Kept digging

[skoda]

I saw a guy with a Raleigh Technium at a Flea Market last Saturday. I asked if it was for sale, turned out it was his friend's bike and not for sale, but he asked if I wanted a bike like it. I said yes, but not particularly, I just look for bikes of all sorts, etc. He said "me too" and told me to come to his garage sale on Thursday, he had "lots and lots" and wanted rid of it.

Ok. I was game for sure. Took lunch today and headed over, he had a bunch of fully functional crap-ola bikes outside. I mentioned who I was and said I was looking for parts. He kind of shrugged and showed me to four or five heaping boxes full of brake calipers, old derailers...eh. Oh well. He said, "I have older stuff in the basement"

So, we go down there. Piles of mountain bike tires and wheels, more kinda junky bikes, then he asks "are you looking for antique stuff?" Bingo.

Yes!

He opens a hinged board to a dirt crawlspace and says he hits his head when he goes in there.

I walk in hunched over and find three or four incomplete red cruisers. Couple of middleweight Western Flyers, one 24" and a 26" balloon bike....with prewar dropouts and a skiptooth.

How much for this one?

You don't want the whole lot?

Ok, sure, how much?

Uh...$25.

I think it's a 41-42 Victory Hawthorne. Red paint all over the original (of course) but it has the chain, wheels, tires, seat, badge, only missing a neck and bars.

Plus three kind of so-so Western Flyers.

 

[skoda]

Oh, pics coming when I get home. I have 4 heavy bikes on my Saris bones made to hold 3.

 

[schwinnmesa]

Score!!! Great deal, I can't wait to see the pictures.

 

[Gold Street Customs]

Congratss on the score, man I bet your heart skipped when he opened the vault.Neeeeed Photos. :shock:

 

[Rat Rod]

Nice!....although, that's the kind of situation that makes me wonder if the dude will kick me into the crawl space and then lock me in. :shock:

 

[Uncle Stretch]

As long as you don"t hear duelling banjos start playing I think your safe. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[fast eddie]

how can ya tell if drop outs are prewar? and does prewar mean pre ww1 or ww2?
fast eddie outty

 

[CCR]

how can ya tell if drop outs are prewar? and does prewar mean pre ww1 or ww2?
fast eddie outty

they have dropout with the tension screws, most also have the dog ears for the drop down kick stands that picks the rear tire completely up too.

at least thats my uneducated old bike identification method :mrgreen:

 

[skoda]

 

[Bunbury]

Nice scores, congrats! I also dig the 240 (I had a 142 and an 1800e...)

 

[skoda]

Nice scores, congrats! I also dig the 240 (I had a 142 and an 1800e...)

Thanks, they (Volvos) are one of my other sicknesses. I currently have that one, a V70R and a '76 242. I had a '70 142s before the 242, it was clobbered by an SUV shortly after I sold her.
:|

 

[Bunbury]

Wow, the 142 looks exactly like my 73! Mine had over 250k miles on it when I sold it.

 

[user 135]

cool finds. those swirly sprocket are cool.

 

[kingplinker]

SWEET FINDS! You got some big (you know what's) entering a crawl space in someone's house you don't know! "He puts the lotion on his skin" - YIPES! But great score man!!! I had one of those chain guards I used on kid build - always wondered what it went to!

 

[skoda]

SWEET FINDS! You got some big (you know what's) entering a crawl space in someone's house you don't know! "He puts the lotion on his skin" - YIPES! But great score man!!! I had one of those chain guards I used on kid build - always wondered what it went to!

Ha ha ha...I had nateboy and another guy from work with me, they had my back so to speak. If the guy had a poodle I would have been a little more leary.