Old and Rusted Bicycle Restoration - Vintage Raleigh Chopper
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- Old and Rusted Bicycle Restoration - Vintage Raleigh Chopper
Helping out a friend to restore this old and rusted bicycle - a 1970s Vintage Raleigh Chopper. The iconic design has became the cultural icon and a 'must have' toy for every cool kids who grew up in that period. I have learnt a lot throughout the restoration process, not only the technical skills, but the history of Raleigh Chopper. Let me brief about the learning outcome in two parts: History and Technical..
History:
If you have noticed for this Chopper, besides the general iconic design (ape hanger handlebars, bobbed mudguards, long padded sprung seat, etc), it featured a SHIMANO gear hub instead of Sturmey Archer which is synonym with Raleigh Chopper bicycle. Based on the research that I did on online forum, it seems to be a model made in Taiwan instead of UK. So I guess maybe Raleigh has a manufacturing branch in Taiwan for Asia market? Leave a comment if you have any idea.
Technical:
Since this bike has collectible value, so I need to be very careful not to deal any damage. Restoring collectible item is different from the previous projects that I have done. Previously, I can remove the rust with power tools, but I can never do that on chrome surface. To restore a chrome surface, the best way without scratching the chrome surface is to scrub with aluminium foil or fine steel wool with water. It sounds easy, and yes it is for light rusty area, it is so satisfying to wipe off the rust layer covering the shiny chrome. However, I almost used up my elbow grease in this restoration :) nonetheless, I am SUPER DUPER SATISFYING with the final outcome.
Another tricky part is to fabricate the broken bracket for the gear to work again. I have fabricated a few pieces until I get it right. The aesthetic of the replacement is not perfect, but it works fine :)
I have tried to shift gear while riding, and it works perfect.
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I am not professional mechanic/handyman/restorer, nor I own a workshop. But I believe, If Y can dream it, Y can do it!
I hope you guys enjoy the video. Let me know what do you think. Please leave me a comment to give feedback and share your thoughts :)
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Thanks 😊
Loved watching this video. I had a bike like this and it actually made me get a little emotional. Seeing an old beat up bike get restored to some of its former glory through your care and patience was beautiful. At risk of sounding like old fogey...kids today don't realize what bikes meant to my generation growing up. They were lifelines for every kid. If we wanted to see our friends, we rode our bikes to see them. If we needed to get anywhere, we rode there. Thanks so much.
Thanks! Hope that the bike can continue to serve for more decades.. 😊
a trick: you can watch series at Kaldrostream. I've been using it for watching all kinds of movies these days.
@Branson Kingston yup, I've been watching on flixzone} for months myself :D
@Branson Kingston Yup, I have been using flixzone} for years myself =)
Amazing job as always, you do such wonderful work. I cant believe the state of the seat on a 40+ year old bike. I'm amazed it wasn't cracked and torn as usually happens. Also the state of the paint work, amazing, great to see that you didn't have to strip it, match the paint and get the logo stickers remade.
My only issue from a riding perspective is I would have liked to see the chain, all the bearings and cables replaced, I think this could have been done without affecting the aesthetics.
Thanks! I'm lucky to get a 'not very bad' condition bike. However, restoring the chrome is the hardest and tiring part. It requires loadssss of patience and elbow grease. This project is both physically and mentally challenging! The reason not replacing the chain is due to the owner's perspective on collectible value, so try to keep everything as original as possible. A friend who is an antique collector told me that the brown colour of the rust is where the value comes from. But you are right, from a riding perspective, over 40+ years of moving mechanical parts should be replaced :)
So depressing ! Just 5 minutes of online research would have shown you that you do not have an authentic Raleigh Chopper, but a cheap and nasty copy. Every part of this bike is fake and made of inferior components. The welding, gear changer, hub, brakes, brake levers and seat are nothing close to the original parts. The entire bike is an illegal copy manufactured in Asia and not a Raleigh product. Still, you did a great job in restoring it.
This was super useful! Have looked at a tonne of raleigh videos, and this is the only one that had the details I actually needed - thanks so much! :) (also just beautifully filmed)
Thanks! 😉😊
Not really a "restoration", but a really nice clean up and repair.
Thanks! 😊
P
Excellent! I had one in the same colour for christmas 1974. Wish i still had it now. Still a very cool bike. Well done!
Thanks! 😊
I'm impressed, well done that girl.
Thanks! 😊
Awesome! We love choppers, great to find someone else doing these
Thanks 😊
I’ve always wanted a original chopper and a few days ago I finally got one I braught all mk3 parts and just waiting for it to arrive can’t wait it’s a dream come true I got the parts for really cheap and the total only ended up being around £200 can’t wait dream came true ha
Yes you can do it! 😁
Might be worth buying a cheap grinder and putting a polishing attachment on, you'd do all those screw heads etc in no time, also you done really well to find one of these without a ripped seat .. Great job tho 👍👍👏
Thanks!
Very nice done enjoy your beautiful bicycle . Bye bye John Bee
Should of had it rechromed sand blasted and repainted
Very good attempt at restoration. It could’ve gone two ways - full restore to factory new condition or keeping most of the old patina as an object that has aged well.
I always desired one of these Raleigh Choppers as a young boy growing up in the 1970’s - they were the epitome of coolness then and now.
not really a restore but a cleanup.
Quad Zero (0000) ultra-fine steel wool is much faster, less abrasive and less destructive than foil or sandpaper at removing surface rust. Give it a try ! :) LOL! I wrote that seconds before I saw you switch.
And how! The thing with the aluminum foil & it's properties (aided with H²O) of reinvigorating chrome? I'm'a try that fo' sho'! I guess Raliegh Choppers are a bit less common in the States, as compared with Schwinn Krates & Sting Rays... I'll get at you when I've various & sundry examples of all of them. May the Force Be With You.
Very nice. How old is this bike ? It reminds me of the 5 speed Mustang bikes that was produced in the 1970's here in America. I really like that you left the original paint on it, it looks wonderful 👍😊
Nice job. Try Nev-R-dull cotton wadding to polish chrome. It will clean up all but the deep pits and heavy rust.
Thanks for the tip! Does that cleans off light rust well? So that I can skip the aluminium foil or steel wool part?
Great job, with the broken gear changer. Many years ago, when my dad worked in Iran, I had gone there for a few months and was given a similar 3 speed bike, basically an imitation chopper made in Taiwan. I would have also serviced the wheel bearings and headset.
Thanks 😊
Nice job. Im a total restoration fan to be honest, Im involved with restoring jukeboxes I like them looking like new others want to preserve the wear on them
Great video. I'm actually going to clean up my old MK2 for my Grandson, starting this week.
I hope my hardware comes apart as easily as yours did. Luckily I have zero rust, but some minor pitting that I will deal with. What an incredible little piece of history, great job.
Awesome restoration. I'm glad you kept it complete and original. A lot of bikes get over restored and lose their caricature.
Thanks! 😊
People ( kids ) in 1970-1990 painted their bike parts ( rims, fenders, part of the frame and other) with black oil paint with a brush. This ,,trend” was very popular in Bulgaria too this years😂
The best is that the chrome under the paint is like a new now😂
I had a yellow one.It was an evil thing,would wheelie no problem,but the tiny front wheel would wash out from under you easily....And those handlebars gave you pain in your tender parts if you werent careful....God I miss that bike😉Youve done a super job bringing this one back👏👏👏
Thanks 😊
I like the fact that she's done a sympathetic restoration and not a complete renewal ,I've got an original 1979 marked this still works great now I was going to restore it but I think keeping it original is better? Just One criticism you should always smile when you ride a chopper🤣👍
Haha will keep my smile off video 😆
we call it monkey bike .. used to ride one when i was a boy 😮❤
Nice restoration. Ifvyouvckean rust off pitted chrome work you can apply some rust converter liquid then rub off once any small rust has converted. I then spray a light cost of UV acrylic clear coat. Should protect from further rust.
Thanks for the great idea!
Well done
By this time the Mark ll was being put together in Asia and was the start of Raleigh and its decline 2 years after this was built my uncle that worked at Raleigh Nottingham lost his job. The site where Raleigh once stood is now part of Nottingham Uni which has many Asian students its a funny old world we live in.
Wow good to know the story and the way it linked all together.. interesting to know! 👍
BEST Christmas present I ever had, 1972 💙
@K Thomas I remember the minute I got it and every ride.
Magical 👍
I'm the first to like and reply! Fantastic rejuvenation of that classic bike! I remember them from when I was a kid and they were very coveted! So glad you just rejuvinated and didn't try to replace/re-chrome and re-paint. And your hand carving that bushing in teflon was incredible! Cheers from you #1 fan theos_resto!
Hey Ted! Thanks very much for the compliment!
And glad to have helped in your nostalgic memory, but is the bike really that 'iconic'? Everyone who saw this bike gave me a 'wow' kinda expression, saying that owning it is a synonym to coolness around the 70s. Is that so?
@@theymaker125 it was the ultimate cool bike in the 70s!
Ok.. now i have absolute confident in my thumbnail title.. Cool Kids Bike
Outstanding well done 🏴👍
i wish i had one like this,3 speeds had a good bit of hill climbing power
I sometimes use foil Coca-Cola, the phosphorus in the soda helps !
Awsome job in restoring a cool vintage bike back to its original condition I had a scwinn stingray krate pea picker back bout 76 or 77
Thanks 😊
I had one of these bikes,back in the 70s thanks for posting , great vid, keep up the good work ,
Thanks 😊
Now is time to 2.0 restorations. Sandblasting, air compresor painting, print decals, chrome parts, etc.
😁
Wow, the foil trick is great.
Una mujer arreglando !!! No lo vaya a malograr
Nice work ,like how you didn’t go full resto and strip paint and kept the patina....👍
Thanks 😊
That brought back memories for sure. My late father bought me one for my 14th birthday in 1973. What made it special was that we were poor and I was in a childrens' home at the time. My Dad was only allowed to visit me every second weekend too. He had saved a whole year to get it for me. This was the biggest gift I ever received. R.I.P. Dad.
45年前これ持ってた！
手放して後悔してます・・・
Clean-up, yes. Restoration? No.
Sir, what type of night Light i can use for my Chopper cycle, as my cycle dynamo is stolen by somebody of 1978 model which is in running condition.
Thanks for watching! For the night light, I'm not quite sure on that, but i believe there's some products or spare part available for sale on ebay or online marketplace
@@theymaker125 Lots of Love n lots of Thnks Sir for ur replay.
A few friends of mine had that bike. I remember them vividly
😊
nice and smoot, greath work in your bike, is a prety ones like it >,< ...!
Thanks 😊
Always enjoy your projects.
I think mine was about 69 to 73 model
Only trouble leave it a year be all rusted again !
steel wool pads like brillo with soap in them work great with chrome and chrome cleaner with steel wool
Thanks for the suggestion!
like u
So satisfying to watch! When I was a kid, I would have given ANYTHING...to find a distributor near me in Connecticut to buy a Raleigh Chopper back in the 70s! I HAD the money from my paper routes and shoveling snow but no one sold them anywhere I could find and I DID try, believe it! lol *Liked & Subscribed
Thanks! I love your childhood experience! Because the kids nowadays play games on phone and meet virtual friends.. Wait, you couldn't get a Chopper? I thought its very popular so i assume you can get anywhere easily? Sorry, i can only imagine things happened in the 70s.. because I'm a 90s 😊
For chrome plated parts as tyre (wings) ,handlebars,rims,and others,you can clean from rust grinding with wd 40 or petroleum and extremely thin (steelwool for inox kitchen pots,the grey who can cut by your hands as cotton.)After you polish with inox polish cream and a soft cloth. If the chrome are damaged paint it. Good work,greetings from Greece.
Thanks! 😊
Real time budget restoration 👍 amazing triks with foil nd water patience should be ultra level high to work with polishing buffing with bare hands kinda epic ❤️❤️ enjoyed each moment in video 👍👍 girl u rock love love & blessings
Thanks 😊
For lite rust on chrome a dremel type tool with a brass brush works well but be shureto ware safety.glasses and an old short the little brass wires tend to fly everywhere
Make that shirt
Thanks 😊
Hey, a job well done. One tip, never lubricate the chain with oil or Vaseline. It will deposit dust over time and is difficult to clean. Usually the chain is lubricated with graphite. When I was little, I took a piece of pencil lead (the drawing one, type B, not HB, used by those who make portraits) and rubbed it well with a chain. It does not attract dust, plus it repels water. Greetings from Romania.
Hi, thanks for the great tips.. will try that 😊😉
Como se llama ese polvo para quitar el osido
La bici con la que todo niño de antes soñaba y que no muchos lograron tenerla. Quedó hermosa!!
Outstanding. I have a 1972 Chopper I got when I was 9. Horrendous condition but I’ve brought it with me to each house I’ve owned. Loved this video. It has inspired me to start the long restoration process that may take me several years. Just hope I don’t die before it is done.
Thanks! I believe you can do it, and please share us your experience once you have done it 😉😉
I restore bikes too!! I like keeping the patina instead of making it new to! Super cool and GREAT job! The current project im working on is a huffy rail.
Thanks! Wish you luck with your resto 😊
Appreciate your work, Great job. But please fast-forward unscrewing and fastening scenes a bit faster so that video can be chrisp and interesting. Long way to go.. All the best champ 🎉
Thanks! Noted on the feedback 😊
Amazing job! Very talented
Thank you so much!
She done her best with what she had. 🌹👍
Haha you know me well! 😆
🚴🌹
Excellent, thanks for the video.
Thanks! 😊
Done justice for the word RESTORATION
Excellent job , I live in Nottingham and I've had 3 chopper's when I was young . I wished i keap them . X
Thanks 😊 where have they gone??
You have amazing skills. Where did you learn?
Thanks to other RUclipsrs 😆
Hi...This is A REAL restoration.. Congratulations...
Thanks 😊
im amazed at that foil trick! i have some stuff that looks like rusted chrome, i should try it on that
a lot of the smaller captions were impossible to read on low resolution sadly :c can you use only larger fonts in future videos please? or maybe youtube captions instead? thanks for the videos c:
Hello, noted your warm comments from my other videos too 😊 Thanks for compliment! And noted on the font issue, thanks for the heads up
I wonder if she is single 🤔
I've just purchased a neglected mk2 ultra violet in a similar condition to this.. the resto work with the aluminium foil has been an invaluable piece of advice. Great detail in the upload. Already ordered the autosol. One question, what did you use to clean the seat ?.
Thanks 😊 i cleaned with multi surface cleaner which can be used on leather.. then a leather polisher as finishing.. i have those to clean my leather sofa 😊 enjoy your resto
@@theymaker125 thankyou for your help. Take care
Donde puedo comprar una
Nice job, however i would have used some t cut to polish the frame.
Nice restoration without spending $$$’s on re-chroming etc. 👍
Yo soy de RD Dominicano
A labour of love, great video, thank you 👍🏻
Thanks! 😊
Wow
Phosphoric Acid - Get some. Deadly and easy rust removal. Thank me later.
I wish you had a small sand blasting unit. Would make the rust so much quicker to get rid of. I love to watch your work.
Thanks my friend! Saving budget for a sand blaster 🤭
These are quite valuable. I believe you made the correct choice to maintain patina and remove rust. I’ve seen these on eBay from 800-1500 usd. Some in pretty rough shape. Great job!
Thanks! 😊
Wonderful job . Greetings from UK.
Thanks! 😊
The Best of the best engels work ....wonderfull......,
Thanks 😊
Great job. Suggest you get correct tyres for this bike
Thanks for suggesting! 😊
Great video.
Strange looking Chopper but I really like it.
Puts my video restoration to shame.
Thanks! There's no right or wrong in restoration, so be proud that you're bringing new life to an object 😊😉
My dad used to have a functional Releigh Chopper but given away to a foreign worker. Now that you have restored this similar bike, I really appreciate its vintage value and time piece. A classic of its time and restorable ! You really done a great job on restore the bike !
Thanks 😊 i hope that the worker who received that will take care of it and continue to appreciate that
From memory the seat wasn't 'sprung'. The springs were for show only and not functional.
Great work! How many hours did this restore take?
Thanks 😊 i took a bit of a time every day.. so it was a long journey where I lost count of the time I had spent 🤣
自然に治してる所が良い
My friend Peter Sharp had one of these in 1976, Red Raleigh Chopper. I wonder what happened to both.
😊😊 maybe try to give him a call?
MrRestore stole your video
Are you being serious? Can you please share the link?
@@theymaker125 ruclips.net/video/ADtP-FNF0Zc/видео.html
@@theymaker125 we already reported him as he stole from our page aswell. Please report him
Yes, already did! Thanks for the heads up
I also had this bike, left desperately in my back yard. As soon as i finished watching your video, i feel so sorry for my bike. I will restore it as you did. What a great bike, stunning video, and die-hard effort to bring her alive after 40 years! Big thank to you.
Thanks! Enjoy your restoration too 😊
it was until the end of the video that i realized, you are fellow Malaysian!!!
Hey ya! Anak Malaysia 🇲🇾
@@theymaker125 got myself a MK2 and MK1... Your vid will be a useful guide for me on the restoration.
Looks lovely, you have given it another 50 years life. Well done.
Thanks 😊
You could have sent all pieces to be re chromed.
That will look too new 😆
Job well done!
6:30 Whenever I restore a bicycle, I gather all of shiny pieces and get them re-chromed.. I take the spokes off the rims, and replace them with stainless steel spokes.. The polish the hubs on a machine. (Schwinn hubs and shifters are aluminum) I powder-coat the frame, forks, and chain-guard. If I can't get replica stickers, I have it airbrushed, then a clear coat on the frame.
I updated all of the nuts and bolts to phillips heads and hex nuts.
My bicycles are more resto-mods.
They are safe and rideable..
Wow that will be my 2.0 restoration 😆 thanks for the full to do list for the next one 😊
@@theymaker125 Where I live (S.California) there's a place where you can buy every nut and bolt ever created.. It's called McFadden Dale. You may have an equivalent place to purchase nuts.. If you do, it's a very big help..
Also, after chrome work comes back, the fit on smaller bits and pieces may be altered because of the thickness of the chrome plating. You may have to shave the plating to make stuff fit correctly again.
That's good that you have the convenience.. i can only get from old bike shop with the hope that they have some good matches 😆
@@theymaker125 You must have a place in your city that is the equivalent to McFadden Dale..
@@theymaker125 Try Googling INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT in your area.. or try Hardware stores like ACE and Home Depot..
I had one of these when they first were produced. They were the coolest thing when I was a kid. This was a wonderful renovation to clean and renovate too useable condition rather than a restoration to as new condition. I think keeping it true to its age and use is the better way as it’s such an old bike. Really well done, there was so much hard work by hand. Excellent
Thanks very much! 😉😊
👏👏👏👏👏👏
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
❤❤👍👍🤟🤟