Build plans

[outskirtscustoms]

Show me your build plans. What is in your inventory and what do you have planned for it?

Here's a few I have planned
1. Schwinn Kokomo going to replicate an old Kokomo motorcycle in color scheme and style.

Got the decals

2. 1944 CWC AKA "Bad Rattitude" will use the 4 speed Nexus wheel set from my sun cruiser and a 3 piece crank I have laying around to make an awesome Klunker.

3. Schwinn will get a crank swap back to original, red Schwinn S seat, whitewalls, apes, swap the front basket for a rat trap style rack and call it done.

4. 1960 Schwinn Speedster going to build a 26" stingray clone. Mini apes, fat and skinny tire combo, nanner seat, and a stick shifter.

5. 1950 Western Flyer Super simple restoration to original colors. Done now just have to find the chain I took off.

6. 1951 Western Flyer Super going to build out as a Roadmaster Luxury Liner with a repop tank and some cool touches to make it look legit.

7. 1968 Schwinn Mini Twinn restoration in Coppertone and eventually build the 5 speed wheel set and make it a what if Schwinn prototype Deluxe Mini Twinn.

In paint

8. 1968 Schwinn Stingray restore with green sparkle nanner seat, sparkle grips, tall sissy bar, mini apes, chrome fenders.

9. 1970 Fastback Restore in original Sky blue with Blue nanner seat, tall sissy, apes, 5 speed shifter, Exc.

10. Schwinn Deluxe Twinn 5 speed restoration with whitewalls, find a chain guard.

11. Schwinn Twinn tweek the fenders to fit the new fatter tires clean and grease.

12. Schwinn repaint and decal in black and white tuxedo color scheme straighten the rear rack, add whitewalls.

13. 1948 CWC restore in blue and white two-tone and hang on wall.

The rest I haven't decided yet.

 

[twojs.bike]

Cool projects!!!

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Decals for the Schwinn Kokomo finally came in.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Change of plans and progress report:
1. Schwinn Kokomo
Installed tires and haven't touched it since

2. 1944 CWC rear frame rusted out so I chopped it and made a trike.

3. no progress
4. Got decals for it

5. Western Flyer found and installed the chain. Still need to install decals and pinstripe

6. Western Flyer SOLD
7. Mini Twinn need to finish shortening the chain guard and install the new tires once they come in.

8. Stingray just need to bolt on the seat, and install the grips
9. Fastback no progress
10. Deluxe Twinn Parting out
11. 2 speed green Twinn TRADED for a 1937 Huffman Mainliner

12. TRADED for a Straight bar frame
13. No progress
14. 1939 Elgin? Swap handlebars and grips for my vintage pair with coke bottle grips and maybe flip the bars for a boardtracker look.

15. 1984 Schwinn Thrasher Decals and swap a set of spoke wheels on.

16. Girl's Roadmaster build out with Nexus 4 speed parts.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Another build in the planning stage. Going to build a Klunker using this blue Schwinn cantilever frame and straight fork. (On the floor in the front with the wide bars and cup holder)

Was thinking about different color schemes and want to build something true to the time period klunkers were built but built as a nice and clean build and with the attitude that Klunker bikes stood for. Thrashing down a hill at full speed, drifting corners, and maybe even jumping a gap or two then it hit me. My favorite movie from my childhood was Smokey and the Bandit. The way Burt Reynolds threw that Trans Am around really embodies the Klunker vibe well. And the black with gold accents will play well together on a Klunker. Plus I have leftover black paint from another project that I can use up.

 

[Brian macumber]

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Ok I think I have a direction for this build...
Frame and fork I'll be using this Schwinn cantilever frame and straight leg fork

I'll be painting it gold, laying on my paint masks,

Then painting black. So black with gold frame darts. Then...

Then add the 4 speed Nexus wheel set from this and wrap them in some gumwalls.

Then add some BMX bars and stem.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

So I cleaned out my storage and ended up letting some bikes go to scrap. Mostly parted out girl's frames but I robbed all I could from them. So here's my new and revised list of plans.

1. 1950 Western Flyer Super
Before

After

2. 1968 Mini Twinn
Before

After

3. 1937 Huffman Mainliner - Add a chain and rub it down with oil to preserve that beautiful patina.

4. 1939 Elgin might add some fenders and different handlebars. Not sure yet. Kinda enjoy it just the way it is.

5. 1980's Schwinn straight fork cruiser - Bandit
Before

After

6. Roadmaster girl's bike - soon as I find a fitting fork it will be built

7. 1944 CWC
Before

After

8. Iron Horse 2 years going strong pretty much dialed in. One of my favorite bikes

9. Stranger things Predator 24 inch
Before

After

10. Flightliner - tire swap and call it done

11. Schwinn cantilever - crank swap to original, drop the basket, tire swap, seat swap

12. CWC mini - build into a cool little cruiser

13. 1968 Stingray
Before

After - going back to small crank, have the seat and sissy bar just need to install them.

14. 1970 Schwinn Fastback - respray in coppertone, 10 speed conversion to match one I had as a kid.

15. Schwinn Kokomo - Kokomo motorcycle tribute, full paint strip, respray in grey, red decals, and full fenders.

16. Schwinn Predator 20 inch - build as a mini me to my 24 inch predator but in chrome.

17. Schwinn Thrasher
Before

After

There's a few more but we'll get to those some other time.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

So first allow me to be perfectly clear this post is a "sneak preview" of things to come for the build off I am not starting the build as per the rules till the first of next month only planning it out and gaining feedback.

So with that said I will lay it out. This year I've been thinking long and hard about what I want to do for the build off and what I'd really like to do is pay homage to all my years on this site, pay homage to the early guys of Rat Rod Bikes that have inspired me to join them, pay homage to history and the bicycle builders of the early days, push the envelope a little just as they have, pay my dues as a builder, remember my roots, and build something that does all of this while being classy, elegant, functional, radical, modern and vintage fighting for control but balanced perfectly, something you'll look at and say "That is something I'd ride."

This will be my year to shine.
So I think my build off bike is going to be an obvious choice I just scored the oldest bike I have ever owned and hit a major milestone in my bicycle collecting obsession... The 100+ year old bike. The Centurion if you will. A century old bike.

This 1917-1920 Columbia Arch-bar will be my resto-rod for the Build Off.

My inspiration will come somewhat from the original bike in color scheme and being respectful to the bike's history IE the early bicycle builders who designed this bike so beautifully. The craftsmanship to make a bike that survives 100 years is something that astounded me. Also the fact that 100 years later it's still an elegant bike that doesn't look dated. Bravo ancestors of Columbia bicycle I hope to do you proud.

I will also be drawing inspiration from the first Rat Rod Bikes build off winner the "Iron Ghost" built by Raised by robots. This build is so elegant in it's simplicity, modern and vintage fighting for control but so well balanced that neither wins they just co-exist in harmony and create the illusion of perfection.

I will also be throwing in some trademark touches I have used on my own builds through the years. Cool little touches I have come up with over the years that pushed the envelope and may have inspired someone else here.


I also want a little bit of modern which I have plans for but I will keep secret for now but be assured it will be worth the wait.

Will it be good enough to win? Well in the early days it was never about winning and loosing it was all about building a bike and having fun and that's exactly what I'm gonna do. Win or loose I'm gonna have fun and that's enough for me. If I cross Build off Winner off my bucket list in the process that's just a bonus.


So first a photographic walk down memory lane...