# Pre war Champion V8 King of the Speedway. Before & After



## Classicriders (Jan 11, 2014)

I scored this bike in the early spring and my girlfriend and I completely disassembled and detailed it.  The tires have been replaced with original U.S. Royal Chain white walls, and the grips with original coke bottle grips, the rest of the bike is all of the original parts.  Took a lot of elbow grease, but it was well worth it!  I will be replacing the speedometer in time as I find a nice original replacement.  The speedometer that was on it was beyond restoration.


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## ballooney (Jan 11, 2014)

*Wow!*

That is one of the most incredible "clean up" jobs I've seen.  Great job!


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## SKIDKINGSVBC (Jan 11, 2014)

*V-8 muscle!*

One word .....AWESOME ! Nice job!


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## pedal4416 (Jan 11, 2014)

The bike came out great, nice job!


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## rollfaster (Jan 11, 2014)

*Props to you and your girlfriend*

For doing a super job on this sweet bike.


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## THEGOLDENGREEK (Jan 11, 2014)

Wow... Awesome job you did there, looks great!!


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## catfish (Jan 11, 2014)

That came out great!


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## frankster41 (Jan 11, 2014)

Awesome!!!!!


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## fordmike65 (Jan 11, 2014)

Unbelievable transformation! My fingers hurt just thinking about the work that went into that:eek:


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## bike (Jan 12, 2014)

*Wow*

Super!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Classicriders (Jan 12, 2014)

Thanks for all the compliments my fellow Cabers.  As for what I used?  That info is top secret and only shared with the brotherhood


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## BikeSup (Jan 12, 2014)

Absolutely beautiful!


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## bricycle (Jan 12, 2014)

Exqusite refresh!!!!!!


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## Euphman06 (Jan 13, 2014)

That looks awesome! I don't think I've ever seen detailing that came out that nice. Looks almost repainted. So what's the secret?!?!


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## frampton (Jan 13, 2014)

Classicriders said:


> Thanks for all the compliments my fellow Cabers.  As for what I used?  That info is top secret and only shared with the brotherhood




That's what I like to see. A fellow who is willing to share and help other enthusiasts.


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## HARPO (Jan 13, 2014)

Worth every layer of skin you lost in doing such a beautiful job! It's hard to believe that this was the original paint beneath all of the muck.


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## scrubbinrims (Jan 13, 2014)

Tell the girlfriend to hurry up with cleaning the chain so you can give it a spin.
Chris


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## Classicriders (Jan 13, 2014)

frampton said:


> That's what I like to see. A fellow who is willing to share and help other enthusiasts.




I really don't have a secret, that was the reason for my sarcasm.  For what it is worth tho... From my experience in detailing bikes, what works best for me is the following... In no particuar order and depending on the condition of the bike...
Love, Lacquer thinner, patience, old t-shirts, patience, 0000 steel wool, patience, popsicle stick, dedication, WD-40, dedication, Meguairs Paint Cleaner and Spray Wax, restraint, and love.

You may think that I am yet again being sarcastic with this list, but, as I said above, this "is what works best for me".  I really believe it starts with love, you really need to have a deep seeded love for these bikes to start with.  This is what allows you the patience and dedication that it takes detailing, reconditioning, or restoring these incredible pieces of historical architectural art.
The list of materials and products varies on the condition of the bike.  Always keep in mind that when it comes to paint, you are not cleaning it as much as you are removing it.  You are removing faded, dirty paint in order to get to the nice paint that hopefully lies beneath.  The goal is to get to the good paint prior to going though to the metal.  I have seen a lot of collectors over detail a bike and as a result the pinstriping is compromised, or the paint is rubbed through.  This is why I mention restraint, it is knowing when enough is enough.  Another thing to keep in mind is when you have to replace parts, i.e. rims, pedals, grips, tires, etc... It may be tempting to use NOS or reproduction parts, but will they match the overall patina of the bike?  That is one area that usually takes the most time, finding replacement parts that are the same as og and actually match the bike.
I am by no means an expert on this subject and have made my fair share of mistakes over the twenty years (and still do) I have been doing this, but hopefully my experience will be of some benefit to others.


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## frampton (Jan 13, 2014)

Cool, thank you for the info. Beautiful bike.


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## hoofhearted (Jan 13, 2014)

Classicriders said:


> I really don't have a secret, that was the reason for my sarcasm.  For what it is worth tho... From my experience in detailing bikes, what works best for me is the following... In no particuar order and depending on the condition of the bike...
> Love, Lacquer thinner, patience, old t-shirts, patience, 0000 steel wool, patience, popsicle stick, dedication, WD-40, dedication, Meguairs Paint Cleaner and Spray Wax, restraint, and love.
> 
> ...................................................................................*Removed A Lot Of What Classicriders States To Conserve Space.*................................................................
> ...




*Classicriders success in the detailing arena is a result of raw determination and stick-to-it-iveness ... his tools are the same as what you or i might have on hand ...
every piece i've ever seen conserved and preserved by Classicriders has been a visual and soulful delight.  Go back and re-read his quotable entry ... there are pearls 
of wisdom within his words.*

...................  patric


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## catfish (Jan 13, 2014)

Love! That's it. I knew it.


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## bricycle (Jan 13, 2014)

Ed, congrat's on your 3,000!


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## catfish (Jan 13, 2014)

bricycle said:


> Ed, congrat's on your 3,000!




Thanks! Now I'm only 6000 behind you....


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## Classicriders (Jan 14, 2014)

It is my understanding that the badge on this bicycle is the only Champion V8 Snyder built version known?  The other two Champion V8 badges are the apple core and Christmas tree style, both found on Cleveland Welding bicycles.


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## bricycle (Jan 14, 2014)

CR, do you know if these cam as a 28" version also? also are these D.P.Harris cycles?


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## Classicriders (Jan 14, 2014)

I don't know who distributed the Champion V8 bicycles.  Could have been a hardware or auto parts chain, but never found any literature one way or the other.  I do know this is a Snyder built bike and while I know a lot of the various badges that were distributed by D.P. Harris, I do not believe that the Champion V8 was one of them.


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## catfish (Jan 14, 2014)

Classicriders said:


> View attachment 132289




Very Cool Badge !!!!!!!!!!!


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## barneyguey (Feb 16, 2017)

Classicriders said:


> I scored this bike in the early spring and my girlfriend and I completely disassembled and detailed it.  The tires have been replaced with original U.S. Royal Chain white walls, and the grips with original coke bottle grips, the rest of the bike is all of the original parts.  Took a lot of elbow grease, but it was well worth it!  I will be replacing the speedometer in time as I find a nice original replacement.  The speedometer that was on it was beyond restoration.
> View attachment 131880View attachment 131881View attachment 131885View attachment 131886
> 
> View attachment 131880
> ...



Amazing work! You must love these things as much as me to put the time in it takes. Barry


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