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which details bicycle features, wheel sizes, etc., as well as showing a price estimate for your vintage bicycle.
| I have a Silver King frame that I would like to polish. It has a couple of deep scratches and some scuffs. I was wondering if anyone has any tips on polishing aluminum. I'm interested in Silver King parts for a boys 24" standard model too. |
| Joel,I polished mine on a grinder that I put a buffing wheel on.you can get then at Sears along with the compound to use.Use caution if you use a grinder they spin very fast. |
| Thanks. That's what I had in mind. |
| I'd recommend sanding the scuffs and scratches first. Otherwise you'll just have shiny scuffs and scratches. I use wet-or-dry sandpaper in various grades, starting with 180 and ending up with 1000 grit. When you've finished with the sandpaper, 6X steel (preferably bronze)wool will blend the sanded area with the rest of the frame, which is wooled thouroughly at the same time. Then, when you polish, the whole frame will have a nice, even surface to shine up. I normally use a cloth wheel on an electric drill. Have fun. |
| Thanks, I'll try that. Some of the scratches are deep enough that they will need some smoothing out for sure. Is it necessary to go over the whole frame with bronze wool? |
| I'd recommend doing the whole thing, just for consistency of surface. Bear in mind that I'm talking about the finest grade of wool. This isn't a lot of work. With this grade of wool, the process is more of a polish than anything else. The process will leave the whole frame with a satiny sheen, just right for the final polishing. Without it, the polished frame will have uneven patches. |
| Ok, Thanks a bunch ! |
| I have had good luck with a buffing pad and a buffing compound. The compounds also very as to the cutting so carefully select a compound (looks like a big crayon). Also the buffing wheels come in different sizes and softness. Size would relate to speed. If the compound is red, you may have red in the welds. There are some white compounds similar to jewers rouge. I had good results on chrome. I have not done aluminum. |
| I've used the cheesecloth wheel on both a grinder and a drill with paint and chrome but not aluminum. Just need to look around and see what's out there. Thanks for the tips. |
| I want to remove the paint from my old redline to reveal the chrome finish, the chrome is not sanded under the paint,and also i want to remove the stickers with out destroying them to make a template for repros, any suggestions on the cheapest and easiest way to remove the paint with having good results? --------------- thanks in adv. |
| Get your self down to the nearest hardware store and buy a paint brush around 2" wide, and a quart of paint remover and brush it on. Brush it one way only! Not back and forth motions. Now kick back with a cool drink, depending where you live, and watch with eyes how it starts to happen. Let it blister well, get your moneys worth out of the product. For the decals, they will start to become soft and easy to remove. Repeat prossess as needed. Wash off, dry off, and aplly as nessarsary. |
| Get close-up photos of those decals before you try to remove them. Place a ruler next to them for reference in case you have to reproduce them by hand or send them to a pro to reproduce. |
| I have a Hiawatha (men's) that looks like it's from the fifties or maybe late forties. That's all I know about it and wonder how to find out the model, approximate year and value. I'd like to restore it and sell or trade it for a cruiser (women's)to ride. Thanks. |
| Offer it for trade as is.Mens bikes are worth more than girls bikes and most collectors/restoriers would want the bike original and do the work themselves-put your time into the girls cruzer---sam |
| Can you send a picture? Depending on which model, I might trade a girls bike for it. |
| Can anyone suggest a good remedy for removing rust from tire rims and handlebars? I noticed Menotomy offered a cleaning kit but I wondered if there is a home made version. Thanks, Hansie |
| steel wool and a chrome cleaning stuff |
| Don't use steel wool. 1) it will scratch the chrome 2) tiny bits of iron from the steel wool get stuck in tiny grooves in the chrome. these bits begin to rust and weaken the chrome |
| What shall I use instead? Any other ideas? Thanks again. |
| I have some chrome cleaning restoration tips on my web site. http://www.concentric.net/'rrrrguy/bike.html If that link doesn't work, go to Oldroads.com links page and click on Bunch "O" Bikes. It will take you right there!! |
| For some reason that link doesn't work, but this one should! Just copy and past in your address location. http://www.concentric.net/%7ERrrrguy/bike.html |
| Look for a product called Quick-Glo. It's a gritty paste that does a nice job of rust removal. It's a little messy but it is fast. |
| Save yourself the time. Bronze wool costs $6 for 2 small balls. Quick-Glo is expensive and runs out fast and leaves a haze. Get Menotomy's kit. I'm on my 3rd one! |
| 3rd kit? How many bikes are you doing? I've restored 15 bicycles with the menotomy kit and and haven't gone through 1/4 of the contents. |
| We did 74 english three speeds for rental down here in the Sunshine State. |
| Steel wool gets a bad rap... I think it works well with the fine grades on light rust removal (with no scratching on good chrome). Heavy jobs or super-vintage bikes rust remover (there are many types that work) or bronze wool. Never, I repeat never, use a moist diaper. |
| Well, let me qualify my last post so that I don't seem to contradict... I think that for chrome cleaning for polishing purposes steel wool is not the best. If it is used, the finest grade should be used (#000 I think, for polishing) or else scratching will occur (hard to see but it is there). Coarse/medium grades will scratch every time pretty much. This said, I will say that steel wool is invaluable for other cleaning purposes for bike building/maintenance such as bearing surfaces or other non-plated parts where a polished finish is not applicable. I reiterate my opinion on moist daipers, however, as tragic results may occur. |
| I have a schwinn serial #c86836 I am both trying to verify the year and model. It is currently ready to be repainted, but I acquired it in a condition without original paint. Any idea what model/year this bike is so I can bring it back to original. It fits the description of a 53 panther, except it has painted fenders. Please advise. |
| Serial number on left rear fork. June 20th to 26, 1952. Boys Panther D77 Chrome fenders and trim. Mine has Truss rods on front fork, Schwinn saddle, 3 inch reflector with chrome housing, torpedo light. Mine is from 51. In 53 they had a spring fork -- might have had them earlier also. Best place for colors would be from pictures like in Evolution of The Bicycle Vol2. Good luck. |
| Does anybody have any ideas how to mount caliper style or some other rim squeezing type brakes on a Spaceliner? I want to do it without altering the original frame i.e. no drilling or welding. I want to put a five speed drive on a Spaceliner. Sure, sure, it is an adultration of a fine collectable, but I want to commute with it and the single speed is too limiting. If I put on a five speed sprocket cluster, I won't have any brakes, so I need to find a way to get some brakes on it. Keep in mind that I don't want to tap holes in the frame or weld any attachements to it. The bike has to be left in a condition to pass on to future generations. Any ideas? |
| All I can think of is to replace the fork w/one that is drilled for a caliper. You will have to bend the rear triangle to squeeze that 5 speed in too. Why not go with a Sturmy 3 speed coaster hub ? |
| Another thought....will the caliper brake work with the drop center rim on the spaceliner? |
| Maybe a vintage ( prewar ) Schwinn set up, where it was like a split caliper set up that bolted to each leg of the fork ( or seat stay. ) Cantilever brakes?? I'm sorry, I'm not up on my modern day brake terminology!! I just checked Sheldon's site. Schwinn made a cantilever type that had clamps and clamped to the fork or the seat stays. |
| Hmmm... The S/A three speed coaster brake would be a sensible approack. Geeze, though, I have a real dream of having five speeds on the Spaceliner. Imagine a FIVE-SPEED Spaceliner! Oh, Baby. MNSmith, any suggestions where to start looking for the stay/fork mounted brakes? As for the rims, I am planning to go with 1 3/8" rims with the multi-speed hub (Ya, ya, I know, it is so naughty). Think of the speed, though! An all-chrome Spaceliner with a springer fork literally SPEEDING around town. I'll be quite the hot-item to be sure. Mike |
| There was a small run of them on Ebay a while ago, I haven't seen any lately. Maybe the usual circle of ballooner guys?? |
| Hi Mike, When you've got it finished, how about sending us some pix? http://bikerodnkustom.homestead.com |
| Yea, I guess a Spaceliner should logically go really FAST. Did you see the custom 10 speed middleweight on BikeRod&Custom's site? I didn't notice the braking. Hey, doesn't someone make a 5 speed internal/drum brake hub? |
| Sure!! I have one up for auction right now. An Atom drum brake with a 5 speed cluster!! http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=559613265&r=0&t=0&showTutorial=0&ed=982550949&indexURL=0&rd=1 |
| Maybe I should just leave the item number?? Item #559613265 Ends Sunday. |
| o. k Guys, remind me how to clean out a rusty gas tank. What is the chemical to use, how long do you keep it in there and what do you flush it with? Also, don't you have to seal it? What with? Working on an old WHIZZER. Thanks, |
| Take the tank to a car radiator repair company. Have them boil it out for 24 hours. Seal it with gas tank sealant from the Eastwood Co. |
| The chemical is phosphoric acid. You can find it at an auto paint store. It is also sold as wire wheel cleaner for steel wheels. Follow the usual safety precautions; rubber gloves, safety glasses, and adequately ventilation. Put a half cupful in the tank and slosh it around. The longer it stays wet, the more rust it removes. Rinse well. Repeat until clean. (Add a few ball bearings to help loosen scale.) Let dry completely before sealing. |
| Is there anyway to bring tires that are old and stiff back to life? |
| Hi John, John you sound like alot of us here on this site. I understand where you are comming from with the originality of the bicycle. You are doing everything possible to keep it O.G. Maybe you have already posted your needs over the web site and came up short, I don't know. There is a wealth of information and parts here. I am sure we all have experinced a time or too, putting old tires on. They just seem to crumble apart around the bead. Lets say you are going to keep them, like I would. Try washing them down with oven cleaner, and a SOS pad. The acid in the oven cleaner will remove the loose dirt and grime. After you rince and towel dry. Look them over and inspect them good. If you like what you see, that rich looking black ol' vintage tire". Then get some dish soap, like Palmolive, or your wifes Downey softner, You know where I am going with this". After you soap them down and rince them down, don,'t forget to towel dry them, they like that! Take some shoe shine polish, like KIWI brand black, a little dab will do you. Then simply massage your side walls only! Then once you do that, take a shop rag and wipe down to a spit shine polish. Thats it and your done. |
| I already posted this question on the muslebike area, but I thought this would be the right area to ask. What is the best way, if possible, to remove yellowing from a WW tire? I would appreciate any tips...thx |
| Hi Mike, Use EASY-OFF oven cleaner. Make sure the tires are off the bike. This way you don't get overspray on your paint. Make sure you keep it away from aluminium!!. After you apply the cleaner,wait about 2mins, and take a SOS pad wet and scrubb the side walls down until your happy, then rince with water and your done. |
| Thanks for the tip!!! I'll try it... |
| Mike You may want to try Castrol Superclean (sold in auto parts stores). Use it full strength. Do it with tires off rims if you have Al parts. Use a brush to work it in. It does a great job on my car tires and is not acidic like the Easy Off oven cleaner. |
| Thanks for the tips Guys, But I used Westley's Bleche-wite I found at the auto parts store. That with a nylon brush and some elbow grease that slik looks great! |
| I have an rd 200 and at present i am restoring it to it's original condition and i need to replace a con rod. At present i do not know ho to remove it. Could you help? Have you any hints and tips? Please e-mail me back thanks Nick |
| Nick , is that a Yamaha RD200? If so, the crank is pressed together and must be pressed apart by a competent mechanic ( very tight tolerances). Then the con rod , bearing and pin can be inspected and replaced if neccessary |
| I have a 1971 schwinn frame that was labeled fastback from the seller. When comparing to other fastbacks the frame is just a little bit bigger on the overall dimensions. Does anybody know the frame specs for a Manta Ray? |
| Mantas have 24" wheels. If the 20" wheels are too small then it may be a Manta. There is a good picture of one in the database. |
| any easy way to remove a schwinn kickstand without their special tool? thanx in advance .....jeff |
| now? |
| There sure is!! Go to the front page of OldRoads.com . Go down the page until you see the "Links to other Vintage Bicycle Websites." Scroll down that page until you see Bunch "O" Bikes. That is my web site. Go to my REPAIR AND RESTORATION TIPS page where you will find instructions with pictures on how to remove a Schwinn kickstand. If you have any problems, send me an email! |
| there is a tool that is made to do that easy way go to a local bike shop |
| I am currently trying to restore an old 3-speed bike, a "light roadster" by Sheldon Brown of Harris Cyclery's definition. The last time I had a 3-speed hub apart was when I was 17, and that was many moons ago. The problem is that instead of the typical English or French hub this one had to be Shimano. To that end I have not been able to find any information on the Net regarding this hub. It appears to be in working order, it freewheels fine, the pawls click, however, the axle feels a little dry when turned. Normally 3-speed hubs are just oiled. What I would like to know is whether there is a procedure for flushing the hub and then re-oiling or if it should be disassembled, inspected, cleaned and reassembled. Regardless of the answer to this question I am also searching for the diagrams for this hub should I encounter others that do require disassembly. I own Barnett's Manual - Third Edition and Sutherlands Handbook for Bicycle Mechanics - Sixth Edition, neither of which contain any information on 3-speed hubs, Shimano or otherwise. On a secondary note I would also be interested in establishing a little history on the bike as a whole as well. The following is all the information I was able to determine from the bike: Make: Venture Model: Classic Ser no: 120943 Tires: IRC Guaranty Roadster 26x1 3/8 (what type of tires will I be able to replace these with?) Rims: UKAIRIM 26x1 3/8 w/o - steel Hubs: front - SIW rear - Shimano 3-speed Cog: 18T The information on the Shimano hub is laid out as follows: (Logo) SHIMANO CK 3speedHUB U.S.A. Pat.3021728 G I thank you for your time in advance and hope to hear from you soon Many Thanks, |
| does anyone have any tips on recovering seats? I'v recovered 1 seat and it is nice and smooth on one side and the other side is not smooth. ------------------------------------- ----NEED TIPS ON RECOVERING SEATS---- ------------------------------------- thanks, Eric |
| How's it going Eric, I hesitated to post this message. This process is better explained with me there showing you. But thats not possible for the moment. This requires much pataints. Here go's. Lets say you didn't throw away your old cover. Your job is getting off to a good start now. Take your new material, with the finish side down. So you will see the under side of the material that will lay face down on your seat pan. Now you will need a magic marker or a blue material chaulk the upolstery guys use. A good pair of sharp sissors. I have done this many times, my choice of cutting tool is a box cutter. Thats up to you. You will need a can of spray adhesive aswell, very important. Brand I use is by 3M 7778, TALL BLACK CAN. Or you can use DURO a cheaper brand. You have to know how to use these products,so listen up carefully. Lay your old material down on your new material. Now with your hands spread your old cover as flat as you can. The reason for this is so you can see with your own eyes how much your going to cut. Now when you are satisfied with what you see, take your time and trace a outline image of your new seat cover. What I do as procaution, I will outline 3/8 of a inch larger than the pattern for insurance. The other reason for doing this is added material like your foam or padding. Use the same thicness that was removed. Natrually your old stuff will be flattened by now. Some times I get lucky and use the original foam. By this time I am very happy with life, right about now. You will come to understand this more as you do it. Now that everything is cut out and measured. Get your spray adhesive, and spray a generous amount on your new seat pattern. What I do is only apply on the seat area only. The reason for this is, you want to make sure your adhesive has dryed or disapated some. You want to work with a tacky service, not freashly apllied wet service. You will get all sticky and your work becomes a dragg. Everything you touch will stick to your hands. So another tip is to keep a little laquer thinner around so you can clean your hands every now and then. You want to center your seat cover, and concintrate on the seat service first. Never mind the sides right now. But make sure you have enough fold under, and eveness on both sides to work with. So when your ready for the sides your a step ahead of the game. Now with a flash time of 5-mins, gone by when adhesive was last applied, take your foam, or if already on your seat pan, with light pressure lay down your new cover and center it evenly. When you are happy with what you see, start to iron with your hands the material down firmly. Do this several times. Now about this time you sould take a break and stand back and check out your work. There is no turning back now. Once you lay it down what you see is what you get. Your sides should be free from the seat pan right now. Break is now over! Now that your mind is clear. You are now ready for your sides now. Take adhesive spray and repeat the earlier process on one side only! Look and keep a sharp eye on what your doing at this time. This is where the fun begins. Now that it is tacky, start to pull from the center to the front to back. This is where a little cussing will vent your added energy. Now start the other side. By now you should have the nose of the seat undone still, and the rear aswell undone. You do those last. By this time your seat is starting to look like something. Check for wrinkles and lumps as you go. Now start with the rear of the seat and spray as needed. Flash time, now go to the nose and do the same. Now get your second pan and try to install it as you go. Donot fold tabs until you are happy with the apearence. The adhesive sprays can be bought at your local auto parts or staples for the GM BRAND 7778. The rest is careful hole making for your seat hardware. If you own a Schwinn seat don't forget your nose and rear plastic linners before material is apllied. Plus your Schwinn tag in back. WASN'T THAT FUN. |
| Wow, great job Friend.... I have done several this way and it works great. I might add that some small clothspin type clamps (Home Depot has cheap ones) are very helpful for holding the fabric while the glue sets and a hair dryer will help to stretch and soften the fabric, especially if it's cold. |
| Thanks Joel, I always say, share don't spare it. Any little tech tip of information helps out a whole lot! |
| ERIC IF YOU USE THICKER FOAM YOU NEED TO DRILL THE INNER PAN HOLE CLOSER TO THE TOP TO ALLOW FOR THE INCREASE THICKNESS OF THE FOAM AND COVERING MATERIAL.THIS IS WHERE YOUR BOLTS GO THROUGH THE SEAT AND INNER PAN. I USE THE SAME SPRAY ADHESIVE BUT ON THE INSIDE OF THE SEAT WHERE THE COVERING MATERIAL FOLDS I USE 3M WEATHER STRIP ADHESIVE. JUST ASK FOR "GORILLA SNOT" ITS THE SAME THING NASCAR USES TO HOLD THE LUGNUTS ON THE WHEELS. THIS SEEMS TO HOLD BETTER WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR FOLDS. I ALSO PUT A SMALL AMOUNT BETWEEN THE FOLDS. ALSO TRY TO CUT THE FOAM SO THAT IT ISN'T BETWEEN THE PAN AND SEAT. THIS WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO FIT THESE PIECES TOGETHER. PRATICE FITTING YOUR COVER AND MAKING THE FOLDS WHERE THE COVER WRAPS UNDER THE SEAT BEFORE YOU PUT ANY ADHESIVE ON. TRY TO SEE HOW THE FACTORY MADE THEIR FOLDS WHEN YOU TAKE A SEAT APART.YOU CAN USE QUARTER INCH UNDER LAYMENT FOAM THAT GOES UNDER CARPET FOUND AT ANY HOME CENTER OR THE FOAM USED ON THE INSIDE OF CAR SEATS.I'VE BEEN STITCHING MY OWN COVERS AND HAVN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS. THE NICE THING ABOUT THIS FOAM IS, ITS THICKER THAN WHAT CAME ON THESE SEATS WHICH MAKES THEM FEEL BETTER ON THE BACK SIDE. |
| I'm restoring an early 1900's Irish mail go-cart and can not find 10" x 2 replacement balloon (tubeless) tires. Anyone have any suggestions?? Thx |