1989 Wicked Restoration a Resounding Success

[clarkbeek]

Hello All,

I posted here http://www.fatcogs.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3873 back in November, asking for advice. Thanks to all who pitched in. The restoration was a great success. jonsonneborn first messaged me in this forum, then it turned out we live about 8 miles away from each other. He helped me out, loaned me tools, sold me a pair of cranks for $20, gave me some perfectly good tires, and gave me too much useful advice to list. Couldn't have done it without Jon!

The restoration was straightforward, but ended up taking six weeks once I'd chased down all the details. My frame was very rusty, and I had my doubts, but the rust ended up being superficial and the frame was solid. I used a marine painting system, starting with a chromate etch primer, followed by two coats of two-part epoxy barrier coat, then several coats of Dupli-Color rattle can automotive paint, and Dupli-Color clear coat after the decals, as instructed by VeloCals.

From my photos several voiced doubt about my handlebars, but they too only had superficial corrosion. After stripping them down and measuring with a micrometer, the material loss from corrosion was essentially immeasurable. I've been riding twice with no mishaps, but if I end up with a broken handlebar protruding from my lung they'll have been right.

With the exception of the cranks, brake levers, new cables, and new seat post, everything else on the bike is original...and this bike has seen 24 years of hard riding, plus a round-the-world trip on a sailboat (ergo the rust).

Once all was done Jon and I made plans to go for a ride (he was riding a Yo Eddy that day). He said a friend of his might be joining us, and it turned out that friend was Chris Chance, who approved of my restoration and then proceeded to kick both our asses on 12 miles of single track. What a great end to the project.

In this, my deepest foray into bike world, more so the world of retro bikes, I think I've figured something out. I'm in the marine business and I've got a vintage sailboat. With boats and houses you can restore away and approach a goal, but you'll never reach perfection. There'll always be something amiss, or something you'd do differently. With a bike you actually can approach perfection. You can get to where every little bit and bob, right down the the decals and adjustable aluminum bottom bracket collars, are exactly the way you want them. I'm not there yet, but I'm pretty close.

Before and after photos attached.

Viva Fat Chance!

-Clark Beek

[Retro Dude]

That is a sweet restoration, enjoy the hell out of it!

[colker]

Awesome.

[tvcreative]

nice start.

I would look at upgrading/getting some some replacement parts

fun isn't it?

thanks for sharing

[Stingercut]

Superb effort and like the fact the original Fat Daddy showed you guys up on the trails

[colker]

what happened to the Cook Bros crankset?

[WD Pro]

I did wonder - nice cranks

WD

[jonsonneborn]

& Thanks for the Beer Clark

[clarkbeek]

The cranks were cracked on both sides, right where they attach to the spindle. One cracked in exactly the same way back in the day and Cook Bros. replaced it for free. Seems to be common with these cranks. Still, wonder if they could be repaired? Still got them, of course.