Author Topic: Profile - Basket Case (Read 1782 times)

greentoad · « **on:** December 05, 2006, 08:19 PM »

Some of you may remember this...

I was given it to look after about 6 months ago, and it was in a real state. It had been left outside for nearly 20 years and was pulled out from under a pile of manure. The skinny Araya's where no longer with the bike or the seat clamp, it had most things seized but worst of all a stuck DX.

The chain was rusted solid, and the DX would not move...

After it's first wash it had potential -

And a very nice stem was under those pads -

I put some wheels into the dropouts, just to save any damage (as there are another 10 plus bikes laying around here and wanted it to be at hand rather than in with my storage collection) from wheeling it in and out and to also be able to give it a spray etc and try and get that bl00dy DX out......

The post would not move and finally it came to the crunch, the only way this bike will ever become a ridable survivor would be by cutting the post....so cut it I did, about 1cm above the frame, then a pilot hole (DX are solid posts) was drilled at the same angle as the tube, followed by a larger drill and then a larger drill. Next out with the electric saws and fine blades. I cut at an angle of about 30 degrees and swapped from a Bosch big saw to a hack saw blade near the end (for absolute precision). Next it was out with the Vice Grips, and I squeezed the post together......put some more oil, plus gas etc etc down the sides of the post and then clamped on with the grips and gave it a very gentle twist of about 2mm each way, increasing buy about 2mm at a time until finally it was free. I then used a Bosch lenthening bit and attached a wire wheel and cleaned it lightly inside the frame and put the DX back in.

I put in some new tubes, had to cut the palstic outer cable (as the inner was too short - as the brakes were set up for Araya skinnies). Got another nice and rusty old Izumi and took out a couple of links and fitted the wheel with good gaps, sprayed it again and took it for a blast.....

It is as quick as hell and runs smooth.

I never wanted it mint (or to get rid of the rust) as it has history and was an EA race bike and if a full resto was started, it would have been impossible to finish....I doubt i'd ever get another stem or pads etc if any accidents happened.

I was not going to post pictures, but enter it as a survivor in a show, but am after a few bits DX (post especially as the seat sits just a bit to low, plus skinny Araya's....

Comments welcome.

J.

harris · « **Reply #1 on:** December 05, 2006, 08:25 PM »

good lad gem i new you shouldnt have left it as it was

Mattdub · « **Reply #2 on:** December 05, 2006, 08:34 PM »

Looking a lot better Jem

.

Now that you've finished with it , it would be best for all concerned if you passed it on to me

( You know it makes sense

)

billstup · « **Reply #3 on:** December 05, 2006, 08:43 PM »

Profile box cranks too

harris · « **Reply #4 on:** December 05, 2006, 08:45 PM »

i have a very special home for those puppys

bmxgirl · « **Reply #5 on:** December 05, 2006, 08:48 PM »

I love it

DR VINOAH · « **Reply #6 on:** December 05, 2006, 08:59 PM »

gotta love that
real survivor class

Moose · « **Reply #7 on:** December 05, 2006, 09:03 PM »

Quote from: harris on December 05, 2006, 08:45 PM

i have a very special home for those puppys

Your not the only one - I have a VDC freestyler that they'd look great on

harris · « **Reply #8 on:** December 05, 2006, 09:05 PM »

dont build that up just look at it phil.

Moose · « **Reply #9 on:** December 05, 2006, 09:10 PM »

Quote from: harris on December 05, 2006, 09:05 PM

dont build that up just look at it phil.

That's what I've been doing since I bought it............

theRuler · « **Reply #10 on:** December 05, 2006, 09:38 PM »

nice bike dude

i know it has the survivor flava but i'd be tempted to just tickle a little of the rust of them forks

greentoad · « **Reply #11 on:** December 05, 2006, 10:02 PM »

Quote from: theRuler on December 05, 2006, 09:38 PM

nice bike dude

i know it has the survivor flava but i'd be tempted to just tickle a little of the rust of them forks

I know what you are saying and I have thought long and hard about it, but I reckon it will take well over a grand to make it a minter, it would loose all it's charater and if I did the forks, where do I stop. Polish the Hutch pedals, straighten the cages that have seen some real race crash action, get repro pads made, new seat etc etc....the list is endlist. I have of course given it a brief wipe over and it has had a little tickle here and there, but it was a real basket case and was going to be skipped, the original pictures really do not show how bad it was.

It also has pretty rare items such as the cranks, spider, stem, pads, with of course the frame and forks too.

Maybe in time I will do something, but I have only just got it ridding again (and I would like to take it out for gentle run around a few tracks) and if it was mint it would have course then never be ridden and just be a piece of furniture / art.

I may fully strip it and put it in Ox Acid next year......but I have done 2 survivor resto's (not show shinners) this year and they have both taken at-least 70 hours each. I reckon it's way quicker just buying new bits and getting re-chrome etc and a lot less hassle, but for me not the best way for some bikes.

Time will tell.... but I am hunting for bits though, just in case...

J.

showtime · « **Reply #12 on:** December 05, 2006, 10:13 PM »

i really like survivor bikes as they have a real "honesty" about them But when they're as rough as that i think a resto or at least some re finishing would be the done thing

the poor thing had 20 years under a muck heap, give it some tlc

MartyC · « **Reply #13 on:** December 05, 2006, 10:26 PM »

That bikes a dream, I can understand not wanting to restore it but if you want it to last another 20 years the best thing to do is resto it. If you're interested I've got a set of Araya 1 3/8ths in black with silver hubs, was going to strip and polish them but might sell or trade if you're interested.

Marty

zed4130 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 05, 2006, 10:33 PM »

Thats a great survivor mate i love those profile frames

greentoad · « **Reply #15 on:** December 05, 2006, 10:41 PM »

Quote from: showtime on December 05, 2006, 10:13 PM

i really like survivor bikes as they have a real "honesty" about them But when they're as rough as that i think a resto or at least some re finishing would be the done thing

the poor thing had 20 years under a muck heap, give it some tlc

What do I do, break it and sell it all as parts. Keep some items and polish / re-chrome them? We are all different and like things differently. Lets not forget that this is not my build but was set up by the original owner.

The forks have no chrome, that's the way the bike is. It's a genuine survivor race bike that did rather well and has been lost for 20 years. I have of course sprayed everywhere and given it a thorough check for cracks, and all items have been oiled, greased etc etc....

If I re-chrome the frame and forks (they will never polish), bars, cranks etc, I would then have to get re-pro decals, new grips, seat, pads, brake, post, clamp, pedals etc.

It's a tough call..the bike would never be a survivor then either.

I do take slight offence though to the 'as rough as that'....and i've given it hours of TLC and patience. I've just not robbed it straight away of its history and identity.

As I said earlier, time will tell. But personally, I like somethings original and as they are, as such I have an original survivor 1950's Lambretta, a 1920's sailing boat (the oldest in private ownership - the oldest is in The National Maritime museum), an original 1930's Standard car...etc etc. Sometimes it is best to get things working and use them with their original components, rather than just making them perfect, un-usable and totally new.

J.

showtime · « **Reply #16 on:** December 05, 2006, 10:50 PM »

yeah sorry about the "as rough as that line"

i kinda thought i should have put it better as i posted it but i was referring more to the weathered finish rather than the quality/authenticity of the bike
i love what you've done with it so far & was in no way belittling the work already done & as already stated i really like survivors for their inherrant honesty & history

every bike tells a story

apart from a NOS one maybe who's life story may be "nobody wanted me back then so i sat in a box in the corner for 20 years"

its a nice bike dude & i do understand your reasons for wanting to leave it as is & how hard it would be to locate all the parts for a full resto but that frame & forks would look lovely refinished

Frosty · « **Reply #17 on:** December 06, 2006, 02:37 AM »

hmm, I understand both arguments here, but I can't help but think a nice oxalic bath would do the forks a treat - not a rechrome, but doing away with the oxidisation. If you do part it out bagsy that beaut of a stem

for my champ pro build!

Mattdub · « **Reply #18 on:** December 06, 2006, 09:30 AM »

Quote from: Frosty on December 06, 2006, 02:37 AM

hmm, I understand both arguments here, but I can't help but think a nice oxalic bath would do the forks a treat - not a rechrome, but doing away with the oxidisation. If you do part it out bagsy that beaut of a stem for my champ pro build!

Get in the queue !!

harris · « **Reply #19 on:** December 06, 2006, 09:53 AM »

ye dubb you an all

RATTY · « **Reply #20 on:** December 06, 2006, 10:03 AM »

Leave it as it is, just treat it as you already have, I think its great, you did a smashing job cleaning it. Just loose them tuffs as soon as for the skinnys

dordymush · « **Reply #21 on:** December 06, 2006, 03:08 PM »

i would'nt touch that at all.
the T/A survivor i got is just the same.
came out of a loft after a good few years.
rusty, scratched stickers, sticky tape holding the brake cable etc.
there no way i could restore it.
i love it the way it is.
plus i won me a 1st place trophy with it lol.

gregster · « **Reply #22 on:** December 06, 2006, 03:25 PM »

It would make an amazing show bike but like you say would cost an arm and a leg to complete and would also lose the history.

So I would leave as is and just tidy it up as you can without changing anything.

g

zeronine269 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 06, 2006, 03:35 PM »

or sell it to me and then you wont have to worry about what to do with it

Author Topic: Profile - Basket Case (Read 1782 times)

greentoad

DR VINOAH

theRuler

greentoad

zed4130

greentoad

Frosty

gregster

zeronine269