In the early seventies I had a gold metal flake KIA, yes KIA, the same company that makes cars now. It had a black banana seat, a five speed bike with front and rear brakes. The tires had a white stripe on them and it had chrome fenders.
Needless to say KIAs are hard to find. They look much like a Schwinn Stingray with the larger front wheel. It was the bike that started my life long relationship with bicycling. At a young age I rode it around Belle Isle in Detroit Michigan during a charity ride.
What can I do to recreate this bike? The Stingray is very close but I want to make one exactly like my KIA, so I don't want to ruin a collectors item or pay the collectors price for one just to turn around and usjust parts of it. Does anyone make reproduction frames of the Stingray and couyld I find the five speed hardare? Is there anyone that can paint it and build it to my specs?