I posted earlier this week about a barn find, low end Batavus that a friend's daughter had. I headed over to Spokane WA this morning to meet up with my dad at a car show and then bring the bike home. Definitely been in a barn for a long time. Steel rims weren't in great shape. Brake hoods are rotting, clips are rusty but it's still in decent shape, especially the paint.
The good thing about my wife being out of town for a few more days is I could tear into it for a couple of hours and not feel guilty. I even moved the work stand out of the shop and worked on the driveway enjoying a nice evening. The bike looked essentially stock except for the saddle. Simplex derailleurs and shifters. Weinmann brakes and levers. Belleri bars with Atax stem and Normandy hubs. This will be a parts with the only purchases right now looking to be tires and a chain.
So, a couple of questions:
1) The cotters came out real easy and I've shot the bb cups with PB Blaster. Now, the question, would it be English thread or French thread. This is an early 70's model.
2) I'd like to go with a Laprade style seat post but this post seems to be about 26.0. Is the Laprade style available in that size?
3) Best option for getting the rust off the fork chrome
I was real pleased the paint cleaned up and looks presentable after some Griots Poly Wax.
Before starting clean up:
Before clean up:
After clean up and some wax:
