30 dollar tanked Schwinn

[ponytailmike]

Hey all…
I don’t usually post much here…
But I had to share this story…
A couple weeks ago…
I was killing some time in an upscale bike store…
Looking at and drooling over some new 1500 dollar mountain bikes…
The service manager of the store comes over and asks me…

SM…“Can I help you???”
PTM… “No… I think I’m just looking…”
SM… “What’s that in the back of your truck???”
PTM… “Oh… that’s just one of my latest custom builds…wana see???”
SM… “Sure”

We go out to my truck and I show him Red Rocket…
Tell him how I did all the brazing myself…

Then he said…
“ I got an old Schwinn with fork damage…
I’ll sell it for 30 bucks…
It’s got one of those old gas tank thingies…”
I said…
“When can we hook up??? Sure I’d love an old Schwinn tank bike…”

About a week later we hooked up at his house…
I pull up and see this old bike sitting by his garage door…
I walk up… We shake hands…
And I ask “Is this the bike???”
He says “Yea…”
I say “That not an old Schwinn but I’ll take any way…”
I paid him the 30 dollars…
Loaded her in the back of my truck and quickly drive away…

Upon closer inspection at home it’s an old pre war Cleveland Welding bike…
The fork is not salvageable…
Bent up in several spots and the fork tube is split…
I’ve mocked it up with these Schwinn chopper forks…

Let me know what you think of this mock up…
If I use them…
I will have to grind open the head tube to allow the bearing cups to fit…
I’ll never be able to use a 1 inch fork tube again…
There is plenty of metal in the head tube to open it up for the 1 1/8 inch cups…
The old frame head tube and the chopper head tube both have the same outside diameter..
I’ve never tried this…
But I know I could make it work…

ponytailmike
mike

 

[johnny nightwolf]

Dude, that's a steal! I love it with the chopper forks, too!

 

[sensor]

great score :shock:

 

[kingsting]

I'm not real familiar with Cleveland Welding stuff but the frame and that little fork lock may be valuable. I'd do a little research before hacking the headtube up.

Very kool find! 8)

 

[Uncle Stretch]

I should be the last one to suggest this,being the old patina remover that I am.....but any welder worth his salt can weld another neck in a set of forks. My fabricator buddy charges me $20 and he turns down a piece of metal to fit inside the tube for added strength. I usually cut one off of a junk raliegh for the doner. Its your frame but I wouldnt grind out the neck tube. There are so many other pos frames to alter. :roll: :roll: :roll: Just my 2 cents

 

[FaceOFFbikes]

Nice bike.. I like the chopper forks.

 

[Crassly]

The tank and lock are worth some good money. Prewar stuff is always a good find. Let me know if you decide to sell, I have a frame but no tank.

 

[TheDuke]

:shock: :shock: PTM-ur killin me! What a deal! I love ur stuff but i'd vote-do'nt alter the frame!Great Score! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[ponytailmike]

I agree…
After thinking about it all day (while visiting with my parents)…
The frame will not be altered!!!
If I’m going to screw up anything it will be the forks…
I think I will be removing the 1 1/8 inch fork tube
and brazing a 1 inch fork tube in its place…
This should be a suitable solution…
I’d all ready decided this before I read any of the replies…
Thanks for the input…

ponytailmike
mike

 

[Bicyclerick]

Hey Mike Just buy the new 1" triple tree fork I have at the shop. LOL

 

[ponytailmike]

Rick...
That's the easy way...
You know me...

ponytailmike
mike

 

[Uncle Stretch]

Once again getting in your business ,but the differance in brazing and welding ,is alot . tensil strength is way less on brazing. They used it in the 1900's because it was all they had . Once welding became available they hardly ever revert to brazing. Its only 1/3 as strong as the metal your welding.