Ignoying ratatrocious junkmaggot

us56456712 · Jan 8, 2023

Since no one is building a rat I thought I’d toss some of my junk in the build off ring.
Bones from a junk pile at a closed down iron mining village.

More tomorrow.

us56456712 · Jan 9, 2023

The front fork had a drop cut off and the only other fork I have with a long enough tube is bent. I used a furniture clamp to squeeze it shut to 120 mm and put a front coaster brake wheel in there. It’s still bent, but I like that. Good enough, perfect. In the past the frame was broken and it has been repaired with gob welds. Perfect. It’s got a dog leg crank and if it’s not bent I’ll replace it with one of my junk regular cranks. I have alloy bars that seem to be oversized and are scratched and gouged from people trying to make them fit. I spread the gooseneck to and pounded in the bars. Perfect again.

us56456712 · Jan 9, 2023

Spray bomb touch up. The snow makes a good masking material.

us56456712 · Jan 9, 2023

There are a lot of nice rat touches I really like, such as improperly spoked wheel.

And, let’s not over look that nice cross threaded jeweled pedal.

us56456712 · Jan 9, 2023

All that’s left to do is attach the rear fender stays, cobble a chain together from the original broken chain using some new chain bits in my junk. It’s almost 4pm, too dark to see well with old eyes. Front coaster brake wheel with heavy wire holding the brake arm. I’ll need to bring vice grips to remove the wire for a tire change. The tires are very rotted. The wheels have massine dents and are about as true as potato chips.

Rear loose fender stays.

The seat cover is so rotted every time you touch it black dirt junk peels off. I’ll replace the seat with this one, the cover already rotted off.

us56456712 · Jan 10, 2023

The fender stays are attached.

The seat post is unstuck. It’s the wedge type instead of a pinch bolt so the Vice Grips are a safety measure to keep it from falling into the seat tube.

The kick stand stop was shot so it just kept rotating like an axle causing the bike to drop. Instead of using a good one from my stash I gob welded a bolt stop on it.

Chain, seat, coaster arm straps and grips and I’ll be done.

us56456712 · Jan 10, 2023

The bent fork I’m using is a quality detail.

us56456712 · Jan 11, 2023

No corn cobs for grips. Our Brittany puppy took them off the wood stove, where they were drying, and destroyed them. Tastes like chicken. It will take longer than the 15th to dry them. Next summer I’ll use cobs.

GuitarlCarl · Jan 11, 2023

Cool. I'm digging the vibe. The name alone drew me in.

us56456712 · Jan 11, 2023

I might try and use some dried ears of corn from the feed store for grips. Maggot rat details. Gotta use some bailing wire, 1930s duct tape. To quote Bob Dylan, “everything is broken”. Broken frame, broken bars, broken stem, broken post, broken wheels, broken tires, broken seat, broken pedals, broken crank, broken fork, broken fenders, mended broken chain.

wavy bent fork.

Pistol shell valve stem covers. 26x1 3/8 tires, so it meets the skinny wheel criteria.

I rode it. It’s hard to pedal and steer, a medicine bike. A few more junk maggot detail and I’ll be done. If the freezing rain stops and it’s not too icy I’ll go bar hopping with it on Friday.

ingola · Jan 11, 2023

Love this build. Ratty.

us56456712 · Jan 12, 2023

Done. Changed the bars. Drilled out old red heater hose and wine corks for grips.

ingola · Jan 12, 2023

us56456712 said:
Done. Changed the bars. Drilled out old red heater hose and wine corks for grips.View attachment 221812

Miss the other bars, in my young adult days we use to put dropbars on everything and flip them up because they were the perfect size to hold a Canadian 24 of beer.

ifitsfreeitsforme · Jan 12, 2023

the bar change was clutch. This is the build-offs true rat. Well done.

ingola · Jan 12, 2023

We use to flip the bars up and place the case in-between the bars and the handles would fit at the top a great Canadian past time. Our bike looked much like that right down to the vice grips. Great build.

One-eyed Sailor · Jan 12, 2023

Bravo! Winter sucks, says I.

us56456712 · Jan 16, 2023

I found out the frame is a mid 1950s Ross. It’s an original rat rod bike built out of junk, probably around 1960 as that’s when the guy I got it from was given it by his neighbor. It’s got a Perry rear coaster and Bendix front coaster. I wanted to preserve the original rat make do ethic. I had to replace the fork as the fork blades were welded shut with washers and I couldn’t remove the wheel. I also replaced the seat, chain and put on bars as it didn’t have any. Nice original make do rat from before there was the term rat rods.

us56456712 · Jan 17, 2023

It’s actually more likely an AMF built 50s Shelby. It’s got the Shelby chainring. It looks like some Shelby bikes on he net. Can’t find a serial#. Its probably paint buried.

Ulu · Jan 18, 2023

The bike is so far gone, that it deserves a different category: maggot bikes only.

As crusty, odd, mismatched, madmax and frankenbike as possible.

I can’t imagine that you guys have never done a maggot bike challenge before…

Ignoying ratatrocious junkmaggot

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Ignoying ratatrocious junkmaggot

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