1989 Peugeot skip find restoration

[Teuchter]

At the weekend I finished a project road bike that I'd found in a local skip. This was it as I found it. Knackered steel wheels, missing chain and saddle and needing a general tidy up. I'd never heard of the brand (Fuzion) but on the plus side, I'd been on the lookout for a winter commuting bike and it was just the size I was looking for. I decided that if I could get the stem and seatpost out, I'd give fixing it a go.

It all came apart easily but I still had no idea what it was until I started rubbing down the paintwork to redo it in black hammerite (easier to touch up the inevitable scrapes from commuting use and abuse than a spray paint job and it wasn't worth anything more elaborate).


I've been able to identify it as a 1989 Peugeot Le Tour. It has a low end Carbolite frame and components but will do the job I'm asking of it fine.

The finished bike.

Here's what I used on it:
Original parts retained:
Peugeot carbolite frame and forks (repainted in black smooth Hammerite I had lying around)
stem and handlebars
headset
seat post
CLB brake calipers
crankset
bottom bracket
Sachs-Huret front derailleur
Sachs-Huret downtube shifters

New replacement parts:
wheels (cheap Weinmann alloy rims on even cheaper hubs)
6 speed freewheel
Tektro brake levers
Chain
Brake and gear cables
Brake blocks
Bar tape

Parts bin or 2nd hand replacement parts:
Schwalbe marathon plus tyres (parts bin)
San Marco Rolls saddle (parts bin)
MKS pedals with metal toe clips (parts bin)
Shimano 600 rear derailleur (eBay)

I've done about 40 miles on it this week so far and it's a nice, comfortable ride. First time using downtube shifters for a few years but that's quickly becoming second nature again once I got myself out of the habit of trying to shift using brifters.

Mudguards and a rack will hopefully be next to finish it off for its intended purpose.

I've documented the build with photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pete_johnson/sets/72157630064599954/with/7632076674/

 

[MattHB]

What a great job lovely looking bike now

 

[Alex11]

Absolute corker.

Where did you find this in a skip?!

 

[Alan Whicker]

Lovely. How come I only find BSOs in skips?

 

[Teuchter]

Thanks for the comments. I've never brush painted a frame before but pleased enough with how it came out - at least for commuting duties.

The bike was in a local council recycling centre. I always have a look in the metal skip if I'm dropping anything off there and on seeing this, offered one of the workers a tenner for it once he'd fished it out. He did ask if I wouldn't prefer the garishly decalled, full suspension supermarket mountain bike that was also in there...

 

[Alex11]

Brilliant :-) I'll definitely be down to the local recycling then!

I once tried to spray a frame and it went horribly. Brush painting sounds a lot better. So you primed it with a spray can and then brushed on the finish? What paint finish was it?

 

[Teuchter]

I once tried to spray a frame and it went horribly. Brush painting sounds a lot better. So you primed it with a spray can and then brushed on the finish? What paint finish was it?

Top coat is smooth hammerite (used to be called smoothrite which is less of a contradiction in terms). You're right, I sprayed the base coat using a can of Zinc 182 anti rust primer that I had in the shed. After the base coat and again after the final top coat I put the frame in the airing cupboard for a week where it would be nice and warm to help cure the paint. Don't know how much difference this made but it annoyed the wife no end .

Painting by brush or spray is all about the preparation. Keep things clean, don't apply too thick a coat (especially when spraying) and rub down with a fine grit sanding sponge between each coat. I used to do airbrushing and have spray painted car panels, motorbikes and one bicycle frame (that stil looks ok after a couple of years of commuting). The main reason I went for brush painting this time was for ease of touching up the paint in future.

 

[Boris Bajic]

You found my old Peugeot?

It meant so much to me and my life has been an absolute shambles since it was stolen, resprayed and thrown in a skip.

I can hardly believe it. This has absolutely made my year. I don't know how to thank you...

When can I come and get it?

 

[Teuchter]

You found my old Peugeot?

It meant so much to me and my life has been an absolute shambles since it was stolen, resprayed and thrown in a skip.

I can hardly believe it. This has absolutely made my year. I don't know how to thank you...

When can I come and get it?

My suspicions exactly when I found it had been resprayed however it's been so long since it had been done (judging by the post-respray surface rust and general condition of the bike) that I don't think it's worth worrying about. All I've done is taken a long dead bike that was destined to be recycled into bean cans and given it a new lease of life.

If however your post wasn't tongue in cheek, you're welcome to come and collect it as soon as I have returned it to the condition in which I found it

 

[biggs682]

nice find

 

[ohnovino]

Congratulations, that looks beautiful.

Are the chainstays dented or is that part of the design?

 

[Teuchter]

Congratulations, that looks beautiful.

Are the chainstays dented or is that part of the design?

Thanks!

They're designed that way, presumably to give more clearance for the wheel and the chainrings.

 

[Alex11]

I've got a power coater very near to me, I'd rather have it done professionally to be honest! - I really don't trust myself with any painting jobs, brush or spray cans..

I wonder whether if I asked him to slip in in at some point when he's got a free moment he would do me a single colour paint job - anyone got any ideas how much that would be?

 

[Cyclopathic]

I like what you have achieved here. How much do you reckon you had to spend to get it like that?

 

[jim55]

I've got a power coater very near to me, I'd rather have it done professionally to be honest! - I really don't trust myself with any painting jobs, brush or spray cans..

I wonder whether if I asked him to slip in in at some point when he's got a free moment he would do me a single colour paint job - anyone got any ideas how much that would be?

Single colour paint job up here in Glasgow iv had a price of 55 but I suppose it depends where u are , no doubt a fancy place in London is dearer