1955 Black MW Hawthorne Rat style

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Unchained

Unchained

Joined
Jun 12, 2008
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Hi everyone,

This is my first rat project. I am very satisfied with how it looks so far, unfortutantely I didn't take many pictures along the way. I started with a men's 26 inch 1955 Hawthorne in sad condition. :) I added a Murray style Crank that I bought from a collector on ebay, added some old red cokes and a real leather chrashrail Troxel I had sitting around, and swapped the rims out with a New Departure wheelset from a girl's Shelby. Thank you to the RRB site member who sold me those rims, they're as straight as could be. The pedals are Torrington tens (I've never seen a red pair) that I bought from a cabe member.I bought a cool set of Monark/Firestone bicycle acorn nuts for this bicycle which I think are a neat touch (last picture). The bearings and the hubs have been relubricated and were in beautiful mechanical conditon. The only thing left to do is find an appropriate headlight for the fork bracket and possibly an old JC Higgins speedometer. The bicycle rides very nicely, everything fits well and it needs only minor adjustments.

What I started with:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3130/284 ... f9f3_b.jpg

How it looks now:

http://i37.tinypic.com/2vkb28l.jpg

http://i35.tinypic.com/t7zfut.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/2n9jdlk.jpg
 
Thanks :D I saw it and thought about what could be done to it and figured that at the price I should just buy it. I can't wait untill I find a headlight for it.
 
Here are the finished pictures, it's all done now, maybe some little additions.

Again, here is how it began:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3130/284 ... f9f3_b.jpg


And with some minor changes and a bunch of parts I felt fit the best:

http://i33.tinypic.com/5y885x.jpg
http://i34.tinypic.com/1zynwo.jpg
http://i34.tinypic.com/9rn7u1.jpg
http://i36.tinypic.com/2vhvq04.jpg

I'd love to add pinstripe, but I don't have the knowledge, and no good spot caught my eye. I am coing to really like the simplicity of it now.
 
Oh yea ...... add some truss rods & wala .... done

Just the rite amount of rust well placed . It has the spirit.

Looks Great ........ Three YIPPYS lol

Wingman / Strphen
 
I think that is a old ford tractor back up implement light .... You could scratch one up at an old ford tractor collector ect. OR

I bet you can still buy that light brand new at a NAPA Auto Supply store .... PM Automotive Electrical Prods is the first place I would look.

Stephen / Wingman
 
Thanks guys, I really appreciate the comments. I've thought about trusses (there's a set that would be perfect for this bike on eBay right now) but I don't want to clutter the front of the bike up at all, and I really like the current look.
 
I'm very excited- yesterday I scooped a pair of truss rods from a ladies Hawthorne of the same period off eBay... This addition should really finish it off nicely. The truss rods are very close in condition to the rest of the chrome parts on the bike. Hopefully the trusses work with the headlight, I don't see why they shouldn't. It even looks like they are bent outwards from the factory to accomodate a Delta light like mine. Thanks for the suggestion!
 
Picture updates this weekend if I'm nto too busy...

I'm changing a good few of the parts on this bike thoguh it will probably be a a while before it's completely done. I'm waiting on parts and one part in particular I am still searching for.

On another note: Has anyone here ever made their own bicycle headlight visor? I'm thinking of making one.... probabaly going to cut up a junky chromed fender and use the tip after some mods.
 
aka_locojoe:

I was told this headlight was from a Rollfast originally... but that doesn't really matter, it's the same headlight used on Jc Higgins jet flo's as well as various other tank bicycle of the mid 1950's. It is labeled Delta sealed beam on the backside. Cool little detail- It has a GE script lens.... My old jet flo had a Delta lens.I have a new old stock lens sitting on a shelf in the original box. My headlight currently is not hooked up to a battery, but should be wired and operational soon.


Can't wait to get working on the Hawthorne again.
 
Local hardware store sells lights that look like that that are for emergency lighting in buildings. I think they are 12 volt, so you would have to change the bulbs.
 

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