Why did so many classic minis get destroyed??

S

shayneyasinski

New Member
#1
#1
I have been into these bikes for many years and I have yet to grasp the reasoning people had towards them.

why have a perfect little bike that in most cases used a simple 4 stroke that could be fixed with almost no real knowledge of engines bolted to a very simple tube frame and controlled buy 2 if not 1 lever
ONLY TO DRILL, GRIND, HAMMER, CUT, AND HACK every repair in such a way that it will almost always fail and ruin the bike!!

How many times did I find a classic mini with welded bars and pegs where a simple nut and bold would have fixed them.

Or the muskin dune cat CUT IN half to try and get a snowmobile engine into it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess they were just too inexpensive and plentyfull for people to have cared.... like the VW's that ended up as crude dune buggys.

local shriners crushed 14 skat kittys cause they bought honda 70 three wheelers and said the minis needed new tires so they were unsafe.:crying:
 
The Restore Kid

The Restore Kid

New Member
#2
#2
shayneyasinski said:
local shriners crushed 14 skat kittys cause they bought honda 70 three wheelers and said the minis needed new tires so they were unsafe.:crying:
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Yeah.. cheap ugly fun to beat on toy... Not vintage 30 yeas ago... the Skat Kittys is a shame. A buddy of mine told me how a guy offered him a bike (musta been a skat kitty) but he turned it down so it got junked. :glare: Project or not, ya gotta be an idiot to turn down a free mini bike.
 
G

GTO

#3
#3
they are a dieing breed and yes most have been hacked over the years or have a clone in them now. On one bike I filled a bucket with stupid welded add on's.

This is why the stock ones are that much more coveted and good on the eyes.

Any idiot can "customize".:doah:
 
S

supernova

Banned
#4
#4
shayneyasinski said:
I have been into these bikes for many years and I have yet to grasp the reasoning people had towards them.

why have a perfect little bike that in most cases used a simple 4 stroke that could be fixed with almost no real knowledge of engines bolted to a very simple tube frame and controlled buy 2 if not 1 lever
ONLY TO DRILL, GRIND, HAMMER, CUT, AND HACK every repair in such a way that it will almost always fail and ruin the bike!!

How many times did I find a classic mini with welded bars and pegs where a simple nut and bold would have fixed them.

Or the muskin dune cat CUT IN half to try and get a snowmobile engine into it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess they were just too inexpensive and plentyfull for people to have cared.... like the VW's that ended up as crude dune buggys.

local shriners crushed 14 skat kittys cause they bought honda 70 three wheelers and said the minis needed new tires so they were unsafe.:crying:
Click to expand...
I now have 4 good restorable minibikes & one that was junk but I customized it (see trash to treasure in project logs)! as well as a later Dirtbug and an older DB30 I am going all out on the DBs but will do my best to preserve the classics! I have passed on buying many abominations that were hacked almost to the point of no return because the owners thought they were worth their weight in gold, even in that condition! It is a shame what some folks do to classic motor vehicles!
 
SpyGuy

SpyGuy

New Member
#7
#7
shayneyasinski said:
I have been into these bikes for many years and I have yet to grasp the reasoning people had towards them.

why have a perfect little bike that in most cases used a simple 4 stroke that could be fixed with almost no real knowledge of engines bolted to a very simple tube frame and controlled buy 2 if not 1 lever
ONLY TO DRILL, GRIND, HAMMER, CUT, AND HACK every repair in such a way that it will almost always fail and ruin the bike!!

How many times did I find a classic mini with welded bars and pegs where a simple nut and bold would have fixed them.

Or the muskin dune cat CUT IN half to try and get a snowmobile engine into it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess they were just too inexpensive and plentyfull for people to have cared.... like the VW's that ended up as crude dune buggys.

local shriners crushed 14 skat kittys cause they bought honda 70 three wheelers and said the minis needed new tires so they were unsafe.:crying:
Click to expand...
Bottom line: Because people are stupid. That's why.

(Owning one of the older VW Bugs myself, I know where you're coming from on the "doomed buggy" thing, too ...)

A REAL shame about the Skat Kittys ..... rust in pieces ....
 
Oldschool

Oldschool

New Member
#8
#8
Among many things I collect old tools, blow torches ann Coleman products.


Some people abuse tools such is life....

Some people think grandpas old gasoline blow torch makes and attractive table lamp when drilled full of holes adn electrified.

Some people abuse old lanterns and stoves. Of more concern to me is the number of people starting to take a plane old 1970 200A and stripping and restoring it to make a fake goldbond lantern.
This should be a warning to all collectors that under that nice mint paint job on something you paid 900 dollars for may lurk a fake.....
 
The Restore Kid

The Restore Kid

New Member
#9
#9
Oldschool said:
Among many things I collect old tools, blow torches ann Coleman products.


Some people abuse tools such is life....

Some people think grandpas old gasoline blow torch makes and attractive table lamp when drilled full of holes adn electrified.

Some people abuse old lanterns and stoves. Of more concern to me is the number of people starting to take a plane old 1970 200A and stripping and restoring it to make a fake goldbond lantern.
This should be a warning to all collectors that under that nice mint paint job on something you paid 900 dollars for may lurk a fake.....
Click to expand...
I have a couple old gasoline torches that are pretty decent. :wink: My brother in law has a WW2 army issued gasoline space heater like a crank activated turbo charged flame thrower. :lol: It's kinda dried out and old looking and w have not tried it. :eek:hmy: but looks like it could be all torn down and rebuilt. :wink: It's all there and complete and nice... other than 60 years of storage..

The bikes...... :repuke: .... BUT!!! WHAT the :censure: was that ONE thing at like 4:17 - 4:24 ?????? :freakout: THAT thing was nuts....

Is that the original "Motor City Madman?" He built stuff like that.. That was a V8 with auto 3 speed shaft drive two car tires. :eek:hmy: Pause it at like 4:22
 
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mybiz

mybiz

New Member
#11
#11
grandpas old gasoline blow torch

Oldschool said:
Among many things I collect old tools, blow torches ann Coleman products.


Some people abuse tools such is life....

Some people think grandpas old gasoline blow torch makes and attractive table lamp when drilled full of holes adn electrified.

Some people abuse old lanterns and stoves. Of more concern to me is the number of people starting to take a plane old 1970 200A and stripping and restoring it to make a fake goldbond lantern.
This should be a warning to all collectors that under that nice mint paint job on something you paid 900 dollars for may lurk a fake.....
Click to expand...
Not me I've got more sense than the idiots hackers. I have an old gas blow torch that was my grandpas. Its all I have of his because my :censure:
:censure: greedy cousins stole all his firearms that was willed to me. I guess they paid for there greedyness they died before they turn 50.:glare:
 
Mac

Mac

Well-Known Member
#12
#12
Not all minibikes get destroyed when stuff gets welded to the frames.
Check out the improved looks on this 1968 Taco 44 at a local Swapmeet:
.

.
Choppers are just So Cool..............
 
F

fast tote goat

New Member
#13
#13
GTO said:
they are a dieing breed and yes most have been hacked over the years or have a clone in them now. On one bike I filled a bucket with stupid welded add on's.

This is why the stock ones are that much more coveted and good on the eyes.

Any idiot can "customize".:doah:
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I love building custom bicycles, mini bikes, motorcycles, and cars. Any idiot can restore one.
 
65ShelbyClone

65ShelbyClone

Well-Known Member
#14
#14
I have adopted the idea of not making any irreversible changes to something irreplaceable and definitely not changing something with rare original options. My '68 Mustang is an example. It's a very plain 2v 289/C4 vinyl roof notchback that would not be especially valuable even fully restored. It was completely original(and needing a lot of work) when I got it, but will look and function much like a late '60s Trans-Am car when I'm done. It will actually be just as valuable, if not moreso, than it would be restored.

I think there are a lot of factors that go into hack jobs, be it minibikes, motorcycles, cars/trucks, or anything else. The biggest factors I see are neglect(not caring), a lack of resources, and lack of knowledge/skills. Minibikes are usually owned by kids and kids don't usually have the resources or skills to do more than a dog-turd weld with Dad's stick welder.

fast tote goat said:
I love building custom bicycles, mini bikes, motorcycles, and cars. Any idiot can restore one.
Click to expand...
With all the bad restorations I've seen, I would say that is definitely not true, especially not if they're restoring something that has been "customized." :shrug:

Oldschool said:
Some people abuse old lanterns and stoves. Of more concern to me is the number of people starting to take a plane old 1970 200A and stripping and restoring it to make a fake goldbond lantern.
Click to expand...
What? Them ugly yellow things? :wink: I have a thrashed 1959 200A I wouldn't mind doing a color change on, but I would probably have it redone in some other color like brown, black, blue, or green like some of the seasonal models sold in Japan in the last several years. That's if I do anything to it at all. I also have a 1964 220F that is decent except for a rusted-out fount(neglect as mentioned above). I will probably do something "custom" with that one.....like taking two incomplete minibikes to make one good one. :wink:
 
440dakota

440dakota

New Member
#16
#16
GTO said:
they are a dieing breed and yes most have been hacked over the years or have a clone in them now. On one bike I filled a bucket with stupid welded add on's.

This is why the stock ones are that much more coveted and good on the eyes.

Any idiot can "customize".:doah:
Click to expand...

Whats wrong with a clone on a mini bike for? Sure i like briggs better but don't bash on other peoples stuff. If you don't like it then don't say anything and keep it to your self!

Lots of people would rather ride there bikes vs sitting in the basement because you don't want the tires to get dirty.:doah:
 
leathernun666

leathernun666

New Member
#20
#20
That video looks like most of the craigslist adds I see around here. Funny as hell though. You know its gonna be hacked up when you pull into their drive and see this LOL


 
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