50's higgins pragstreet makeover klunkerish

[heartlandcruisers]

got the seat mounted.
and i did a few other things to see what i like
so far im not really feeling it capture the bomb spirit.
but i am kinda digging the look .
i swapped the stem with a slightly lowered racing bike stem.
used my old columbia tank and flipped the stache bars upside down and here is what i got.

the roadbike stem really makes the bars drop im definitely keeping this
.
gonna have to mod this tank but i like it of course i will be painting it .

quick mockup of the fenders im considering an extension on the ends to give them a street sweeper look.

this build will definitely need a good paint job so im doing all the bodywork stuff first then im gonna paint it
im thinking of going with an old school 15 coat paint job.
im kinda feeling purple with gold scallops and maybe some metal flake?
still that may change as i am still looking at my options.
the stem and kickstand aren't really era correct but i like them so i think i will keep them.
more updates soon
Sean

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Love those street sweeper fenders!

Luke.

 

[heartlandcruisers]

thanks Luke
yeah i love them too and their relatively easy to make .
now i just gotta cut them and smooth the lines and make them work.
the rear fenders a bit more difficult it doesn't want to line up right.
but i will get it eventually.
Sean

 

[heartlandcruisers]

Got the tank welded on
my father in law showed me how to weld with the welder i got.
it needs cleaning up but i discovered the tank halves are uneven i may keep them like that though
here her current stage as of midnight tonight

thee weld is ugly but im gonna grind it down and use body filler to smooth it out

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Just a suggestion, if you clean the paint off the steel thoroughly, you will find it easier and get better results.

Luke.

 

[heartlandcruisers]

yeah i thought about that after i welded it.
im more then likely gonna have to do it again
i sprayed wd40 on it to cause the metal to rust but it failed
i will see what i got after i clean it up
next step is making the street sweepers and ding some dent removal and gonna see if i can get a rear rack for it.
its getting there though
sean

 

[heartlandcruisers]

well making the fenders didn't go as planned it turns out after i cut them they do not line up properly
so im going with option b every diy worse nightmare
picking up the phone admitting defeat calling my lbs and seeing if they can get me a pair of street sweepers for this build.
that is all for now
Sean

 

[heartlandcruisers]

i tried the 24 inch wheels im really not feeling it.
in fact i really ahte it the wheels are just rollers until i get ym fan wheels or whatever wheels i will use.
i do have a rear rack and some cool pedals in route .
more pics soon
sean.

 

[kingfish254]

I REALLY like how that tank looks upside down. I have one of those and never thought of flipping it.
Nice work buddy. Look forward to seeing the parts on it.

 

[heartlandcruisers]

thanks man
i gotta clean it up a bit though but it's coming along.
this bike was basically begging to be rebuilt it was in really good shape before i started but too far gone for a restore so this is the best way to do it for now.
Sean

 

[heartlandcruisers]

after looking at these pics i have an idea for the tank where it curves inward i may fill it in and smooth it into the frame and give it a nice sweeping line.
now i gotta go to my drawing and see what i can come up with
Sean

 

[heartlandcruisers]

something like this only cleaner looking kinda smooth the tanks lines into the frame

 

[BikeNerd]

I used to do body and paintwork for a company that built armored cars and we had great results with the 2-component spray-can clear, if you want to go that route. Of course it was touch-up work on door jambs and other areas, obviously not a whole vehicle.

 

[kingfish254]

Just my opinion, but I think the open space behind the tank is more dramatic.
Maybe fill in the gap between the two tank halves, but not the space between the tank and the seat tube

 

[heartlandcruisers]

i like that idea too i may just smooth it out
the tank halves have a nice flow to them and i think they make the bike look great. so i will probably keep the frame open.

 

[kingfish254]

Kinda has a Batman look too it.

 

[heartlandcruisers]

I used to do body and paintwork for a company that built armored cars and we had great results with the 2-component spray-can clear, if you want to go that route. Of course it was touch-up work on door jambs and other areas, obviously not a whole vehicle.

i like the clearcoat idea as well.
but im gonna do an old school 15 layer paint job on it the plan for the method im gonna use is 5 layers of primer 5 layers of the actual color and 5 layers of clear and then add some gold trim detail to it.
im also considering kandy paint but not sure yet.
Sean

 

[heartlandcruisers]

Kinda has a Batman look too it.

yeah it kinda does if only i could afford a batwing light for the fender but they go upwards of 200 even if i can find one lol.

 

[heartlandcruisers]

well after looking at the fenders i decided to mount it and see what it looks like
actually i think i can make it work.
so im gonna keep it and use some fiberglass and smooth it out.
the rear fender is up next i know what i did wrong here so i will make the necessary adjustments.
sorry about the cruddy pic i tripped as i was taking it

the rear as it sits welding it together tommorrow.

 

[heartlandcruisers]

well i found a problem with this bikes function ability.
the handlebars sweep too low when you take a corner they don't clear the tank.so you gotta take really wide turns.
also i am not sure if it is because of the 24 inch wheels or not but it likes to power slide in corners. that also could be my 450 lb carriage trying to ride it.
nonetheless i am gonna put a set of fan wheels on it but i did find a set of wheels i kinda like i might go with on ebay. from wizard wheels cruiser bikes. their not the fans i want but they look cool
im still really feeling the fans with whitewalls though so i will decide later at the moment there's lots of bodywork to do and paint before i am ready for wheels.
more updates soon.
sean