Refinish a vintage stroller

My wife and I picked up an old metal stroller at a flea market recently, and decided it needed to come home with us in preparation for an upcoming grandchild! These old metal strollers were popular in the early '50"s, and were built like tanks. Unfortunately, however, even tanks start rusting after they're abandoned. Most of these old strollers eventually found their way into backyards, barns, and junk piles after they were no longer needed.

This stroller had begun rusting, but other than a very small bit of pitting, most of the rust was just on the surface. The seat and grab bar were made of wood, and it appeared that somewhere along the line someone had "slapped" (literally) a bit of paint on it (and dribbled it everywhere), and this paint had begun checking and flaking off.

The front and rear bumpers were made of 3/16ths steel rod, and the rubber covering was rock hard and had started breaking off in chunks.

The stroller's handle was missing, the body was beginning to rust, the wheels squeaked, and.....well, you get the picture. The thing totally needed refinishing, but the good news was that the only thing missing was the handle -- all the other parts were there.

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Step 1: Tools & supplies used

Tools used:

- wrenches
- screwdrivers
- pliers (to break off the old hardened rubber off the bumpers)
- hacksaw (to cut the tubing for the handle)

Supplies used:

- Krylon primer
- Krylon spray paint (blue and ivory)
- painters tape
- mineral spirits
- oil
- epoxy
- oak dowel
- washing machine inlet hoses
- 8' length of 1/2 inch metal conduit
- two 1/2 inch metal conduit elbows
- 2 metal conduit couplers
- miscellaneous nuts, bolts, screws
- WD-40

Ed-win says: Feb 5, 2012. 10:25 PM

Again nice work. What would have done if you needed to replace the rubber off the tires? I have an old pedal tractor with tire issues.

jeanicrowe says: Nov 4, 2011. 9:04 AM

Great project, beautiful job, but Dude! That's not a stroller. It was called a kiddy car. Strollers are pushed. This was a walk yourself job, but not a 'walker' because it was too cumbersome to be used indoors. I had one as a child, also blue. Loved seeing this!

knife141 (author) says: Nov 4, 2011. 11:16 AM

Actually, it is designed as both a stroller and a kiddy car. When the handle and floor pan are attached, it's a stroller. When you remove them, it becomes a kiddy car. A lot of times you find these missing the floor pan and the handle. This one had the floor pan still on it, but the handle was missing (but all the attachments for it were still in place). I suspect most of these today are probably missing the handle and the floor pan because that was the condition they were left in when the child grew past the kiddy car phase. On some of these the handle was easily removable, and others had a folding handle. The floor pan simply "popped" on and off. Thanks for your comment.

I.HEART.EVERYTHING says: Aug 22, 2011. 3:44 PM

This turned out beautifully! You did a great job on the resto. I wish more people would bring back these oldies but goodies of everyday life. :-)

knife141 (author) says: Aug 22, 2011. 4:54 PM

Thank you for your comments. This was a fun project.

mary candy says: Jul 2, 2011. 9:31 AM

How cute! I love retro things. Last week I did see one of it here http://www.allthingsretroonline.com/decor.html

:)

knife141 (author) says: Jul 2, 2011. 11:05 AM

Thanks for commenting! This was a fun project!

kristylynn84 says: Jul 2, 2011. 5:08 AM

very pretty! :) now i want one, when we have kids! :D hey, you should make the finished product your main image! thanks for the ible!

knife141 (author) says: Jul 2, 2011. 5:45 AM

Thanks for your comment! I see these strollers occasionally at flea markets and antique stores, but they seem to be getting a bit hard to find. I suspect most of them rusted away in junk piles.

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Phil B says: Jul 1, 2011. 4:09 PM

I have vague memories that make one of these very familiar. I am not sure, but expect I used one of these during my early years. You did a nice job. The one I remember faintly was not nearly so nice.

knife141 (author) says: Jul 1, 2011. 7:13 PM

Thanks, Phil. I have vague memories of these, too. Seems like they were very popular back in the 50's, but the ravages of time pretty much did away with most of them. I was lucky that this one only had surface rust.

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Phil B says: Jul 1, 2011. 9:24 PM

My wife recently finished digitizing 35mm transparencies from her parents. She had one of these strollers (born 1947) and it appears in a couple of the photos with her "driving" it. I think there was one at our house. It may have been borrowed. I do not know.