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Breathing life back into a 1953 Panther

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jimbo53

I live for the CABE
Craigslist find ends up on the work stand for some TLC. This is my birth year bike, so it's special (at least, that's how I explained it to my wife when I dragged yet another old bike home!)

BEFORE:

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NOW:

Tore frame, springer fork and bottom bracket/crank down. Cleaned w/0000 steel wool and WD40, lubed and adjusted headset and bottom bracket. Cleaned and rebuilt Torrington 8's and installed cleaned chain guard and rear carrier.

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Dirtiest and most time consuming job is tearing down the wheels-individually cleaning each spoke and nipple and relacing and truing them up.
Also on the nasty job list is tearing down, cleaning and rebuilding the ND mod D hub. That being said, it’s so rewarding to see the finished job and find out the coaster hub actually works!

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I’ve been collecting parts. The repop tank will be stripped, painted Coachman green and re-decaled. The top of the Rocket Ray will be painted CG too. I located a pair of chrome fenders in much better shape than the old fenders and straightened and cleaned the original fender struts. On the road to Wellville!

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Very nice.
I'm looking for a '53 for the same reason. Birthday year bike.
Would love to find one made the same day I was born. (12/07/53) not asking for TOO much right?
 
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