1968 Ross Convertible

ParkRNDL · Sep 15, 2024

Buddy of mine has a pool cleaning business. He saw this in a customer's yard and picked it up for me for the cost of a case of Old Milwaukee.

Well, what do we have here? A Bluetooth front axle!

The headset has me perplexed. It's like a prehistoric kiddie version of a threadless headset, but with plastic bushings instead of ball bearings.

I mean I get that convertibles were essentially sidewalk bikes intended for really little kids, but I've only ever seen bushing setups like this on little Roadmaster 16 inch bikes with solid rubber wheels. I figure it'll be easy enough to switch over to ball bearings; I have a couple of extra forks in the hobby dungeon.

ParkRNDL · Oct 8, 2024

Cleaned up pretty good. I won't be taking it on any long distance rides, but it'll make a fun little cruiser for car shows or flea markets.

twojs.bike · Oct 8, 2024

There is something really cool about that one! Really unique. Good save!

Da Gas Man · Oct 9, 2024

ROCK-ROCK, ROCKAWAY BEACH! Awesome Ross head badge.
Definitely a cool kids bike.
And this kid? No doubt loved his Whacky Packages.

Couldn't figure this one out.

ParkRNDL · Oct 9, 2024

Da Gas Man said:
ROCK-ROCK, ROCKAWAY BEACH! Awesome Ross head badge.
Definitely a cool kids bike.
And this kid? No doubt loved his Whacky Packages.
View attachment 281314 View attachment 281315
View attachment 281316 View attachment 281323
View attachment 281324 View attachment 281327
View attachment 281328 Couldn't figure this one out.

I'm originally from Long Island, and I'm now in Pennsylvania, so that's part of why Ross bikes are special to me.

And I gotta say I'm impressed with your ability to identify those stickers

edit: I thought I saw what looked like Certs breath mints in that last one so I Googled "wacky packages certs" and this came up.

Da Gas Man · Oct 9, 2024

I used to buy them and try to collect the puzzle pieces. I remember making the Gadzooka Gum puzzle.
Good fun back then. No such thing as instant gratification when I could only afford a couple packs a
week or so. One of my first bikes was a Ross. Got it at the Patchogue Bicycle Shop. Stingray lookalike,
light blue with a blue flame seat. Got stolen the first day I rode it to elementary school. Shame that.

And there it is! Nertz! Garlic Flavored!

ParkRNDL · Oct 10, 2024

Da Gas Man said:
I used to buy them and try to collect the puzzle pieces. I remember making the Gadzooka Gum puzzle.
Good fun back then. No such thing as instant gratification when I could only afford a couple packs a
week or so. One of my first bikes was a Ross. Got it at the Patchogue Bicycle Shop. Stingray lookalike,
light blue with a blue flame seat. Got stolen the first day I rode it to elementary school. Shame that.

And there it is! Nertz! Garlic Flavored!

Patchogue! I grew up in Huntington Station, went to school in Stony Brook, still have family in Holbrook and Islip, and my parents recently moved to Ridge. Sometimes I get nostalgic for the Island... anytime we go home to visit I still listen to WBAB

Da Gas Man · Oct 11, 2024

They didn't move to Ridge. They moved to Leisure Village. lol
And who doesn't have 102.3 on their pre-sets? I also have 90.1
WUSB Radio Stonybrook pre-set for Thursday morning Blues.
I'm still in Medford. After all these years.

ParkRNDL · Oct 12, 2024

HAHAHAHA! fellow Islanders unite. Get a bacon/egg/cheese with salt/pepper/ketchup on a roll for me

Da Gas Man · Oct 12, 2024

ParkRNDL said:
HAHAHAHA! fellow Islanders unite. Get a bacon/egg/cheese with salt/pepper/ketchup on a roll for me

.... and a medium regular coffee. And make it snappy, I'm in a hurry.
Gotta sit in traffic on the LIE just to get to work late!

Da Gas Man · Oct 14, 2024

I want to figure out those Robot Reflectors. I'm thinking they were from a box
of cereal or something like that. I remember a Sugar Bear reflector like it. Grips
the spokes like that. It's going to be a deep, dark rabbit hole though. You may
not hear from me for a few days... or more. Wish me luck. I'm going in!

It's pwetty daark down hea...
Oooh! Sugar Bear! Cool.

There's more... up ahead.... I see a light... oh. Nope. Wrong Sugar Bear.

Gotta be a light switch around here... somewhere... WHOA!!! What was that?

Looks like a dead end. You guys keep looking around here. I'm going this way.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ouch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... I think I smell cereal ... ... ... ... ...
I do... ... ... ... what kind of cereal is it though? ... ... ... ... Man, I haven't smelt that
in years... ... ... ... ... Kellog's something... Ah ha! Paydirt!

Now. How the heck do I get out of here?

Kroozerdave · Oct 16, 2024

I hope you left a trail of spokes behind you. Breadcrumbs get eaten these days by the trolls.

ParkRNDL · Oct 16, 2024

THAT'S AWESOME! I never would have ventured down that rabbit hole. But now you got me wondering... Monster robots? 1985? Was this like an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Transformers?

ok, after spending three minutes in Wikipedia:
Transformers: Generation 1 (also known as Generation One or G1) is a toy line from 1984 to 1990, produced by Hasbro and Takara Tomy.

so I'm thinking... yes

Da Gas Man · Oct 16, 2024

Anything to get the kids to bug their parents to buy a box of sugary goodness.
Great marketing scheme.

MattiThundrrr · Oct 19, 2024

I want a Cornelius Rooster

Da Gas Man · Oct 19, 2024

Not exactly cheap at about $40+ US with shipping and all.

1968 Ross Convertible

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1968 Ross Convertible

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