When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Getting into antique bike restoration (new member introduction)

-

mnewxcv

On Training Wheels
New member here. Back when I was a teenager, I got into vintage BMX bikes. When my friends had the latest dave mirra bikes, I had a 1987 Haro Sport. I spent a lot of time collecting 80s BMX bikes but have since moved on, a decade or so later now. Well I decided I want to get back into bikes, and vintage BMX are few and far between (unless you want to spend hundreds on ebay for clean ones, which I don't). So that led me to seeking out people who have old or junk bikes they just want to get rid of for cheap or free, and restoring them to rideable condition to sell as affordable riders, and anything I find interesting can become part of my personal collection.

So a week after I decided to do this, I've acquired 20 bikes. Unfortunately no luck on the BMX front, but I have some unique ones, and found this forum so figured I would share the journey here. Not entirely sure what is more special or less special of the bunch as far as old cruisers go, but so far going through the bunch I have:

1984 Schwinn World Tourist
~1980 Schwinn Collegeate Sport 10
Unknown year Raleigh 3 speed in the hub
1960s Huffy Three Wheeler 24" 3 speed in the hub
Unknown year Hercules

I have a few more cruisers, but I put them in the shed for now and haven't IDed them yet. My plan is to do a full disassembly and detail restoration. Original finishes will be polished, and when chrome is not recoverable, only then will I use paint to freshen up what otherwise looks terrible. Mechanically, everything will be tuned up, new tires, grease, cables, etc, where needed. Sure I will find some pointers on this forum. I will post up some pics as I work on the bikes.
 
The 3 speed hubs should have a date code, month and year alongside the Sturmey Archer stamping.
 
First tip.....Buy quality,not quantity.You will regret wasting money as you get into bike collecting and run out of room.
I think that is great advice. If I get a free junker, I have no problem taking it to the dump.

Here are some pics I have. The rest of the bikes are in the shed still. I've identified the collegiate sport as a 1979 model, built in December of 78. The huffy three wheeler is rough, I haven't been able to put a date to it yet. Rough as it is, I'm going to clean it up. Not going to paint the frame, but going to give it a mechanical resto and remove as much rust as I can. Being a 3 wheeler with a basket, I think I can make some money on it with someone looking for a canal bike, something to hold fishing rods and the like for the people fishing the canal locally.

1194032


1194033


1194034
 
Back
Top