kpug505

Why not ask Dave himself? His blog is a great read BTW. Check it! And ask him a question! Really cool guy and certainly one of the greatest frame builders ever! Nice score!
https://davesbikeblog.blogspot.com

sonatageek

Nice catch. Do you know what year the bike is? If you flip it you stand to make a very healthy profit.

FlatTop

That looks more like an original than a repro? You're doing something right, vincev! Nice catch!

BobHufford

That just makes me wish I was you ...

That has to rank right up there with one of the Top Ten finds. Congrats!

Bob

solveg

Wow. That's a great catch! Can we see more photos?

vincev

it sure was a lucky catch.serial number says its a 1953.was very dirty and in a really rundown garage.the old guy was very firm on his price.[not that i even tried toget it cheaper.did not want to get him mad] as far as i can tell the only thing that was changed was the seat.it is and old leather Pearsons.tires are original.chrome doesnt have that mirror finish.headlight and horn work after contacts were cleaned.

Bikedued

Man, I think you should go back and give the guy another 200-300 bucks just to improve your karma, lol. He pretty much paid you to take it.,,,,BD

bbattle

Thanks for the info. and suggestions. I checked Dave's blog and website; he did a comparison between his John Howard's and Dave Tesch's and used the pics of my DT in his article. I won't be doing any rattlecan job on this one; just touching up of the bubbly spots and a thorough cleaning of the bike. Cables probably could use replacing, too. Somebody bid on the bike four times in the last hour but amazingly stopped $2 short of my max bid. hmmm.

I will of course post lots of pics once I get a hold of the bike. Can't get on the bad side of the lanky lass.

East Hill

You wouldn't be on my bad side, we would just be disappointed .

I've come to the conclusion that this is why we get along so well here--we have all these photos to look at .

East Hill

kpug505

Hey,
As far as the bubbles, chips, scratches and scrapes are concerned…….I would suggest (coming from an ex-painter) getting on it asap. I would get one of these:

Then I would clean those suckers out with it. It will tear up rust and just feather the paint out a bit which will make touch ups nicer looking. Then I would go to a hobby shop and by some model enamel. If you can’t get the exact color (very likely) you can mix them. Just make sure you use the same brand and type of paint and mix small amounts at a time. Fingernail polish will work as well and the same rules apply. It won’t hold up as long though. After that… wax the tar out of it to help protect your touchups and what’s left of the original paint.
This bike is in my opinion a prime candidate for a re-spray and a re-decaling by a professional. It’s very special being an anniversary addition and deserves not only to be ridden but taken care of as well……...I love it and I am sure you will too.

Kelly D

bbattle

Thanks, kpug. I have considered contacting Dave about decals and such for a repaint but I think I'll wait a few months. My wife isn't too keen on the number of bikes that seem to appear out of nowhere in the garage and I've just found out I've got another frame coming; this one is Canadian:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...EOIBSA:US:1123

Duchey

Walked into the thrift store today and saw a group of MTB's sitting in the corner with this monster towering over them.
Had some dust on it and a rear that's been flat for a couple of months, but other than that it's brand spankin new. $60 and one new tube later and I'm all set for summer cruisin.

I wasnt kidding about it being brand new. This is right after I bought it, no wash or clean job at all, it's probably been thru the gears a hand full of times.

kpug505

[QUOTE=bbattle;6142054]Thanks, kpug. I have considered contacting Dave about decals and such for a repaint but I think I'll wait a few months. My wife isn't too keen on the number of bikes that seem to appear out of nowhere in the garage and I've just found out I've got another frame coming;


Hmm..........strange frame. Usually the seat tube is bent the other way to accommodate a shorter wheelbase. Perhaps this on is bent for comfort? It sure is neat! Appears to be very high quality. Weird choice of materials! I would suspect that the gentleman who built that frame was a bit of a free thinker.
I know about the "wife isn't too keen on the number of bikes" thing. Not only is my carport filled with bikes but the spare room is aswell! At the number I am holding I think she has gotten to the point of not realizing a new one has made it into the back room! Maybe you just need more bikes 'til she can't tell if its new or not! If she says anything just tell her your addiction is better than crack! That usually puts things into perspective. Or you can use my line "At least my habit pays for itself!".........Good luck with that!

sonatageek

I picked up a girls model 1952 Panther last summer, in quite good shape, from the original owner for $75.00. Not really my type of bike and offered it for sale on a couple of the bicycle related forums for local pick up, as I didn't want the hassle of shipping it. Got a response form a guy out in CA who checked and lined up a local bike shop where I could just drop it off and be done with the transaction. He paid $385 for the bike and another $75.00 for shipping.

As a boys model, well, your bike is worth a whole lot more ----

Yogurt

Did the Black Phantom come with the key?

vincev

no key came with the fork lock.the accessory lights are now working and so is the siren onthe front wheel.took the bike out for a ride.cannot go very far.this thing is really heavy.this would be a great trainer.if you could put 10 miles on this beast theres no telling how far you could go on a modern bike.

Sirrus Rider

Oh but that's the way things were back in the late '80's. Bicycling in America was re-awakening with one name on it's lips.. Lemond. The bike graphics for the mainstream was flashy and everyone wanted the tightest geometry they can find as evidenced by the whippy steering you experienced. How do I know? Here is my main ride: An '88 Specialized Sirrus.

jgedwa

Is that a wood screw head I see somehow magically holding the big chain ring on?

jim

Duchey

You know it. Good old China made Trek right there.

StokerPoker

Actually, I believe that screw holds the chainring protector on. The cheapo rivited Suntour SR crankset on my Marin looks a lot like that.

jgedwa

I am on a roll! Slingshot MTB frame!

Sorry, East Hill, still no camera.

This one will be for my future brother-in-law, who has been looking for one for a while.

jim

WNG

This was a wheel weekend for me. Picked up 2 sets of wheels....
one set are Specialized MTB wheels with Alex Rims M20's, Specialized front hub, Shimano FHM40 8spd Freehub w/ 8spd HG cassette, and WTB tires. Skewers were missing though.
So, I got them for $20.

The other set are 700C Specialized wheels, off an Allez I think, but must verify this. They look barely used.
They have Alex Rims DA16's. The front is 28H radial-spoked, rear is 32H. Both laced to unidentifiable black hubs. I was told they are Specialized hubs. Rear is Shimano freehub compatible. Skewers have the familiar 'S'. Tires are a mismatched pair of 23mm 'turbo', and Forte 28mm at the rear. Too bad the cassette is missing and the spokes are black.
But for $25...

Not killer deals compared to whole bikes for that much, but my attitude is that you can never have too many good wheels.

kpug505

I love those weird slingshots! The only one I've ever seen in person was at a LBS in Seattle. It has been in their rental fleet for 10 or so years! He still wants $600 for it........

brandenjs

{The other set are 700C Specialized wheels, off an Allez I think, but must verify this. They look barely used.
They have Alex Rims DA16's. The front is 28H radial-spoked, rear is 32H. Both laced to unidentifiable black hubs. I was told they are Specialized hubs. Rear is Shimano freehub compatible. Skewers have the familiar 'S'. Tires are a mismatched pair of 23mm 'turbo', and Forte 28mm at the rear. Too bad the cassette is missing and the spokes are black.
But for $25...}



Nice finds WNG, I'm looking for a cheap set of 700's to put on my Le Tour so I can preserve the steels that are on it now. If you ever decide to part with a set let me know..I can't come across any good deals on wheels in my area..

bct555

Probably not much of a catch after looking at some of these other deals but I picked up three yesterday for $90. First one is a huge 68cm Marukin M-410 12 spd w/suntour AR. Also got 2 cool old 3 speeds, one is a austrian made sears with a Sachs torpedo 3 speed hub w/coaster brake and the other is a executive, austrian made 3 spd with a twist shifter. I had to replace bar wrap on the marukin and tubes on the 3 speeds and just a good clean up.