Vintage Restoration

Removing bad scrapes on Grandmas Mazda Tribute

2011-12-29T16:53:00.000-08:00

Grandma paid a visit and while she was spending a couple of days with us she mentioned that someone had hit her vehicle and scraped it on the door. After checking it out I decided that it was paint off of another car so we tried the buffer and a bit of Meguiars wax on it and look at the results! Nicely done! :) A few before and after shots for you to check out....

Recycled Wood Work Station

2011-12-27T16:41:00.000-08:00

I found a bunch of 2x4s kicked to the curb and saved them from the wrath of the garbage truck. I decided that my son and I would build a new work station for the garage and it is coming along nicely. We have built a sturdy foundation and for the top surface we will be using an old hardwood closet door which was also saved! Great finds and fun project with my son! :) More pics to come of this project........

Vintage Racer Inspired Jacket

2011-12-24T07:41:00.000-08:00

I found another really cool race inspired jacket this year on Etsy for $15 and luckily I do not have much to do to this one other than take it to the cleaners! :) I have a 2nd jacket to add to my slowly growing collection! Really cool find for 2011! :)

Antique Door Score!!!!

2011-12-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

I found this vintage door kicked to the curb this past weekend and I have plans to use it as a flat top surface for a new work station in my garage! The door is solid and would make a great surface for my woodworking tools! The door came complete with a nickel door handle and lock! Score! :) The door handle is a keeper! :) I usually only scrap metal that is steel or that I do not have a use for to make $$ for my projects! Overall, a really nice find! I will post pictures just as soon as I have the station built! In the meantime, enjoy a pic of my new/old found door! :)

New Old Car 1984 Buick Riviera T Type

2011-12-20T15:34:00.000-08:00

Well I sold my project Ford Taurus as well as my Mercury Sable and upgraded to Buick! I bought this '84 Riviera T-Type with 45,000 original miles from my uncle and have invested about 2 grand into getting it back on the road. New tires, new radiator, taillight relay, manifold re-welds, valve cover gaskets and a few other odds and ends has this car ready for the road! Drives like a dream and I like the turbo on it! :) This car is fairly rare with less than 2000 being made in 1984. I also like the feature that it has always been in my family since it was bought from the dealership in 1984. I have been driving this car to work for about 2 months now and she averages about 22 miles per gallon with the turbo V6. You can get respectable gas mileage as long as you keep the foot off the gas! Overall, I am pleased with the car and look forward to many years of use! :)

Worn out Piano to Cool Garage Desk!

2011-12-20T15:09:00.000-08:00

I found this old 1972 Beckwith piano kicked to the curb a few weeks back and decided to save it from the wrath of the garbage truck. At first I picked it up just to see how much I could scrap out of it but after looking at the cabinet I decided to turn it into a desk for my garage. It took me 3 weeks just to remove the innards! A lot of the piano components were already missing including the keys and the top end but the hard to remove stuff was still there. I had to remove 283 bolts by hand to get the back plate out!!! The back plate weighed in at 175 pounds! I found that the back plate accounts for about 60% of the weight of a piano! It was heavy!!!! After removal of all the metal from the wood cabinet I scrapped the metal which brought in $14. I am using the money to buy some Birch wood to build up the top part of the cabinet to turn into a desk. I am in the build up phase right now so I will post pictures as soon as I am done. My advice for anyone who wants to do this project is to wear a lot of protective gear including eye protection and gloves! There are too many pieces of wire under extreme tension which can cut, slice and dice so do not take the task lightly! Overall, this has been an enjoyable project and one of the few which has actually helpe pay for its own transformation! :) PIctures posted are in the early stages of piano to desk transformation....I will post more as time allows. Enjoy the pics in the meantime!

Those Lines!

2011-12-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

Check out the lines of the classic fixie and the nice cross bar pad! I am thinking about making one of these for my classic bike! Nicely done!

West German Vintage Saw Blades Found on Etsy

2011-12-14T10:31:00.001-08:00

I bought these vintage West German saw blades off of Etsy for a few bucks! These are in really nice shape and old! I will keep these in reserve for my vintage saw! :) Nice find!

1964 Moulton 4 Speed Resto

2011-08-06T07:41:00.001-07:00

I picked this Moulton 4 speed bicycle frame/parts off of Ebay for $175. This bike is worth quite a bit of coin restored and I just love the classic lines of it. Alex Moulton designed this frame to compete with the modern day triangulated frame of today and it just never gained the popularity to overtake as the design to be copied. Nevertheless the Moulton bike has quite the cult following in several countries and are still be produced in England by the Moulton company which is currently be managed by Alex Moulton's son. Terrific bike and will be a great resto project. The nicer moulton below is not the one I have...I am putting pictures on the blog as I find them on the net in an effort to restore my Mouton frame. It is a long term project but one I am sure I will enjoy. More to come...

Vintage Military Ammo Can Resto (Toolbox)

2011-07-16T15:46:00.001-07:00

I found this vintage military ammo can a while back and decided to repaint in Rustoleum glossy black and use as a toolbox. At some point someone had painted this ammo can purple but it really needed a repaint. If you are trying to decide what kind of paint to repaint your project with I recommend Rustoleum paint because it lays so flat right out of the rattle can! Nice! I use this can for hand tools now! Nice find!

Vintage Sears Break Away Bike Resto

2011-07-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

I bought this vintage Sears break away bike off of Ebay for $50 and love it! I plan on doing a complete resto. The original wheels were rusted beyond belief and I was worried about them coming apart while riding so I replaced them with a set of wheels and tires from another bicycle which I found a few weeks back...fits perfect! I also removed the front and rear fenders which were trashed. After I am through sanding the frame I will repaint in Rustoleum Avocado green and finish with a clear coat. I also need to get the chain replaced as it was missing. Overall, really neat parts swap meet bike! :) More to come.

Decided to keep the original black paint..nice patina! I have replaced the chain and the bike is now actively ridden! :) Fun little bike! I also found out that Sears marketed this bike under the name, "Tote Cycle". Few updated pictures...

Williams Toolbox Resto

2011-07-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

I won this vintage WIlliams toolbox on Ebay for $4 after seeing the potential. My plan is to sand the top and side panels and repaint those sections with Rustoleum paint. After I repaint I will see about replacing the top lock mechanism and get it working as well. I will either replace the lock mechanism or get it rekeyed depending on which is cheaper. I will update just as soon as I complete the resto.

Huffy Beach Cruiser Resto

2011-06-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

I found this Huffy Beach Cruiser left for dead on the side of the road a few weeks back along with a few other bikes and saved them! The bike obviously had been left out to weather the elements in its prior life and need some parts replaced. I managed to replace the seat, handle bar grips and rewrapped the handle bars due to missing chrome with Tessolux french blue canvas wrap. I have to admit it is a nice looking bike now! After tweeking a few other items wrong with the bike I cleaned it up and now it is ready to go to my mom in East Texas who has been looking for a comfortable bike to ride in her neighborhood! Overall, I am pleased with how it turned out and it only cost me a few bucks in parts! Nice find and fun project!

Future Tackle Box Project

2011-06-27T08:27:00.001-07:00

I found this box containing paint supplies kicked to the curb last week and saved it from the wrath of the trash truck. My wife is going to use the paint supplies and I am going to transform this neat little box into a fishing tackle carrier. There are two layers of shelving on each side so with a little ingenuity this will be a nice carrier! Quality box and strong due to dovetail joints! More picture of project coming soon!

1960s Vintage Manual Typewriter

2011-06-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting an old manual typewriter for some time for my garage office. I finally managed to get one really cheap off of Ebay and it works good! What ever happened to the days for the manual typewriter? I will use occasionally to mess with people and to type out a few envelope labels. Nice find! As far as restoration goes, a good cleaning and it is ready for use.

2001 Subaru Outback Rear Seat Resto

2011-06-14T16:52:00.001-07:00

Ok--this is a really nasty project. Bought this 2001 Subaru Outback Limited Edition really cheap and the car needed a really good cleaning!!!! The back seat was completely trashed! The bottom rear seat was in really poor condition so I removed it and behold the large amount of trash and yuck under the seat! Call the EPA! ACK! It took me about 4 hours worth of cleaning to get all the yuck out! I removed and chunked the rear bottom portion of the seat as well as the rear seat belts. I joined Subaru Outback owners association and found a really nice bottom seat portion in black which is mint and two replacement seat belts for cheap! BINGO! This goes to show how a little bit of elbow grease can save you a mint in the end! My Outback has gone from being a trash can to a nice clean smelling car! :) I will update as soon as I get the new parts in. Viewing below pictures may be damaging! :)

Vintage Huffy Laredo Banana Seat Bicycle

2011-06-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

I found this old Huffy Laredo bicycle on Ebay and just had to have it since I owned one exactly like it when I was little!!! I am going to restore to driveable condition and let my son ride it! Very cool find! More to come!

Antique Wall Mount Gun Cabinet Resto

2011-03-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

I found this antique wall mount gun cabinet and restored with teak oil. This old cabinet looks to have some age to it! I mounted it in my garage and have a WWII training rifle on it! Looks great!

Antique Fold Away Table RESTO

2011-03-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

Found this antique fold away table and turned it into my new resto project. I was going to sand and restain but I was scared the table would completely come apart due to age so instead I went with applying teak oil and what a difference it made! The table looks great and I think the oil application was the way to go. The piece still retains its history! Nice patina as well!

Donor Bike for '83 BMX Bike Resto

2011-02-04T14:35:00.001-08:00

Picture of the donor bike....using tubes and tires off of this one for the '83 BMX Pro Cycle Bike. Just trying to save some dough and be environmentally friendly by re-using! This donor bike is a 20" Next and was also found kicked to the curb a while back!

1983 BMX Cycle Pro Bike Resto

2011-02-04T14:24:00.000-08:00

I found this old Cycle Pro E/S Mag Freestyle Bicycle last week kicked to the curb and decided to restore it after I did some research. The old BMX bikes have picked up lot of momentum in the last several years in terms of value. This old BMX is worth around $300-$400! Reason enough to clean it up and get it back on the road! I have enough spare parts laying around to resurrect this one back to its former glory! Check out the double bars and the oval shape frame below the seat. I have never seen one like this. This takes me back in time to the 80s when BMX bikes were the craze! I guess it never went away! I have all the components for this one and have already replaced the pedals with some NOS ones I have had tucked away. After I wrestled with the wheel bolts for 2 days I finally managed to get them off...just needed a lot of penetrating oil and a little persuasion. I have the wheels and bolts cleaned and ready for rubber which is coming from the donor bike pictured. The only thing I have to purchase is a new seat and maybe one tube. I bought a quilted BMX seat off of Ebay for $8 and the tube will be a few dollars more. This is a great investment....give it a few more decades and this old bike will really be worth a lot more! Thumbs up for a great find and fun resto! Check back for updates! More to come...

Work Station Addition

2011-01-08T14:37:00.000-08:00

I decided to upgrade my recycled wood work station and add a sheet of cold rolled steel on the surface to clean things up a bit. Wood absorbs all grease stemming from items I place on it so I decided that the rolled steel sheet was the way to go. I clamped the sheet down with wood screws on the sides and I must say it looks way better! I also added more storage by installing the top end of an old library card catalog which I got off of Craigslist for cheap last year....great for storing tools, nuts, bolts, nails, etc! Overall the work bench is a great addition to the old garage and I have very little money in it!

Vintage 1984 FUJI Mountain Bike Resto

2010-12-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

This is my 2nd 2011 bike restore...a nice 1984 Fuji Blvd Mountain Bike...I just love these old Fuji bikes! 22" frame size. suntour shifters, derrailleurs and nice chrome hatta headset out the unusual handle bar stem on this one....I have never seen another like it. I landed this one on Craigslist for $40. Check back for updates.

December 18th...out with the old and in with the new...at some point someone installed some Schwinn components on the Fuji! Ouch! I removed the rusty Schwinn seat as well as the seat post clamp...check out the rust!!!!! I had a nice seat post clamp to replace the one I took off so I made it happen. New seat and hopefully new seat post clamp soon! Check back for updates!

Vintage Schwinn LE Tour Restore

2010-12-17T09:15:00.001-08:00

I am starting a new project for 2011. I will be building a vintage Schwinn fixie bike (single speed cruiser). I bought a somewhat nice base to start from off of Craigslist for $40 and will be working on this one over the next 12 months. Check back for updates!

Jeep 20" Bike Resto

2010-12-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

I am working on putting together a cool bike for my son...starts out with a unusual 16" Jeep Bike Frame which I found kicked to the curb! I took off all non-functional components and rebuilding with 20" rims and tires. For the front I found a nice 20" wheel and tire which was pretty much direct fit. For the back I am using a found 20" rim with a wide 20x2.125 slick (old school BMX stuff). This bike will look great when I am done with it!! More pictures soon. Here is a picture of the slick after I received it in the mail.

Project 12 SPeed Resto Update

2010-12-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

I managed to source a new front wheel for Project 12 speed...she is almost ready to hit the road again! Check out the updated picture...

1984 Briggs and Stratton 3.5 HP Mower Carb

2010-12-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

I found a 1984 Briggs and Stratton Mower kicked to the curb a while back and decided to salvage usable parts off of it and junk the rest due to rust. This is the before shot of the carb! I will post pictures after I have it cleaned up! Neat little carb....

My Built Fishing Pole Rack

2010-12-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

Check out the fishing pole rack which I built to house my growing fishing pole collection. Every fishing pole you see was found kicked to the curb! I have made some really nice finds over the last year! Most of the fishing poles were in need of repair and some just needed to be re-strung. Easy fixes!!

New Old Steel Garage Shelving Resto

2010-12-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

I found two steel shelving units which someone had kicked to the curb in my neighborhood. I took both shelving units apart since some of the shelves were fairly beat up and used the best pieces to make on really solid shelf! Check out those extra braces!! :)There were just enough unbent pieces to make one nice shelf with 4 supports and one nice shelf to spare! What a difference it made in my garage in terms of organization! Thumbs up for dumpster diving! :)

Vintage Logan Lathe Brass Plaque

2010-11-23T20:25:00.001-08:00

I bought this vintage Logan Lathe brass plaque off of Ebay for $12.....the seller had a buy it now price of 35! My offer was $12..:) I am going to use this on my work station! Nice find!

Project 12 Speed Resto

2010-10-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am energized on this resto! I managed to change out the seat and install a bottle carrier on the frame today. The seat that I installed was found about a year ago and is made by body geometry..nice seat! The carrier is made by specialized and super light weight. More to come....

Vintage 1983 Schwinn World Sport 12 Speed Resto

2010-10-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

At last, I finally found a "nice" 12 speed bike that I can rebuild. I found this one in my neighborhood thrown away in a trash bin. I saw the rear wheel sticking out of the bin and luckily I could get to it. Overall, I am basically starting with a bike which is 70% complete...missing a few components and the front wheel but I can fix that. The frame is nice and the paint and decals look as though they just came from the store! These shots are after a bit of cleaning. I removed a ton of weeds from the crank area and from the rear wheel. I guess someone had stored it outside for a short time. The front fork ends were covered in mud which took some time to clean up...nothing water and WD40 can't take care of. I have quite a few really nice parts which are going on this bike which I have collected over the past 2 years. All the parts I am using on this resto are pieces I have found aside from the front wheel which I currently do not have...I might get lucky and find one on Ebay on the cheap. Here are a few pictures to start...more to come on this project! Check back!

Few Vintage Fishing Lures

2010-08-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

Snagged these vintage fishing lures for $2 on Ebay! Nice deal! I am amassing quite the vintage fishing gear collection!

Two Zebco Reels RESTO

2010-08-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

Landed these two Zebco reels off of Ebay for $5. Nice deal! I am going to clean them up and use! Yes indeed, you can get fishing equipment for cheap off of Ebay!

Antique Bronson Comet Resto

2010-08-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

Yet another $3 deal off of Ebay! Has some rust issues but I am going to work this one over. This will be a nice winter project. Check out the before pictures....

Off brand Japanese Lock Blade Resto

2010-08-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

I bought this off brand japanese knife off of Ebay for $1. Decent deal! Definitely not a great knife but good enough to be rough with daily.

Antique Zafrilla Knife Resto

2010-08-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

Check out this nice Zafrilla! Made in Spain and I snagged this one on Ebay for a paultry $3 bucks! Excellent deal! The handles need to be polished out which I can take care of. For now, here are a few shots of the newest addition to my knife collection.

South Bend Antique Reel Resto

2010-08-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

I seem to be on a fishing theme lately. I have found a really good East Texas seller on Ebay who is downsizing his collection and have been buying reels and knives off of him lately. I have landed some excellent collector deals! This old South Bend reel does present a challenge since it does have surface rust. I have plans to really clean this one up and use in the field! Nice find at $3!

Vintage Bronson Antique Reel Resto

2010-08-16T15:29:00.002-07:00

I won this old antique Bronson reel on Ebay for $4. Nice deal! I am going to rehab and use to fish with. Another really good deal off of Ebay!

3 Older Pocket knives Resto

2010-08-16T15:29:00.001-07:00

I purchased 3 older pocket knives off of Ebay for $9. I thought it was a reasonable deal! I really bought the 3 because I liked the artistry work on the Civil War knife. I like the engraved handles but could do without the confederate flag in the middle. I will clean these up and they will make for nice pocket knives...:)

VINTAGE REEL PFLUEGER POLARIS RESTO

2010-07-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

I have been on a fishing theme lately so I decided to sell some of my "junk" and invest in some vintage fishing equipment. Check out this vintage Pfleuger Polaris fishing reel I landed on Ebay for $3.99. NICE! This reel was much better than expected and will not take much to get it operational again. Major cleaning and some reel oil will do the job. Nice buy!

Couple of new old tools for the Garage

2010-06-27T05:42:00.001-07:00

Bought a couple of new old tools for the garage. First up is small German level...appears to be in really good shape. The other tool is a Stanley Center. I purchased on Ebay for $7. Nice additions to my tool collection.

My new old Garage Stool RESTO

2010-06-27T05:37:00.000-07:00

Well I finally found a small garage stool which is just the right size to easily stow away under my tool cabinet when not in use. I bought this off of Ebay for $20. The seller had it priced at $30 but I offered $20 and the seller accepted it. I was told that the stool was military but I will try and find out more on the history. Very sturdy and I am pleased with it. This stool will make working on bicycles and waxing the side of my cars a lot easier! :) Not much to do to it other than clean it up and use. Nice find!

Finally! 19/32 Snap On Box Wrench!

2010-06-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

I finally bought a 19/32 Snap On box wrench off of Ebay for $15 bucks! This tool is going to help with all the bicycle repairs I do! Nice find off of Ebay at a good price!

Girl's 20' Bicycle Resto

2010-05-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

My little girl wanted this bike and it was a mess when I found it...missing a lot of parts and some broken components. I lucked out and found another 20" girl's Next bike and made one bike out of two. Parts I transferred over included the seat, handle bars, handle bar stem, all brakes and brake line, chain guard as well as valve caps. The bike is now in great shape and ready for the road!

Commercial Gas Edger Resto

2010-05-16T06:01:00.000-07:00

I found this commercial gas edger kicked to the curb in my neighborhood so I saved it from the trash truck. The Briggs and Stratton motor has good compression. I pulled the spark plug from the head because it was nackered! I also repaired the broken fuel line. I am working on finding another spark plug for the edger and then I am going to test fire it. I think this one will run. Future plans include repainting the edger blade lower end. It will look brand new by the time I am through with it. More to come.

Vintage Sears and Robuck Free Spirit Bicycle

2010-05-08T06:04:00.000-07:00

I found this vintage Sears and Robuck Free Spirit bicycle kicked to the curb! I guess someone did some spring cleaning? This is a really nice vintage bike and there was not much to do other than put it all back together as it was in pieces. The bike is 100% complete. The tires still aired up but they are dry rotted so I have plans to replace them. Overall, really nice bike!

Vintage Socket Toolbox from Japan! Funny!

2010-05-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

I bought this off of Ebay for .99 cents and thought the sticker inside (Attack Driver) was hilarious! I do not know what my plans are just yet on restoring this one. Leave original or sand and repaint the top so the logo will pop out some.

Vintage Homemade Gas Can Carrier

2010-05-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ok--so I am a sucker for quality homemade garage items! I snagged this off of Ebay for $10! I plan on repainting and using in my garage! Nice find!

Old Library Card Catalog Drawer Resto

2010-05-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

I found this old library card catalog drawer kicked to the curb and picked it up! Someone painted it yellow at some point and it had seen its better days! I sanded the surface smooth and painted it with glossy white Rustoluem paint. The drawers will be painted Rustoleum gloss black. It is a work in progress. Check back for the finished product!

Vintage handmade tool box with Aliminum Tray

2010-04-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

Old vintage Handmade Wooden Tool Box with Aluminum Tray.
weight: 8 pounds
measurements: 20 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 7"

Neat find! I like the handmade tool boxes!

Rare Vintage Hazet Wrench Set in Wood Box

2010-04-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

Very rare Hazet tool set in original box! This tool set is old! Nice addition to my Hazet collection! More pictures to come after I clean the wrench and sockets up some. Enjoy the pictures!

Designer Garage Light Setup Resto

2010-04-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

I found this Designer Garage Light Setup kicked to the curb in a box last week in my neighborhood and picked it up. I found out that the lights work and are Halogen. The stand is broken...the mount tab under the cross bar which the lights are mounted to was broken. I decided to remove the lights and mount them on the wall of my garage! They work great and the extra light is nice when I need it. I will snap more pictures of them on my wall as soon as I can.

Government Ford Taurus Restore

2010-03-19T08:59:00.001-07:00

I purchased a 1990 Ford Taurus with 72,000 original miles last month and have started with the resto. Overall, the car is in very nice shape! The interior looks like new and the motor has several new components on it which is nice. The tires are "newer" and the steel wheels cleaned up nicely. When I got the car it had OEM Taurus hubcaps on it which were banged up so I removed and installed Ford Police Issue center caps. Looks way better! Future plans include replace the AC compressor and recharge the system. There is also an oil leak so I will also be replacing seals on the motor. Nice car for $960 bucks! More to come...

FuJI Tahoe Mountain Bike Restored!

2010-03-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

I have rebuilt the FUJI Tahoe Mountain bike I found a while back. The bike was a mess and basically down to the frame so I rebuilt using parts from another trashed mountain bike I found. I did manage to salvage the original FUJI wheels which was nice since they are quality Belgium wheels. I fixed the tires, tubes, brake system, and replaced other misc. components. Overall this is a very smooth bike and I am ready to take it to the trails! :) Nice resto project!

Famous Pinstriper Skratch is going to Pinstripe my Toolbox!

2010-01-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

How cool is this...Skratch (famous pinstriper in California) is going to pinstripe my vintage toolbox....2 colors on all sides! I thought about this guy when I bought yet another vintage toolbox which had some patina on it. This box is going to be killer! Behold the before pictures!!!

Check out this video I found about Skratch online!

http://www.skratchsgarage.net/meet_Skratch/

Ford Taurus Police Wheels and Caps

2009-12-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

Check these rare items out! Super rare Ford Taurus Wheels and Caps! I finally have a complete set together for my 99 Mercury Sable and they were soon be on the car! Even the lug nuts are police issue and extremely hard to find! I am having to restore the wheels but no big issue! I have enjoyed searching for all the parts!

Vintage Race Jacket Resto Project

2009-11-21T16:19:00.001-08:00

I bought this vintage race jacket at a resale shop for $12.95 and I am going to have this one restored. The inner liner is removeable so I am going to have it repaired by a seamstress. This is a cool jacket! More pictures to come!

Bicycle Flat Bed Trailer Resto Custom Project

2009-11-21T12:01:00.000-08:00

I found this InStep Bicycle Trailer kicked to the curb and found that someone had backed into it and crushed the top end and bent the frame. As a children's bicycle trailer its days of hauling kiddos is done. I decided to turn into a flat bed trailer to pull behind a bicycle. Who would want that?? Who knows?? :) I took all the vinyl off and chopped the top off right down to the bare frame. Once I have a flat surface I am going to install a thick piece of plywood to the top of the frame to haul stuff on. I already have the bare frame straightened out and working on it. More pics to come...

Electrical Pliers Resto Project

2009-11-13T17:10:00.000-08:00

I found these electrical pliers about 3 weeks ago kicked to the curb and awaiting the trash truck in a box of stuff...these were completely rusted closed. I soaked these pliers in 3for1 oil for a few weeks which freed them up. After they were somewhat functional I used the grinding wheel on them and presto...I now have a nice set of electrical pliers. Check out the pics..

Bread Box to Storage Box RESTO

2009-10-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

I found this handmade bread box kicked to the curb and decided to customize it and turn into a storage box. I chopped the slanted top off and leveled it out and then I took some wood from a desk drawer I found and cut it to fit in the bottom of the box for an antique look. Nice job! :)

Early 80s Bicycle Trailer Resto

2009-10-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

I found this early 80s bicycle trailer for carrying two children and I am going to restore and use. I have already started working on it....I am repainting the sun bleached hull glossy black and then I will remove the rust from the wheels and replace any broken components. Overall in nice shape...the tires even aired up! I found this old bicycle trailer chunked in a huge dumpster in the back part of my neighborhood and saved it! I will also be adding some safety items as well such as a flag and a LED rear reflector. Very cool find and neat resto project! More to come!

Update: I restored the trailer....I repainted in glossy black and added a water bottle holder, push horn, auto ID tag as well as a safety flag! :) Nice find!

Workforce 26 In. Wide Workforce Base Cabinet Resto

2009-09-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

I found this workforce base cabinet kicked to the curb last weekend and saved it from the trash truck. All the shelves were missing but the cabinet itself was in excellent shape! I brought it home and today I fabricated shelves out of 1x2 and pieces of particle board. I used the 1x2 as shelf mounts and have them bolted into the cabinet...works very nice! Really nice shelf and I am glad I decided to pick this one up as it really cleans up my garage. I am using it to house all of my car guy stuff! Thumbs up!

Antique Dresser Resto Project

2009-08-16T15:44:00.001-07:00

I found this old antique dresser kicked to the curb in my neighborhood and brought it home to restore. I am going to sand it down and repaint in antique white. I will reuse the original knobs. Nice little dresser project. More pictures to come.

Update: Sold the dresser! The dresser was in really bad shape so I decided to sell it on Craigslist for $5...I kept the handles for a future project!

Vintage Bottle Openers and French Keychain Ring

2009-07-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Not sure why but these vintage bottle openers appeal to me...:) This is a picture after I got through going over them with steel wool! Look much better! I still need to clean the French keychain ring. I like the ring it has a reeded edge like a coin and nice weight to it. More pictures soon!

Vintage Belt Driven McLane Edger Resto

2009-07-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

Found this heavy duty McLane edger kicked to the curb and saved it from the trash truck! When I got it home I cleaned the carb out and tightened the spark plug wire! Fired right up! I am going to clean this up and restore it!

Sold this project on Craigslist. I cleaned it up and repainted the air cleaner...looked really good when sold! I needed the space!

Black and Decker Leaf Blower Resto

2009-07-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

I attempted a resto on this Black and Decker Electric Leaf Blower and found that this tool had a major motor melt down. I took it all apart and found that part of the motor had fragmented..check the pictures. The fuse was still intact so it did not do its job to prevent the melt down. I wonder if others are having problems with their Black and Decker blowers as well??? I found this one kicked to the curb so it is no big deal to me. If you need parts off of this just let me know...minus the motor of course...:)

Update: This electric leaf blower was cooked and no interest in the parts so I threw back into trash to make space.

Personal Video Viewer Player RESTO

2009-07-12T12:53:00.001-07:00

I found this little personal viewer/player kicked to the curb and I saved it from the trash truck! It didnt work when I got it but I took it all apart and cleaned it out and now it works like a charm! Nice little dvd player! This will be nice for road trips with the little ones...:)

Box of Junk / Wind Chime

2009-07-12T05:28:00.001-07:00

I won this box of junk off of Ebay for little of nothing and I am going to use the keys to make a massive wind chime. I am not sure if this will work out but I am going to give it a whirl so to speak. More pictures soon!

Large lot of pliers won on Ebay for 5.99

2009-07-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

I won these vintage pliers off of Ebay for $5.99. Not pretty to look at but who cares??? :) I will never have to worry about pliers again..:)

Row 1

1. No identification - 7 inch with kind of a duck bill shape. One handle has a screwdriver bit end. Wire cutter jaws.Diamond pattern handles with large diamond in the middle.

2. Buhl Sons Co - Back side needs to be cleaned up also. One handle with a screwdriver and the other is a pick.

3. MB in a circle - One handle is a flat blade screwdriver.

4. Cee Tee Co - Cross hatch handles - non plated pliers.

5. Weber Germany - Nice quaility cutter/pliers. Diamond handles - 5 inch

Row 2

1. JR Danielson Co. Inc.Jamestown, NY - these are plated but have lost a fair amount. They have hash-mark handles with a cross in the center. The letters AA and ORD are stamped on the back side.

2. Indestro MFG Co. - Reverse side has same branding. These are a fairly thick stamped steel plier.

3. Kraeuter: 6&1/4 inches long. Nice diamond grip handles and wire cutting jaws. Very well made (thick) pliers in good condition. At some point someone welded the nut on the bolt that holds the halves together

4. W & C Wynn, Warranted - The number 2 is in the circular branding. Very unique curved jaw pliers with a hammer built in. The handles were possibly shaped into other tools but it looks like they ended up being pry bars as they both have pieces broken off the ends.

5. Merit - These were early economy pliers that were sold by Sears prior to the Dunlap brand (from what I have been able to find on the web). Diamond handles.

Wrought Iron Bench RESTO

2009-07-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

I found this nice wrought iron bench kicked to the curb and I saved it from the trash truck! One of the 2x1 boards is broken so I am replacing it. I am also going to repaint the wood red and leave the wrought iron black! This will look nice in front of the house. Nice project! More pictures soon!

Update: I replaced the board today! Perfect fit if I do say so myself! Easy project! All that is left is the red paint! :) More pictures soon!

Update: I repainted the bench finally! I used Glossy Rustoleum Red! Looks nice! This resto shows that with a little bit of elbow grease that one does not have to go out an buy new stuff all the time....just maintenance what you already have! :) The picture is near Halloween..hence, the scary guy sitting on the bench! :)

5 speed Shift Knob Resto!

2009-07-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

I found this 5 speed shifter knob in a box of car guy stuff which was kicked to the curb! Apparently the knob split in two some how. The pieces fit back together perfectly so I used super glue to fix it! PRESTO! You would not be able to tell is was once broken unless you looked closely. No clue what this fits although there was a modern day Pontiac GTO sitting in the driveway.

Old Steel Milk Crate

2009-06-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

Snagged this old steel milk crate off of Ebay for $20. I am going to use it in my garage to help organize all of my electrical cords. Yep--I could have gone with a cheap plastic crate which probably would have broken over time. Instead, I decided on an older steel one...will last forever!

Vintage Bowman Dairy Container

2009-06-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

I won this dairy container off of Ebay for $12. I am not going to do anything to it other than place it in the garden I am building next to the kitchen window. Interesting piece to look at!

Update! Looks great outside my kitchen window in the garden!

Old Antique Combination Locks 1912

2009-06-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

I bought these 4 vintage combination locks off of Ebay for $11. I really just wanted the one barrel combo lock..that one is very old!!!! Also, worth quite a bit of money..$100 plus!!!!! I am going to keep the barrel lock and sell the rest of the combos on Ebay. Nice find! I will update if I guess the combination...:)

Update: The vintage combo lock that I wanted in the lot still had the original code tag on it! How lucky! The code tag was barely legible but my son was able to see it. With a little cleaning with steel wool we had the code and were able to unlock the lock! Terrific find! I recently saw one of these barrel locks sell on Ebay for $150! Not for sale..this one is a keeper! :)

Few cleaning pictures..

1934 Hansen Staple Gun Resto

2009-06-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

I snagged this antique staple gun on Eby as a project for $14. I just liked the design of this gun! I am going to work it over and get it fully functional and use as is. Nice vintage piece! 7" long in good condition--- last pat. Oct. 30, 34. --uses Hansco staples no's 46 & 48

Cast iron Crate Handles

2009-06-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

Found this great set of cast iron crate handles on Ebay and snagged them for $5.99! I have seen these priced for over $100 before! They dont get any older than this! I am going to use them on a future wood project.

Description: Vintage heavy duty cast iron and wood handles / pulls for your rustic project. 7-1/4"l x 4-3/4"w x 4"h. No damages to the iron, excepting surface rust. Handles have some splitting. Embossed "THIS SIDE OUT". As-is, as-found.

Vintage Nail Tin

2009-06-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Neat little nail tin which I acquired off of Ebay for $5. I am going to put my older nails in it for safe keeping. Neat little box!

Vintage Slaymaker Keychain Screwdriver

2009-06-22T16:14:00.001-07:00

Landed this NOS tool off of Ebay for $2.99. Brilliant notion then and Brilliant notion now...how timeless! :) I am going to use this and dump the annoying leatherman tool!!! :)

Vintage Atlas Nail ID Manual

2009-06-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

I bought this vintage Atlas nail ID manual off of Ebay to help identify and date nails I have which I think are fairly old. As I get into restoring furniture I am running across some very old nails and would like to know the dates for some of them. Nifty manual to have if you are into wood working. I paid $9.99 for this old manual.

Vintage Atlas galvanized metal bolt box

2009-06-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

This is an old, vintage screw box that has a tilt down lid in the front so that it is easy access. It has a pull loop on the front of the lid and there is a label on it that says,"ADAPAK", "CAP SCREWS", "THE ATLAS BOLT AND SCREW CO." This box is galvanized metal of some sort, I don't know if it is tin or what. It is 5 1/8 by 3 1/2 by 2 3/4 inches. It is in very good to excellent condition. Snagged this on Ebay for .99 cents and could not pass it up! :)

Vintage window and door hardware

2009-06-20T15:46:00.001-07:00

I landed this vintage door handle and window hardware lot off of Ebay for future use on construction of a wood shop. Snagged these for $6. Nice lot!

Play House REsto

2009-06-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

I landed some free bricks off of Craigslist and used some of them to lay a nice brick floor for my children's playhouse! It took a lot of work to level the ground out for an even floor but it looks great!

06/22/09 Update: I used the rest of the free bricks I got off of Craigslist to fix an erosion spot on the side of the house. Water comes off the roof and hits part of the ground where the bricks were placed. I hope that this will prevent future erosion. Look nice as well!

07/11/09 Update: The brick water barrier on the side of the house has helped immensely with the soil erosion and has helped the grass growth! Before and after shots. Looks great!

Vintage Hasp Door Pull Lock

2009-06-18T09:48:00.001-07:00

Vintage Hasp Door Pull lock...NOS! This is as old as the come! I am going to use both on storage box projects I am building. Nice find! Paid $5.99 for each lock...I got two of them..:)

NOS EZ Folding Leg Brackets

2009-06-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

I found these 1950s EZ folding leg brackets and thought I could eventually use them to build a folding work table. Neat little leg brackets! Snagged these NOS brackets for $14.99.

Military Ammunition Box Put to Alternate Use

2009-06-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

I purchased this wooden military ammunition box and will be putting it to alternate use. I am going to use it to house boxes of wood screws, bolts and nails. I am finally getting everything organized! :)

Update: I finally managed to do something with the military ammo box I bought a while back. I used pieces of oak wood and constructed a storage box for all of my antique nails and misc. handles. I like how this one turned out! Works great in the garage and resting the box on a furniture dolly makes it easy to move around.

Palm Pilot III Resto

2009-06-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

I found a Palm Pilot III docking station and camera kicked to the curb a few weeks back and thought it would be nice to get organized and actually follow a schedule for a change. I purchased a palm pilot III on Ebay for $19.10 and a fold out keyboard for $8.99 to go with the camera and docking station that I found! Few pictures of the components all together including the pieces I found.

Before Shot of Tercel

2009-06-06T06:26:00.000-07:00

Found a before shot of the Tercel..same car with Konig wheels on it which I did not include in the purchase price of the car.

Project '96 Toyota Tercel Resto

2009-06-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

Well everyone knows I cannot stay out of the car scene for too long. After a 2 year hiatus I decided to get another project. This time it is a newer car which is running. I bought a '96 Toyota Tercel which has been lightly hit in the front. I have always wanted one of these Toyotas and with gas prices going back up why not. Purchased off of Craigslist for $550. Bit on the high side but it was delivered as well which is nice.

The damage is yet to be investigated...from the pictures I think it is all repairable but we shall see. This car has a running motor, 4 speed transmission and gets 36-38 MPG!!! Now that will be nice!

Update: 6/14/09: I have disassembled the entire front end of the car now right down to the radiator support. Parts which are trashed: front bumper cover, grill, front drivers side headlight, radiator support, collision bumper arm extensions, bumper reinforcement, hood, radiator, and condensor. Everything else looks great! I plan on having it in the shop in the next couple of months to have the radiator support replaced and the front left bumper arm straightened. I already have parts on order and will slowly accumulate the rest. Overall I am pleased and will have it back on the road with new front end paint by the end of the year. More pictures to come...

Nice color and nice interior...the body lines are all straight so I doubt if there is frame damage.

More info to come...

Initial picture...this car does presently run and drive well...

Update: 5/20/09: I am gathering parts for this low budget resto. So far I have a new headlight $23, new bumper reinforcement bar $5, and a new set of front bumper trim mouldings $10. I am currently bidding on a OEM Toyota radiator with fan and upper and lower hose on Ebay so I may be updating soon. As soon as I have all the parts together she is headed to the shop for repairs. I wn the radiator, fan and upper and lower hoses for $35! Steal!

Update: /21/09: Snagged a new Toyota Tercel grill on Ebay for $6.97. A steal!

Update: 10/24/09 : Sold Project Toyota Tercel! I needed the space in my garage so this one had to go...:) My next car project will be a '91-'95 Ford Taurus which I am going to turn into a police clone complete with steel wheels and center cap and striping down the side. I will probably not start this project till July of next year.

Recycled Wood Work Station Build

2009-06-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

I have been collecting wood over the past 6 months to build this work station and finished it yesterday. All of the wood was recycled and the entire project cost me $3.38! Now that is recycling. I will post the link on how to build this work station soon!

8/12/09 Update: I updated the work station. I was reading an issue of handyman magazine and they built an upper structure on a work station and I liked it so I repeated it on mine. Now I have a nice LED light with two settings and upper level storage! NICE! I used some recycled wood but the 2"x1"s costs me $8! Nice improvement!

Back and Decker Edger Resto

2009-05-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

Found this Black and Decker Edger a few weeks back and have just now found time to get around to checking it out. I removed the old worn blade and will be replacing it on the next hardware store trip. I found that the bearing mechanism around the blade was caked with mud, grime, and other assorted unidentified objects so I spent some time cleaning it up and shot some WD40 to it. Plugged it in and it works great! I now have a nice edger! Thumbs up!

Update: Take a look at how the old blade was worn! Amazing! When I bought the new one at Lowes I didnt even recognize it from the old one! New black cost $7! I used it on the yard yesterday and my edging is nice!!! :)

Spanish Style TV Cabinet Resto

2009-05-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

I found this really nice Spanish style tv cabinet kicked to the curb in my neighborhood this morning and saved it! The top was loose and I have already fixed that! Really nice cabinet and I cannot imagine why it was thrown out??? Go figure?

Update: Fixed the top and sold on Craigslist! On to the next project! :)

Mac Drill in Original Box

2009-05-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

Another vintage drill for the wood shop. Landed this one for $9 off of Ebay. This one was made by Mac and is in the original steel box. This is the last drill I am adding to the shop for now. Nice!

VINTAGE DREMEL MOTO-SHOP SCROLL, JIG SAW - MODEL 57-2

2009-05-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

Another tool for my new wood shop...VINTAGE DREMEL MOTO-SHOP SCROLL, JIG SAW - MODEL 57-2. I acquired this piece off of Ebay for $19.99! Works great according to the seller but does have a dent on the back. The seller said it does not affect the performance of the tool! I can probably straighten it out. Nice deal! :)

Vintage Thor drill

2009-05-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

I am getting into wood working and working on gathering up some tools. I am going for the older tools as they are a lot cheaper than buying them brand new at Lowes and just as functional! I pick this 1.4" drill up on Ebay for $2.99! The cord has even been changed out! NICE! Not much to do to this one other than clean it up some.

Made One Dolly out of Two

2009-05-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Found two dollys today in the neighborhood which had been kicked to the curb. The first dolly had the entire top handle broken off and the other had a broken axle and broken wheels. I ended up taking the axle off the first dolly and reinstalling it on the 2nd! Fixed it! :) I still have the bottom half of the first dolly....it has a really neat fold up feature which I like. I might weld an upper handle on the top and put another axle and set of wheels on it. Only time will tell as I will have to find the parts I need. Nice finds though!

Revive the HP

2009-05-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

I have this older HP computer...about 5 years old and just about every component on it has failed so over the past few years I have cut and pasted components together to keep it functioning. Connected to my HP I have a NEC flat screen monitor, an older Dell keyboard (built like a tank) and now I am replacing the failed internal CD drive with a more modern TDK external USB drive ($21) complete with CD writer! It is a Frankenstein monster but still working...:) I no longer use the HP to surf the net due to lack of updated virus software so instead I use my ancient iMac to surf! Still works great and the Macintosh platform is a lot better than the PC platform in terms of updates and data security. I am trying to avoid indulging in capitalism...who wants to spend $600+ on a new computer when you can spend a little on the old one...:)

Update 06/21/09: Bought an external Lacie USB floppy drive for my first gen. iMac. Now I can transfer pictures directly to my Mac without using the PC. Nice! :)

2009-05-03T06:56:00.001-07:00

Vintage 50's 1/4" HI-POWER Drill made by the Portable Electric Tools Inc.

Model 77-H

Comes with metal case, drill bits polishing pads, sanding pads & backer pad, wire wheel, and other accessories.

What makes this unique is the stand that the drill clips into. The stand can be mounted onto a table. The D-ring on the handle holds the drill in hi-speed position.

Drill has been tested and works fine. Purchased on Ebay for $15 in Aug. 2008....what a deal! :)

Lot of NOS 1971 Bicycle parts

2009-05-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

As I get more and more into restoring bicycles and other assorted small projects I have realized that I need to stock up on some vintage bicycle parts. I landed this lot of parts off of Ebay for $12.25! A lot cheaper than going to Walmart and paying $10 for one needed item! SWEET DEAL!

1940s Belden Tool Box Resto

2009-04-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

Landed another vintage tool box. I snagged this one off of Ebay for $32. The buyer took my offer and his buy it now price was $75! Excellent deal! Not much to do to this one other than clean it up and put some tools in it. I am going to put wiring tools and accessories in this one!

Ebay description:
This is a great old Belden Spark Plug Wire parts box. It measures 12" long x 8 1/2" wide x 10 1/2" tall (measured to top of handle). The vintage advertising on the sides reads: "PUT A KICK IN THE SPARK PLUGS" and pictures the rear end of a bucking horse in the logo. The box is in great condition for its age, little to no rust, has minor wear (surface scratches). Some prices are written on the top of the box (may be removable). We never attempt to clean our antique finds...so that's up to you...this piece should be a snap. Nice advertising on every side of the box. A great find for collectors!