Holdsworth - busted!!

There are a couple things I'm good at,

collecting a bunch of cool junk,

and building things I can't afford to keep.

It's like running over the fire pit to get the current holey grail,

then realizing your standing there with burnt clothes,

naked with the holey grail.

The chit hit the fan over the weekend,

when that realization really bit me in the arse.

You may remember the 1949 Holdsworth frame was one step from the scrap pile.

My build thoughts were to rat rod it out,

oil up the rust and throw scratched up era parts on it.

Out came the wd-40 and sandpaper

and the little Dremel tool wire wheel.

Wow this cleaned up quick!

The early lugs were plain bitchin.

Here's where I should have clear-coated it,

instead out came the rattlecan.

Light coats of red oxide, black and clear to mimic an early paint job,

followed by a scratch with 000 steel wool,

and a hand massage with rubbing compound.

I figured it could always be media-blasted  in the future,

but why risk hurting the thin Reynolds 531tubing.

I even found repop HOLDSWORTH decals.

So cool,

exactly how I had envisioned.

The original chromed forks and the AVA stem polished up well.

I had dove down the rabbit hole,

a head first swan dive.

8.3  8.6  8.4

Hell I even tried to gold stripe the dropouts!

Most of this was done during the odd dusk hours.

During the night I was a cellphone monster,

researching unaffordable 50's road bike components,

and scouring eBay for the right parts.

The 70's stuff a bit more in my make believe budget.

As I expected,

the cost of scratched campagnolo equipment is a fraction of NOS.

I thought I had a handle on the situation...

Until I started on flip mode,

finding stuff to trade into bike parts,

anything to feed the paypal machine.

The little parts added up quick,

however the prize my eyes were glued on were these wheels.

Second rated Gran Sport hubs,

these had that early high flange look with the round holes.

Top rated nuovo record has oval holes.

Details! 

These would make the bike.

I bid,

and overbid,

and won.

It felt like I was gambling.

If you start with $50,

win $300,

then lose it all...

Did you just lose $50 or $300?

Whatever,

I couldn't wait to spin these!

That's when I got busted.

A misrepresentation in the deal had me asking questions,

innocently asking my wife for a suggestion,

and WHABAMP!!!

All hell let loose - Holey Chit!

Run for cover!!

"How could you be spending this much on %#*£&@!!"

"But...but...I was trading junk on our wall..."

"You have so much stuff!!"

I slept on the couch that night.

How can I complain,

my addiction got the best of me,

and it was marginally out of control.

That's how these projects get done!

The whaler, the hot rods, the stereos...

it's all flip and return.

But..who else would let me keep bike projects in the kitchen...

Here's to wives that keep us in check!

TP