Andy_K 

I stripped the paint off the Takara so I could get a better look at the rust!



Honestly, it's a bit concerning how much rust survived the paint removal process. I don't even want to think about how the inside of the tubes must look. I did get a small pile of rust dumping out of the frame after I removed the parts. Luckily, these are not thin tubes.

The fork, I have to say, is stunning.



It's a bit wacky how nice the paint on the steerer is. I mean, a bit of overspray is inevitable, but they seem to have actually masked off the threads and painted the entire steerer with the same care the rest of the frame got. I'm a bit mystified as to how the paint on the steerer got chipped, but the gloss is amazing. I'm going to keep paint on the steerer and leave a note in sharpie to some future owner, explaining that this was what the original paint looked like.

Andy_K 

Close ups of the Takara's private parts. (I've cleaned up the rust and left over paint since taking these pictures.)












@gugie, on a scale of "Friday afternoon at the Raleigh factory" to "Peter Weigle" how would you rate this braze work?

gugie 

Well, there aren't any gaps I can see, so the frame is held together by actual brazed on material rather than flux and paint, so it's definitely better than most every early 70's Raleigh I've had in the Atelier. So, Friday afternoon after 3 pints at the pub Raleigh factory is a 1, Peter's work is a 10, I'd give it a 3 1/2. Kinda high zoot for a Clunker Challenge.

jdawginsc 

Bottom bracket soak for Bumblebina...


Top tub evaporust gel less successful....



Will probably have to hit it again.

nlerner

With a set of files and lots of time, you can thin those lugs and make it look like that SF Bay Area mystery frame!

jdawginsc 

I second that! Only about 60 hours of work in it!

wish there was a super clunker available close and not estimated over 100...thus the choice of the Nishiki...

Most of the clunkers here are beach cruisers..not even vintage...and priced not good.

You guys seem to have an everlasting supply of clunker possibilities!

Andy_K 

I feel the same way when I look at the Portland Craigslist. Search for bikes under $100 and it’s almost all kids bikes. Even old, low-end Schwinns that need work it seems like people are asking $150 to $200. I think part of the challenge is figuring out where to find good candidate bikes. There are ways. Ask @randyjawa. He has a great list of strategies. I’m not sure all of them work in all areas, but it’s at least things to try. I feel like I’m still at the very beginning of the learning curve.

jdawginsc 

Trust me...I read Randy’ and others’ strategies. It’s just a barren area for interesting bikes. Which is why getting the Tri-A at $40, and the Pinarello Surprise at $125 was such a windfall.

i also got a way too big 25” 1983 Trek 500 in great shape, and way too small 20” patinaed Schwinn voyager frame fork and HS for songs, but they aren’t clunker candidates. Not sure what I am going to do with those two.

rgvg

20 kms today. maybe 10kms yesterday. This is a small section of the BC Randonneurs City Limits permanent, which I would like to try at some point. I've done other sections before. On the plus side, it's all in the city. On the minus side, there's a whole lot of intersections with stop lights.


Nat Bailey Stadium home of the Vancouver Canadiens

Something fishy about this mural

Motorcycles, I know, but in earlier times purveyors of Apollos and Kuwaharas

Bannister and Landy

Just a tunnel

jdawginsc 

600 EX spindle. Elegant and perfect.



Pedals are a no go...Have no cap...no clips...might have to use the ugly $10 SPDs I bought a ways back.

Derailleur should be usable, though the lower pulley is over tightened I think.

Insidious C. 

Well I doubt this will score me favor with the judge(s) but just today I stumbled upon a free Raleigh on Portland CL. This particular model weighs about 150lbs. Other than that it's biggest flaw is the RD, which the rear wheel seems to have eaten. Plan: fix it, ride the requisite 100 miles, then drop off at Goodwill.

edit: so having posted this on my phone I did not realize the pic focus was poo. Will take better pics tomorrow.

Andy_K 

I had forgotten that EvapoRust was so nearly clear. I've been reusing the same jug for three or four years now. It's probably about time to replace it. Just for kicks I've been soaking my rusty chain in it. After a couple of days it shows no sign of change.

gugie 

I've been avoiding the Clunker Challenge, too busy, lots of other projects, etc., but with @Andy_K rescuing the Vernonia Takara, which we've both been eyeing for several years, I think I need to enter, especially since the plan is to ride from Col de Kaylor to drop it back off with in Vernonia. Since the ride from his house is exactly 100km, there's some cosmic karma telling me I have to join. @Insidious C. might want to join up.

Andy pointed out the pile of bikes I have in the Atelier, and an early 70's Raleigh Super Course seemed to be the right one. I picked it up for $50 awhile back with the idea of converting it to a 650b grocery getter. That can wait. The biggest challenge will be to find some 27" tires that fit the budget.

Pix forthcoming.

Andy_K 

Yeah, since you and @Insidious C. were along on the ride when we first noticed the Takara, it seems like destiny that we should repeat that journey.

RiddleOfSteel

You could say I stumbled into this Challenge by complete accident. Bike Works had their (now) monthly As-Is sale and I went looking for a bike to buy and do a full refurbishing/restoration of. Typically, these are smaller models as I am just keeping my Trek 620 as my only bike. I also went there to talk to the guys at BW that I know as well as @Mr. 66 who was also (as always) scouring the parking lot for something to pick up. I saw the Fuji among other tall, tired, vintage rides. Taller head tube, dirty and dusty but otherwise very nice underneath. I was immediately a fan. 27" wheels, 3x6 gearing, chrome socks and fork crown--a proper vintage Fuji! Mr. 66 half goaded me into getting it, but at their asking price, I could put some sweat equity into it and maybe make a couple of bucks on it, or just sell it for what I had into it monetarily. Whatever. It's another bike back on the road, made so by someone who hasn't killed themselves building their own zoo of bikes over the years. $100 out the door, so ol' Riddle is at the limit here. Could I have found a cheaper, taller bike for less? Sure, but price isn't the only thing in play here...

A note folded around the bottle cage from either the previous owner or donator (on behalf of the previous owner) indicated that a tune-up had been done and that the only problem at that moment was the need for pads to be replaced. As with all "tune-ups", either professional or at home; when they were done, how much was done, and the level of tune-up is a complete mystery. I suppose another factor is how well those components worked in the first place. The wheels are pretty much true, and the sealed (or "sealed") hubs spin well. The seatpost and stem moved easily and are in quite decent shape. The rest of the State of Tune needed some help from me via derailleur limits and flipping the QR lever on the calipers to "open" so that I could actually spin the wheel freely. Somehow this bike has survived this long--40 years!--and has remained 100% original. Maybe the brake cable housings have been replaced. The inner tubes definitely have. But everything else? A lot of evidence points to them being long time members of this S12-S's frameset. 26.6 lbs including pedals and all 8,000 reflectors.

As found/brought home:


High-falutin' double-butted chromoly tubing! Hi-ten fork (naturally).


Yes, this is an original-equipment Technomic stem! Standard on the LTDs.


Old gum hoods never cease to amaze in their ability to self-destruct. Also, very peculiar shift cable routing. Makes operating the brake levers from the hoods even more awkward.


Chromed and engraved fork crowns. Along with the chrome socks, yet another reason I am so happy to have a proper vintage Fuji that fits me (well enough).


I will be de-specking this chrome in due time. Very excited to do so!


The S12-S LTD all set up and ready for a night test ride (minus the lights). Stem and seatpost/saddle at maximum heights, the aforementioned derailleur and brake adjustments, as well as airing the tires up to 70/75 PSI (F/R). Quite minimal, and with a "tune up" I'd certainly hope it'd be.

So how does it ride? 27 x 1 1/8" (28mm nominal) tires that measure 24mm wide are a bit...firm. Add to that the poor brake lever position and cloth bar tape, and any crummy road is an instant nightmare. The saddle, despite feeling like a hatchet via one's finger test, is actually just fine. Gearing is 53/44/36T in front and a 14-30T out back. Front derailleur is reverse-pull. The shifting is best described as "reluctant" and "never settled." The dork disc rattles/buzzes all the time, and loudly. The braking is garbage from the hoods, and marginal from the drops. There are two gouges in the rear rim that are totally not concerning but don't seem to bother the brake calipers/pads. The 170mm cranks are quite nice to spin--knees very much like them. Bars are super narrow (36.5cm CTC on top, 38.5cm CTC in the drops). The steering is delightful! And it would be even better with brake levers in the right place, IMO.

Compared to modern or modernized bikes, and certainly much of what I build and ride, this bike is 'garbage' in a lot of ways. But it's 'fun garbage.' Maybe it's me getting older and more understanding, but in a safe operating space, bikes in these states of tune get along just fine. It looks classy as heck, and it's not even cleaned or wiped down. Outside of removing all dorky reflectors and the buzzy dork disc, I basically can't touch this bike for 100 kms / miles, lest I step over the $100 limit. The brake lever "hoods" will melt into thin air, the cloth bar tape will tear apart, and I'm not going to bother with what the tires might do. The tentative plan is to ride it the requisite distance, then do a full disassembly and frameset weighing, cleaning, and polishing. Then build with Dura-Ace & Company while the 620 is being worked on (canti post relocation, new color). Why bother with "just" an old Fuji? Well, before I bought it, I confirmed that the brake calipers could reach 700C wheels, and that there is clearance for 42mm tires. Gravel bike on the cheap?

Andy_K 

Looks nice! Those hoods should keep your hands from slipping off the brakes. :O

You should bring it down for a ride to Vernonia.

RiddleOfSteel

Thanks! I'll just ride the tops for 99.9% of things. Since the hoods do stick to me when riding on them, it can be considered a safety upgrade.

So here's the conundrum for me: I ride clipless for reasons of power transfer, some vanity (I mean, come on, let's be honest), and to help align my foot/knee/hips biomechanically since I have a left knee/leg that is now pretty particular. Since $80 Ultegra SPD-SL pedals blow the budget out of the water, I will have to do some distance testing to see how long I last with just regular shoes and these pedals. I'd love to not have any problems, but one never knows. The saddle doesn't go high enough for clipless shoe wearing (on top of 170mm vs 175mm crank lengths), but running shoes and these pedals seem to make up enough difference to be fine over the course of 5 miles so far. Certainly no 40 mile Vernonia ride, so I have some work to do. It sounds like a lot of fun. Riding bikes: 99% always fun, right? Right...

Andy_K 

I went paint shopping yesterday, visiting Ace, Home Despot, and Fred Meyer in search of the perfect blend of cheap, durable, and close to the color I wanted. My goal was to approximate the original color of the bike. I ended up with Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Gloss Deep Blue. Last night I used a piece of wooden rod as a test sample.

Yeah, that'll do.

Narhay

gugie RiddleOfSteel good...good...join us.

Narhay

Raleighs are an extra 3 points.

gugie 

Kinda FIFY, except we need to remove the "no" from the sentence. Plan is to do the 100km in one shot from Andy's place.

BFisher 

Alright, it looks like I'm in on this challenge with a $15 Rampar I picked up today from a nice guy one town to the north. It's rusty and crusty. Pic from the ad.


I spent a fair amount of time this evening with cleaning it up and will share some process pics in another post. Right now it looks like I'll dip into my used cable stash and possibly pull a pair of Kenda 27s out of the scrap here. Hopefully I can make the tubes that came with the bike work, although the front may be missing a valve stem.

BFisher 

More shots of the Rampar


Rusty Suntour Perfect 14-32


The headbadge


Polygon centerpulls


Ukai chromed steel rims that are miraculously nearly rust free.

Andy_K 

As I sat in my garage tonight, sanding rust off of the spokes of a bike that I got for free, it became clear to me just how fiendish the rules and spirit of this challenge are. Well conceived, @Narhay. Well conceived!

BFisher 

I applaud anybody putting a new paint job on one of these clunkers. That really is the extra mile. The stock paint on this Rampar, however, is staying. Looks like a seafoam that has faded nicely with a celeste-ish undercoat. A surprise find when I pulled the fork. First thing, though - couldn't bring myself to toss this rusty chain after measuring. The tape is held on with the 1 inch mark lined up centered on a pin.



Then I noticed the claw hanger was a bit out of sorts.


So, I removed the chain and gave it a bath.


Everything got a generous shot of PB Blaster and I began breaking it down further. The seatpost wasn't a huge struggle, but the stem was. Making progress:


It eventually succumbed to brute force. The bottom bracket was not a problem but did yield some sort of grease-fossilized winged creature.