I've been going to my barber Phil (yes Ph not FIL 
) for about 30 years
He's always given me a great haircut for a reasonable price
So over the years we've talked about common interests
He restored a 50's Morgan and quite a few beautiful jukeboxes
He owned a Morgan +8 (got a fast ride one time) and Miata (like me)
A few years back, I started talking about bikes (surprise! LOL)
Showed him my Spaceliner and he said it looked familiar
He told me he might have one and had had it since he was a kid
There was not name on it but it did say Sears
Eventually Phil bought in a photo and I started drooling
It was a definitely a loaded and complete Spaceliner
and thought it was so cool we had something else in common
A few years past and him and his wife recently moved into a smaller place
He said he wasn't sure if he was going to keep it
I practically jumped out of the barber chair
and said I'd like to be first in line to buy it
Phil says "I'll just give it to you"
I said, No Way that I would pay him for it and would keep it in my permanent collection
(that was the renewed interest in my "No More Bikes" thread because I needed to make room LOL)
So a few more haircuts later and he said and it wasn't in very good shape
and it needed a lot of work to make nice.
I said to bring it in an I'd take a look at it and maybe he should keep it and restore it
Last weekend I walked up to the Barber shop and there it was, WOW!
I started taking pics right away while he was finishing up another customer
It was in really good condition with a little bit of surface rust and some paint fading
The clear coat wasn't even peeling
It had all the bells and whistles,
Rat trap springer, hubcap, speedometer (with 1184.7 miles)
So I while I got my haircut he told me the story of how he picked it out of the Sears catalog
and his Dad went down and bought it for him ("It wasn't even my Birthday!")
I could feel how appreciative he was as he was thinking of his Dad (now past on)
He told me it originally had white pedals with colored things. "Jewels?" "Yeah jewels"
He took them off to keep them nice
After the haircut we went back out and he went through all the features
with a 10 year old's joy in his voice and a little kid's giggle.
It made me so happy, and I said he should keep it
and fix it up and it was in great shape. "It's YOUR bike Phil!!"
Any little scratches are it's history and lots of guys on the website love "patina"
I took some WD40 and steel wool I brought with
and showed him how easy the surface rust came off
He was surprised and really happy.
Then he says, "I could get the rack and tank painted"
I could see the gears in his head turning
The he says I'm sure the horn and lights still work, I took the batteries out
He pushed the horn button and make a horn noise and we both laughed
Sure enough the Name on the chain gaurd had faded and it didn't have "Spaceliner"
He pointed out how the seat had a cool guard and it wasn't all tore up like most bikes
You guys know I'm all about riding and not just keeping bikes
But seeing Phil's love for his Dad and the childhood joy this bike gave him,
I think and hope he will keep it and fix it up and just admire it with pride
He said I'm first in line if he every wants to sell it
I told him that there was laid back seat posts that maybe he could still ride it
but looking at the picture and I'm thinking not, LOL
I think I've got another one hooked
Thanks for looking
Steve
) for about 30 yearsHe's always given me a great haircut for a reasonable price
So over the years we've talked about common interests
He restored a 50's Morgan and quite a few beautiful jukeboxes
He owned a Morgan +8 (got a fast ride one time
) and Miata (like me)A few years back, I started talking about bikes (surprise! LOL)
Showed him my Spaceliner and he said it looked familiar
He told me he might have one and had had it since he was a kid
There was not name on it but it did say Sears
Eventually Phil bought in a photo and I started drooling
It was a definitely a loaded and complete Spaceliner
and thought it was so cool we had something else in common
A few years past and him and his wife recently moved into a smaller place
He said he wasn't sure if he was going to keep it
I practically jumped out of the barber chair
and said I'd like to be first in line to buy it
Phil says "I'll just give it to you"
I said, No Way that I would pay him for it and would keep it in my permanent collection
(that was the renewed interest in my "No More Bikes" thread because I needed to make room LOL)
So a few more haircuts later and he said and it wasn't in very good shape
and it needed a lot of work to make nice.
I said to bring it in an I'd take a look at it and maybe he should keep it and restore it
Last weekend I walked up to the Barber shop and there it was, WOW!
I started taking pics right away while he was finishing up another customer
It was in really good condition with a little bit of surface rust and some paint fading
The clear coat wasn't even peeling
It had all the bells and whistles,
Rat trap springer, hubcap, speedometer (with 1184.7 miles)
So I while I got my haircut he told me the story of how he picked it out of the Sears catalog
and his Dad went down and bought it for him ("It wasn't even my Birthday!")
I could feel how appreciative he was as he was thinking of his Dad (now past on)
He told me it originally had white pedals with colored things. "Jewels?" "Yeah jewels"
He took them off to keep them nice
After the haircut we went back out and he went through all the features
with a 10 year old's joy in his voice and a little kid's giggle.
It made me so happy, and I said he should keep it
and fix it up and it was in great shape. "It's YOUR bike Phil!!"
Any little scratches are it's history and lots of guys on the website love "patina"
I took some WD40 and steel wool I brought with
and showed him how easy the surface rust came off
He was surprised and really happy.
Then he says, "I could get the rack and tank painted"
I could see the gears in his head turning
The he says I'm sure the horn and lights still work, I took the batteries out
He pushed the horn button and make a horn noise and we both laughed
Sure enough the Name on the chain gaurd had faded and it didn't have "Spaceliner"
He pointed out how the seat had a cool guard and it wasn't all tore up like most bikes
You guys know I'm all about riding and not just keeping bikes
But seeing Phil's love for his Dad and the childhood joy this bike gave him,
I think and hope he will keep it and fix it up and just admire it with pride
He said I'm first in line if he every wants to sell it
I told him that there was laid back seat posts that maybe he could still ride it
but looking at the picture and I'm thinking not, LOL
I think I've got another one hooked
Thanks for looking
Steve
