Polished Turd (depends on how you define "vintage")

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yoothgeye

I build stuff.
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This is another one of my builds I'm moving over from ratrodbmx.com

I decided that since I was putting together this beater I'd at least try to record a little of what I've been doing. A couple months back I stopped by a kid's house to replace his chainring for him. He had an Eastern bike and his microdrive chainring was bent horribly! He was missing spacers and when I told him he produced a beat up Haro frame, missing rear wheel but otherwise complete. It's a 2003 Haro TR2.2. After we grabbed what he needed on his bike he said I could have the Haro, I asked what he was going to do with the chainring, "trash" so I kept it and had a guy a church put it in a press and straighten it out.

Like I said, this Haro was really beat up, the kids were ghost riding it down a hill in the woods, back wheel was trashed. I tore down the frame in anticipation of painting it:
SAM_0642.jpg


When I pulled out a $5 Hyperco Mike Spinner bike that I bought for the small 1 piece crank chainring (for my RRB Build-off bike) I realized it had a decent wheelset and seat and that was pretty much what I needed to make this Haro a rider.

I decided since this would be a beater, no use throwing spray paint on it that would just get all scratched up, so today I started to polish the turd.

I started out by using a heat gun to remove the decals, then sprayed Goo Gone gel on them to remove the sticky residue. After cleaning them off I took mag wheel polish and rubbed it on the frame with 0000 steel wool to remove stains and scratches and clean up the rust in the deeper scratches. After this I used a spray on car cleaner and polish and it really cleaned up well!
SAM_0687.jpg


When I removed the decals the red from them had bled into the paint and now I have sort of "ghost" lettering (look close):
SAM_0688.jpg


I'll be putting the original fork, crank arms, seat clamp, seat post, rear brake, brake lever, stem, and handlebars on this bike along with the saddle from the Hyperco and the wheels and tires, finish it off with the repaired Eastern chainring and whatever pedals and grips I can find in my shop.

Should be a pretty nice little rider.
 
Re: Polished Turd (depends on how you definite "vintage")

Motomike said:
Looks like it's cleaning up pretty good. It will make a great rider.

The paint doesn't show in the photo, but it actually shines and it's slick as glass. Hope to be riding it in a few days.
 
Re: Polished Turd (depends on how you definite "vintage")

outskirtscustoms said:
If you're worried about scratches just raw it out. Bare metal looks great and doesn't scratch.

Raw would require some sort of treatment to fight rust and this original paint has impressed the people who have passed it hanging in my shop, the kid who gave it to me couldn't believe what I'd done with it.

Yesterday I removed decals from fork and bars, cleaned and polished them them cleaned and polished wheels and tires. Almost ready for assembly. Only thing I need are some new style grips in decent condition. I have a set of fluorescent green grips and a matching chain... that would really ugly up this bike, maybe I should do it.
 
Re: Polished Turd (depends on how you definite "vintage")

I had some time today and took a break from the build-off bike and put this turd together. I cleaned and polished the stem, cranks, brake arms, and seat post. I cut the seat post so it would easily slam the seat.

I have a few items on the list to finish, tension the chain, install the brake cable, and find some black pedals. I rode it down to the store and it's a solid little bike.

I had the neon green chain and grips that had been given to me a couple Christmases ago, and I decided to put them on the bike since they don't match at all and I'm all about clashing.

SAM_0754.jpg


SAM_0755.jpg
 
Re: Polished Turd (depends on how you definite "vintage")

Since that last update I made a chain tensioner, put on one of those urban camo Diamond Back saddles, and put on some black alloy Diamond Back pedals. I also pulled a set of 20x2.35 tires off a Mongoose bike and removed the "MONGOOSE" but haven't installed them yet, the wide tires should be sweet.
 
Re: Polished Turd (depends on how you definite "vintage")

How did you make your chain tensioner? I like the polished turd, am polishing one of my own.
 
Re: Polished Turd (depends on how you definite "vintage")

No photos, but I welded an axle washer to a small bolt then I got a small piece of aluminum channel to go over the end of the drop outs and drilled a hole in it for the bolt to go through and put a washer and nut on the other side, when the axle is loose you can tighten the bolt and it pulls the axle back, then you can tighten it down.
 

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