I need input on a bike I'm building from anyone who is willing to offer help

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huffyrailsarefun

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I just did an even muscle bike trade. I swapped my Jet Star 3 speed muscle bike for a Raleigh Chopper 3 speed Mark 2. I'd say both bikes were in "roughly" the same "rough" condition.

I have no regrets other than the Raleigh chopper absolutely will not come apart. The sissybar has welded itself in with rust and the pin on the sprocket side of the 3 piece crank has done the same and actually may never come out since it peened itself over and mashed itself all over inside now. I'll figure something out. The wheel rims are literally rusted right through and are un-useable but the hubs are good so I can have the hubs respoked into different rims and eventually the crank will come out even if it must be cut to remove it. The sissybar may need to be heated with a torch AND hit with a sledgehammer and a long block of wood once I have the frame in a friend's vice but it too will eventually come out (I reason) hopefully.

Here is my dilemma and what I need help on from other members. Anyone who would like to give their opinion is very welcome to comment.

Here's my problem. It seems no one has any parts for this bike or if they do they won't sell or part with them. England has the parts but shipping will be sky high and the parts are super super expensive. Also, by the time I restore the bike back to original condition I'll have a Raleigh chopper mark 2 that looks like every other Raleigh chopper and also a ton of money in it (likely well over $600 in parts alone) and a bike that at least here is the USA is really not well liked by people.

I hate to just let the bike rust and sit. So I wondered if it would be taboo to radically alter this super rusty, no chrome left on it anywhere bike.

I was thinking about powdercoating or painting ALL the parts that used to be chrome but are now pitted and heavily rusted one color and then painting the frame and fork a different color. Every chrome part that once was chrome on this bike would get painted. The factory stickers on the bike would be replicated to appear as they originally looked only they would be the same color the chrome parts ended up being painted. The spoke nipples on the wheels would be painted the color the chrome parts were painted and the spokes and rims on the wheels would be painted the color of the frame, fork and chainguard. The gooseneck would also be painted the same color as the frame, fork and chainguard so that the handlebars don't look like they are too much all one color.

I need to know if this idea is okay to do (I know its my bike, I'm just checking to see if other people feel doing this is somehow killing a rare bike) and what color choices I should entertain. I mean it's not like I'm killing a bike that is in decent condition and even the paint on the frame fork and chainguard has a lot of moderate rust on it.

I won't do black or red as everyone paints their bike in some shade of black or red where I live. However I asked for your opinion so I will listen to all opinions.
 
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I'm not a muscle bike guy, but I like your idea.

As to colors, I also tend to go red and black, but in the end, a light color pairs best with a dark one. Dark grey and blue. Black and orange. Something like that.
 
When I first got the idea I thought of a deep candy electric navy blue on the fork, gooseneck, frame, chainguard, rims and spokes. The color I thought of for all the pieces that used to be chrome, and for the spoke nipples and the color for the original style stickers I thought... should be neon orange.

Neon green would work too instead of neon orange.


You can see why I need your input. I have thought about it and have narrowed the color choices down to the color I just mentioned here and the two colors I have listed below. Hopefully I'll be able to narrow it down to just 2 colors.

Right now I like all 3 possibilities.
 
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The cranks sound like they are the cottered style. The cotter pins are softer metal than the cranks or spindle, so they can be drilled out or use a small metal rod to hammer them out, then get a couple new pairs of cotters from the bike store. Remember to install them in opposite directions on each side when you put it back together.

If the new color is emerald green, gold for the chrome parts might look good, or for the blue, pewter might look good.
 
Also if anyone has a 16 inch front fender that will look decent appearance wise I would be most gratefull.

I prefer dent-free but don't mind at all if it has rust. Painted or chrome doesn't matter either. All I have in my parts inventory is a short rear 16 inch fender. It is very short and the hole is in the middle of the fender so it really won't work for my needs.
 
Pewter is a color I hadn't considered, nor was the gold but I like your thinking. They certainly would go nicely together.
 
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My color choices for the bike are down to these:

candy purple with gold painted chrome with gold chrome stickers (fenders may be painted purple with gold chrome stripes) spokes would be purple with gold chrome nipples and whitewall tires

powder blue with chrome painted chrome parts with either flat white stickers or chrome stickers, will also use whitewall tires and may also use powder blue grips (powder blue banana seat?) if chrome is sticker color

deep candy navy blue with either neon green or neon orange for all the chrome parts, the stickers would be the same color as the chrome parts (either neon green or orange)

Please pick your favorite color out of those I have listed and let me know, thanks.
 
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You guys are so sweet! Thanks to dezzie I now belong to the Raleigh chopper member club!

It is far more likely now I will get a chance at finding the parts one day I need like the front fender, crank arms, handlebars and gooseneck. Needed items on any bike.

My bike came with some of the parts but the crank arms were bent, the handlebars are literally nearly rusted through (unsafe) and unbelievably you can see light through the gooseneck so its nearly rusted through as well (not something I'd trust to ride)

Thanks for the help with the sites, much appreciated

Tootles!
 
Try ebay uk for chopper parts there are loads, plenty bars on also, some advertised from the states so should be cheaper to order from there than here!
 
RatRodBikes is a great place to get help and give help no matter what thread or post you list on. Almost everyone here is happy to read and help out. Good luck on your build! Sounds great. :)
 
First soak everything in PB Blaster or a good penetrating oil. I'm not sure about your description of the sissy bar but if its the seatpost then you may have to cut a slot in it with just a bare hacksaw blade. Twisting with a pipe wench, heat, sledge hammer or using a vice and the bike frame for leverage almost never work. I have never tried soaking for months in pen. oil as I am too impatient. You can drill an undersized hole in the cotters on the crank, but be careful you don't drill into the crank arms if you are planning on reusing them. Drilling an undersized hole relieves enough pressure that they can be easily pressed out. To remove the cotters use a socket over the fat end and press on the threaded end with a nut attached in your vice. If you don't want to use the old cranks you can usually figure out how to put a 3 piece cotterless on it. Getting out the bottom bracket to replace it with a tapered 3 piece type or to service it will be hard too. You should remove the bottom bracket anyway as it is probably compromised from all the unsupported pounding which tends to do bad things to the races and bearings. You need to press them in and out. Sheldon Brown has an excellent tutorial on removing bottom brackets, as well as how to build a cheap easy homemade tool to remove the bottom bracket cups. It works, as I have used it on very stubborn bottom brackets. The tool looks like this. Your frame most likely can be saved if you are careful and do research on the net.
 
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A few thoughts to add to the pile:
regarding the rust issues, I have had good luck with penetrating oil and patience. Spray it once a day for several days, then give it a try. I also take a dental pick and scrape the rust away around the areas where I want the parts to un-fuse. That seems to help the oil seep into the places it needs to go.
In combination with penetrating oil, a rubber mallet has been very helpful for unfreezing rusted parts. If it's a stuck bolt for instance, put the proper size box wrench on it and then whack the end of the wrench with the mallet several times. If that doesn't work it'll at least help you vent some frustration! Then there's heating the part with a torch. The final option is to just drill out the stuck screws or cut the heads off with an angle grinder. I find this is sometimes the best option, it's much faster and less work to just hack through the rusty stuff, replace the screws/bolts and move on.

I like to build ratty old bikes, so I work with rusted old parts all the time. Penetrating oil, a dental pick, a rubber mallet and a scrap of 2x4 wood for a drift has successfully unstuck 99% of the rusty parts I've worked on, with no damage to the bike parts themselves. Just be patient and use the right tool if you're trying to save the rusty parts.

I've had great success removing rust by soaking the rusty parts in a mixture of vinegar and salt. Put the rusty parts in a glass or plastic container and submerge them completely with vinegar, then stir in salt until it won't dissolve anymore. Let that sit outside for 3 days or more, then pour out the vinegar and immediately toss in some baking soda and water to neutralize the acid. Rinse the parts and rub them down with steel wool. The rust will come off like magic.

Just remember that if the rust is severe, some parts may be compromised structurally and should be replaced for safety. This includes screws & bolts. Check everything closely. I once had a set of handlebars rip in half in my hands while riding. The only evidence of rust was a little pinhole on the underside. That was a bit scary.

On color, a bright red/orange tends to go nicely with powder blue. Or you could go with a darker navy blue as the second color. Don't forget there's also metallic flake finishes. For color pairing, it is usually advisable to pair a color with a neutral (black, white, grey) or a metallic color.

I didn't mean to write a novel here, but I hope some of this helps. Keep us updated on the build.
 

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