Spacey Special

[Road Master]

The owner of this lived right down the road from me so that always has a bearing on spontaneous buys. It was just a tiny pic on Craig's List but I figured the springer, chain guard & maybe the rack were kinda spacey looking so they might snaz up a 52' Schwinn RatRod project. Problem is once I see these poor creatures my nuturing instinct kicks in & I want to help them back to life. There's a bend on one springer strut you can see and most of the chrome is pitted pretty bad and it has one of those racks that is supposed to have a light unit. I can't decide whether to part it, RatRod it, spend days trying to clean the chrome or grind the rust off & paint it. I'm too close to made a defined decision. Any ideas?

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt99 ... 1246197760

 

[Uncle Stretch]

They make really nice bikes if you clean them up. You could sandblast the frame and paint it. Not alot of work....Or a nice powdercoat with the color of your choice would make a bike that could be flipped for several dollars. Its got all the parts except the tank ,which I'm sure you could pickup cheap around here. The last option would be to do a sex change . Could be a fun project . :wink:

 

[JoeyMac]

those frames clean up pretty nice if you put a little time in.

Example:

I've only cleaned the top tube a little bit on this crusty frame and it's already shining.

the whole bike:

in mock-up (before cleaning).

mostly together (after cleaning).

 

[Road Master]

Uncle Stretch - When considering RatRodding this bike, a very non-typical sex change is what was in my mind. I'm one of those people probably like most bikers here that can envision things in my mind but sometimes I'm afraid they are just too radical and I fail to attempt anything. Still thinking about this option.

JoeyMac - I went to your flickr page & checked out your bikes - you really like these spacey looking things, don't you. And there are a few different manufacturers that got in on this design plus all the different models as they evolved. I really enjoyed your customizing and use of colored parts. The bike you showed here looks totally hot blending the chrome w/ the white tires, grips & chain! What size are the white tires? Are they on the original rims? After seeing what you have done with your Spaceliners I know I'm going to keep it and the all chrome look really makes it unique. By the way, what is your technique for removing rust? Sometimes I get a little carried away with the chrome cleaner, scotch brite & elbow grease and take the chrome right off the part.

I appreciate the helpful comments. If this was a boys bike or I had a girlfriend I would definitely lean towards the "clean her up". But the sex change is also a interesting option. And guess what? Over half of the classic bikes I have found & purchased so far are girl's bike. They seem to be not only more readily available but also less expensive. Thanks guys - now I have even more to think about, but at the end of the day just before falling asleep it's not work & life stress that I am thinking about. Have fun & good hunting!

 

[JoeyMac]

JoeyMac - I went to your flickr page & checked out your bikes - you really like these spacey looking things, don't you. And there are a few different manufacturers that got in on this design plus all the different models as they evolved. I really enjoyed your customizing and use of colored parts. The bike you showed here looks totally hot blending the chrome w/ the white tires, grips & chain! What size are the white tires? Are they on the original rims? After seeing what you have done with your Spaceliners I know I'm going to keep it and the all chrome look really makes it unique. By the way, what is your technique for removing rust? Sometimes I get a little carried away with the chrome cleaner, scotch brite & elbow grease and take the chrome right off the part.

I appreciate the kind words, and yes, I am a fan of SpaceLiners. All of these chrome quad or dual tube bikes you see with the pointy dropouts were all manufactured by Murray, just branded a bunch of different things depending on where they were sold. And luckily for me chrome goes good with pretty much any color. The white tires are 26x2.125, and they are just clearing the frame. The rims are cheap chinese rims from bikeworldusa.com, but the original dropcenter rims are good if you can clean up the chrome on them.

As for cleaning chrome, I always start out lightly with some turtlewax chrome polish and a cotton rag, then work up to some 000 steel wool and WD-40 for the real crusty stuff. These bikes had a factory clearcoat over the frame which will often get junked up, but the chrome underneath can still be good. Some folks have even painstakingly removed the clearcoat with a razorblade (carefully as to not scratch the chrome). Just be sure to polish it good to protect it. I often use Zymol cleaner wax over the whole finished bike for a clean shine, and a sweet smell