Well, this isn't my first cruiser build, but it looks like the first one I might finish! :wink:
Last year my dad's wife (note: I should really start calling her my step-mother, I guess :roll: ) let me have her daughter's (my step-sister's) old bicycle for my oldest girl. It's a purple Schwinn Stingray L'il Chik. Here's the before picture:
It was covered with blue model paint "embellishments," as well as a fair amount of rust. The tires were bald, but held enough air for my daughter to ride it around a little bit...and she liked it!
I haven't taken ANY "during" pics yet, but so far: I only disassembled it to the point of removing wheels and chain -- I'm just replacing tires/tubes and chain, and cleaning up the rest to reuse, since it's all original. Carburetor cleaner took the model paint off. Wire wheel on my power drill took most of the rust off the unpainted parts, and some chrome cleaner is working wonders on the rest of the rust. So far I've polished the front wheel and the chrome bits on the frame, (chainwheel, crank, bars, stem, bit'o chrome on the forks) Rubbing compound and polishing compound are bringing back at least a little bit of luster to the purple paint.
I got a set of 20x1.75 tires from eBay for it -- and found that DANGIT, Schwinn uses their arcane "S-7" wheel size and the tires simply won't fit...so I ordered a set of 20x1-3/4xS7 tires on eBay last evening. Dangit! I have the tubes and a chain, though, so once I get the tires I'll be able to reassemble.
I still have to wire-brush and polish the fenders, sissy bar and rear wheel, and I think I'm going to have to paint the fenders silver, as they're really pitted over a fair amount of them. I'm hoping to have it done when my dad visits from Texas this coming weekend, but if I don't, I'll definitely have it ready for my daughter by her birthday on August 16.
'Nother pic. I swear I'll take some "during" pics...or at least a "done" pic or two...
Last year my dad's wife (note: I should really start calling her my step-mother, I guess :roll: ) let me have her daughter's (my step-sister's) old bicycle for my oldest girl. It's a purple Schwinn Stingray L'il Chik. Here's the before picture:
It was covered with blue model paint "embellishments," as well as a fair amount of rust. The tires were bald, but held enough air for my daughter to ride it around a little bit...and she liked it!
I haven't taken ANY "during" pics yet, but so far: I only disassembled it to the point of removing wheels and chain -- I'm just replacing tires/tubes and chain, and cleaning up the rest to reuse, since it's all original. Carburetor cleaner took the model paint off. Wire wheel on my power drill took most of the rust off the unpainted parts, and some chrome cleaner is working wonders on the rest of the rust. So far I've polished the front wheel and the chrome bits on the frame, (chainwheel, crank, bars, stem, bit'o chrome on the forks) Rubbing compound and polishing compound are bringing back at least a little bit of luster to the purple paint.
I got a set of 20x1.75 tires from eBay for it -- and found that DANGIT, Schwinn uses their arcane "S-7" wheel size and the tires simply won't fit...so I ordered a set of 20x1-3/4xS7 tires on eBay last evening. Dangit! I have the tubes and a chain, though, so once I get the tires I'll be able to reassemble.
I still have to wire-brush and polish the fenders, sissy bar and rear wheel, and I think I'm going to have to paint the fenders silver, as they're really pitted over a fair amount of them. I'm hoping to have it done when my dad visits from Texas this coming weekend, but if I don't, I'll definitely have it ready for my daughter by her birthday on August 16.
'Nother pic. I swear I'll take some "during" pics...or at least a "done" pic or two...