Ze (impostor)no inspiration bike...No more a rider!!!!

[Mr. Kool]

When i started building bikes 3 years ago i started buying chinese cruisers because they were cheap and that is all i can find here.

Started disassembly that one last year with the idea of making it look like an old american bike on a budget.

Since then i totally fell in love with old american bikes and after buying my first real piece of american bike history i lost interest in those chineses ones.

So after disassembly i started working on the frame, put it in primer and never touched it again.

I understand this can disqualify me and i accept it.
Build off is a good plea to finish it. At first i intended to build a stingray but i'm still hunting for parts....

So here is what i have today

And what have already been done to it.

Changed for this

Rear dropouts and all holes filled

All tig welds were molded

Then put the worst springer i have ever bought!!!!
The picture doesn't show it well but there is no castor angle at all. Had to use it without the spring or bent it more...

So i had to bent it a little more and rounded everything

A lot better!! Have to shorten truss rods so i decided to shorten also the fork

Today I started sanding primer....

 

[Pushie Pirate]

Re: Ze impostor...

Hi Mr Kool, it's the same for us in Australia, just love looking at all those cool old American
bikes on this forum. Love your concept if you can't buy one make one, perfect name for what
you are going to achieve and looking good so far!

 

[irzouts]

Re: Ze impostor...

:wink: Good luck !

 

[Funkme]

Re: Ze impostor...

Americans are so lucky with there bicycles.In Greece they have some cruisers velamos or eska, but they ask crazy $$$$.And they look like cheap chinese made. I have shipped 2 from the states already for half the price...
So I get where you are coming from... :wink:
Another european in the build...Good luck...

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Re: Ze impostor...

Completely understand the bike issue, same here for me, wanted a muscle bike, had to build it myself...

Luke.

 

[Funkme]

Re: Ze impostor...

Completely understand the bike issue, same here for me, wanted a muscle bike, had to build it myself...

Luke.

We had muscle bikes in Oz, I remember them growing up...But I think they were expensive,not for us poor folk... :lol:
We use to take ole ones jam extra forks on the end to turn them into choppers...

 

[Gdcast]

Re: Ze impostor...

Same thing here, and for some strange reason I love all American bikes/cars/motorcycles/wagons I can´t get, so I make them.
Good luck, and show us some progress!

 

[MplsCoaster]

Re: Ze impostor...

I was wondering where you were and now you're here!
Sounds like a cool concept and doing well so far, Good Luck!

 

[Mr. Kool]

Re: Ze impostor...

I was learning... Again and again. Antique american bike history is as rich and interesting as kustoms and hot rod history!! At the moment i am living and sleeping early stingrays... And again learning.
It's hard to find motivation to do this one but i will try to make it a little less ugly than it was.
Hope it will go after to make room for my next project.

 

[Mr. Kool]

Re: Ze impostor...

A little work done...

Don't have much time at the moment and not having a lot of inspiration doesn't help to find spare time...
Intended at first to paint it maroon and ivory to mimic vintage schwinns...but piece of .... it is, piece of .... it will ever be!!!

So changed my mind at the last moment and made this color. A brownish orange with gold effect...and i like it!! Normally a basecoat / clearcoat paint but i'have modified it to be a 2k paint. Didn't wanted the sparking effect of the clearcoat but a little less sparkle.

Started to sand rims and mask spokes...what a ...... work...masking spokes :shock: !!!

 

[bfelt]

Re: Ze impostor...

So...what kind of bike is this? If you do not use that crank and chainwheel, I would be interested in it. Is it a one-piece crank?

 

[kingfish254]

Re: Ze impostor...

Great paint!
Can't believe I missed your build.

 

[evalu8r]

Re: Ze impostor...

Ya! great lookin build! Love the paint and colour.

 

[Walker]

Re: Ze impostor...

great color! a lot of guys use straws, split longwise to cover up the spokes.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Re: Ze impostor...

Beautiful paint!

Luke.

 

[Mr. Kool]

Re: Ze impostor...

Thanks guys.

Nothing outstanding, just a lazy build... :lol:

Bfelt: bike brand is Merida, one piece crank. I will use the chainwheel, this is a budget build with some spare parts found in my pile of chinese sh*t.

Wheels are painted, rear tire mounted, just have to fix that broken nexus7. :?

 

[Mr. Kool]

Re: Ze impostor...

Nexus has been fixed...well i hope so!!!

Black anodized chainwheel has been polished and it took hours...it's not perfect but looks good to me.

Some close up pics...just for my pleasure

and I have to find ideas to make the chainguard look better

Here is what it looks today.
Don't know yet which handlebar and stem style will look better, also have to find where to mount a shifter and how to make it work.

I'm open to all ideas if you have some.

Thank you.

 

[evalu8r]

Re: Ze impostor needs a new name...and some ideas!!

Nice work on the chaining!!!!

 

[Mr. Kool]

Re: Ze impostor needs a new name...and some ideas!!

No progress but took time to rebuild the first bike i have built three years ago.
Sold it to a friend and he wanted it to be insprired by his car.

So this is what it looked like before...

And after...with his car. Bike is painted the same color and handlebar is the color of the steering Wheel. Frame has been changed for one with bigger tubes.

Still a chinese p.o.s. but i like it.

Have to find cool lights to finish it.


Now back to work on mine...definitively no inspiration on this one :|

 

[Glen]

Re: Ze (impostor)no inspiration bike...no progress but...

:shock: Nice job on the bike to match that beautiful Mercury. Just love them old Mercs 8)