bet you have a big grin on your face any time you ride it.🙂


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## sworley (Nov 14, 2022)

Great job on this one! So with one under your belt do you have the itch to get another?


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## Grey Ghost (Nov 14, 2022)

What’s interesting is the reaction I get when I have this thing parked out in the driveway.

Guys drive by and have that look on their face like; what am I seeing here?
You can see the gears turning in their heads, especially if they’re older.

On the other hand, I have a couple of neighbors who are my age who have never heard of the Krate series and don’t remember ever seeing them. 

Seems you were either into musclebikes, or you weren’t, back in the day.


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## Grey Ghost (Nov 14, 2022)

sworley said:


> Great job on this one! So with one under your belt do you have the itch to get another?




It would be a lot easier next time! And cheaper!

Actually, I would like to find some of the other Alpha musclebikes.
My top contenders, and the only ones that IMO really gave the Krates a run for their money were, in no particular order:

1970 Murray Eliminator MK2 twin stick 5 speed
1970-72 Raleigh Chopper 10 speed dual Slik shift
1970 Ross Apollo 3speed

The AMF Flying Wedges were pretty cool, and Huffy had some neat looking two toned paint on some of their models, but I didn’t like them enough to pursue any of them.

The first three brands look like they are rarer than hens teeth. Finding parts and building one would be more work and money than I want to deal with.
Restored, or even good, examples of these seem non-existent in the market.

I am happy with my bike.

I am covering it up and ignoring it until Christmas.
It is going to be the present I never got.


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## Grey Ghost (Nov 14, 2022)




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## nick tures (Nov 14, 2022)

nice job turned out good !


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## dave429 (Nov 14, 2022)

Very nice work! Bet it’s a blast to ride!


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## DonChristie (Nov 15, 2022)

Looks fantastic! Now ride it and watch the value keep heading North!


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## indycycling (Nov 15, 2022)

Nice work, glad I could be of some assistance along the way. It came out great and your investment is right on par for a nice original.  The orange lines look great and nice job painting the front stripe. 

That original tufted seat was a good $500 item, so certainly paid for some of your new parts. Enjoy the bike!


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## GTs58 (Nov 15, 2022)

Nice job on the paint touch up.  👍  And the fixin up, it looks marvelous.


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## Grey Ghost (Nov 16, 2022)

A couple of people have mentioned that orange is one of the easier paints to match. I guess they’re right.


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## Nashman (Nov 16, 2022)

Great job. This is one of the many reasons why this hobby is fun. Congrats!  It's a beauty and rewarding you did all the work.


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## Grey Ghost (Nov 16, 2022)

Thanks for the compliments guys.

I am rather surprised. There are so many super excellent Krates on this forum. Mine isn’t as flawless and beautiful as so many of yours are.


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## razinhellcustomz (Nov 19, 2022)

Your Krate bike turned out GREAT..Wish I would have kept my 68 I built up from parts that I had in my cache.. RideOn.Razin....


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Nov 19, 2022)

Grey Ghost said:


> Thanks for the compliments guys.
> 
> I am rather surprised. There are so many super excellent Krates on this forum. Mine isn’t as flawless and beautiful as so many of yours are.



Your enthusiasm is contagious, one can tell you really love and appreciate that bike. It is a bad A$$ bike.


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## Krateboy (Nov 19, 2022)

Good job on restoration. Love the front superior striping


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## Grey Ghost (Nov 19, 2022)

Krateboy said:


> Good job on restoration. Love the front superior striping



The tire painting was actually pretty easy.

I prepped the tire by cleaning the sidewall with acetone until the cloth came out clean.

I have a lot of experience with paint pens from using them in the workplace.
Some youtubers make them out to be a tricky, hard to use device. They’re not.

I bought what looked to be a higher quality brand instead of a cheapo one. No sense in saving a buck or two on a project like this.

I put the wheel axle in a vise to make it easier as I used the pen.
I had to paint about 2” sections at a time, and no, you can’t just touch the tip to the sidewall and spin the tire. Wish it was that easy but it’s not.

I used 3 coats, which ended up using more than one pen. I could have just done two coats and it would have looked good from casual glances. Up close though, it looked a bit thin so I felt it worthwhile to add the third coat. I also have almost a full second pen for future touch ups.

One thing to know, should anyone decide to do this, is that most paints like this are solvent on the underlying coat. In other words, even though the last coat may be dry, you can scrape through the dry coats to the surface rubber if you use the pointed tip and press too hard. Second and third coats need to be applied gently. You can’t just crayon the stuff.

But using the broad tip, with a gentle pressure, will cover without problems.

Also, you have to make sure the tip is wet. Paint pens allow paint flow through the tip via pressure on the spring action of the felt tip.

 You have to prime these to even get the paint to flow initially. You have to keep doing this or the pen will stop dispensing paint. It isn’t like a sharpie where you can write a line a hundred yards long until it runs out of ink. The paint will stop flowing after a while unless you press the tip on a safe surface, (NOT WHAT YOU ARE PAINTING ON), and get the tip wet again. If you prime the tip on your work surface you will end up with a pool of paint where you didn’t want it!

It sounds more complicated than it is, but there are protocols for making theses pens work well.

I don’t know what the durability of this paint will be. The manufacturer advertises the ability to go through months of car washes on auto tires. 

We shall see.

I am careful not to drag the tire sidewall on the ground or anything like that.

Here’s a close up to see the accuracy of the line.


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## Grey Ghost (Nov 19, 2022)

Btw, I mentioned that I touched up the paint as well.

Since flaws aren’t easily seen in full shots I thought I’d show you some of the areas.



Here are some close ups of that.


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## Grey Ghost (Nov 19, 2022)

As you can see, the scratches are still there, but really not visible unless you look closely.


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## Grey Ghost (Nov 19, 2022)

Lastly, here’s what she looks like until Christmas morning.

No peeking!


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## Krateboy (Nov 19, 2022)

Well done and thanks for sharing.


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## sab (Nov 19, 2022)

Yup gone mine Xmas morning and still have it and the manuals (unrestored)


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## Grey Ghost (Nov 19, 2022)

You can do it!

Get a new chain and go from there!


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## sab (Nov 20, 2022)

Interested in selling to somebody in New England, not shipping, so I hold, or a local bike shop can ship at owner expense.  Need to start a new thread any ways, its a FF serial number and 1970 Xmas present.


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## Grey Ghost (Dec 10, 2022)

Well, NOW I think my Krate is finished.

I just installed some new fork struts because mine were slightly bent. 

Did none of you notice or were you all just being nice? LOL

Eagleye, I am surprised at you, you’re slip’in up man!

Anyway, I got some new struts. They look and feel pretty close to the originals, nice and pretty too.

While waiting for the parts I detailed a few areas that hadn’t seemed important before. I kept looking at certain components and going, ‘waaait a minute...” 

Well, had to fix ‘em!

The last, LAST, and I mean it, thing I’m doing is replacing the kickstand sprag and pin. 
Having tried to get the kickstand off using all the YouTube tricks, and failing, I finally sprung for a dedicated tool. It worked great.

The pin was worn flat on one side and I figured the sprag was probably way out of tolerance so, 
I replaced them both.

It works a lot better now, snaps up and down.

Just took it out for a test and it is riding very smooth and quiet. Only thing I could hear from the bike was the hum of the tires on the pavement. The only creaking sound I could hear was coming from my bones.

Back under the dust cover until the big Christmas morning surprise.


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## palepainter (Dec 23, 2022)

It was my pleasure to help ya.  Always good to see some of that history preserved from our childhoods.   You will have to bust it out when @Mr. Monkeyarms gets the rides going in Longmont.   Congrats!!


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (Dec 24, 2022)

I am getting excited for tomorrow morning when you actually find it under the Christmas tree!! I wouldn't be able to sleep with anticipation. 😂  😂


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## Grey Ghost (Dec 24, 2022)

It will be under the tree in the morning.
Pic, natch.


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## sab (Dec 25, 2022)

Yes, but I couldn't ride it till the spring/snow melted because that slick back tire didn't work in the snow.


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## Grey Ghost (Dec 25, 2022)




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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Dec 25, 2022)

Grey Ghost said:


> View attachment 1757494AWESOME!


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (Dec 25, 2022)




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## Grey Ghost (Dec 25, 2022)

Wow, the coveted spastic Kermit award.

I am honored Sir.


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (Dec 25, 2022)

That's basically how I'd feel finding a bike that nice under the tree. Even if I just built it!🤣🤣 Have woke up in the middle of the night just to look at the junk I have now. 🤦‍♂️ Congrats on building such a nice example of the much loved Stingrays! I hope it puts a smile on your face whenever you see it!👍


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## KevinBrick (Dec 28, 2022)

Hello, Cool bike and great job bringing this one back or as I call it , the fun part .. I had a question on the rear shock rebuild.. Any special technique to get those little pins in and out? Kind of awkward trying to compress the springs and drive out the pins.. I have them out and not looking forward to putting them back in with the heavier springs..


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## Grey Ghost (Dec 28, 2022)

You will probably need another person to hold and compress the spring to allow free access to the pin hole.  After that, just tap the pin back into the hole being careful to evenly space the pin in the sissybar.
If you have someone to hold back the spring tubes it’s actualy easier tapping the pins in than taking them out so you”re past the hardest part of that.

I don’t know where you got the new spring kit but the one I got needed the nylon spacers shaved down just a bit to fit into the tubes.


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## Darthvader (Dec 28, 2022)

Bad azz


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## KevinBrick (Dec 28, 2022)

I ordered the kit on eBay, should see it in the next couple days.. Old bushing are still good but very tight.. 👍🏻
What I did was to open up the vise 1/4” or so and lay the sissy bar on top so I could drive the pin out the other side.. Used a nail set to push it through the first side.. once inside the bar a screw driver worked best to pry it over to the other side then a heavy duty pliers to grab and twist it out..


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## Grey Ghost (Dec 28, 2022)

One thing I wish I would have done, but didn’t, was to use ALL my old nylon washers and the new taller ones included with the kit. I only used two of the old short ones and two of the new ones, (which, btw, you will need), to replicate the original spring length inside the tube. The ones in the kit I got were a bit shorter than the originals.

Had I used all 4 of the old nylon washers, and the 2 new ones, I would gotten even more preload. The new springs are a definite improvement but I still sag about 1/4” when I sit on it.

If you do this you will absolutely need another person to help compress the springs past the roll pin holes for installation.


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## Grey Ghost (Dec 28, 2022)

Here are some finished pics. 
I replaced the crappy seatpost clamp and kickstand with some nicer pieces. I also cleaned up some of the thrashed parts like the pedal ends and such.

The brake lever covers are new repops which replaced the generic covers that I had.

Finally, every bike needs it’s own space so I created a musclebike tribute area for the ultimate musclebike, the Mighty Orange Krate.


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## Grey Ghost (Dec 31, 2022)

Little details, eye candy, and, my new Avatar!
I am no longer the kid on the left. I am the dude on the right with the s**t eating grin on his face.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Dec 31, 2022)

Grey Ghost said:


> with the s**t eating grin on his face.



Yep


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## Sportyworty (Dec 31, 2022)

Stop messin with it it’s just right


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## Grey Ghost (Jan 4, 2023)

After seeing KevinBricks Cotton Picker picture showing his reflector I realized that he has a 6 pie reflector which would be the correct style for 1968, and on, Krates.

Well, I have a 2 pie reflector which was used on earlier Stingrays.

So, it’s NOT just right!  Arghhhh!

6 pie inbound.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Jan 4, 2023)

Grey Ghost said:


> After seeing KevinBricks Cotton Picker picture showing his reflector I realized that he has a 6 pie reflector which would be the correct style for 1968 and on Krates.
> 
> Well, I have a 2 pie reflector which was used on earlier Stingrays.
> 
> ...



Yea we all saw that but no one wanted to say anything, glad you caught it hahahahaha


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## Springer Tom (Jan 4, 2023)

...which is unusual because someone always wants to bash the piss out of someone because their valve caps aren't on straight......


coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> Yea we all saw that but no one wanted to say anything, glad you caught it hahahahaha


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Jan 4, 2023)

I was too busy loving the bike to have noticed haha


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## Grey Ghost (Jan 4, 2023)

Springer Tom said:


> ...which is unusual because someone always wants to bash the piss out of someone because their valve caps aren't on straight......



Yeah, kinda weird.
I have noticed a few things that were incorrect, and easily corrected, or damaged, and easily repaired or replaced, and nobody said anything. 


I have noticed that some of you guys are very polite.

Some others, well, I just ignore them and put “ignore this person” on my to-do list.😊

I don’t mind constructive criticism especially about something like this part. 
It is a major visual part of the Krate, or any bike like this really.

Anyway, glad I saw the pic of the Picker reflector. It looked awesome and I knew I must have it.
Glad it was a relatively inexpensive part.


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## Grey Ghost (Jan 4, 2023)

Springer Tom said:


> ...which is unusual because someone always wants to bash the piss out of someone because their valve caps aren't on straight......



Btw, are my valve caps on straight?

Checking.....


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## Sportyworty (Jan 4, 2023)

Close enough


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