# Excelsior Deluxe help!!



## theterrym (Jun 15, 2014)

I hope someone can help me with some questions about my Excelsior. It is a full size mens bike and I was going to try and find a toolbox for it, but from what it looks like the space between the bars on frame is to small. Is this make my bike older/newer than what I think? I would like to do a full restoration and make it a nice bike to ride. I have some velocity p35 rims sitting in the box waiting for paint and a wife that's not nearly as excided about this project as I am.
The rear wheel had been changed out at one point and now has a Bendix skip tooth hub. when did they start making these hubs? Im guessing to 
make it correct im going to need a New departure hub?
I was told the bike is from around 1920. Does anyone have any thoughts or input on that estimate? All help is much appreciated!!


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## oddball (Jun 15, 2014)

I can only tell you what I would do if that were my bicycle.I would just clean up the bike, no tank, faux paint p35s and lace with New Departure model A hub,recover seat or get another, and pretty much done.
Cliff


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## dfa242 (Jun 15, 2014)

I would agree it looks to have been made within a couple years either side of 1920.  I'm not sure whether it would have come with a tank, but if pushed to guess, I'd lean toward not.  I really like the unusual paint scheme on this bike - if it would make your wife any happier I'd be willing to take it off your hands for you .  
Seriously, nice find - good luck with the project.


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## pedal4416 (Jun 15, 2014)

Great looking bike, I love the color combo!


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## chitown (Jun 15, 2014)

*Welcome to the cabe!*

Amazing bike and TONS of character with that color combo!!! Definitely agree with oddball and Patrick (in the General Discussions version of this thread) about carefully preserving this great machine.

Can you post some more pics and a serial # perhaps to help future identification of these bikes. What brand tire is on there currently? 

That fork is very unique and I remember a cabe member having one like it on an unbadged frame wondering about the manufacturer.

Enjoy and update with progress on getting her up and running!

Chris

As far as dating it I think it could be earlier than '20 with that olive drab base color! But no earlier than 1916 which is when Excelsior moved from Chicago to Michigan City.


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## theterrym (Jun 15, 2014)

Thanks for all the compliments!! The photos show the bike really well, but the entire rear of the bike has pretty much no paint left and is down to the rust. It looks like many years ago someone had some fun scraping the paint off the rear of the frame. If the bike was a little nicer I would never think of restoration, but last week I took the bike apart and now its all in pieces in the garage. 
I was very surprised how easily all of the bolts came out.  A few of the bearings are completely destroyed and fell out. I will get the S/N next time I am out there. The front tire is a US ROYAL CHAIN and looks pretty crispy!! This project is like all of the rest I have done in the past, I tell the wife im building it for her!! 
Here is a photo of my Columbia I did a few months ago and yes it began as a project for the wife!!


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## filmonger (Jun 15, 2014)

Woooooooow!


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## theterrym (Jun 15, 2014)

I know all of you guys who said that I should leave the bike as is with all of its glorious patina are not going to be happy with me. I just finished polishing the head badge. many stressful hours tapping out tiny dints then a repaint with a whole lot a polishing and here we have a shiny new head badge!!! It still needs a little more polishing, but I love the brand new look!! Please don't be too mad at me.


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## WES PINCHOT (Jun 15, 2014)

Beautiful badge!


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## hoofhearted (Jun 15, 2014)

theterrym said:


> I know all of you guys who said that I should leave the bike as is with all of its glorious patina are not going to be happy with me. I just finished polishing the head badge. many stressful hours tapping out tiny dints then a repaint with a whole lot a polishing and here we have a shiny new head badge!!! It still needs a little more polishing, but I love the brand new look!! Please don't be too mad at me.





*THAT is Primo ... nice work ...*


patric


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## Nick-theCut (Jun 15, 2014)

Please keep the original paint!  That color combo is the weirdest/coolest ever!  You could always trade it to someone for another Deluxe Excelsior.  More pics!  It's a great find.


~ Nick


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## olderthandirt (Jun 16, 2014)

*ah!! finally a nice balloon tire bike in my size*

i do not own a mens balloon tire bike at all except a mountain bike and i feel that i must be missing out ,now to keep peace with your wife you could just loan the bike to me for two years i will reassemble  the bike and clean and lube up every point  put on some new tires and treat it good while i ride it and enjoy the differences  then i will return it and you can just say Well look what showed up dear i forgot i loaned this old bike out or i most likely would have not purchased these other bikes ! sorry dear but i can tell your exited to see her back


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## theterrym (Jun 16, 2014)

Well, Mr olderthandirt that is very thoughtful of you!! you guys seem very committed in keeping everyone happy in my house!!
Mr Patric I do agree the color combo is very cool!! When I restore things such as this bike I go to great lengths to make everything just as it was.
I know you all like to keep the history and battle scars all original, but I love having something that is nearly 100 years old and brand new!! Like you said If anyone would trade me something equally old/cool for this bike I would have no problem with that. Im not partial to an Excelsior Deluxe. From what I have found or I guess mostly havn't found there and far more Schwinn b-10s and Mead Rangers Than Excelsior Deluxe. I have only been able to find photos of two other bikes that resemble my bike and they don't have the cool green and magenta paint!! Maybe you are all right and I would be destroying history, but I really want a brand new prewar bike!!


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Jun 16, 2014)

Please please do not repaint that. ... !!!!!
Brand New is overrated! !... 
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## hoofhearted (Jun 16, 2014)

*Preservation strategies ....*



Obi-Wan Schwinnobi said:


> Please please do not repaint that. ... !!!!!
> Brand New is overrated! !...






*theterrym ..... peep >>> Custom Bicycles >>> Good color combo suggestions ... Entry # 20.

You can even darken-down that badge a bit.  

Please do not repaint that machine ... right now it is a canvas supporting a finished painting ... 
and the painting shows great color and patina.*



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


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Jun 16, 2014)

hoofhearted said:


> *theterrym ..... peep >>> Custom Bicycles >>> Good color combo suggestions ... Entry # 20.
> 
> You can even darken-down that badge a bit.
> 
> ...




Yeah what he said ...

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## oddball (Jun 16, 2014)

A part of me shares your desire to have a very old shiny bicycle,but it can only be original once.I did restore my Elgin Motorbike,I did it my way.Basically started with a  frame and went from there. If there were a trade, what bike would you consider?

Cliff


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## chitown (Jun 16, 2014)

It would be totally cool if you did a partial repaint/restore and kept as much of the original as you could. Just like if a classic masters oil painting was to be restored, they would only repaint the sections that had lost the paint or chipped... or in your case has been scrapped off as you said. 1st would be the cleaning process, then masking off all the original goodness that is still on the bike. You could use a liquid latex masking fluid. Then just repaint the roached sections and do some hand touch up after removing the masked off sections. It would be very labor intensive but I think worth the effort.

I've got some '36 Silver Kings for possible trade if you were interested in having a new pre-war ride!

Chris

Nice job on the badge!


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## chitown (Jun 16, 2014)

Even if you do a full resto, don't feel like you can't show off pics of progress and final product just because there re a bunch of us rallying to the _Save the Paint_ flag. Bottom line is it's your bike and judging by your last resto, you've got a clue what to do. Hope you can get a good color match to do the original justice! The black pinstripes are pretty intense of an undertaking too. 

Chris


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## theterrym (Jun 16, 2014)

*I would trade for the right bike.*

Hey cliff, that is a beautiful bike!! Looks like you put a few hours into it. Most of these prewar bikes are made of the same parts so for me im not loyal to any company. I just love the double frames long handle bars and crude seats. Ideally I would love a tank, but the style of my frame never could have a tank. One thing I really love about the bike is the colors. Those I could never change. 
I still have to stick to my original plan. I really want a brand new 100 year old bike. It doesn't have to be this particular bike if any of you are that set on preserving this one I would consider any trade of the same style. In the end I will have a shiny new bike. 
Does anyone know if they will make any more of the Electra Amsterdam cream tires? They seem to be the only 700c tire that doesn't have a reflective stipe or Japanese writing down the side. 
Oh and yes those tiny black pinstripes will take a lot of patience and care to make them look right.
I also have a license for the bike. I don't know if its from 1920 or if its the 20th bike registered in Hastings Nebraska from some other year. Ill post a pic when I dig it out.


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## Gordon (Jun 16, 2014)

*bike*

theterrym - that is a great looking bike. Your work reminds me of that of one of your fellowmen who lives in Regina. He has built some great bikes and also has great skills and patience.


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## theterrym (Jun 16, 2014)

*Here is the licence*

I found it much faster than I thought. I don't know anything about it other than its from Hastings.


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