Yessir! I'm quite excited!!! Got a 1974 ATC 90 (K2?)!
Considering my part of the country...I was really amazed when i came across the for sale ad on Kijiji. Good ol' Kijiji...what would us east-coasters do without it nowadays?
To find an original "balloon tire" ATC in New Brunswick...I could easily say is a rare find...especially without wheel conversion...and extra tires!? What!? You've got to be kidding.
Anyways, I shot and scored with this one. He wanted $200, but I said $150, and braved a wicked snowstorm at night to drive 250 kms round-trip to go get it.
Needless to say it's going to need some serious TLC...but it will get that and more over the next few months. I've given it the name "Clamdigger" because of its history...according to the previous owner who got it off his uncle years ago, and it was orginally from St. John, NB. I was also told that it spent most of its working life being used on the tidal flats for clam digging in the Fundy coast area.
Other than that, two of the spare rear tires came from the US a long time ago, and one tire with a portion of the axle still attached came from a junkyard...his uncle found another machine going for scrap and cutoff the useable tire...yes...he cut through the axle to get the tire off...solid steel.
The back tires on the bike are shot...right one more so than the left...the front still holds some air but with a slow leak.
Everything seems to be there with the exception of the seat...it's gone...need to locate one or just a seat pan and build one with foam and a replacement seat cover.
This may sound really funny to some of you...but there’s one thing about a project like this…and dealing with old vintage / abandoned bikes / trikes…that really puts a smile on my face. I decided to check out the original airbox that came with the bike…removed the end-nut, and pulled the box apart…what was left of the foam fell on the floor…but look right there!
Do you see the original shiny metal of the air-box bolt!? I find it so amazing when I think that I am the first person in the history of this ATC, to have taken the airbox apart…exposing an untouched nut / bolt for the very first time since it was manufactured.
Dunno…I think it’s just really, really cool.
I can’t wait to get working on it.
If anyone out there has any leads on a seat, or additional parts I may need / want…please let me know.
One last thing…I WANT TO SAVE THE ORIGINAL TIRES! Just wonder what is the best way to save the ones I have…and was looking into a polyurethane foam filling process which maintains flexible, and simulates actual operating tire pressure…ARNCO Superflex / Ecoflex. What do you think? Good or bad idea? Any other better solution (s)?
All the best!
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