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Where it all began - To restore or not to restore?

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Clean:
RADsters,

Many of you will no doubt have heard how I spent most of my BMXing youth on a pimped up BH California, a Spanish made Halfords cheapie. In fact, one of the reasons I got back into this lark was to own some of the bikes I could only dream of as a kid. 

Earlier this year I let one go on Fleabay, and subsequently regretted doing so. Last week, our very own Winsta IMed me on Facebook with a link to an untouched, survivor, BH California in the same spec and colourway as I had back in the day. Some good fortune and a little haggling later and I am now the proud owner of my first ride; not my very own, exactly, as mine had new forks, saddle, calipers, levers, tyres, pedals etc., but the bike where this nonsense all began.

 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

However..... this "Bloody Heavy" beauty has been untouched since purchase - still has the original Padset, and black Michelin tyres on her - and is in complete working order. Just a little surface rust on the chrome and a few paintchips, other than that, pretty fooking mint for a bike that is near 30 years old!  :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:

This is the eBay piccie (I will get more up when I pick her up from my mate's - who picked it up from Southampton for me - and there is some clear and crisp winter daylight):



And now my dilemma.....

Do I resto or not?  :-\

Do I repimp to my original spec or not?  :-\

(A re-pimp will require, amongst other things, obtaining some chrome Tange TRX1200s and having the steerer tube lengthened to fit the non standard head tube on the California. Not so easy now that my dad no longer works in a SME Engineering firm!)

Answers on a Post(card) to RADBMX.co.uk!  :daumenhoch:

Thanks!

Clean.

Peter J:
I'd do it how you had it BITD Rich :smitten:


Thats how I'm doing my ammaco  :daumenhoch:

pickle:
Nice one rich, if you do decide to resto then I've got some of those forks......yours for what I paid.£10 next time at the BR  :daumenhoch:

brettypeeps:

--- Quote from: Peter J on December 19, 2011, 06:39 PM ---I'd do it how you had it BITD Rich :smitten:


Thats how I'm doing my ammaco  :daumenhoch:

--- End quote ---

But keep the original parts to go with it  and have the best of both worlds :daumenhoch:

RATTY:
Ask yourself a question? what bike would you like back the most?
The bike you got on day 1? minty fresh
or the bike you ended up with, the one with the history, the scars and the special little mods that made it your bike?

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