Before we started.
The underside of the grips, where sun and use have had no chance to turn them black and grungy.
Uh-oh, is that the dreaded Shimano 333 hub?
(Sigh.)
Hm. Actually, it's a Shimano 333 coaster brake, not the 333 3-speed hub that Sheldon Brown warns can fail catastrophically. The guys over at the Old Roads forum say that the 333 designation was used on a number of pre-1975 Shimano parts - so maybe the coaster brake will work okay?
The original tires are rock-hard and have deep fissures, so they will definitely need to be replaced. But for the record, the originals are Canadian-made Nylon 26 x 1 3/8 Clipper tires marked for EA3 rims:
The rims are unmarked except for this:
Just in case you needed evidence that rusty chrome plus lemon juice plus aluminum foil plus a little elbow grease magically equals shiny fabulous chrome:
This especially rusty area on the front fender was what we tried first, to compare methods. RustCure and extra-fine steel wool was working okay, but couldn't get everything; aluminum foil and lemon juice worked like magic. (Angel, is there anything you'd like to add, since you worked on this section?) That remaining spot you can see along the edge is bare steel under the chrome plating.
To our amazement, the foil-and-lemon-juice method even removed the discolouration on the white painted decal - without scratching up the decal (I rubbed VERY gently). The chainguard now looks practically new.
sweet! another Galaxie! Love it.
ReplyDeleteHave you worked out the year on yours yet?
come and take a peek at mine:
www.bikingtoronto.com/fletch
Yaaay!! I'm so jealous your's is ridable!! My Galaxie needs new tires/tubes & seat...but I did get a gift (must blog about) of lovely new handle bar grips! Perhaps that'll be my next blog post!!
ReplyDeleteWe can be jealous of each other then - I love the curved seat stay on yours - why oh why did they switch back to straight lines?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see yours finished. I'll be watching! :)
I'm pretty sure it has something to do with...lame-o-ness!!
ReplyDeleteBut yes, the curved stay was pretty much the reason I chose her as my #2 rescued bike from our community bike shop (#1 was a GORGEOUS Raleigh who needed more work than I was able to/willing to do + oh 28" wheels? I'm a short-ass!! not fair!!)
I'll go pout now! :D
hi!! n00b here, and i have the same model of ccm galaxie! <3 she's my baby now, but in rough shape. if i needed a new chain guard, or wanted to replace any decals, could you point me to a website that would sell such things? if it exists..*crosses fingers*
ReplyDeleteCandice I'm so happy to know someone else found a curvy galaxie like mine :) (Seriously!!)
ReplyDeleteGalaxie came as is so I've not had to buy any parts for her, however, as a group (ie the Edmonton LFL bloggers) we've had amaaazing (if slightly expensive) luck using a combination of eBay and a few local collectors for parts.
The other thing that has done magical wonders is finding a community run/accessible bike shop (like our EBC shop) that salvages non-ridable bikes to make into other bikes. It might take time, but it might save a large chunk of money. Plus those who volunteer at the shop usually have the BEST ties for help with finding parts.
I know locally there are a few CCM collectors as well who might be willing to part out certain items, so if you're in the Edmonton area let us know and we can put you in contact with a few people.
The last alternative is to check sites like kijiji/craigslist and see if you can steal parts from another bike (ie someone wants to sell a junker that has the right chain guard, you buy, take what you want, then donate/sell the remaining bits). It's not always easy to fix up an older bike, but patience makes it way easier!
Hi :) I'm a newbie to this bike. Someone kicked her to the curb and I thought she needed some love and respect. So I'm in the process of cleaning her up right now. It's the exact same as this one, same blue, coaster brakes and everything. I was wondering if you knew what year this bike was made in? And I also found that using an S.O.S pad worked wonders as well (as its also a wool pad it just has soap in it). Thanks!!
ReplyDelete