Re: Re:
Retro_Roy":2trtvdf9 said:
Hey Frank, i see you posted a comment to the video.
Don't you recognize the Alien? It's the one i got from you.
Time for a new home.
Roy,
I just now saw this. I didn't even realize it was that same bike!
If you recall, I went overboard and spent HOURS cleaning and shining up ALL the chrome and aluminum, including EVERY spoke, the rims, the hubs, both mechs, the freewheel cassette, the fork, and even the chain with Blue Magic metal polish. It was tough finding ways to reach between the spokes. I even cleaned and polished the white rubber caps on the tops of the fork tubes so they were like new. It's clean enough to eat off of, and you can probably see your reflection in each of the chain links. I took some pics of it gleaming in the sunshine before I sent it to you.
Those ORIGINAL gum wall tires are from another ACX I found that had cracked early in its life and was kept in a storage container for over 20 years. The tires were as supple as the day they were made, and I scrubbed all of the white stuff off of the tires, not knowing there was a fix for that that someone posted in the past few months (cook 'em in the oven).
The decals on the frame were like new; no crackling.
I can vouch there were NO cracks in the aluminum when I sent it to you, and the only problem I recall having was touching up some of the small chips in the red paint; the paint looks brighter when it's wet, so I put it on a little too thick in some places, but you'd have to almost stick your nose up against the frame to see them.
I know it took awhile for me to finish and deliver this to you because it was a labor of love that I put my heart and soul into, so I'm glad you got some use out of it.
My only regret.....why didn't you sell it back to ME? Probably because I already have a bunch of them, most of them faded, cracked, and broken, but a couple of them uncracked and awaiting restoration, and one NOS that I had to clean about 20 years of spider poop off of, but none are as nice as this one.
To the OP: Good score! I'm happy to contribute, and I hope I didn't derail or hijack your thread. If you want, I can post a few pics of the restoration process, or I can even mail you a CD with a bunch of pics; just let me know.
...and to Roy: Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I hope all is well.
Cheers,
Frank