Firestone Stretch

[barnbikes]

So I had an old Firestone girls frame and i was just getting ready to scrap it when the bright idea hits me to stretch it.


Started with this.


Mock up.


Rear cuts.


Tank I have for it.

Right now my filler pieces are 16" not sure it I will stay with that or not.

 

[junknutz1975]

Looks sweet! Awesome mock up!!

:mrgreen:

 

[barnbikes]

Well I only have 20 minutes everyday to work on it and I am teaching myself to tig weld so progress is slow right now.

I managed to do most of my mods on the rear of the bike.


Did a pie cut behind the crank tube and expanded it to raise the back wheel mount. Raised the dopouts at least 3 inches.


Pie cut the rear upper arms where they meet the rear drop outs and lowered the top tube on the seat tube which i also took 6 inches off of.


Some finish weld filling and some grinding and I will be onto welding the stretch tubes in front of the crank.

 

[GTR]

I'm likin' where you're going.

 

[barnbikes]

Got side tracked on a different project and got back to this one today. Tubes are all straight but head tube is about 5 degrees off. Will tackle this next week and then try and wrap my mind around the forks.

 

[iven]

whats your plans for a seat? or are you relocating the cranks?
it looks good and all but with that geometry it would appear that you are a short fellow with abnormally long arms..

nice work so far though

 

[barnbikes]

whats your plans for a seat? or are you relocating the cranks?
it looks good and all but with that geometry it would appear that you are a short fellow with abnormally long arms..

nice work so far though

Seat is basically going to sit on top of the tube.

New crank tube will go by short divider tube. Thinking of running chain from new tube to a double sprocket from a 10 speed bike at the original tube to the rear end (don't really like the look of a long slapping chain.).

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Liking it so far! I can imagine it with your 1930's Johnson outboard motor mounted above the frame too, but I am guessing this is not the bike that is going on?

Luke.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Looks good so far. Can't wait to see it finished.

 

[iven]

whats your plans for a seat? or are you relocating the cranks?
it looks good and all but with that geometry it would appear that you are a short fellow with abnormally long arms..

nice work so far though

Seat is basically going to sit on top of the tube.

New crank tube will go by short divider tube. Thinking of running chain from new tube to a double sprocket from a 10 speed bike at the original tube to the rear end (don't really like the look of a long slapping chain.).

sweet man that sounds sweet haha
put apes on it ant your arms be sky high man haha 8) :lol:

 

[barnbikes]

Trying to design a head badge.

Oval or square?

Black lines are cuts and red lines are marking lines.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

I like the second one, has more interest to it.

Luke.

 

[iven]

I like the square one 8)

 

[junknutz1975]

Definitely the square one. The cut outs really make it pop!

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Cool. 8) I have a frame that I was thinking about doing something similar to this but didn't consider changing the rear triangle. I'll be watching!

whats your plans for a seat?

Seat is basically going to sit on top of the tube.

Have you tried this yet? With the wheel/tire mounted, it looks to me like there would be no room for the saddle to extend behind the seat tube. Maybe I'm wrong, but if I'm right you might could make a lucky 7 type post facing forward. :?:

 

[barnbikes]

I have girder forks on my mind.

Want to use .250" Alum but I think I will have use Cold Roll steel. Worried about the weight though.

3 choices I have drawn up.

 

[barnbikes]

Have you tried this yet? With the wheel/tire mounted, it looks to me like there would be no room for the saddle to extend behind the seat tube. Maybe I'm wrong, but if I'm right you might could make a lucky 7 type post facing forward. :?:

Have a big butt seat from a exercise bike that I will probably use. You are right with the back of the seat being even with the tube. Might make a .250" tube sissy bar for my but that will weld to the seat tube.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Love the idea of Girder forks! I like the first one but think it needs more holes in it. I hope you will also be making one of your awesome sprockets for it too?

Luke.

 

[barnbikes]

Cut my tags today. .030 alum and 0.060 mirrored Stainless. Like the stainless but do not know how to roll it.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Those look awesome! Only thing I can think of would be working it slowly with a rubber mallet around a slightly undersized pipe...

Luke.