08 October 2012

bike time 31 - stingray chronicles

We went to the SD Sports Arena swap meet early one morning and found the most bitchin stingray.
The 60's Schwinn Stingrays have chain guards that go over the frame in the back.
This one even had a rear slick and looked all Schwinn.
At $125 it was priced right.
The boys and I checked it out,
and thought...
okay let's go around one aisle and think about it.
On the return pass it was still there.
We may have had the money only barely.
Should we make a $100 offer?
Let's go look down the next aisle and think about it...
On the way back.
was this the aisle it was at?
Oh no someone got it!
Dang it!
The missed out feeling lingered all day.
Heck the feeling lingered for weeks!
Months!
Jakob and his Stingray




















The most powerful reason to return to early morning swap scrounging isn't getting the best deals,
it's knowing you missed the best deal.



Every couple weeks we'd go do an early walk through the swap expecting to find another Stingray,
and came up empty handed.
There was a cheesy chrome repop lowrider that got in Jake's head last week,
and we had to pass it up.
Too cheese.
This Sunday the kids were up early and ready to go,
and who am I to snuff the flame.
swap meet score





















The second aisle Jaxon eyed the bright red-orange Stingray.
$35!
For a whole bike we couldn't pass this deal up,
even though it was a little BMX'd out.
perich brothers - grease monkeys





















Since Jaxon has 2 Stingrays already,
this one went to Jakob without much hesitation.
Once home,
it was almost immediately ripped apart.
The kids double teamed on the old bicycles like never before.
The pieces from the black one thrown on the new red/orange frame to make it more stingray.
(you'll see what's in store for the black one in a couple days)
Jakob Perich and his Schwinn Stingray




















What's more enjoyable,
tearing around on a brand new bike,
or tearing around on a bike a kid has put together with old parts?
That's a gearhead theme for the ages!
Jakob test riding Stingray





















I told them how "back in the day" we'd ride our stingrays all over san diego,
to OB anyway which is a good trek as a kid.
And that was without helmets!
As a parent I don't mind the helmet rule.
Jaxon test riding stingray




















We should have gone on a little neighborhood cruise,
but we had grease monkey stuff to do.
Jaxon's ketchup and mustard stingray!




















Here's a sneak peak at Jaxon's stingray project.
It's gonna be crazy.

Good times...

TP

3 comments:

  1. The kids are lucky to have such a great pop. Heck, you are lucky to have such wonderful kids! Most parents are worthless and let video games and cellular devices raise their children into pop culture trash.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Over the weekend Jake was saying how he remembers the good old days.
    Playing around the Ventura shop and riding bikes around.
    I told him -
    These are the good old days jake!
    TP

    ReplyDelete