# 1963 Murray Missile



## KurseD (Apr 18, 2012)

Picked this one up over the weekend for $10. Plan to clean and refresh for my little girls. ALL questions and comments are welcome. As far as I can tell it's a 1963 by the numbers on the left drop out, though this one doesn't have the MO to begin with. # W 525 ͦ ͦ ͦ 267388 so if anyone see's something I missed, chime in.


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## Uniblab (Apr 18, 2012)

Man that must be tough to pedal what with the rear dragging like that.....

I'll take "What do pimps say about other pimps fat hookers" for $5000 Alex


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## KurseD (Apr 19, 2012)

:d


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## KurseD (Apr 21, 2012)

So we got to start working on the bike today. Took it outside and gave it a nice soapy bath. Then on to the basement to disassemble. Got everything torn down except the cranks. If ANYONE has any ideas on removing the pins from the crank let me know. I tried beating them out with a hammer and punch with no luck. Got all the nuts and bolts in a lemon juice bath. Got the chain in vinegar and lemon juice soaking. Used an S.O.S. pad to clean the rear rim a little and cleaned up the handle bars some. Started pouring down rain so we moved the entire operation inside. 

I soaked the grips in near boiling water for about 60 seconds each, then wrapped them with a big rag and they came off no problem. Cleaned them up a bit with some Soft Scrub and a scuff pad. Now I've got them soaking in bleach. Once we get the doggone crank off, we'll continue bathing it and use some good cleaning wax then polish the frame and painted parts up. Get them back to a nice shiny status. Still need a seat and seat tube if anyone has an extra laying around anywhere. Here are some pics.

Oh almost forgot. We used a body working hammer and dolly to reshape the bent headlight rim. I forgot to take and after picture before I put it in the vinegar/lemon juice bath with the chain. So when it comes out of the soak, I'll snag a few more pictures of it. Plan on molesting a newer L.E.D. flashlight for the guts to fix up the headlight with.

The bath.




Some before and afters of the rims.







Before and afters on the handle bars.













Weird crank pins.


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## KurseD (Apr 21, 2012)

Headlight before shots.







Soaking parts










Before and afters of the grips (only with Soft Scrub so far. I'll get more when they're done in the bleach soak).


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## KurseD (Apr 21, 2012)

Handle bars, grips, and rims are D O N E. Keep in mind, I'm not going for a "Total Restoration" look with this thing. I'm just freshening it up some. I want to keep some age to it.


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## KurseD (Apr 21, 2012)

WOW! I've got 92 views so far and only ONE reply...


This thread must suck big time...


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## jd56 (Apr 21, 2012)

*Love the thread*

Hey, the novice restorer needs threads like this.
Thanks for posting your tricks. Bicycle belle says brasso works real well on the chrome. 

Sorry I can't help you with the crank pins. In fact that the first time I've seen those type riveted? on cranks with the drive pins. Interesting. Someone here has the answer for ya.

Looking good so far on the quick cleanup.


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## KurseD (Apr 21, 2012)

Thanks for the feedback. I can use all the help I can get.

I tried the Brasso / Steel Wool trick on the rims with absolutely no luck. I just finished thems up using S.O.S. pads and making a mess in the tub. I left the hubs alone and just lightly hit in between the spokes to leave some of the age. I'm trying to keep the bike somewhat "as-is" only clean it up just enough in just the right spots.


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## tuscankid (Apr 22, 2012)

*Clenaing*

WWat did  you use, and how did you clean up the chrome on the handlebars and the rims.
So far looking good.
Steve


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## KurseD (Apr 22, 2012)

I used S.O.S. pads on the handlebars and rims.


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## KurseD (Apr 22, 2012)

Got some of the painted parts cleaned a little more. Put them in the bath tub, cleaned with hot water and S.O.S. pads. The vinegar / lemon juice bath took the rust off the headlight, too the $15 previous buyers price off which was written in sharpie, and also took the paint off. Oh well, wasn't very much paint left anyway.


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## Uniblab (Apr 23, 2012)

It never ceases to amaze me how relatively little elbow grease can make such a huge improvement. 

Regarding  those crank pins, if one side is a larger diameter than the other (hard  to tell from the pix) then you probably have a tapered pin which must  be driven out from the smaller side.

 If the pin is in fact  tapered (I don't know if this is a common thing or not for this  application), then it might help to place the hub against a hard (but protected) surface so that all the force from your hammer strike goes into the pin. You'll need to place something around the head of the pin (the side sitting on the hard surface) so that the pin will have somewhere to move. Perhaps a small piece of pipe or a 7/16" (?) socket.

Don't forget, the smoke wrench is your friend in instances like this. Good luck!


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## KurseD (Apr 23, 2012)

I tried ALL of this last night. Nothing worked. Even tried pressing it out with a vice. Both ends seem mushroomed. One side of the crank, the pin was actually recessed into the crank so I thought that side would be easy, not so. So in a last ditch effort I chucked it in the drill press to drill it out...

I drilled the dang hole crooked! ARGH! So, it's taking a trip to a machine shop for "Professional Help" this morning.


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## MR D (Apr 23, 2012)

Good job. Cleaning a bike like this shouldn't be a labor of love so to speak. Just a mild going over to sell it for a slightly higher price...let the new owner take the time they want to make it perfectly detailed. This is unless you intend on keeping it and riding it. 

I see bikes like this all the time, and while they still function correctly, they were not that desirable as a collector piece. Same as with cars and other things of different vintages, the cleaner it is the more interest it will draw. I owned and drove a  Mercury Comet for a couple years and it was clean as a whistle (old lady owned). It ran like a top! I sold it for what I paid for it after I was done driving it. 

That being said, don't underestimate what something shiny will bring. Even though a Murray bike is just a plain Jane bike it can hold it's value if it's cleaned totally. Fresh tires, touch-up paint doesn't hurt the end result. I call a bike like this a "practice" tool. I can try different restoration techniques without worry about ruining it or it's re-sale value.


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