(MBBO#05 Class1) 68 Vista Torino 500 (Everything is finished and as it should be!)

[QUEASY RIDER]

I've had this bike for a little while now and been collecting parts for it as I can find them. Over the last 3 days I started working on it to bring it to completion. I figured why not share it on RRB. This is what the bike looked like 3 days ago and what the the end result should look like.

I will give a background on how the bike got to the condition you see in the photo. I had been looking for a 68 Vista Torino for a long time. I saw a girls Vista on eBay and noticed it was almost all the correct parts for a 68. Of course I bought it.

This bike gave me the correct wheels, seat, sissybar, stem, chainguard, sprocket, crank and fenders. Many of these a one year only parts. Then months go by and I find a 68 boys frame. This was missing most of the parts, but it did have the correct 5 speed sprocket with it. So the game was on. I now had enough pieces to the puzzle to start putting it together.


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[Green Dragon]

watching this one with interest - looks like a good start.
I have a 500 in my build que,had frame damage and just recently cut out and repairing, so movves way up the que.
I find it interesting the 68 shown uses the Simplex shifter, nice units but seldom seen on bikes.
(note: are you having the decals made ? or know of a source ? as I need those for mine. A guy had guard decals listed a while back on ebay but did not grab one and not seen them offered since ).

 

[QUEASY RIDER]

watching this one with interest - looks like a good start.
I have a 500 in my build que,had frame damage and just recently cut out and repairing, so movves way up the que.
I find it interesting the 68 shown uses the Simplex shifter, nice units but seldom seen on bikes.
(note: are you having the decals made ? or know of a source ? as I need those for mine. A guy had guard decals listed a while back on ebay but did not grab one and not seen them offered since ).

The Simplex shifter and derailleur were only used on the 68. The following model years all used the Shimano shifter and a Huret derailleur. The Simplex setup is a little tougher to set up, but once dialed in works beautifully.
I have seen the Banana chainguard decal on eBay and its still offered. I haven't seen the Torino decal though. I'm going to have them made locally.


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[QUEASY RIDER]

I built it up as the coaster version originally, decided to make it a 5 speed.

I lace the original rear rim onto Mallard hub. I didn't know what brand Vista used originally, but I felt Mallard might be a good guess because Vista liked to use the same component companies that Schwinn used.

When I first converted it to 5 speed, I was using a Huret derailleur and a shimano shifter because hadn't acquired the Simplex components yet.

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I used the Weinmann calipers and non ball end red dot levers.

So all this got me a riding beater bike.


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[OddJob]

Welcome to the build off! I will follow as I learn about yet another muscle bike that is new to me.
And they say old dogs can't learn new tricks...phtttt!

 

[Green Dragon]

Interesting info. I agree on the Simplex being a paion to set up, was tinkering with one today on my Puch-built Sears.

Not sure what Hubs Vista used either, got mine as a basket case,will have to snap a pic. I noted you used the 1020 brakes.not 1080 = good news that those are long enough.
Not sure the year on mine, but it has the BMA sticker so newer.
If/ when you get the decals done, let me know, could help with costs / buy a set.

 

[QUEASY RIDER]

Now that I had the Torino to riding condition I started looking for more of the correct parts for a 68 bike. I bought an NOS Simplex stick shifter from KevinM on this forum and a Simplex derailleur on eBay. I also picked up some new handlebars that were a very close match to originals from Clyde James Cycles here in the DFW area.

So now everything is pretty much worked out to have the right equipment. But, you can see a glimps of the rear fender in the shifter photo. There was no way to make this look good without rechroming. I ended up using a Sting-Ray fender for an S-7 rear wheel. It was a near match. The 68 Torinos used S-7 front and rear, so the Sting-Ray fender was a good match. The replacement fender has great chrome and no dents, but someone painted the stays white. I figured they were probably rusted under the paint.

Now that I like all the pieces on the bike and I'm sure that once everything is cleaned and the frame has fresh paint, it should make a respectable looking bike. So I tore everything back apart. I had to take the frame to Clyde James Cycles for a need repair to the built in kickstand area. The blue girls bike donated one more part, the kickstand area of its frame.

Once the repairs were made the bike sat dormant for a few months.
I kept watching eBay for a white wall 20x1 3/4 S-7 slick. I kept seeing junk or crazy prices. Then finally a few weeks ago an NOS Goodyear Grasshopper turned up on a Buy It Now. I was leery to buy because the seller didn't take PayPal. I took the chance and it was worth it. The seller is KustomKrates. He is a start shooter. Nice parts, fair pricing and fast shipping. Now that I had the hard tire to find, I went and bought a WSW front tire. So now it became time to finish it!


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[LukeTheJoker]

Welcome to the build-off, looking forward to watching all those parts come back together!

Luke.

 

[Psycho Sammi]

I love the way that sissy bar curves to the shape of the back of the seat. Can't wait to see the finished build

 

[QUEASY RIDER]

4 days ago I started on finishing this bike. I bought paint stripper and it took off the brush paint red and the original green and down to the bare metal. I tried this same stripper on I Fastback that I'm also doing over now. It wasn't strong enough to get to bare metal. It removed the blue color coat, some of the silver base and some of the primer. I used to use a product called Zing, but can't find it anymore. What product are any of you using?

. I rubbed down the bare Vista frame with lacquer thinner to neutralize the stripper. Then I used etching primer, high heat engine gold and the cleared over it. I let the frame dry for 2 days before doing any assembly on it.

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[pholTmonx]

If going to bare metal, I like to scuff with either a wire wheel of some hevy grit sand paper. This gives the stripper a better chance to get under all the layers instead of needing to leach vapor all the way under. Smaller parts do in a tub container. The issue w working stripper on bench is its vapor weighs more than air so it literally rolls off the table.
I was doing some large panels yesterday 8'*4'. I had it blocked off the ground w 1"runners half the backside was ready to scrape when I flipped it from trapped vapor

 

[QUEASY RIDER]

If going to bare metal, I like to scuff with either a wire wheel of some hevy grit sand paper. This gives the stripper a better chance to get under all the layers instead of needing to leach vapor all the way under. Smaller parts do in a tub container. The issue w working stripper on bench is its vapor weighs more than air so it literally rolls off the table.
I was doing some large panels yesterday 8'*4'. I had it blocked off the ground w 1"runners half the backside was ready to scrape when I flipped it from trapped vapor

Thanks. I agree with the method you suggest. That's why I liked Zing. I didn't have to do any prep. I just brushed it on and it never failed to go down to bare metal on anything.


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[QUEASY RIDER]

Time to clean up some parts. Here is the crank assembly. I wash really crusty stuff in my parts washer and other items I will just use Simple Green and let them soak in the wash basin before scrubbing. I don't use steel wool. I use Chore Boy copper wool. It doesn't scratch. Then I clean with chrome polish.

Here is everything together and in place.

Next is the fork components.

And then, fork attached to frame.

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Starting to look like a bike again.


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[CRASH]

That gold came out really nice for a rattle can!

 

[QUEASY RIDER]

As I said earlier, I am using a Sting-Ray S7 rear fender. The stays were painted white so I had some fun restoring them back to their cad look.

This fender was on a coaster brake bike so I had to make a bracket to hold the fender in the bridge location.

Here the bracket is shown in location.

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[OddJob]

I spy a whitewall on that rear tire.....whitewalls and gold and chrome...yummm.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

That paint has come out awesome!
Going back together nicely!

Luke.

 

[QUEASY RIDER]

I spy a whitewall on that rear tire.....whitewalls and gold and chrome...yummm.

Ahh what good eyes you have!


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[QUEASY RIDER]

Once the fender was in place it was time to install the derailleur. Because of the design of the dropouts, the derailleur can't be mounted tight. It has to move to allow the axle to work itself through the channel and to the point it is seated. Then the derailleur can be tightened into position. I also remove the washer and nut from the axle on the derailleur side. So here is the back end of the bike coming together.

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[QUEASY RIDER]

Time to put the chainguard on and show the kickstand details. This is the area of the fram the was repaired at Clyde James Cycles. A and yes I could have massaged the weld to be smooth as glass, but they didn't from the factory, so I didn't either.

Closeup off the brakes in place.

The gold grips came with the boys frame. Strange because the boys frame was hand painted red over the original green. I guess this bikes destiny was to be gold!

Shifter back were it belongs, adjusted and working properly!

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