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1908 Peerless rehabiliation

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I'm sure there is a date in time that Sears took over the Peerless name. Time for more research.

This exact bike is outlined in the 1908 Sears catalog. It's amazing the amount of detail they put into the description of it since pictures were limited.
 
So.. I left a couple steps out, but the bike is 95% complete at this point. I had to rush today to lace the wheels and mock it all together for pictures to submit for an event deadline. Very happy with how the wheels came out. At first, they just looked like somebody sanded paint off, which is the concern with distressing anything, but a little more sanding, a little antiquing glaze and sealant, and they jive pretty well.

I'm not sold on the creams.. I love the look but I feel they stand out too much against the rest of the bike. I didn't originally want to go blackwall since I opted to paint the rims to original spec versus just staining them. So it'd be black against black. What do you guys think? Maybe I just need to put a few miles on my dirt road.

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Great looking wheels on a killer looking bike. Patients and perseverance pays off. Since your a patina guy, ever considered dirtying up the tires?
 
Lookin' good!

Thanks for the detailed info on the work you're doing. That seat is very impressive. Good job on the rims, too. I have a 1914 Peerless frame & fork on the way, so I'll be doing something similar.
 
That came out great!

I agree with your comment about the tires. They do draw your eye to them right now. Let them age a bit and ride them and they will look better. I have some experience with those tires and they will yellow a bit over time with sun exposure.

The seat is killer. I have a similar one on a bike I have, but I don't know if I am brave enough to tackle that job.
 
Outstanding work. What type of wheels and tires did you go with? Kind Regards - David

The wheels were made by Stutzman Wheel in Ohio. It's an Amish shop that makes all kinds of antique reproductions out of wood (fenders, chainguards, car pieces, cannon wheels). He'll make them in several sizes and in any spoke count. Really an all around great business to deal with and the work is spectacular. The tires are Electra Amsterdams; they no longer make these cream ones unfortunately.
 
Great looking wheels on a killer looking bike. Patients and perseverance pays off. Since your a patina guy, ever considered dirtying up the tires?

I will definitely be experimenting with that. I figured since they were cream, they would blend in, but they look white compared to the antiquated ivory on the bike. Any thoughts?
 
I will definitely be experimenting with that. I figured since they were cream, they would blend in, but they look white compared to the antiquated ivory on the bike. Any thoughts?

I've played around with sponging on watered down black acrylic paint(which is water based). Maybe mix your own antique color combo of brown and black. Start with it extremely watery and see if you like it. The idea is to spread it on and wipe it off. It will slightly stain the rubber and the left behind paint in cracks looks like dirt. If you don't like it you just have to rub it down with soapy water. Just use a t-shirt or rag to wipe it down and try to avoid streaks. That's my approach.
 
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