Going to do something a little different for this year's Build Off. Normally I'd build something custom, as that's what I like to do, but right now none of my custom projects are ready for the Build Off. I haven't figured out how I'd like to build some of them yet, and most of the bikes that I do have a plan for require outside help, help that may not be available this summer. So, I'm going to do a mild "rustoration" on my 1962 AMF-built Western Flyer Sonic Flyer I got from my grandpa 5 years ago.
This bike is actually the 2nd bike that I added to my collection. Technically, you could say this bike started the collection. It was also the first rider in my collection, as my only other bike at the time, Schwinn Dixie, was in pieces at the time. I had tinkered with it a bit that first year, shining up the chrome with #0000 steel wool and the paint with rubbing compound, and I even added a rear basket and some cupholders for practical use. I even nicknamed it "The Old West," in reference to it being a Western Flyer, and because my grandpa, who gave me the bike, loves watching old western movies and TV shows. As fun as it was to ride back then, it needed a complete overhaul. The coaster brake barely worked, the wheels weren't exactly true, and the grease was all about gone. I took it apart back in 2020, thinking I'd have it all fixed up that year, but instead, I've only made small bits of progress finding a few missing pieces for it. Otherwise, it's just sat in the corner, hanging from a rotisserie and gathering dust.
So, I'm going to finally do what I should have done years ago and get this bike back to riding condition. I don't know if I'll have the headlight functioning or not, but as long as I can ride it again, that's really all I care about right now. I'll also see if I can shine up the paint any better than I did before, now that I know what rubbing compound is really capable of, but that's not my main goal. My main goal is to get this bike riding once again. I might try adding a few small custom touches along the way, but I won't be adding anything that can't easily be reversed.
First things first though, I need to clean up my workspace out in the garage. I went a little crazy trying to mock up all the parts I had on some of my future projects, and really all that happened was that I made a pretty substantial mess. I can't even get to the Western Flyer with everything where it is! So, I'll start cleaning that up tomorrow morning when the weather's at its coolest.
This bike is actually the 2nd bike that I added to my collection. Technically, you could say this bike started the collection. It was also the first rider in my collection, as my only other bike at the time, Schwinn Dixie, was in pieces at the time. I had tinkered with it a bit that first year, shining up the chrome with #0000 steel wool and the paint with rubbing compound, and I even added a rear basket and some cupholders for practical use. I even nicknamed it "The Old West," in reference to it being a Western Flyer, and because my grandpa, who gave me the bike, loves watching old western movies and TV shows. As fun as it was to ride back then, it needed a complete overhaul. The coaster brake barely worked, the wheels weren't exactly true, and the grease was all about gone. I took it apart back in 2020, thinking I'd have it all fixed up that year, but instead, I've only made small bits of progress finding a few missing pieces for it. Otherwise, it's just sat in the corner, hanging from a rotisserie and gathering dust.
So, I'm going to finally do what I should have done years ago and get this bike back to riding condition. I don't know if I'll have the headlight functioning or not, but as long as I can ride it again, that's really all I care about right now. I'll also see if I can shine up the paint any better than I did before, now that I know what rubbing compound is really capable of, but that's not my main goal. My main goal is to get this bike riding once again. I might try adding a few small custom touches along the way, but I won't be adding anything that can't easily be reversed.
First things first though, I need to clean up my workspace out in the garage. I went a little crazy trying to mock up all the parts I had on some of my future projects, and really all that happened was that I made a pretty substantial mess. I can't even get to the Western Flyer with everything where it is! So, I'll start cleaning that up tomorrow morning when the weather's at its coolest.
