It is either a curse or a blessing, but when I get started with a cool project I kind of go full speed ahead.

Welcome to day two of my ‘build a fun BMX bike like I did in 1979’, cool, cheap and modified to my taste.

Yesterday I presented to you a piece of shit, cheap GT bike I found at a local secondhand shop. The grand total price of the bike was a whopping 40 bucks! Honestly, a bit much, but it was complete and had good bones. The first rule to remember when you are taking on a task like this is to make sure you really have something to work with. Now the bike is back at my shop and let the dismantling begin.

What you want to do is have a clean bench and all the tools you need. ( I also buy a bunch of baggies of different sizes just to keep the parts in order). As you can see, I went full on, this is 40 minutes into it:

Secondly, I went to my local bike shop where it is important to know people that work there. I went in smiling and asking for used and discarded BMX parts. Remember, the goal is to do this on the cheap, like a rat kid would do. So I went looking for bars, forks and a gooseneck. The boys hooked me up. Most (all) bicycle shops have a room or shed that they keep a inventory of old bikes, some they want to keep and some to cannibalize. My shop has a great selection, piles and piles of every part imaginable, sweet.

So with a bit of digging, I found the bars and a neck (plus another set of bars and some Cook Brothers forks that will make it on a later project), but the best part was the price. I got all of this for the total price of $5 dollars. I am sooo right on budget. Here is a pic;

5 Bucks baby!

Next thing was to get the cranks taken off the bike. I think this bike was left outside so the bottom bracket was a bit rusty and the bolts were seized, here goes another trip to the bike shop. With the frame in hand, I walk into a shop right down the road from my shop and asked if they “could help me out?” As most bike guys I know, most shops guys are decent and some are total dicks, these guys were awesome! It took some effort to get the crank off but with the help off a breaker bar, the arm came right off all for the price of $5 dollars again! That’s the good news…Bad news is, the bottom bracket is there to stay. It turns well but is locked in with a broken lockset, it’s in the bottom bracket for good. But thats ok, I can make it work and it also stops me from going to deep into restoration and keep it a fun project.

Now i’m back at the shop, I first separate the keeper parts form the junk. Here is the junk:

Junk Pile #1

Then I get to work.

I grind off all the cable tabs that were for the shifters, remember, keeping it basic. I sand and prep everything for paint. Speaking of paint, I had extra primer, great automotive paint and clear coat leftover from another art project i did earlier this month, so that means no extra cost! a couple of hours of grinding and sanding, I get things primed;

It amazes me how fast things can go when you enjoy the work, it is very reminiscent of my working habits as a kid in my makeshift workshop in the basement and I only spent $10 dollars!

I wrap things up and head home and let the primer dry.

Next up is wheel restoration and or switch out.