Wow- time flies when you're having fun! So, let's see... January 8th was my last blog post?! Holy crap- I really abandoned this thing, didn't I?
Well, I've been busy- sue me! My last post was about the progress on my Project Datsun 521. Fortunately for you, Dear Reader (and unfortunately for me!), absolutely NOTHING has changed on it since I posted last! Brent (the guy doing the heavy lifting on the custom frame) has been busy with PAYING customers, so I had to move to the end of the line...
It's just as well, though, because I've been digging into a bunch of other projects in the meantime! I mentioned a while ago that I was on the hunt for a replacement for my childhood Haro FSX freestyle bike, and I found one locally that was a perfect fit! It is an '87 FST, which has the same frame as an FSX, and it's a solid candidate for restoration!
Here's how it looked when I picked it up:
It actually doesn't look bad in that photo, but in person it showed its age! The paint was chipped, cables were worn, the wheels were out of true, and it was just tired...
Over the past couple of months, I tore it completely apart, stripped the paint off of the frame, fork, and handlebars, and started collecting parts for the rebuild. The final part I was waiting for was the decal set- I wanted this to be as authentic to the original as I could, and nobody in the US is remaking FSX decals. I finally found what I was looking for through a French company, and they just showed up last week! With them, I can match the paint and get this thing together- I'll post it up after that happens, hopefully in just a couple of weeks!
Another recent distraction is a mixture of bikes and cars- no, not something silly like a motorcycle! Check it out:
Oh, yeah- it's an '89 Honda Elite scooter! I found this just sitting in a warehouse in Rancho Cordova, with only 32 original miles on the odometer! It even still has the little rubber thingies on the tires (you know, the little feathery bits...)! After talking to the owner of the shop, I found that he had purchased it for his daughter back in '89, and she never liked it, so it just sat all that time in his shop! After a quick polishing and a new carburetor, this thing looks and runs like the day it rolled off the line! Yes, it's pink. Yes, it's a 50cc model, so it's slow. And you know what? It's a BLAST to ride!
After I picked up the scooter for my lovely wife Vicki, I started hunting for something a bit manlier... a MOPED! A quick search on Craigslist turned up a 1978 Free Spirit in need of, well, everything! Lots of rust, lots of dirt, and just years of general neglect made this thing a sorry sight. But, since the price was right and the engine ran with only a spark plug and some fresh pre-mix fuel, I picked it up and got to work!
It still needs a small list of parts, including tires, brake shoes, cables, and some other miscellaneous accessories, but here's how it looks right now:
Paul, my buddy from Street Metal, fabricated a sweet new seat with a rear cowl section, so I just need to get some foam and leather to finish it off, add those few parts, and I'm ready to roll! With spring coming, there are some local moped/scooter events happening downtown that I hope to attend- should be a blast!
I'll try to keep up on the blog posts- I'm sure life hasn't been complete without my updates, and I apologize for that!
