Cinco de Polo (Now with NOS!)

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JoKeR63

JoKeR63

Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
957
Reaction score
7
Location
sandusky OH
Time for yet another "build what you stumbled across" bike for #5. Seventy something Ross Polo bike that somebody has painted blue, so any hope of restoring it to original have faded. I've been kicking around the idea of a "Krusty-Krate" style bike for a while and this looks like a good opportunity to finally get it out of my head.
I'll be using a real Krate rear wheel for this build (as long as I can get a tire to fit), and I'll construct some sort of Rat Fink style shifter for it. Head tube on this thing is very long, and I can't find another longer fork to fit it, so I'm gonna' make a bolt on frame extension to lengthen the frame and give me a more practical head tube for the Schwinn style springer.
Plenty of rusty parts and flat black paint for this build, and my most important goal for this time around is,......

Don't spent too much money!

cinco01.jpg
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

Alright, already at the bottom of the pile! Got the rear half mocked up and the extension nearly done. It really presses the rules, but hey, I'll still be in single digit votes again this time around, so who cares?! I'm just surprised that everything has fit so far.

DSCN0257.jpg

Brake lever is for experimental footbrake. I don't think this crank is going to work, however.

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Hey kids, don't try this at home!
DSCN0261.jpg

I may cover up this mess with a faux tank.
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

Got the front end mocked up. Most of the parts of the original fork are history, and I've got something special planned for it.
I guess with a name like Cinco throwing a little Latin flava' at it wouldn't hurt. This is actually the first time I've used the old school "hammer on" fork extensions. Except they won't rely on friction fit only, as many emergency room visits would attest to! :) They sure do bring back memories thou.

prelime.jpg


And adding to the shop eqp. making it's debut on this project is this small wonder. Fits under my bench.

cleaner.jpg
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

It could be an interesting first ride. That frame extension looks cool, just hope it holds.
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

cman said:
It could be an interesting first ride. That frame extension looks cool, just hope it holds.
Click to expand...

Yea, guys, keep in mind that this is a banana bike. 90% of the weight is on the rear wheel. I wouldn't do this otherwise. I also plan on brazing the clamps to the extension. It's also NOT a daily rider. :lol:
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

Computer has died, don't know when I'll be back up w/pics.
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

OK, cleaned the CPU and added some new heat sink paste and I'm back in business for the moment. Had a change of heart and I'm dropping one of my ideas for the fork. But it's still kinda' neat so I made a short video of it in action. I'm going back to the springer as it still does what I wanted it to do, be a pedal scraper, I just have to lean forward.
Looks like the trim color will be hammertone copper, seems a popular enough color, and I like anything that looks like an old vacuum cleaner! :D



Fact was it's just too ugly, and I couldn't figure out a way to cover it up and look right.
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

Got the new fork struts made and rear dropouts modded for the sissy bar. also got the krusty kickstand mounted.

struts.jpg


Spring can now be adjusted for height as well as tension. But I need to come up with a cover or something for it.

spring.jpg


kickstd.jpg
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

DUDE!! That adjustable fork was the BOMB!! :shock: Too bad you changed your mind...The new one looks cool as well, but that first one... :mrgreen:
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

bikeriderx said:
DUDE!! That adjustable fork was the BOMB!! :shock: Too bad you changed your mind...The new one looks cool as well, but that first one... :mrgreen:
Click to expand...

Well, don't be too disappointed. I may do this on something else in the future. I'd really like to use pneumatics, that way it it could jump off the ground! But that takes money, and I'm already miffed about the $20 I spent on the struts! :x
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

"Uh oh, now I've made a clean spot."

Was cleaning the dirt off the paintable parts and figured I may as well clean the wheels while I was playin' with the hose.
Went to clean that Krate wheel and when the dirt came off, it's all shiny, beautiful chrome!, RATS!, I wanted a crusty wheel for this project!
Looks like that Schwinn chrome is hard to kill. :x

whl01.jpg


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I am however going to leave the crappy primer on the wheel as a tribute to the kid who painted a Krate bike thinking it would look better repainted that way. :) He should've thrown it off a bridge, if you're gonna' destroy something you may as well have fun doing it!

Okay, I've got a groovy mystery for you guys and I just can't figure this one out. The handlebars were wonderfully rusted except for one spot. Apparently some kid electrical taped the bar just on right side, why was this done? It wasn't holding anything on, was it to prevent chaffing the bar? Was it some newspaper boy thing? I just can't wrap my head around it. Shown here is a facsimile of it as I've been trying to even out the rust by leaving it outside and spraying it with vinegar and salt for a month.

tape.jpg


Now it looks even enough for photos.

bar01.jpg


For some strange reason I can never get any parts that are evenly corroded! :x :x :x
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

Got the chainring stuffed into the guard and it did require some tweakin'.

ring.jpg


Also had to add a chainstay dimple.
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

Finished up the mechanical end of the fork today, including the el fako Huret speedo. Fake refers to the fact that it was set up for a 26" wheel. Which is kinda' surprising considering it came off a 20" wheeled Schwinn Exercycle (very short cable, hence the asymmetrical mounting). Whats even funnier is the 60 MPH max speed, kinda' like having a 150mph speedo in a car, it's there just to inflate your ego. The smaller wheel will spin it faster, to give an illusion of speed and use up more of that dial. :wink:

fork01.jpg


fork02.jpg


fork03.jpg


spdo.jpg
 
Re: Cinco de Polo

Got the beast painted for the most part. the "hammertone" doesn't look very hammered, maybe it would've been better layered over black? Still looks OK so I think I'll leave it. Sprocket has the look of nail polish, but I wanted it to stand out, it sure does that.
Parts are now in my "drying oven" AKA my attic, gets about 130F up there. :shock:

oven.jpg
 

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