My '64 Firestone winter project - Newbie warning!

[Larmo63]

Great start, it seems like you get it and this is a great bike to start with. And,
you didn't have to invest all that much dough. Mostly, you have elbow grease
and sweat equity! Cool bike, get 'r back on the road.

 

[MR D]

It was mentioned to use a scrubby kitchen pad and water for rusty chrome. While I don't disagree fully, I have to mention that any introduction of water to metal may cause further rust. I would avoid this. If the rust is bad enough, I use lemon juice and 000-0000 steel wool to remove the most of it. I then wax the chrome to keep it from rusting much further. On lightly rusted fenders and all chrome parts I use the steel wool and light spray wax (right onto the pad)...kills two birds with one stone. Just wipe the residue away. I try to stay away from harsh chemical at all cost.

 

[Terry66]

Just an update....the bike is about ready to go back together. I am still shopping for a few parts. I found a really nice women's bike for parts, but I can't pick it up till the weekend.

As a side note....I had a STUPID pedal get stuck on the right side crank, so the assembly would not come out. I cranked on it (yes, in the correct direction!), tapped it with a hammer, I soaked it for a day in rust penetrant and I even went as far to heat the darn thing up with a torch and it would not even begin to budge. I ended up cutting the pedal off and then drilled it out....even managed to save the threads! And we do this for fun right?

Anyway, hoping to have it back together this weekend. Already planning a custom Schwinn....green metalflake, springer front end....creme Fat Franks