Classic & Vintage - $5 wonder bike...

During my normal trolling on Craigslist, I came upon this ad entitled "Old Bike...$4." Like most Craigslist ads, I could barely make out the images. It looked like a woman's cruiser from what I could tell. I asked the seller to send me a few more pics because he was local and I thought what the hell its $4 why not check it out. The seller emailed me a clearer picture and when I saw it I didn't know what to think. The bike was riddled with wires, circuit boards, switches. It had a battery in the back box attached to a Ford stereo and amp hooked to the handlebars! Turns out the seller taught a college electronics class and used the bike for over 40 years as a demo piece. He told me before that the secretary at the college used the bike for mail delivery. I thought the story was pretty cool and they guy was obviously proud of his creation. I gave him a $5 and left with a crazy bike and a pretty interesting story. The main thing that attracted me to the bike was the chain guard. It has an impala on it and the lugs are somewhat decorative. Its got Schwinn grips, but no headbadge. The holes seem to close together to be a Schwinn. The bike is in horrible shape, bent forks and a blown BB. Does anyone have any info on this bike? Ill strip I down later and post more pics. For now, enjoy these. Oh, all the switches work. They make laser noises as if your playing Centipede.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4123.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4142.jpg
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http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4138.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4137.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4136.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4135.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4134.jpg

More pics...
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4133.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4132.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4131.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4130.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4129.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4128.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4127.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4126.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4125.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/cmdunn28/IMG_4124.jpg

And we're all wondering... how pissed was your wife when that came home?

HAHAHA She came with me to get it. We had to see what this was all about.

Wow, don't ride in the rain! You HAVE to tell us about the person that sold this bike.

Now where are my 8-track tapes... they were right over there... darned music industry always changing formats...darned cottered cranks... darned progress.
Looks as if you'll be having even more fun with your volksbuggen torsion tubes when you get to it. I feel so old!

Strangely the guy was pretty normal. It was obvious he was into electronics. Seemed like a pretty intelligent guy, who was extremely proud of his bike. I was hoping for Doc from Back to the Future. He was on his way to his kids graduation and said if he wasn't there when I showed up I could take the bike and leave the $4 under the door mat.

That one HAD to be bought, you did the right thing...the nice part is pretty much anything you do will improve it. Please keep us posted as you work on it! The fact that your wife came with is almost more amazing than the bike itself.

Straighten that fork, re-do the BB, run those wires through some conduit, re-sheath the cracked bits - and ride the heck out of that thing.

Why don't you post it on A&S and scare them with it? They'll think a bike morphed into a car :P

-Kurt

Why don't you post it on A&S and scare them with it?
:roflmao2:

uuuhh, maybe i've had a few too many beers to be browsing bf this late at night - is this a back to the future bike?

That...
Is pretty effin' epic.
-Gene-

At least now I know what happened to the stock radio I pulled from my Escort and someone snagged from the trash!

Interesting bike, nice Bug!

That would have definitely had to come home with me as well! Nice score! :lol:

It has an impala on it

Or a Gazelle perhaps?

You know you're stuck with that thing as it is, don't you? Dismantling it would be a sin.

It'll look great on the racks of your vdub project! ;)

Atomic batteries to power...Turbines to speed..... Now "I" feel old, lol.,,,,BD

You should ride RAGBRAI with it before changing anything ...

Bob

uuuhh, maybe i've had a few too many beers to be browsing bf this late at night - is this a back to the future bike?

You didn't see the flux capacitor yet?

-Kurt

These guys should be able to help with any technical questions you have.

155752

Or a Gazelle perhaps?

You know you're stuck with that thing as it is, don't you? Dismantling it would be a sin.

It'll look great on the racks of your vdub project! ;)

Yea when the bug is done I'll strap it to the roof rack and ride out, problem is the bike weighs about 80 lbs with all that extra metal on the back. I wouldn't be a happy man if that fell through my ragtop:mad: lol
I searched all over yesterday for a Gazelle Bike with a similar chain guard and came up empty. To me the marking on the BB looks pretty old. From what I can see it reads "1-4". On the topside of the BB, there is a grease fitting for some sort of grease gun. I did see a few Gazelle's with the same roll charger (I don't know the correct name) on the front tire used to power a front light. Could just be something else he added, but I did see one on an older Gazelle.

You know you're stuck with that thing as it is, don't you? Dismantling it would be a sin.

I totally agree. Apart from making it ridable (repack bearings, tubes, tires, etc.,) it's perfect! Ok, maybe replace the stereo with an 8-track player...

By the way, what do the flower pots contain?

By the way, what do the flower pots contain?

The flower pots were insulated speaker boxes. He had speakers mounted on the front and back of the bike. He said he wanted to keep them because they were still usable.

that's just... awesome. I was dreaming of fitting speakers on a beach cruiser but this is a whole new level.

That is just awesome. If bikes were people, this bike would be the Wayne Szalinski of bicycling.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X69hGtQjpjw

Can you ride it in the rain? Get some extra voltage uphill maybe...

Forget paniers - I'm going with window boxes on my next build...