Hi,

I just bought a univega viva sport for $100.00 off craigslist (serial number J578443 which I read is 1881). The guy threw in some tubes,tires,a new saddle, and bar tape. Anyway I have taken the bike apart to clean it ( most of it ) but was wondering how to clean the parts/frame. I have washed it with soap and water but am getting ready to go to the store tomorrow to buy some supplies. From the pictures you can see that there are some pretty good scratches with some rust along the crossbar, why? I have no idea. My question is what is the best way to get rid of the rust and scratches? I heard sand paper was effective but the scratches do go over the "viva sport" decal and I don't want to ruin them further. Besides that all the stock parts seems to work but are very greasy and have sticky black **** all over them. I head that you can use bronze wool but can I use it on all the parts? Should I just put them all in a oa bath? I do realize that it probably is not possible to restore it perfectly without having it professionally painted, but what can i do in the meantime to really clean it up?

Any help or suggestions would be awesome,
Thank

Congrats, that looks like a very nice frame! Be careful with cleaning. I am usually of the dish soap and water and then wax school. I am sure you will get good advice here on anything more elaborate. I have never used sandpaper to clean up a bicycle. With the exception of that one speckled area the paint looks good. I will say for sure keep any sand paper away from those decals.

Thanks a lot , I used some simple green and steel wool. It got the rust off but took off a little paint to the white primer so I stopped it. Was thinking of maybe Oxalic Acid bath, do you think I could use OA bath on all the parts and wheels too? I have some naval Jelly but I don't know if I should use that either

Naval jelly will remove paint, but I've seen some great results posted here from people who have used it on the all-metal bits.

aluminum foil and water work well on light rust - but be careful of messing with painted areas
honestly - i say grease the bearings and reassemble and ride
let her look her age

That should be a nice bike... good find.
I've had great results with dish detergent and water to clean the frame. I use old tooth brushes in the tight areas. Rinse it with clean water (I like a spray bottle) and wipe with a soft cloth. Follow that with an automotive cleaning wax like Meguiars Cleaner Wax. It will protect from rust for a while.

Most things that really remove rust will damage your paint and/or decals too, and I've not found a good solution other than a bit of WD-40 or 3-in-one type oil to loosen the rust before washing and waxing it.

I've used Zep Big Orange aerosol ($12-15 in car parts stores) to clean bare alloy parts like derailleurs, metal brake parts, cranks, etc. It REALLY works with hard to reach old, hard gunk and leaves the alloy parts sparkling. Be sure to rinse it off immediately and dry the parts with compressed air if possible, then lube where appropriate. Tried many others before Big Orange and it is in a class of its own for aluminum alloy parts.

+1 on both points

aluminum foil+windex for chrome/plain metal, I've had wonderful results removing rust from paint with white vinegar soaked rags... and there's tons of other techniques listed on the site too. Nice bike for your first resto! Mine was a beat up raleigh sport... looking forward to your updates!

Thanks for the advice guys, I have cleaned almost everything (used a combination of simple green, soap, steel wool and a rag). The paint is not that bad considering its age so I am just going to wax it up.All I have left to clean is the wheel set, which I think I will try the aluminum foil on. I am going to try the orange spray into the derailleur followed by water and air. Should have the bike up by this weekend, ill post pictures. Only problem I ran into was not being able to get the crank off.... had to remove the fixed cup. Makes it pretty interesting to clean as well, maybe use the orange spray there as well.

I'm in the same boat as you. The only thing I'm struggling with is dealing with rust in painted area. Like on the edges of lugs, spots of rust along the top tube, and the chainstay. Might try the vinegar method above..

If anyone has any further advice of taking rust away but not hurting the paint work...

Ian/Katy the foil/windex trick is wonderful but for the same reason it is so good you'll find it'll be annoying to do rims/wheels but it's doable, the foil isn't harder then the metal you're cleaning so you can't damage it.. but unless you're careful to go around the spokes not to try and rub them in the same motion it'll just shred on them!

I have used a combination of steel wool and WD-40 for rusted splotches within paint... it worked for me. A brass brush on chrome parts work good as well. Diet soda and aluminum foil are more of a softer and cheaper approach but you can get just as good results with that combination as well

There is also Meguires scracth x which is sold at auto parts stores. Which is kind of good in restoring the brilliance of the paint. It removes some paint a little but it makes it shiny and squeaky clean.

I would just ripp off the decals.. it will probably look better without them.. unless your into labels

That looks like a really beautiful bike- +1 on the Megulars, as well as the diet soda and aluminum foil advice. As for waxing the bike, servicing it and riding- that's what it's all about.