Another Dimension, Another Dimension.... The Realm Brand Cruiser ft. Bobby Turnwillow as "Red"

[shwsrvcs]

In Southern California when it rains, it always is unexpected. Drought? but it rain's once a month on the morning after I wash the car....

Such is the case with this "the Realm" beach cruiser. I went from seeing one on this site to finding one for sale on craigslist. Got lucky caller number one with the seller and brought that home. It was like a prize in a sweepstakes to get that funky funky bike and get to give it a new spin. It came out great! I posted it and sold it in 2 hours and I cried when it was gone too soon.

Or so I thought.....

Lo and behold, the bike has sort of turned into Be Be Kids... It don't die! it multiplied!
it also brought along it's red headed step child cousin "Red" this time. "Red" is cool. I already knew him from before and compared to last time... he's actually cleaned up his act.

All Metaphors aside... I picked up two more black the Realm cruisers last week, both in worse shape than the first as well as a red/orange the realm cruiser. All told, the cost for the 3 has been $70 and I will be busy on them all the way till sunday I think... so there is that!

Here are some pics of the trio as they begin treatment for being rusty ... such and such derelicts.

 

[horsefarmer]

Very nice build material! Really like the red one with the triple tree, do they take a 1 1/8" steerer tube?

 

[shwsrvcs]

That one I've been going over in my head since last year when I got ahold of my first red realm. I used that one for parts since the frame is bent. (it hangs over my soldering station / electronics work bench) When this one came up, I just so happened to have a Schwinn s-25 mtb sitting around. I borrowed those forks to check my head and see if the dream was a reality...

I wish i was so lucky...

the forks are too thick to fit thru the neck if the bearing cups are in place. Illl have to will it to happen. After the black twins...
OH... by the way.. stopped by the Goodwill off Newport Blvd today.. Be be's Kid's was there too!! This one was in way too good of shape for my blood...

Back at home by 5pm, I Worked on the frame that had the most rust today... got it pretty far and was jamming on some interesting pant schemes.. when I recieved a phone call...
One of the two twins is "sold" as soon as it is done... The caller was interested in the Della Cruz from a little bit ago, that was gone,

I told him what I have going on and he decided he would buy one of these latest I'm writing about now....

I had already gotten in the flow with the first one like I just was saying so I guess that leaves the other one going to him. I put the gold on the backburner and began at the top again with the second bicycle. At least the rusting isnt going to be a hassle on this one.

My girl keeps telling me that I should just clean up the chrome and sell it to him with the current paint.... She says the guy would want to have the stock paint over anything I do. I tell her, "Im not trying to just re-sell a bike from a store.. If he's on the bike riding it and somebody likes the bike with the cookie cutter paint... they ask he say's what brand it is... they go "??" and that ends that. If same scenario happens but bike is all my efforts, paint, changed parts, rebuilt seat... etc, He will be more likely to send interested parties my way"

Well I try to tell her that but she is refuting things she thinks I'm about to say as I am not saying them... ending off with, people don't want to buy a bike if you put your name all over it and would pay more if I keep the stock paint....
I wait it out and then ask " Do you know who Carroll Shelby is?"

"Well they don't go and change it all around and put their name on it" I show her the images to which she responds with. "Yeah but your are just fixing a bike." I hopped on the bike and took a ride...

he wants it black and red, to use as a pit bike. I can do black and red....

 

[horsefarmer]

Hope to come across one of those someday. They look unique.

 

[shwsrvcs]

I got these first two I did in this round sold to the same person. He wanted 2 of them looking alike. SO I did that. Both in red and black. Can you tell which of the two was the rustier one to begin with?

as for the other the Realm. Im still working out the particulars for the neck. it's a 1" and the fork I want to use is a 1 1/8... it fits thru and is pretty well stable as it is, but i couldn't sell it like that... so I may just go back to the original normal forks this time. Or keep it to ride to the corner... like my schwinn... and my Electra... and the Trek MTB... yeah... I might just!

 

[shwsrvcs]

 

[shwsrvcs]

i posted this ad on CL today.,,

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/5234915914.html

it reads...
The other day I was finishing 2 identical beach cruisers in my garage. One of them happened to have it's back rim outside of the garage door and that was far enough out for some fine upstanding citizen to feel entitled to walk up my driveway and ride off with it... very nice of him. I was sitting at my computer, in the garage when it happened

Lesson learned not much I can do to get it back... i know it, you know it... it's crap, but it is what it is...
Do me a favor though.... if you see this bike.. if you buy it. if you have it.

enjoy it. it runs great. looks better. it was customized and done the right way all the way through.

just remember it was my hard work that took it from the rusty mess I got it in and the cool bike it became.