Classic & Vintage - I thank thee and bow down...

To Robbie Tunes. THE man of Centurion.

I just picked up an old bike and asked East Hill if she knew anything about it. She told me about Robbie Tunes and MANNNNNNNnnn......... This guy is a walking Centurion History Book!! :eek: He replied right away and with so much information that he boggled my mind. Dates, colors, specs...What was used when and why and.......Geeze Maneeze!! This guy knows everything about them!

I just had to give the guy kudos here for helping me find out what the heck my friend was going to dump.

Thank you, Rob!! :)

To Robbie Tunes. THE man of Centurion.

I just picked up an old bike and asked East Hill if she knew anything about it. She told me about Robbie Tunes and MANNNNNNNnnn. This guy is a walking Centurion History Book. He replied right away and with so much information that he boggled my mind. Dates, colors, specs...What was used when and why and.......Geeze Maneeze!! This guy knows everything about them!

I just had to give the guy kudos here for helping me find out what the heck my friend was going to dump.

Thank you, Rob!! :)

Pics or it didnt happen ;)

Camera is dead. I promised him I'd PM the pics to him but I might as well post them here too, huh?

I'll do it before I clean it up and then after. Not sure if I'm going to put too much into it, it's too big for me. I might just trade it for whatever bike stuff someone wants to get rid of or pay it forward.

If you ever get the chance to meet him he's also a real nice guy. He helped me out quite a bit getting my Panasonic built up.
How come I feel like this has the potential to become a "RobbieTunes appreciation thread". Because we're just two of the MANY people he's helped out.
-Gene-

That is the point of this thread, Amani! :) He IS really nice. He took the time out to write a whole looooooong PM to me!

Oh and by the way, I got the camera charged now.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/oldbike8.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/oldbike7.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/oldbike6.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/oldbike5.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/Oldbike4.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/oldbike3.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/oldbike2.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/oldbike1.jpg

Robbie is definitely the go to guy for Centurions! I think one day I am going to have to make a tour of the US so that I can visit all the friendly and helpful people I've met throught BF, and especially here in C & V :thumb: .

Oh, and the bike could stand some cleaning, but it will be a good solid rider for someone :) .

East Hill

indeed - I've logged lots of utility miles on bikes just like that; I suspect I am not alone in this respect!

Dang Siu! That's a killer find! Do you have any plans for it yet?

Yep, that's Robbie. A steely eyed Marine with a cream puff heart the size of Australia.

Of course if it was a purple fade Iron Man Master he would be Steely Eyed Marine with a Cream Puff heart Stalker Dude, lol.

So Siu you know you have to start hanging out here and not just in Foo!!!

marty

That bike is the Poster Child for the Before and After thread.

Let me get my hands on it....... :D

That bike would be much better off without the kickstand and the stem shifters. :D :P

Yes. Send it to bigbossman for rehab.

Dang Siu! That's a killer find! Do you have any plans for it yet?

Actually yes. I'm going to clean it up a tad and maybe trade it for something bike related someone doesn't want any more or pay it forward here on BF. But I don't want to do the shipping because of my last horror story so it would probably be in NorCal.

Actually yes. I'm going to clean it up a tad and maybe trade it for something bike related someone doesn't want any more or pay it forward here on BF. But I don't want to do the shipping because of my last horror story so it would probably be in NorCal.

If it's the right size, you could always just hold on to it for when I make my way out there...:innocent:

That is the point of this thread, Amani! :) He IS really nice. He took the time out to write a whole looooooong PM to me!

Oh and by the way, I got the camera charged now.


I see the colors fit the "spectrum" we talked about. You can tell East Hill where the "palette" seems to have originated, but I'd use a PM for that one....:)

If you need any parts, I think I've got one of about every part on that bike. I dig the saddle. Mine like that is ripped. Just let me know, that particular box sure isn't going anywhere.

Siu, give yourself 4 hours with no phone or interruptions, and you'd be amazed. Amani576 can give you the "recipe" I gave him, and he's done a superb build job on a Panasonic. You'll have to scrub a little more.

I met "Spinz" yesterday to buy some parts, and realized he and I have very likely crossed running paths years and years ago when we were young and could do that. My bikes will be much better for meeting him, I guarantee it. He's got me interested in a Geritol ride, now, too.

I can not think of one instance in which a BF member has ripped me off or not helped me or my bike knowledge in some way. No negatives, no downers, even when I was searching for the rare "Boron Titanium Steel" mountain Ironman. :thumb:

I've met a lot of people cyberly, but I've met a few C&V folks personally, and I can tell you, from the 19-year old Amani576 to 20-something Otto Rax to the aged folks like myself, mrmw, roccobike, and Spinz, we all have one thing in common: We can stand in a parking lot all day and talk bikes. :D

I hope to meet more, especially in 2009. Thanks for the kind comments. Let me know if you need parts, my garage needs a good cleaning out.

Robbie

That bike is the Poster Child for the Before and After thread.

Let me get my hands on it....... :D
+1
I see shiny stuff in it's future.

snip

Thank you Robbie but I found that the bike is just too big for me. So I decided to pay it forward. I gave it a quickie cleaning but I didn't detail it. I would normally go for it gung ho (I have OCD) but that bike really needs some time. Got some other pics on here after the quickie cleaning. http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=505744

I'd offer you the saddle but the rails on it are so rusty that they are flaking I don't feel it is safe. 1jacktripper says it's his size so we are discussing it tonight.

If you visited bigbossman, he could show you the beautiful Colnago which I will be picking up when I head down there in early April :innocent: .

East Hill

If you visited bigbossman, he could show you the beautiful Colnago which I will be picking up when I head down there in early April :innocent: .

East Hill

If I had a Colnago waiting for me I don't believe I could wait until April.

If I had a Colnago waiting for me I don't believe I could wait until April.

I am a patient woman :lol: .

There's a reason for going in April, too!

East Hill

If I had a Colnago waiting for me I don't believe I could wait until April.

I'm getting a little back-logged. I sure hope it's ready by April....... :D

I'm getting a little back-logged. I sure hope it's ready by April....... :D

Well, I'm bring the Paramount as a back-up bike :innocent: ....

I am a patient woman :lol: .

There's a reason for going in April, too!

East Hill

can he work miracles on taxes, too? maybe I should see him in April...:D

Siu, give yourself 4 hours with no phone or interruptions, and you'd be amazed. Amani576 can give you the "recipe" I gave him, and he's done a superb build job on a Panasonic. You'll have to scrub a little more.

This recipe sounds interesting....

Yep the Tunes Man is an outstanding guy. I too would like to hear about this recipe.

Mutt

Ok, guys, but don't drink it, OK?

Basic cheapo cleanup, gets you a long way towards what the bike should look like.
1-Wash it down with soap and water, to see what's rust and what's dust.
2-Walmart Rust Remover, $4.34/bottle and an old toothbrush. Do not use your brother's.
3-Brush on the rust remover on chrome, paint, avoid non-polished alloys. I use it on calipers, no prob.
4-Brush it on real well, take your time, try not to let it dry. Rinse it off.
5-Now, wash the bike again, quick job with soapy water. See what's left.
6-Same toothbrush, rinsed out. Spray WD-40 right on the crankset, calipers, FD/RD, the shiny parts. Scrub it with the toothbrush. This cleans and also loosens up remaining rust.
7-Quick wash and rinse again. (1 bucket of soapy water does the entire op for me)
8-Tougher rust on bolts, etc? Walmart remover, 00000 steel wool, use Q-tips to get inside allen head bolts. Soapy wash/rinse again. No need to dry it.
9-Detour if a chain is involved. Rust remover on the links, or Degrease it. Better off off the bike.
10-The tires. I like Clorox cleanup, since I use it on the hoods, too, and bar wrap. Same tootbhrush. I've also had great luck with Bleche-White, available at Auto Zone, etc.
11-Now, you've scrubbed the bike with soap, water, rust remover, other stuff, and it should be clean.
11.5 Individual rust left now takes polish (your pick) time and elbow grease, but that's not cleanup.
12-Final wash with soap and water. You're not done, yet.
13-Get a rag, get it saturated wtih WD-40. Wipe the bike down, and pay attention closely. You will see stuff that didn't come off before, especially on the frame. often what you thought were defects, etc, come off.
14-Final rinse with water, an wipe down. The remaining WD-40 will evaporate.

Takes about $7-$8 worth of stuff, does 3-4 bikes, some Q-tips for the cable guides, brake nooks, etc. The bike will be pretty clean. Generally takes me about an hour, if I don't stop moving, step to step. Pretty good results without disassembly and individual cleaning. A little lube on the FD/RD, should be good. One bonus: Hands get pretty clean, too. If you get rust remover on a soft alloy part, like a clamp for an old Shimano FD, it will turn it black. It's not ruined, will polish right off, but it's easier to be careful. I've found older alloy components much easier to clean by hand.

And I'll update with an example of my Triumph, cleaned only using the steps above. That's all I've done with it, because I have no idea why I bought it. It was just a good deal, and it was a bike....No polish was used, simply the recipe above, with about 30 minutes of 0000 steel wool before the last wash. Is the bike worth tearing down and polishing each part? I don't know. It's pretty, but it's a ton.

Edit: Here's some pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30008561@N05/sets/72157613080433973/

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3308/3236733570_c4bdfb3c62.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3434/3235888605_54827407c6.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3394/3236733646_4da98836cc.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/3236733722_e153ab21cb.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3090/3235888333_35ea46d882.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3394/3236732988_4a3f409e27.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3436/3235888189_9e018a6894.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3426/3235888111_f810c4b45b.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3383/3235888029_2768be084d.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3445/3235887859_06f8cf586d.jpg?v=0

Great tips. I'm going to try this on my $20 Fuji Royale, just as soon as I get motivated and get off my lazy butt.

Mutt

Thank you, I appreciate it. :beer: