New acquisition: Sun Retro 24-inch
- Thread starter AndyA
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Update: Rummaging through the parts department turned out well. Found a 26" fork, front wheel, and tire. Just had to chop 5/8" off the steering tube. Also came up with stem and handlebars off a kiddie bike and a longer seat post. I kinda like the 26" wheel; makes the bike look a bit longer and bolder. Stem, handlebars, and fork need a coat of paint -- black or contrasting?
You're right. The purple handle bars got me thinking about all those cool, purple hot rods out there. I believe that I built an AMT 1949 Mercury plastic model kit and painted it purple over half a century ago. I'm going to see if Krylon makes a satin purple rattle can. I like the satin finish because it is more forgiving of less-than-optimal painting technique and it looks better than gloss when next to old, dull paint elsewhere on the bike.
Tried a different stem/handlebar combination. Bars are higher. And I'm kinda feeling' the red on those bars. Now I'm leaning toward painting fork, stem, and and handlebars red. Also going to add a front caliper brake, for those times when stopping is not just a good idea, but necessary.
Fork, stem, and HB's are now red (Krylon Satin Pimento). I'm also thinking of converting coaster brake to freewheel and adding caliber brakes fore and aft. I found an article posted online from a 1980's BMX magazine explaining how to accomplish the conversion.
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
But it's a high caliper of illiterate!
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You definitely hit that seatpost with the pimento!
A new chain arrived yesterday so there was a test flight this morning. Forgot to tighten one of the brake pads but didn't end up under a truck. The newly free-wheeling hub is nice 'cause you don't need to hassle with the coaster brake every time you stop. The downside of the 26-inch fork is that you won't be saying "Look mom, no hands." Well maybe you might say it, but I ain't. As a simple and cheap build, I'll put this in the win column.
I was scratching my head at Uncle John DelGato's post and I think I got it. He thinks that the seat post should be red. Havta say, John, you've got a point. Whether that happens depends on the amount of paint left in the can and if I'm inspired.
I was scratching my head at Uncle John DelGato's post and I think I got it. He thinks that the seat post should be red. Havta say, John, you've got a point. Whether that happens depends on the amount of paint left in the can and if I'm inspired.
Update: The bike didn't get many miles; there are others, including a Huffy Good Vibrations 24", that are more pleasant to ride. In the mean time, grandson outgrew his 20" bikes. Therefore, we went back to the original 24" front fork and wheel and switched in a shorter seat post and a smaller saddle. Grandson was not a fan of the red handlebars (who can account for taste?) He chose Rust-oleum Satin Lagoon for the stem and handlebars. And, the Parts Department was able to provide a pair of Schwinn glitter hand grips that match pretty nicely. Grandson has given the bike a thumbs-up for both riding and aesthetics. What more can you ask?
