AdventureManCO 

This has been my exact experience so far every time I say to myself "I know what I'll do! I'll make great progress today and attach that downtube cable guide! How hard can it be?" 0 for 2.

RCMoeur 

I feel yuh pain, but in a less-spectacular manner.

I have a 3 speed Sun rustbucket cruiser that's been sitting on my back porch since last September (along with a dozen or more other two-wheeled "projects"). I finally started tearing it down for cleaning and overhaul, and every time I think I'm going to make progress, something else happens. Today's baseball bat to the critical path was looking at the crank and seeing that although the rust remover did its job, the surface still looked rather pockymarky. A few passes with the cheap chrome paint spiffed it up, but now I can't work on that part until the paint sets... and so it drags on into another day.

dddd

A good few details of that find remind me of the Steyr Clubman that I adopted and TLC'd to death, and after glancing that fork crown and U08-scale head lugs I didn't even have to look to know that there would be cotter cranks appearing as I scrolled...

Diamonds in the rough, all of 'em, but those Simplex plastic front mech's are definitely problematic at this juncture.

I would not easily let that Teutonic bike out of my thoughts without measuring it's top tube, seat tube and frame angles.
I am, however, a sucker for nice, original paint and stylish graphics, lining and at least some chrome.

Coincidentally, I took a short field trip the other day after snagging that artistic Colnago. Found me a nice pile of Chorus-11 and Veloce-10 components along with a complete and clean 1979 celeste Bianchi Rekord 748 (a Columbus Zeta gas-pipe version of a perhaps real racing bike).
Everything for $300, I could NOT pass it up. But I ran over a sign post laying in the middle of the freeway on the way home that did minor damage to my car's plastic undercarriage shielding, so added cost of doing "business". Did also find cracks in the Bianchi's right crank arm.

AdventureManCO 

A little more rust that what appears in the photo, but it is all surface. I remember seeing this rear brake bridge on another bike posted around these parts, but I can't find hardly any mention of a single 'Rekord' bike apart from a Bianchi model. It actually isn't that bad of a package - just missing wheels, stem, bars, levers, saddle and seatpost (EDIT: and pedals). I maybe have around 1/2 that stuff. Probably have a chrome seatpost that will fit, I know I've got a stem, I have steel handlebars from a donor bike (but I don't really want to use anything steel)...I dunno, we'll see. Might even have some dual pivots hanging out.

Sad thing is I used to have way more before I donated it all to another co-op. Whoops! I'll take a look and see what I've got. I feel only high flange hubs would do!

I can hear the Huffy crying as I type all this out...

AdventureManCO 

Sometimes things go slow that we don't go overboard and muck things up. Feel free to post up pictures.

dddd

I kept going back to the co-op for parts to complete my projects, but kept coming home with frames, wheels and more bikes!

AdventureManCO 

Our co-op just upped their prices for this year, and while it's nothing astronomical ($15 for a rd, $60 for a wheelset), that is $$$ that I can see getting an entire bike for if I wait long enough. In the old tool/machinery world, they are called 'bottom feeders' and it usually is what you are when you wait for a tool (we are talking table saws, planers, jointers, etc) to be at or under $100. Bottom feeder in the bike world is probably around the same, maybe even a little less. I'm thinking $60 and less. Except if it is a Huffy. Then any amount you pay is overpaying.

AdventureManCO 

Oooh, look what just came in in the mail. Reference post # 392





Is is going to sandwich the seat tube 'Huffy 12' decal.

tendency

Nothin' beats huffin' on yer huffy - ill just leave it at that.

AdventureManCO 

New paint -

Eric F 

Please tell us you're going to re-do the red in the H cutout. That was classy AF.

AdventureManCO 

Crapagnolo downtube cable guide. This thing sucks...can't believe I had to put this piece of garbage on my beautiful Le Grande. If I find a better solution it gets removed pronto.


Trying to straighten this hunk 'o junk



Thinner shim made, and de-burred all the way around







If you see some discoloration on the paint, well, that's because the paint hasn't fully cured, so it was sort of 'grabbing' the alloy shim, and discoloring the paint. The great news is that I didn't really mar or scratch the paint, so when it finally cures up hard, I should be able to polish the paint around it and clean it up. I'm also sort of glad I did this while the paint was still a little bit soft, as hopefully it will sink in slightly to the paint, and help to grab it and hold it better. I still cannot believe just what an incredible match this paint was...amazing.

I'm really liking all the Campy stuff I've gotten my hands on...except this thing. Just impossible to straighten, cracks the chrome instantly, not round at all, just really hokey feeling. But it's got that nice 'Campagnolo' stamped logo...that logo was worth $25!!! And it's not going to work as is - won't wrap around the seat tube w/out making contact. We'll sort it out, just...meh.

Eric F 

I used a Huret Jubilee cable guide for my '77 Nishiki build. Way more elegant than the Campy one, IMO.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/26599701403...4AAOSwf-pjeAnM

AdventureManCO 

This was my favorite part of the build so far, you'll see why. Satisfaction.







Both other parts I've done a shim for have been steel, and chromed. This part...this part was alloy. Complete freedom.

jdawginsc 

The Huffy is rejecting Italian parts. It wants the authentic clothes you stole from it...

AdventureManCO 

FD is still dirty in these photos. Just wait.

AdventureManCO 

Were not done, not nearly. This is just the beginning.

AdventureManCO 

Yes, it is putting up a fight. But I knew the fight was coming. I will win.

AdventureManCO 

That is better. Campy one sucks. Now if I only knew if something like that fit the Le Grande with it's giant BB shell.

AdventureManCO 

Absolutely 100%. Actually I'm sort of wondering if I should also paint the inside of the FD clamp around the Campy lettering as well. It's kinda asking for it.

SurferRosa

John 11:35

AdventureManCO 

RCMoeur 

You know who'd have some expert advice on that? Dri....
oh, never mind. Have fun. I'm sure it'll look way cool.

Mad Honk 

I don't quite understand it... in post 742 you show the so called dirty FD with the clamp nut in the correct position. Then when you clean it up, and install it on the seat tube you put the nut on backwards. ???? Smiles, MH

jdawginsc 

I have a Cinelli aero stem carcass (it’s not a useable stem) if you want it for the front fork crown extender. You could mill a scallop into it I think.