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So who prefers to "Preserve the Crust"?

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In the next week, or two, I'm going to put this together. It's a Huffy Impalla. I just got the Duro red wall tires for it. I will install them, along with new tubes & liners, and a new chain. I plan to either replace or regrease all the bearings and rebuild the rear hub. Then it'll be done. My favorite feature is the peaked fenders.
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Nothing like trying to make out whether you have a bike or a rusted boat anchor you're looking at. I guess I can handle some browning of the metal, but when I see real rust, or loose crud, I grind down to bare metal and touch-up or re-paint. I could see historical stuff being left alone, but plenty of bikes out there aren't a historic big deal and need a clean up. I had a buddy who did antique car restorations. This was the touring type stuff from before WWII. He stripped every last bit of rust off down to the frame. He had this one Duesenberg that was pristine after he was done. Even stripped and painted down to the frame. I remember him saying to me 'it's just iron oxide. get that crap off there!" I sort of feel that way a lot of the time.
 
I can totally understand leaving common low end 'crusty' bikes 'as - is'....but if something is complete...
but toasted and restorable and Deluxe or Rare/ exotic..... Restore it.
Do it right! Make the bike glow like it rolled off the showroom floor!

Personally the whole rusty bike thing is getting old to me. Laziness... I don't want bikes sitting around here that
look like junk. Fact of the matter is ...due to expense and time and effort involved in doing thorough restorations...
the new breed of collector for the most part would rather live with a rusty roached out bike than than take the
time to restore it....or learn the process of restoration
Although..I do agree .....not worth the expense restoring low value plain jane or common bikes..... Unless you can do the work
yourself and have access to reasonable plating etc and other restoration services and its affordable.

NICE condition unrestored bikes are always top of the game.... but I have way more respect for the collector
who owns a rare bike, that was junk, rusted and rough, and took the time to do a competent job restoring
it ...than I do the collector who just bought something with the big wallet unrestored and bitchin'
even tho the unrestored bike is a better commodity or investment typically
my 2 cents
 
You should start a thread about restored bikes Bob! Yay!
I can totally understand leaving common low end 'crusty' bikes 'as - is'....but if something is complete...
but toasted and restorable and Deluxe or Rare/ exotic..... Restore it.
Do it right! Make the bike glow like it rolled off the showroom floor!

Personally the whole rusty bike thing is getting old to me. Laziness... I don't want bikes sitting around here that
look like junk. Fact of the matter is ...due to expense and time and effort involved in doing thorough restorations...
the new breed of collector for the most part would rather live with a rusty roached out bike than than take the
time to restore it....or learn the process of restoration
Although..I do agree .....not worth the expense restoring low value plain jane or common bikes..... Unless you can do the work
yourself and have access to reasonable plating etc and other restoration services and its affordable.

NICE condition unrestored bikes are always top of the game.... but I have way more respect for the collector
who owns a rare bike, that was junk, rusted and rough, and took the time to do a competent job restoring
it ...than I do the collector who just bought something with the big wallet unrestored and bitchin'
even tho the unrestored bike is a better commodity or investment typically
my 2 cents
 
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