Baby '53 Spitfire

[10~18 Kustoms]

I picked up this 20" DX Spitfire ballooner a while back from my friend and RRBer Jon. It had some crapy noby tires, wrong grips and wrong chainguard, and the fenders were pretty beat up, but the original paint w/the spitfire/hornet stingers was killer. It also came with an NOS Spitfire chainguard to top it off.

I started the clean up this week (worst part was cleaning all the dry black greese out of the New Departure skip tooth rear hub) also got the fenders rolled out, ordered some 20" balloon tires and found the missing 20" kickstand. All that done, but no new parts yet to finish it, so I started to have some fun and tried on some 20"x3" tires I had laying around for another project, flipped the bars and wala, mini flat track rat. Here are a few shots from that config.

And here is a pict of it mocked up with some 20" x 2" Mongoose BMX tires that are pretty close to og balloons and the fenders.

More picts to come once the balloon tires get here. Fun little guy!

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Looks great! I bet it is a blast to ride! 8)

Luke.

 

[B607]

I was like'n your pics until I hit the one with the snow. Blech! That's a cool little bike. Makes you wish you were a midget...or a little kid again. Gary

 

[Jaxon]

Did the 3 inch fit on the rear with out rubbing?

 

[outskirtscustoms]

That looks great, I'd say just like this but put a lay-back post on it to get the seat back and down right over the rear tire and some truss rods on the fork and call it done. 8)

Also your front tire is backward. :wink:

 

[charliechaindrive]

X2 ^^^^

 

[Nickinator]

looks awesome!

Nick.

 

[10~18 Kustoms]

Did the 3 inch fit on the rear with out rubbing?

No, they were rubbing a bit but I think with a little work they could be trued to not rub. The problem with those 3" tires is they have the large soft sidewalls and they never go on the rim straight the first time, but with a little work (straighten this part, add air, let air out, tweek the side wall, add air, let some more out, tweak the sidewall some more etc. etc. etc.) you can get them to roll straight on the wheel, then I think they would fit but only about 1/8" to play with so the tires/wheels would have to be real true. I was just mocking it up this way for fun till the 20" balloon tires get here so didn't mess with it too much or worry about the front tire on backwards.

 

[momona]

Any update on this one?

 

[Pappy]

Any update on this one?

I'm pretty sure Marty sold this little Spitfire...P 8)