Motopecane

So,
I went to check out an Amica folding bike from the 60's today that someone posted on craigslist for $100 USD. The bike was in really bad shape so I ended up getting it for $40. I brought it home and am almost done with fully disassembling it to clean, remove, and check things out. The only thing holding me back now is the seat post frozen into the down-tube. Here are some photos of my progress so far. Yes I know this bike is not worth much and is very heavy but! I like the challenge of making something this dysfunctional, well functional again.

oh yeah I was psyched because I actually got my girlfriend to help me take it apart. The first tool she asked for was a sledge...

Motopecane

I forgot to mention unlike most of these folders this one is not a 3 speed. It is a single speed with a coaster brake. Speaking of that I took it apart to clean and lube and can't seem to get it back together right.

jur

Ooh I luv pics of other people's garages! Makes me feel either quite sane or like the arch-slob. In your case, the arch-slob.

* goes off to do some futile tidying up in garage *

Just back from the garage, worked on something I found on the workbench that I thought was long lost.

Anyway very nice set of pics. Matching color for the bike and car, too.

Motopecane

Yeah I hate to say the Mustang Gt pictured is my parents car... I just turned 20 and I'm still going to school. I am taking full advantage of being able to live a home. Also my dad is one of those people that has tons of tools including really strange ones. A lot of the bike tools belong to me though because I keep buying them.

Motopecane

I did some more work on her this morning and got quite a bit done. I Repacked the wheels and figured out how to correctly put the coaster hub back together. Also I finally got the seat post out. It took about 20 min of wrenching, twisting, and lots of WD-40. I also sanded and primered the badly rusted chrome fenders. I'm not sure what color I'm going to do them yet but I am thinking white. I cut and ground off the stupid built in mount for the front brake for a couple of reasons. One, it was really rusty and it was for the front brake but on the wrong side?!?! I have a small aluminum brake handle I'm going to use. Anyway here are more pics.
Oh I cleaned up the headlamp a bit too.

Motopecane

I need suggestions for colors to paint the frame. I have already painted the fenders white.

jur

How about trying to match that same yellow? Then if you get a nick in the new paint, no problem since the underlying is same color. Quite a nice rich yellow, that is. (Matching a lot of tools too!)

brakemeister

getting the rust of the chrome
try coca cola and newspaper .... its kinda messy but works well

thor

Motopecane

I might go with the yellow but I just not so partial to yellow I don't know why. I was thinking about sanding and primering the whole bike anyway so if it chipped you would probably see primer.

Chop!

'Accidently' scratch your parent's car, then when they get some paint to touch it up, use the same paint! Simples!

Seriously, you seem to have managed so much, in so little time, I'm impressed, wish I could get my arse into gear & work that quickly on my many 'projects'!

Motopecane

Haha thanks the minute I got the thing home I dove right into it. I don't know if it's good or bad but I spend most of my free time working on bikes these days.

jur

OK, if it is to be a whole color change... matt black would look fully sick. * jur imitating cool dudes talking about their subwoofers *

folder fanatic

Take heart. I almost finished my Raleigh Twenty's restoration today. It looked very much like yours did when I bought it also for 40 US dollars last June. I might be able to ride it tomorrow-although the new kick stand & pedals will not arrive until a bit later. I think your bike might have separated easier if you used PB Blaster (be sure to follow the manufacturers' instructions) on the frozen seatpost to start. I carefully covered the paint around it with clean, but used, plastic bags & liberally sprayed it within and around the post itself. I waited an hour and presto! the seat post came right out with a little gentle rocking & twisting side to side of the saddle & seat post. Then I cleaned the seat post & surrounding chrome gently with a copper pad, then wiped with clean paper towels. The bike got it's first bath in almost 40 years afterwards. See the before/after photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/world-of-folding-bicycles-too/sets/72157612160015866/ I don't like to paint over chrome unless it is a lost cause. Mine came out so nice & shiny! You can also use the WD-40 on the chrome and get the same effect (and it does not smell like the PB Blaster).

And my pages devoted to the restoration project here: https://sites.google.com/site/compactcycling/the-restoration-of-raleigh-twenty

Remember to return to these sites periodically as I was told I might be able to bring home the bike tomorrow (I am really crossing my fingers at this news) plus I plan on some minor additions within the next couple of weeks as needed. I saw the bike today on the bike stand at the bike shop, disassembled-headset finished & BB about to be overhauled, then will be infused with it's new parts from the donor bike! So we shall see.....

Motopecane

Nice! I really like those Raleigh folders and I like that your keeping the paint and everything. I do have to say though, I'm not sure if my photos are not depicting it well enough but the condition of my Amica is way worse than your bike. The chrome was literally peeling off, the chrome on the seat post was gone with rust left, most of the small steel hardware just broke because of rust, the seat is crap and is really heavy. All in all a Raleigh is and was just built better so it will last a lot longer. So be glad you got what you did for $40.00 because you lucked out! Anyway nice work keep it up!

mulleady

Good luck with the improvements!

Admit it you were attracted by the bright yellow colour lol!

Motopecane

So! After about a year now it seems from looking at the date I finally did something with that ****ty old folder. After many layers of paint and being taken apart then put together, then taken apart it has become something awesome. I ended up having it sandblasted and I primed and painted it myself. Most of the parts I got 2nd hand from my collection of parts and Recycled Cycles. Anyway here are the photos of my fixed gear folding bike.
Here is the mock up of the whole thing.


And here it is all done (well pretty much)






I ditched the old badly working long reach brake caliper for a front disc.

Motopecane

MOAR photos!





That is all, free to ask questions.

jur

Wow you did well!

I think lots of people here would be very interested in your mod to mount a disc brake. Enquiring minds want to know.

Nice looking bar tape - what is that?

Motopecane

The bar tape is XCT tape that had the letters "XCT" embossed into the tape I just wrapped it so you couldn't see them . I got it at my LBS. The disc brake mod required cutting away some of the inside of the fork leg to clear the disc. Then I welded flat steel in the slot. I spent lots of time getting the caliper lined up real nice before I welded the mounts for it. The conversion was surprisingly cheap.

Hub from recycled cycles: $5.00
Caliper from RC: $5.00
Rotor: off a dirt jumper wheel free from a friend

I am still learning how to adjust it correctly since disc brakes are pretty foreign to me at this point. So far I love the brake though. Super grabby.

oh and I love the bike!

BTW the tires are high pressure up to 100psi----! I got them for $15.00 a piece from my LBS.

Dynocoaster 

Looks like you live close to Perrinville? This came up for sale on CL 3 speed https://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/bik/2605547624.html

chagzuki

There's something about the combination of classic aesthetics and modern technology that just looks awesome. Love the disc brake.

What type of paint did you use and do you think it's going to hold up OK?

Motopecane

I used Krylon primer and standard indoor-outdoor paint. I have found that if you be careful with the piece in the first few months the paint will last. It stays soft for a while and after time becomes very hard.

I saw that Amica on craigslist. It's cool but way too expensive. I paid $40.00 for mine which was probably too much.

Motopecane

This bike went on it's first real ride today! My friend and I wanted to find the north end of our Interurban Trail. It was a 35mile round trip and I can gladly say I ran into few problems. The only problem was that the right side bearing cup kept threading its way out just slightly causing slop in the BB. This is due to the Italian bearing cups that are both right hand thread. I remedied this when we got back by threading it out all the way and putting some loc-tite on it, followed by tightening the heck out of it. Overall I'm very happy with the bikes and glad that it is part of my collection.

Gets lots of looks too!

usatrek

Wow! I just got one of these a few weeks ago. I've removed all of the parts, and I'm ready to get mine media blasted. I'm trying to decide what to do with it now, and I started a search for renovations on this Amica folder. Thanks for these images; they give me a lot of encouragement to press forward.