# Winter project: help me restore a 1960s tandem cruiser.



## Pablo

The finace and I just bought a 1960s cruiser off of ebay. It's in need of some TLC that I plan on giving it all winter long. You can see from the pictures (which don't include the fenders) that it's got some rust and other issues. However, it is rideable and we rode it a bit. 

We want to pimp this ride out for next summer and to be used as a prop in our wedding. Here's my current plan: 

1. Take it back apart and read your advice. 

2. Paint the frame. I've thought about media blasting it to avoid having to sand it. However, I'm not sure what this costs or where I could do it in Colorado. I'm also still mulling over spray paint versus other options. 

3. Hubs. I'm going to have my local bike shop repack the hubs and look at the coaster brake, which works. 

4. Bottom bracket. Same as hubs. 

5. Chrome (silver parts). Any ideas on cleaning these up? I have heard metal polish works? 

6. Drive train. Soak the chain in mineral spirits. 

Am I missing anything 

I'd appreciate any advice you all could give me. 

Mods: I wasn't sure which forum this should go in, so please feel free to move it as necessary.


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## curlybike

This is going to be a long and frustrating job, for sure.


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## Bocephus Jones II

Pablo said:


> The finace and I just bought a 1960s cruiser off of ebay. It's in need of some TLC that I plan on giving it all winter long. You can see from the pictures (which don't include the fenders) that it's got some rust and other issues. However, it is rideable and we rode it a bit.
> 
> We want to pimp this ride out for next summer and to be used as a prop in our wedding. Here's my current plan:
> 
> 1. Take it back apart and read your advice.
> 
> 2. Paint the frame. I've thought about media blasting it to avoid having to sand it. However, I'm not sure what this costs or where I could do it in Colorado. I'm also still mulling over spray paint versus other options.
> 
> 3. Hubs. I'm going to have my local bike shop repack the hubs and look at the coaster brake, which works.
> 
> 4. Bottom bracket. Same as hubs.
> 
> 5. Chrome (silver parts). Any ideas on cleaning these up? I have heard metal polish works?
> 
> 6. Drive train. Soak the chain in mineral spirits.
> 
> Am I missing anything
> 
> I'd appreciate any advice you all could give me.
> 
> Mods: I wasn't sure which forum this should go in, so please feel free to move it as necessary.


Leave it rusty...that thing is a beauty as is. I don't really think it's worth it to repaint and such as anyone who buys it would prefer the original paint--plus you're gonna spend a fortune if you paint and re-chrome. The bike itself is really not worth that kinda investment IMO unless it's a real collector's item--looks to be a lower end model to me though. How much did you pay for it?

This guy might be able to help:

http://johnsvintagebikes.com/


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## Mr. Versatile

Well...it's low mileage.


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## simonton

I think that is one gorgeous bike. I like to use steel wool (wear gloves to keep your hands clean) to clean the shinny metal. I start with 000 and go to a more course grade if needed. Use some light oil. I like the frame the way it is, I think it is wearing it years wonderfully.


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## revolator

Regards to having it ready for a prop for the wedding:

- What is your budget and time investment?
- From the pictures the paint doesn't look that bad. Clean, buff/compound, and wax, unless you have a color in mind? But, once you do the maintenance, it should look pretty good.
- The chrome parts are going to be more of a challenge, and do as suggested above, or else more of an investment would be needed.
- Since this really is a wedding project, and not a restoration project, I would just replace the seat and handle bar grips.
- I would see if you are able to get a nice set of white sidewall tires for the wedding =).

This would give you a rideable, clean retro appearance prop. Just my two cents.


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## Pablo

curlybike said:


> This is going to be a long and frustrating job, for sure.


I figured as much already.


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## Pablo

revolator said:


> Regards to having it ready for a prop for the wedding:
> 
> - What is your budget and time investment?
> - From the pictures the paint doesn't look that bad. Clean, buff/compound, and wax, unless you have a color in mind? But, once you do the maintenance, it should look pretty good.
> - The chrome parts are going to be more of a challenge, and do as suggested above, or else more of an investment would be needed.
> - Since this really is a wedding project, and not a restoration project, I would just replace the seat and handle bar grips.
> - I would see if you are able to get a nice set of white sidewall tires for the wedding =).
> 
> This would give you a rideable, clean retro appearance prop. Just my two cents.


The wedding is mid-July. I'd like to spend as little as possible, obviously, but if I need to drop a hendred or two, it wouldn't be the end of the world. 

The paint really isn't bad. The finace was thinking red, but I sort of like the original paint. We'll see what happens. I'm not worried about resale. 

With the chrome parts, I should just: 
(1) clean (with mineral spirits)?
(2) buff with what? Wax with what? Any product suggestions? 

It's sort of a wedding project, but it's also a "we're going to get some coffee" project. We want to ride this puppy. 

White walls are a great idea.


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## Pablo

simonton said:


> I think that is one gorgeous bike. I like to use steel wool (wear gloves to keep your hands clean) to clean the shinny metal. I start with 000 and go to a more course grade if needed. Use some light oil. I like the frame the way it is, I think it is wearing it years wonderfully.


After cleaning it with steel wool, do I need to coat it with anything to protect it?


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## Pablo

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Leave it rusty...that thing is a beauty as is. I don't really think it's worth it to repaint and such as anyone who buys it would prefer the original paint--plus you're gonna spend a fortune if you paint and re-chrome. The bike itself is really not worth that kinda investment IMO unless it's a real collector's item--looks to be a lower end model to me though. How much did you pay for it?
> 
> This guy might be able to help:
> 
> http://johnsvintagebikes.com/


We got it for $300, which is well cheaper than new lower-end tandem cruisers, which are at least $700 used, from what I have seen. I've not looking to drop a lot more cash into it, but I want to make it better.


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## Dave_Stohler

That bike looks remarkably similar to one for sale here in upstate NY last spring. He wanted $200 for it, which was just about what I thought it was worth, although it was a newer model, and rather more cheaply built. One thing that these old tandems are notorious for is having a frozen idler sprocket, so check that out while you're at it. From what I can see, they use a common Ashtabula crank on both front and rear, so bearings, races and cranks should be easy to find.


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## simonton

The chrome should be fine. Steel might take some mineral oil-looks better, resists further rusting. 3 bags of steel wool will go less than $6 Iwould imagine and another $6 for a small mineral oil if you don't have any.
Congratulations on the Wedding!


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## Pablo

Dave_Stohler said:


> One thing that these old tandems are notorious for is having a frozen idler sprocket, so check that out while you're at it.


That's in the rear hub, right?


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## revolator

The wash, buff/compound, wax was referring to the paint. There are four levels you can work on the paint:
- *none*: obvious

- *low*: just wash and wipe and you'll see a big difference

- *med-high*: compounding is trying to salvage the paint w/o sanding and repainting. But it really is like a micro abrasive/sanding using a compound paste with a buffing motion, where you take a very fine layer off rough areas to smooth and even out the paint. This can be done with one pass lightly after washing, and prior to waxing. It will look even better 
than the "low maintenance"

- *high*: This is sanding and repainting

Regards to the chrome, I'm don't have a lot of experience here. Prior it was mentioned to use fine steel wool. I would think scotch brite would work well at cleaning and taking that rough layer off. I would defer to someone else that has more experience here to give you more advice than that. It doesn't sound like you want to sink the money in to have the parts rechromed.

Be carefull with the metal polish, some actually leave a slippery sheen, and that might be okay for some parts of the bike, but you shouldn't use that on the side of the rims. There is other metal polish that is like compound or tooth paste, and all it's doing is smoothing and taking a thin layer of the tarnish/dirt/rust/... off. 

Normal chrome could normally be waxed (i.e.car wax). But I'm not sure how that would go on the rust spots?

One other suggestion to give the tandem a touch of color: Don't paint the whole frame, just paint the "s" tube in the middle of the frame a bright deep red, if you want to do a little more work, but not all the work to repaint the whole frame. It would be masking tape the other tubes around, a light sanding and cleaning, and a small can of paint should do the trick.


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## 10ae1203

Another vote for reconditioning.

Rub out the paint with this: http://www.meguiars.com/?auto-paint-cleaners/ScratchX

Scratch X is good stuff. You could then wax it with any good paste wax. You find this stuff at Pep Boys or some other auto parts store.


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## revolator

10ae1203 knows about paint reconditioning/compounding =).

Here's the visual image I see. Look at picture 1 that you have above, two white circles (white walls), with a bright red "s" in the middle, on a clean frame. That would make a nice visual picture.


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## revolator

I think I'm going overboard now. Some one hold me back...

In addition to the description above,
- add a bicycle flag to the back
- add pompom frills (not sure of name) to the ends of both handle bar ends
- add lights, big shinny chrome light to the front, and big red light to the rear.
- add laminated baseball size picture of yourselves (diff places and ages) between the front and rear spokes. When the bike is parked, it's a standing photo album to be admired.

- If your fiance is going to where a wedding dress while riding, you're going to need a rear fender also (jet black).


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## 10ae1203

The only thing it really needs is a baseball card and a clothespin.


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## Bocephus Jones II

Pablo said:


> We got it for $300, which is well cheaper than new lower-end tandem cruisers, which are at least $700 used, from what I have seen. I've not looking to drop a lot more cash into it, but I want to make it better.


Nah..I got my Fuji for $500 new. I probably have put double that into it though.


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## Pablo

A lot of great ideas. Thanks. I'll keep everyone posted. However, right now we're leaning towrads keeping the original paint, polishing it up, and doing what we can on the silver parts. There'll probably be streamers on it and before we're done.


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## Bocephus Jones II

Pablo said:


> A lot of great ideas. Thanks. I'll keep everyone posted. However, right now we're leaning towrads keeping the original paint, polishing it up, and doing what we can on the silver parts. There'll probably be streamers on it and before we're done.


Electra and Nirve have a lot of nice new cruiser parts if you want to go that way instead of retro. 


http://electrabike.com/

http://nirve.com/


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