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A Journal Of My Restoration Adventures, So Novices Can Learn From My Success and Failure.
The is my latest and most challenging restoration.
I tentatively purchased this 1972 PR10 on EBay in August 2008 for $100 from a seller in Los Angleles.
According to the advertisement, the bike was ridden by the original owner for one year, was heat damaged, but the paint was
in remarkedly good condition. The seller added upon inquiry that he had ridden the bike for a few years before storing
under cover, and that it had original components. However, from the photos and upon inspection it was evident
that the bike had been exposed to the elements and the wheels, handlebar and stem replaced in the late 1970s. Unfortunately,
the backside of seat tube received a large dink (small dent) and some scapes from the blunt end of a quick
release skewer during shipment. Nonetheless, I believe the bike has significant potential, and will offer many
challenges.
The paint and decals are actually in good condition, except for the damaged seat tube. On the other
hand, the steel components show a lot of rust, and the aluminum a lot of corrosion. Luckily, Ted Carl wrote excellent
threads on VintageBMX.com describing rust removal using oxalic acid and aluminum polishing.
I purchased oxalic acid from Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions, and soaked the steel parts in an acid solution (2
oz. per gallon of water) for 24 hours. Before and after photos are shown below.
| Seat Tube Before |
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| Seat Tube After |
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My dad's 1972 AO8 was my first restoration and the adventure is archived below.
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| Dismantled 1972 AO8 |
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Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Cable Reassembly
Luckily, my local bike shop had old new old stock white Schwinn rear brake cables and housing available.
I used the housing for routing both the brake and shift cables. Adjusting the brakes and derailleurs was straighforward
following Zinn's text.
Freewheel Removal and Axles
The Cyclo freewheel was easily removed using an original Cyclo freewheel tool purchased from Bikeville.com. Apparently,
the Park freewheel tools do not fit. As a precaution, I used a nut and washer on the axle to hold the tool against the
freewheel to avoid stripping the notches in the freewheel core, as recommended by both Sheldon Brown http://sheldonbrown.com/freewheels.html and by Zinn's text. I chose not to attempt a freewheel disassembly which is discouraged by Sheldon Brown.
Axles were thoroughly cleaned, repacked using Phil Wood's Waterproof Grease, and tightened following Zinn's text.
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