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So who prefers to "Preserve the Crust"?

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fordmike65

Riding a '37 Colson Imperial
I've been seeing more & more bikes left "as found" lately, and wondering if this is a growing trend or simply more are being posted up & ridden? For me, it started with the Crusty Merc. Paint was too burnt to clean up, plated parts were all rust & bare metal, so OA or steelwool/WD40 weren't gonna help. That's when I decided to leave it as-is. I wanted it to look like I unearthed it from behind a barn,aired up the tires & rode it down the street. Obviously one can't usually do that if they want a smooth reliable rider, so I did service all bearings, cleaned/lubed the chain & installed new tires/tubes. That's it. On the rode she went & except for a lil brake strap mishap, it's been untouched for several years now. Surprisingly smooth & the one most non-bike friends tend to gravitate to when we ride.

Recently, we've added a couple more that we decided to leave as-is, including the 38 ladies Columbia & my 36 Colson double bar. Both were completely serviced using new bearings,grease, tires,etc. Chains cleaned & lubed. When servicing the drivetrain, care was taken to "preserve the crust" so to speak. Old grease & build-up on the outside of the hubs,driver, spokes/nipples & the chainring were left alone. Just the insides were gone through as on all our bikes. Cleaning away the build-up would have washed away the years of crust. Then these plated that have been protected from the elements would have shined through, sticking out like a sore thumb. I'll take some close up pics of these bikes & post up this weekend. In the meantime, feel free to post pics of your crusty riders & what you did to "Preserve the Crust":cool:
 
Here's my 36 Colson double bar. New bearings & tires, new grease,etc. I added the missing lights and saddle, which match the bike's condition pretty well. Like stated above, the crust build-up was preserved as best as I could while making it a reliable rider. No washing,no attempt to restore paint or plating. Not even one dollop of wax has touched this bike. AND DEFINITELY NO CLEAR COAT! Gotta say it rides pretty well for not putting much money or labor into getting it roadworthy & presentable.
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Usually when I bring a bike home, it just sits in line with all the other projects until I get to it. Unless it's something I move to the front of the line. I've got bikes I haven't moved in over 20 years... But I did get five bikes finished this year, and of of the project list. And I sold off some of the projects.
 
This is my favorite bike! It still has original black baked enamel finish. The nickel is still hangin in there. I used the original hubs and laced them to new alloy wheels. This is (aka) The Foothill Flyer. I ride this every time I go to Monrovia. It rides and stops very well.

This pic is the early building stages.

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I myself prefer the "RUSTALGIC" look of an original bicycle .No repro there...Just has a cool look...No problem with dents or crap I scratched your bike...But what's really funny is when I park it next to some shiny modern bike...its worth the look ..the stink eye special look like the rust will infect the shiny new bike...

One of the main reasons I like original paint is because a scratch is just patina.
 
To each his own,Remember the phrase that Rustolium used to use ,and my buddy Neil Young said {RUST NEVER SLEEPS)Well, I love rust and at the same time I dont. The Italian that I am ,,Likes my stuff clean,and I am sorry to say that.Just the way I am, I dont paint my bricks like some of our neighbors did but I would not buy a crusty bike cause its crusty .Ill show some photos of what was and what is today. I think we call it before and after.To each his own


 
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