bigred407's low budget Powerlite Industries trike build.

[bigred407]

I have decided to attempt a hopefully simple and less stressful build while i give my Moulton problems some more thought. This is a cheap little kids trike our son used but has been festering outside for a while now.
IMG_0228 by paulfletcher5, on Flickr
IMG_0227 by paulfletcher5, on Flickr
IMG_0226 by paulfletcher5, on Flickr
IMG_0225 by paulfletcher5, on Flickr
IMG_0224 by paulfletcher5, on Flickr
IMG_0223 by paulfletcher5, on Flickr




Figured I would strip it and try to rat the frame a little, maybe dull down the chrome somehow and fit some alternative grips of some sort.

 

[mikeeebikey]

Move the seat back?

 

[mikeeebikey]

Move the seat back?

 

[bigred407]

Move the seat back?

The seat does have some adjustment, but is already as far back as it will go. Our son is only 5 but tall for his age. He can still ride it, just. Was thinking on trying to find a fibreglass replica tractor seat and maybe mount it on the wood panel between the rear wheels somehow to give it a bit more leg room.

 

[bigred407]

Been thinking about the possibility of removing the original seat all together and somehow making the wooden board on the back into a bench style seat. opinions?

 

[bigred407]

Trike stripped to component parts. by paulfletcher5, on Flickr
Trike now stripped down to component parts!!

Just need to give some more thought to what evilness I'm going to inflict on her!!

I have been thinking, seeing as I'm trying to spend as little as possible on this trike, I may retain the original seat, but try to mount it on the back board as opposed to it's original position.

 

[Randythe Rat]

Cool built a rat trike for my nephew once.
Randy

 

[bigred407]

Thinking along these lines:
Polish up the front wheel and retain the metal wheel discs, also given a good polish.
Give the frame a good wash and remove all the decals. Key the original paint and cover it with either matt black or grey primer.
Key the rear wheels and repaint completely in red.
Stain up the back board using some old engine oil.
Leave the fenders rusty.
Not sure on direction with the bars yet.

 

[mikeeebikey]

You could sand, polish, and scuff, in any order, to achieve a well aged paint look.
I have done this twice on
1980s 2 tone pickups. The sides of them trucks were painted so thin it's literally see thru. I color matched them, painted and aged, looked original paint when I got done.

 

[bigred407]

You could sand, polish, and scuff, in any order, to achieve a well aged paint look.
I have done this twice on
1980s 2 tone pickups. The sides of them trucks were painted so thin it's literally see thru. I color matched them, painted and aged, looked original paint when I got done.

Might have a little play around as in no hurry to finish the build as such.

 

[31 gallo]

i like your little build here. my son in law has one of these and i have been thinking to make full cover fenders with a skirt.
definitely waiting to see what you come up with.

 

[bigred407]

i like your little build here. my son in law has one of these and i have been thinking to make full cover fenders with a skirt.
definitely waiting to see what you come up with.

To be honest I'm personally not overly keen on fender skirts. Plus I think on a bike this size they just wouldn't look right.

This is a very low budget build so not going to be anything spectacular!!

Back at work today so going to scavenge some used engine oil from our workshop to start staining the back board.

 

[31 gallo]

For my project is also low budget. I found electrical panel doors in an abandoned building. No actual money is going into this one.

 

[bigred407]

Got some paint arriving today. Just some rattle can red oxide primer and some matt black. I'm a member of a Honda Cub page on facebook and have seen a member who has painted their cub frame in red oxide and then some dry brushing with matt black. So I am going to attempt an incarnation of that in some way. When I get home from work this evening I hope to get the metalwork all washed and decals removed ready to key for some paint this week at some point!!

 

[Rhys]

Looks really nice mate. tractor seat would look amazing on it.
You should try giving it a go with a bit of steel and just keep hitting it till it looks like a tractor seat then do some holes in it. Would look the dogs.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bigred407]

Looks really nice mate. tractor seat would look amazing on it.
You should try giving it a go with a bit of steel and just keep hitting it till it looks like a tractor seat then do some holes in it. Would look the dogs.



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I don't really have a proper workshop, or I might well have tried that. Have looked online and genuine tractor seats are a fortune.

There was a guy who used to post on a U.K. Custom Motorcycle forum did a nice Fibreglass replica of a vintage tractor seat but I can't find a contact anywhere now.

Only thing is I wouldn't know where to start making my own

 

[bigred407]

VERY minor update today...

Had a mess around with some coarse steel wool & dulled, scuffed, wore through the paint on the front wheel discs to see how it turned out....

I think they turned out not too badly. Have only used corarse grade on them so far. What do you guys think? Do i leave them like this, or paint them in a matt shade???
IMG_0232 by paulfletcher5, on Flickr
IMG_0233 by paulfletcher5, on Flickr
Also gave the wooden board from the back it's first coat of used engine oil, now left to soak in on my shed roof. Hopefully maybe get a bit of sun today to bake it a little?!
IMG_0234 by paulfletcher5, on Flickr
More to come.....sloooooowly...

 

[LukeTheJoker]

IMG_0233 by paulfletcher5, on Flickr

IMG_0232 by paulfletcher5, on Flickr

IMG_0234 by paulfletcher5, on Flickr

Looking good BigRed! Specially that wood, ageing nicely with the engine oil!

Luke.

 

[bigred407]

Thanks Luke, that's just a first coat I have literally just gave it, isn't even nearly dry yet!!
So, what do you reckong to the wheel discs...leave 'em faded and worn?

 

[LukeTheJoker]

So, what do you reckong to the wheel discs...leave 'em faded and worn?

Personally I would strip them almost completely and let them rust up and go streaky then hit it with some satin clear coat, but that is just me...

Luke.