1979 Schwinn Suburban restoration HELP!!!!!
05-08-15, 09:10 AM
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1979 Schwinn Suburban restoration HELP!!!!!
Hello,
I recently came into possession of a 1979 Schwinn Suburban (Men's) and I'm so excited about getting it cleaned up! The thing is, I have no idea about bikes! I'm new to this! I don't want to harm anything on the bike, but I want to repaint it and fix the scraps and such. The rust that's on it comes of with just my finger nail so I was think to get some extra fine steel wool to get that off (please tell me if that's NOT what I should be doing) but I have no clue what steps I should take with repainting the frame. Any help would be great! Again, I have no clue what Im doing, the only thing I know is how to ride a bike, but I want to learn everything about bikes!
Thanks,
Evelyn
I recently came into possession of a 1979 Schwinn Suburban (Men's) and I'm so excited about getting it cleaned up! The thing is, I have no idea about bikes! I'm new to this! I don't want to harm anything on the bike, but I want to repaint it and fix the scraps and such. The rust that's on it comes of with just my finger nail so I was think to get some extra fine steel wool to get that off (please tell me if that's NOT what I should be doing) but I have no clue what steps I should take with repainting the frame. Any help would be great! Again, I have no clue what Im doing, the only thing I know is how to ride a bike, but I want to learn everything about bikes!
Thanks,
Evelyn
05-08-15, 09:20 AM
#2
Still learning
If the paint has some surface rust, use Barkeepers Friend cleanser, non abrasive. Chrome can be cleaned with turtle wax chrome polish, brass brush, 00 steel wool and WD40, some use foil and vinegar.
Read:
This site
Sheldonbrown.com
mytenspeeds.com
parktool.com
Read:
This site
Sheldonbrown.com
mytenspeeds.com
parktool.com
05-08-15, 09:22 AM
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Hi, Evelyn.
We'll be better able to help you if you post some pictures of the bike. For now: I think most of us would encourage you to slow down and think a little bit about whether you want to re-paint it. A Suburban is not a rare or valuable bike, so there's no real crime in changing the paint; on the other hand, once you strip off the original paint, you'll never get it back. Depending on what kind of shape the paint is really in, I think many people would encourage you to wash it, wax it, and leave it alone. But we'll need pictures to see.
We'll be better able to help you if you post some pictures of the bike. For now: I think most of us would encourage you to slow down and think a little bit about whether you want to re-paint it. A Suburban is not a rare or valuable bike, so there's no real crime in changing the paint; on the other hand, once you strip off the original paint, you'll never get it back. Depending on what kind of shape the paint is really in, I think many people would encourage you to wash it, wax it, and leave it alone. But we'll need pictures to see.
05-08-15, 09:35 AM
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Personally, I usually remove rust, clean it up, wax it and leave it. I like the look of battle scars on an old war hero bike! Clean, noble and storied! Plus scratches and paint chips are inevitable and you don't have to worry about that when there already are a few.
BUT MOST OF ALL, I would say it depends on why you want to restore the frame. If it would be something fun and rewarding for you to do, then it is an absolute MUST! I do a lot of bike projects that are not strictly necessary just because I enjoy it...
Just make sure like brianinc-villepointed out that it is really what you want to do. To do it properly you should take everything off the bike, clean everything and then apply several layers of paint. It can take a while and you will probably need somewhere for the bike to "hang out" for several days.
BUT MOST OF ALL, I would say it depends on why you want to restore the frame. If it would be something fun and rewarding for you to do, then it is an absolute MUST! I do a lot of bike projects that are not strictly necessary just because I enjoy it...
Just make sure like brianinc-villepointed out that it is really what you want to do. To do it properly you should take everything off the bike, clean everything and then apply several layers of paint. It can take a while and you will probably need somewhere for the bike to "hang out" for several days.
