Monday, July 11, 2011

In the Middle of A New Project

Welcome new comers to what I hope will be the place that I explore life and all the wonderful things it has to offer.  Here I plan to explore my hobbies and habits including, but not limited to, my interest in all things vintage and my desire to more fully connect with the places I live and travel.

I've called this blog The Virtual Curio, because a curio is a place, often a cabinet, where one displays the treasures or oddities collected over the years. I'd like this to be a place to discuss my interests and curiosities and for you to discuss yours as well. I am sure that my purpose will evolve with use and feedback.  For now, please enjoy and feel free to comment.

So, for my first official post, I'd like to talk about a project I've been working on for a couple of months with my dad.

My father is one of the most talented mechanics I know, and all my life I can remember him in his garage, restoring cars and motorcycles.  I've always wanted to work on a project with him but have never been in a financial place to have a second vehicle.

Imagine my pleasure then, to find a project worthy of my time and efficient to my budget.


During an afternoon of junk store browsing with my mom, I was elated to find this old, rusty bike sitting in a corner for $15.

After doing some research, I'm pretty sure that it is a 1965 Schwinn ladies bike.  Unfortunately, I did discover that the paint was most likely not original, so this is not my ideal project bike that can be restored to its original glory.


However, it is a great place to start developing a love for bike restoration and a wonderful way to spend some time with my dad.  We decided after pulling the bike apart to have the handlebar, fenders, and wheels powder coated.  I'm still in the process of trying to remove the stem and the pedals as the years of rust and mistreatment have stuck them on pretty well.  But, we've come a long way in cleaning those areas up as shown in the pictures below.





Here's a before picture...





And, here is how it looks now...












I haven't been able to finish the project yet as my dad lives in Illinois and I am in Texas, but I have plans to head up later this summer to put the pieces together and install the most awesome of white wall tires that I found on ebay.  I'm really looking forward to tooling around town with my vintage bike, wicker basket and all, once it's complete.


For now, that's all. Except to say that I'd love this blog to be interactive.  As I build readers, I'd like to hear from you.  So, please comment on this post and tell me about your summer projects.

5 comments:

  1. Welcome back!

    I love the new idea and that bike. I was just thinking to myself that I wanted a bike like this one to take me to the store and ride around, but nothing fancy. Something that you would see in a postcard from Amsterdam. I look forward to reading more of your blog. Good luck!

    And aren't you in Houston? I am, too.

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  2. Thanks for being my first commenter on the new blog. I appreciate it.

    I had been in Houston before the hike, but now I am in the Corpus Christi area for the foreseeable future. I am hoping once it is a little cooler to use my bike to tool around town.

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  3. Well, I followed your other blog. I just couldn't always comment at work. For some reason, my work blogs the post comment popups. However, they seem to working right now.

    Oh I used to live in Corpus.

    Yes, that's how running has been for me. Too hot, yes, that couch does sound divine.

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  4. The bike project will have to be on hold for a while as I have to head back up to Illinois to my dad's to finish it and I have no time or money to travel. :(

    Sorry for the lack of posts, btw.

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