Draguar - NEW FORK/ HEADLIGHT MOUNT

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Missing Link

Missing Link

Joined
Jul 26, 2011
Messages
741
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2,028
Location
San Antonio, TX
As some among you may recall my submission in build off 7 was, unlike Rome, built in one day. I had a ball building it as did my son.
This year brings another build off and for my son, a new obsession, an animated animal rescuer and his sidekick, Baby Jaguar. As coincidence would have it, this week, a friend contacted me about fixing up a bike she inherited from her grandmother, a Vista, as payment she gave me her grandfathers old bike, can anyone see where this is going? Wait for it, wait for it...

... A JAGUAR!
Not that one, this one.

So away we go into the uncharted creativity of build off 8.
 
Re: Go! Baby Jaguar, Go!

Started trying to wrap my head around which direction to go with this build so I've pulled some of the original parts off and started playing the mock up game. I'm leaning towards a cafe style, not too much flash, and the right mix of patina and shine. So in it's conceptual state, "Draguar"-


I'm planning to replacing the original stainless steel fenders with a bobbed steel set, and I'm probably ditching the chrome S7's/ two speed kick back wheels for a lighter painted single speed set. I'm also trying to figure out the headlight situation and am playing with doing a fender mount with some additional truss support, or just a beefed up fender bracket.

Nothing is written in stone as I seem to have misplaced my chisel. :lol:
 
Re: Go! Baby Jaguar, Go! Introducing "Draguar"

Digging the mockups and the name.
Go Draguar Go
 
Re: Go! Baby Jaguar, Go! Introducing "Draguar"

Thanks guys. Apparently I didn't know it but it seems as though my bike is an OG rat. I had QUEASY RIDER take a look at some pics earlier today, and apparently my bike is an enigma wrapped in a mystery, hiding in a Schwinn.
The headbadge, springer, and tank all hail from different years, so the bike's kind of a Johnny Cash, one piece at a time kind of thing. The girl I got it from said her granddad bought it new so I guess he just added and changed parts as he fancied over the years.
As fate would have it an old rat found its way into the right hands, where it will be caressed and appreciated as opposed to crushed to be reincarnated as a single serving walgoose.
 
Re: Go! Baby Jaguar, Go! Introducing "Draguar"

Cool! We have fraternal twins in the buildoff. I'm going to get moving on mine again tomorrow; I've decided on the final direction (which is substantially different than yours). I can't wait to see what you end up with.

viewtopic.php?f=75&t=72047
 
Re: Go! Baby Jaguar, Go! Introducing "Draguar"

Before you drill that fender, make sure its not the rare stainless set.
 
Re: Go! Baby Jaguar, Go! Introducing "Draguar"

The fender is stainless and I'll be replacing it with a steel set as my game plan calls for bobbed fenders and I've already been told by another member he'd slap me if I bobbed the originals. :lol:
 
Re: Go! Baby Jaguar, Go! Introducing "Draguar"

Last night I fixed the mangled fork spring, I feel a little bad because Diabolical Dork was going through his parts trying to find me a replacement spring when I got the idea to take a torch to the original. I hate wasting peoples time when they're being nothing but helpful.
I decided to try out tempering job, it's been a while, and so I rigged up a sear stay and took a spin and I'm happy to say the spring worked fine I still have all my teeth :lol: but I'm left with some bugs to work out.
First the seat, as cool as it looks, makes riding this thing a real pain in the knees. I felt it on s trip around the block, any substantial distance and I'd be limping today. I operate a small garage business, N. TX ReCycles, and every bike I build reflects my work, and I've found very few people want an uncomfortable bike no matter how cool it looks. So the seat is either getting raised or replaced altogether.
My other issue is the wheel set. as cool as those Bendix Automatic two speeds are, they are equally heavy. I've gone back and forth on this one for a while, two speed, single speed, it's been a headache.
We'll see where this ends up going and how far from my original idea the end result is.
 
Re: Go! Baby Jaguar, Go! Introducing "Draguar"

Missing Link said:
Last night I fixed the mangled fork spring, I feel a little bad because Diabolical Dork was going through his parts trying to find me a replacement spring when I got the idea to take a torch to the original. I hate wasting peoples time when they're being nothing but helpful.
I decided to try out tempering job, it's been a while, and so I rigged up a sear stay and took a spin and I'm happy to say the spring worked fine I still have all my teeth :lol: but I'm left with some bugs to work out.
First the seat, as cool as it looks, makes riding this thing a real pain in the knees. I felt it on s trip around the block, any substantial distance and I'd be limping today. I operate a small garage business, N. TX ReCycles, and every bike I build reflects my work, and I've found very few people want an uncomfortable bike no matter how cool it looks. So the seat is either getting raised or replaced altogether.
My other issue is the wheel set. as cool as those Bendix Automatic two speeds are, they are equally heavy. I've gone back and forth on this one for a while, two speed, single speed, it's been a headache.
We'll see where this ends up going and how far from my original idea the end result is.
Click to expand...

I totally hear you on all 3 points
Live and learn, knees bent too much hurt, and 2 speeds are cool but heavy
I'm sure you'll sort out the right combo of coolness and functionality, that's the fun of it
 
After much thought I've decided to ditch the nanner seat, and after digging through the countless boxes of parts I think I've found my seat.


It's a Troxel, late '60's early '70's my guess, rubber cover nothing too cool, right.


Goodbye rubber cover, a little cleaning up and a fitting seat we have. I Think I'm going to change out the guts for something with a lower profile and maybe bigger springs, I like the look of the bare pan its simple and about as comfortable as the molded rubber Freccia D'orro
saddle on my daily rider.

I will have to adjust the height, of course.
 
Re: Draguar - a seat frame, a fender brace and what?

Had a late night I'm sure my neighbors love the late night grinding and hammering. I've been playing around with some ideas, since I'm still in the mock up phase. I haven't even started taking the frame apart for cleaning yet, so I'm using this first month to indulge my quirks, next month I'll disappear into a zen sea of tedium. That's also where my son really shines, he's two and a half and loves working on bikes so once the design phase is done and the bolts start flying he'll be coming in as my co-mechanic. Right now he's just helping keep things interesting by walking off with tools, parts, whatnot. I was looking for a fender brace yesterday and after giving up on finding it located it in a tree.
So here's last night/ this mornings project;


What would you do with a crusty seat frame and an old fender brace (previously of the tree fender braces)?

Some screws, some rusty steel strapping and... what the heck is it?
 
Re: Draguar - The madness! The mystery revealed.

To end the suspense...

I decided I just don't really like the look front fenders, so I had to find a way to mount the headlight. I have a 5 1/2 mile ride to work every morning and I leave around 5:30 when it's still quite dark, so I see headlights as a must. With a little work this should look less thrown together and more like it belongs. Stay tuned.
 
Re: Draguar - The madness! The mystery revealed.

River City Speed said:
I'm digging that headlight! Do you know what it's originally from?
Click to expand...
It's the lamp unit from a pillar mount spotlight like on police cars, it's badged Mercury, but the guy I bought it from took it off a '54 Ford.
 
Re: Draguar - The madness! The mystery revealed.

Missing Link said:
River City Speed said:
I'm digging that headlight! Do you know what it's originally from?
Click to expand...
It's the lamp unit from a pillar mount spotlight like on police cars, it's badged Mercury, but the guy I bought it from took it off a '54 Ford.
Click to expand...

8) I am using one of those on my build too, but it's not as cool looking as yours...

viewtopic.php?f=76&t=72610#p704488
 
Re: Draguar - The madness! The mystery revealed.

I haven't had much time to devote to this project lately, I'm trying to finish the Vega I'm fixing up for the girl I got the Jaguar from. I've spent most of my free time stripping with a nylon brush, which if you've never tried, I highly recommend. It's basically a wire brush but the bristles are made of hard nylon, I personally think it does a better job than a steel brush and doesn't remove your skin when you slip. I've been using a small one in my drill press to clean up bolts and small parts but this is my first time doing an entire bike.
Yesterday I finished a 3 day project. My son, 2 1/2 has really been wanting a " big boy bike " so after a few weeks checking craigslist I picked up a beat up blue 12" for 10 bucks. I asked him what color bike he wanted when he got bigger, and he said he wanted one like we built last year, (Last Ditch Effort), so as per his request I stripped it and shot it in red oxide primer, all without him knowing.

The handle bars were a little beat up so I cut down some mini-apes I had lying around fitted them with some short grips I pulled off a parts bike with a grip shifter, and found a stem that would fit the fork. I got it all put back together yesterday while he was taking a nap.


Lately I've been getting him to nap easier by telling him you grow while you're asleep, and he needs to grow before he can get a two wheeler. When he got up yesterday he asked me if he'd grown enough and I told him I had a surprise for him.
We're trying to bypass training wheels so my wife and I have been taking turns helping him balance.

He went about 15 seconds last night, which isn't too bad.
So hopefully we'll be getting back to Draguar real soon. If I just could pick one project and see it through to the end my life would not be near as fun.
 
Re: Draguar - Update -

Dude, you made the right choice with that side project!!!!
I bet he was thrilled to see that sweet little man's looptail!!!!
BRAVO!!
 
Re: Draguar - Update -

cool side projject and one lucky kid!!

Troy

(Good job Dad)
 

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