This is my first ratrod bike build. I think it turned out pretty good based on the walmart bike I started with. Now its something I can proudly ride around my neighborhood. I have a couple more things in store for it, but this is where it sit's right now. Let me know what you guys think! I apologize in advance for the picture quality. All I have is my iPhone for pictures right now.
Here's a picture of when I first got the bike home from the store. (Walmart)
I bought it planning to customize it, so within a few days I had it looking like this:
Then I bought some ape hangers, and covered some of the ugly yellow graphics with a black bandana:
I rode it like this for a while, but I knew I wanted to make it better still…. This is what happened next:
Taking it all apart..
I had parts everywhere..
I used aircraft remover to get all the paint off.. It just makes the paint bubble and fall off.
The frame before..
During…
It took a couple days to get all the paint off because I was only working on it in my free time..
Frame is stripped and ready for paint!
Primer black and two coats of Flat black spray paint.
I taped lace material over the blue fenders and spray painted metallic black over the lace. I think it turned out pretty cool. I used the same process on the top tube of the frame.
Putting it all back together.. The tape is to protect the paint from the chain.
Here's a close up of the top tube.
It's all back together!
Here's a picture of when I first got the bike home from the store. (Walmart)
![1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/98d/98ddc56e818456e6199c3b28b6f056c6.jpg)
I bought it planning to customize it, so within a few days I had it looking like this:
![2.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/003/00336bf2aeed0cd4b9eb89a05a36ea48.jpg)
Then I bought some ape hangers, and covered some of the ugly yellow graphics with a black bandana:
![3.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/81a/81ab1ff4a25255ce1a369775e12eecf9.jpg)
I rode it like this for a while, but I knew I wanted to make it better still…. This is what happened next:
Taking it all apart..
![4.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/916/9168951d46a2320f7c4989b151f20282.jpg)
I had parts everywhere..
![5.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/6fc/6fc06d95ceabc3f9248879a992c2ae8f.jpg)
I used aircraft remover to get all the paint off.. It just makes the paint bubble and fall off.
![6.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/dec/dece97d7e026d0c7556f8e7895bee044.jpg)
The frame before..
![7.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/418/418172b02ed50f36e734b4c3e64065dc.jpg)
During…
![8.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/11b/11b2a8be5c1279ed9803ebd0d255c15c.jpg)
It took a couple days to get all the paint off because I was only working on it in my free time..
![9.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/481/481a2a3c5f3c3a621b0b190429c4b7a7.jpg)
Frame is stripped and ready for paint!
![10.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/3d8/3d8f485d6ab46ab5dd0aae0e585ad9eb.jpg)
Primer black and two coats of Flat black spray paint.
![11.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/c5d/c5de5397c8971b9d9d5a4d2c80b2f567.jpg)
I taped lace material over the blue fenders and spray painted metallic black over the lace. I think it turned out pretty cool. I used the same process on the top tube of the frame.
![12.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/5b9/5b9aa12ac0fa9ea4d8649ed1d9e1338e.jpg)
Putting it all back together.. The tape is to protect the paint from the chain.
![13.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/6c1/6c15154e5dffb85759ce1285b104ffd9.jpg)
Here's a close up of the top tube.
![14.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/d5f/d5f94b0e397c458edd87a40dcfd3e4b0.jpg)
It's all back together!
![15.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/a35/a35ef4c4dfdbc816c0408ee6a052f1c4.jpg)
![16.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/6ca/6ca46a2a560ae21d7305caa8e846f8f7.jpg)
![17.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/40e/40e95018bdefbc6e023d036e54856953.jpg)
![18.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/3ce/3ce50d237eb18bb3a537b99e51e3153f.jpg)
![19.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/019/0192cbca665586978edca03cf4cefcf4.jpg)