"FINK STINK"

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onelesspedestrian

onelesspedestrian

Joined
Feb 15, 2009
Messages
230
Reaction score
13
Location
Saskatoon, SK, Canada
I don't know exactly where I'm going, but I'm starting here:

Christmas09066.jpg


it's a '54 AMF Roadmaster. It's been sitting in my garage in pieces since Christmas, when I picked it up from my parents house where a friend of ours had dropped it off (Thanks Nathan!). It had to be dissasembled in my dad's garage so it could make the trip in the trunk, and that's all I have touched on it.

In my pre-mockup mindset, I am thinking along these lines: Custom made fork (I also got an oxy/acetelene setup this Christmas) Big N' Littles, you know, something Rat Fink would ride. 8)
 
you either have to use that sprocket or sell it to me. :lol: but seriously. i want one of those.
 
I am definitely gonna run the skip-tooth drivetrain, which reminds me, I should go throw the chain in some old motor oil or something. I am not 100% on this chainring, for some reason it doesn't scream "hot rod" to me. My drilled out CCM chainring from last year's buildoff has me thinking I need to do something wild here....
 
well if that sprocket doesnt make the cut of hot rod material, just shoot me a pm. :D
 
Well, I did a mockup of sorts last night, and have a bit more of an idea. I wasn't sure, but thought I was going to leave the frame absolutely as-is, with the faded paint, rust, everything, but now that I look at it, this thing needs paint, especially considering my other plans. I took some pictures of the mockup, but I won't even bother to post it until I have something more to show. I can see some ideas in there, but I am sure no one else will....

Anyways, my thoughts at the moment are :

Pearl white frame
Kustom tank with concave sides, "Fink Stink" graffic
24x3" Thick brick rear, 26x1.75" front, whitewalls
Sun DX32 rear rim, CR18 front, sandblasted for a "rough cast mag" look
Tall custom springer fork giving a nose up "gasser stance"
Front fender installed as a bobbed rear, no front fender.
Panel painted green in tank and fender.

I am thinking of green partly because I have a nice green Brooks B17 kicking around, and of course because the Rat Fink is green. Also, Green looks awesome with white on a bike.

I decided I wanted it to be built pretty soild, and be a real good rider. The wheels will really be the only major expense, and maybe some BMX cranks, although I am almost leaning way from that, since that makes it too modern. The rims I can pass off as "60's race parts" but I'm not sure how to do that with cranks, so it might stay 1 piece.

uuuughhhhh.... I will get moving on this soon. I fixed up a bike for my girlfriend's mom for mother's day here, part of the reason for my much slower start than lots of you.
 
onelesspedestrian said:
I am thinking of green partly because I have a nice green Brooks B17 kicking around, and of course because the Rat Fink is green. Also, Green looks awesome with white on a bike.

I decided I wanted it to be built pretty soild, and be a real good rider. The wheels will really be the only major expense, and maybe some BMX cranks, although I am almost leaning way from that, since that makes it too modern. The rims I can pass off as "60's race parts" but I'm not sure how to do that with cranks, so it might stay 1 piece.
Click to expand...

1: Rat Fink was most popularly portrayed as green, but was most often grey or even pinky-fleshtone in his early days. No harm - just wanted to make sure you knew.

2: Use welded tubular crank arms instead of the billet aluminum ones, and it can look like a '60s-fabbed speed part. A coat or two of DOW#7-ish gold (a protectant used to keep magnesium parts from oxidizing prematurely) would really help to camoflauge them.
 
Double Nickle said:
ill be watching this one closely...don't disappoint me
Click to expand...

I've been watching yours too, it's funny, I belong to 2 "categories" already..... CWC and Ed Roth.... oh well, I don't think that really takes anything away from any of us. It's cool actually, it will sure be interesting at the end to see how different the "same" things can turn out.

gowjobs said:
1: Rat Fink was most popularly portrayed as green, but was most often grey or even pinky-fleshtone in his early days. No harm - just wanted to make sure you knew.

2: Use welded tubular crank arms instead of the billet aluminum ones, and it can look like a '60s-fabbed speed part. A coat or two of DOW#7-ish gold (a protectant used to keep magnesium parts from oxidizing prematurely) would really help to camoflauge them.
Click to expand...

Good ideas - yeah I have seen the other colours (of Rat Fink) too. I hadn't even thought of green till I was out in the garage thinking.... what would this Brooks look like on there.....

Speaking of Ed Roth, I have just been flipping through this cool little book:

cameradump040.jpg


It's as much of a how-to pinstripe, as it is a bunch of stories about him being a pinstriper, written in his own words, it's pretty cool.

Also, here's a Stuff-leaning-on-a-workbench mockup, nothing more than starting to get a feel for stance, really:
Image002-2.jpg
 
so your getting a monark fork and having it completely chromed? :D
 
I'm gonna try to make one. not entirely sure yet. maybe use some stainless and aluminum to reduce the chrome bill. I work with both at work, hope to find some scraps. Might run parts of it painted just to satisfy the budget. I think with white against chrome/polish, it's not as much contrast as darker colours, so it should still look good. I don't know what I'll do on the drivetrain either. Getting this thing to shine without breaking the bank is gonna be my real challenge I think. How do I make an old rusty skiptooth chain look like anything but old and rusty?

I have new bosses at work now, so I have to figure out how that's gonna work now for getting machine shop time, might affect how I do the fork.

I ordered my tires, and some grips off Chaingang Lowrider. Hopefully those get here quickly, they only have to come from Calgary. Then, a "real" mockup!
 
Got my Thick brick (Rear), and 26x1.75 front tire today. My neighbor across the street was nice enough to grab the parcel dude and sign for the package. Sweet. Check it out....

May13004.jpg

May13005.jpg


I didn't put the front on, why get it grimy when it's pretty much the same size as the existing wheel. I I actually considered keeping the skinny 24" rim for a minute to save costs, but it will look a billion times sweeter on a wider rim like a DX32. I will have to go down to the bike shop and browse the catalouges, I don't want to spend a lot..... Rule #11 and whatnot......

For the inquisitive minds out there, those bars are a 'maybe', the stem a definite "no" - at this point the stem is another one in the "to be built from scratch" pile. If used the bars will be heavily modified, however.
 
wow, this has been a bit of a rough summer on me. at the start of the buildoff I had just got back from apprenticeship training, and came back to a job at a company that was now under new ownership. It became a step backwards in terms of on the job training, respect, not to mention no raise in sight. I struggled with it for a while, but finally decided to quit that job, and find another one. It has been the right decision, and I'm happy and back on track career-wise, although suffice to say, this buildoff has been one casualty of that process.

"Fink Stink" will not see the RRBBO 5 finished gallery, but I still have this pile of parts, and it will still go together soon, perhaps sans-theme, I dunno. Anyways, I thought I'd update anyone who had their eye on this one at the start, and also to wish all of you who ARE finishing good luck, there are a lot of nice rides filtering in to the finished section.
 

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