Classic & Vintage - 60's vintage Raliegh 3-spd. His and hers.

I am building a tandem bike, and a friend gave me a few old bikes that were sitting in his barn. Two of them were older 3 speed Ralieghs, a his and hers set. They are complete and functional, but the tires are rotten and the chrome has surface rust and maybe some light pitting (too much dust to tell.)
Are these bikes collectable, or would they be a good candidate for the tandam frame project?

these bikes are generally a dime a dozen. however they vary in value depending on condition and a matched set is cool. they ride great too. look on the rear hub for a date code. Search oxalic acid for rust removal tips. and for god's sakes post some pictures.

You wouldn't put your kids through college on the value of those Raleighs: $50-$250 depending on the condition and the market you live in. But they'd be pretty cool material to weld together as a tandem. Not light, however, if that's what you're looking for.

Neal

I scraped enough dust off to see that the pair of Raleighs are actually 1975 LTD-3's. Another is a Hawthorne, and the last is an AMF. They are all full fender 3 speed road bikes with 26x1 3/8" tires. I kinda hate to butcher them up. The old styling is cool, just not for me. I'd probably be better off with a couple of steel framed mountain bikes for my tandem project. At least I wouldn't feel as bad cutting them up! I'll post a couple of pics tomorrow.

I scraped enough dust off to see that the pair of Raleighs are actually 1975 LTD-3's. Another is a Hawthorne, and the last is an AMF. They are all full fender 3 speed road bikes with 26x1 3/8" tires. I kinda hate to butcher them up. The old styling is cool, just not for me. I'd probably be better off with a couple of steel framed mountain bikes for my tandem project. At least I wouldn't feel as bad cutting them up! I'll post a couple of pics tomorrow.

75 LTD-3's with rusty chrome? In the famous words of the late, great Mitch Hedberg "F*ck it Cut 'em up!" :D

OK then!
The choices in available tires that would work on dirt roads is the only drawback at this point ....

26x1 3/8 tires were designed for dirt roads. The tires and the Raleigh 3 speeds, for that matter have been around since before paved roads became common place.