I picked this up this morning for $100 off craigslist. It should make for a great grandpa/grandson project. It's a 5-speed Sears somethin'-or-other.
Sears Muscle Bike
- Thread starter sdframe
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:
Nice find at a great price!
Yup, Chrome 20" Sears Spyder. It's a 3-speed, rather than a 5, but that's still good to go. Those Shimano 333 internal 3-speed hubs failed a lot. I've been lucky with the ones I've turned around, but I know there have been some that are toast inside.
Good news: Looks like an easy restore. Tear it down, polish it, replace the seat, and you're good to go. You could even put a new slick on it, like a Duro, to make it a nice rider that still has that 60's look.
To watch out for: Oil the hub, but DON'T OPEN IT!! You need special tools to get it back together. I learned the hard way. Put some oil in it. (I recommend Teflon oil) and run it through, drain it, and do it again. If it runs and shifts fine, you're golden. If not... you may consider buying another one, or maybe someone has a wheel. Or maybe lacing a Nexus, non-Coaster hub in there. (But that will be tricky with that old stick shift.)
Let us know if you need any help with questions or advice!
Good news: Looks like an easy restore. Tear it down, polish it, replace the seat, and you're good to go. You could even put a new slick on it, like a Duro, to make it a nice rider that still has that 60's look.
To watch out for: Oil the hub, but DON'T OPEN IT!! You need special tools to get it back together. I learned the hard way. Put some oil in it. (I recommend Teflon oil) and run it through, drain it, and do it again. If it runs and shifts fine, you're golden. If not... you may consider buying another one, or maybe someone has a wheel. Or maybe lacing a Nexus, non-Coaster hub in there. (But that will be tricky with that old stick shift.)
Let us know if you need any help with questions or advice!
Nice acquisition! Chrome bikes are nice, no need to repaint them 
And I have the same advice as CRASH he is right on point, if the hub isn't good, just look for another, they are cheap and fairly plentiful used.
Good luck with it!
And I have the same advice as CRASH he is right on point, if the hub isn't good, just look for another, they are cheap and fairly plentiful used.
Good luck with it!
Wow! Thanks for the input, guys.
Great price and awesome chain guard. Stick shifter too.
Nice price, Cool project.
Flying Zombie
~:Undead Forever:~
Gotta find a 24" version of this guard. The holes are punched different and it's Slightly angled different against the rear fender.
This 20" Chrome is Wicked cool! I'd love to know what it looks like today!
FZ
This 20" Chrome is Wicked cool! I'd love to know what it looks like today!
FZ
Well, the hub was toast so I replaced it with a single speed, used the shifter on my Silver King and gave the bike to a contractor friend who's really helped me out. His son is riding it.
glad its being loved!
