Apparently third time's a charm for me to actually finish a build off, and it's been a blast. Three months sounds like such a long time to build a bike, from parts or from scratch, but it's amazing how quickly the time ticks away. If you’ve followed my original build thread you know that this bike is a tribute to my Dad who passed one year ago last May. This is a man who even in the final throes of cancer came bounding out of the house to see his “newest” 1977 ElCamino less than one week before he died. I’m stoked with how my build turned out; it's exactly how I envisioned it. More than that I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to share my plan and the reasons behind it with my Dad before he was gone.
So without further ado, here is HellCamino.
HellCamino uses parts from Schwinn, Shelby, Columbia, JC Higgins, and Monark, as well as aftermarket parts new and old that I attempted to fit together in a way that looked stock. Everything but the rear fender and rack are original paint. Thrown into the challenge was creating something that I, at 6’2”, could actually ride for more than a block. A comfortable riding position and gearing were a must. I don’t know how many miles I covered during my final photo shoot, but the bike rode comfortably and performed flawlessly.
Here's the breakdown:
Frameset
1955 Schwinn Hornet straightbar frame
BF Goodrich Schwinn headbadge
Chrome steel triple tree fork, custom fit
Schwinn stem
27" width, 3" rise chrome handlebar
Schwinn chubby grips
Schwinn extra-long seatpost
Troxel long spring saddle
Greenfield kickstand
Metal
Shelby front fender with original braces
Schwinn straightbar tank
Drivetrain
Custom shifter
Columbia chain ring
Magna Teardrop pedals
Extras
Working Fako twin headlights with aftermarket light internals and switches
"FFTYFV" custom bicycle license plate
Here's a link to the build:
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/50-shades-of-blue-aka-hellcamino.91987/
My thanks to everyone for the kind words and encouragement throughout the build. It’s been great to see everyone else’s progress and final results; there are some amazing rides out there. Congrats to all who entered and good luck to all who finished!
So without further ado, here is HellCamino.
HellCamino uses parts from Schwinn, Shelby, Columbia, JC Higgins, and Monark, as well as aftermarket parts new and old that I attempted to fit together in a way that looked stock. Everything but the rear fender and rack are original paint. Thrown into the challenge was creating something that I, at 6’2”, could actually ride for more than a block. A comfortable riding position and gearing were a must. I don’t know how many miles I covered during my final photo shoot, but the bike rode comfortably and performed flawlessly.
Here's the breakdown:
Frameset
1955 Schwinn Hornet straightbar frame
BF Goodrich Schwinn headbadge
Chrome steel triple tree fork, custom fit
Schwinn stem
27" width, 3" rise chrome handlebar
Schwinn chubby grips
Schwinn extra-long seatpost
Troxel long spring saddle
Greenfield kickstand
Metal
Shelby front fender with original braces
Schwinn straightbar tank
• Working Delta tank horn
Schwinn Starlet chainguard• Original design "HellCamino" vinyl decal
• Repop Schwinn chainguard decal
Monark rear fender• Repop Schwinn chainguard decal
• Shelby fender brace
• Original tombstone reflector with chrome housing
JC Higgins Colorflow rack with reflector and bezel• Original tombstone reflector with chrome housing
Drivetrain
Custom shifter
• HBBC suicide shifter mount
• Shimano Inter8 grip shifter
• PVC cap with threaded rod and stainless steel tubing
• Brodie knob with GMC artwork
Front Wheel• Shimano Inter8 grip shifter
• PVC cap with threaded rod and stainless steel tubing
• Brodie knob with GMC artwork
• Nirve hub
• 26" double-walled aluminum rim
• Custom length axle
• Resist “Nomad” 26x2.25 front tire
• Chrome acorn lug nuts
Rear Wheel• 26" double-walled aluminum rim
• Custom length axle
• Resist “Nomad” 26x2.25 front tire
• Chrome acorn lug nuts
• Shimano Nexus Inter8 hub
• 24” Double-walled 57mm aluminum rim
• Black DTSwiss straight guage spokes and brass nipples
• Maxxis “Hookworm” 24x2.5 tire
• Chrome acorn lug nuts
Schwinn crank• 24” Double-walled 57mm aluminum rim
• Black DTSwiss straight guage spokes and brass nipples
• Maxxis “Hookworm” 24x2.5 tire
• Chrome acorn lug nuts
Columbia chain ring
Magna Teardrop pedals
• Repop reflectors
SRAM chainExtras
Working Fako twin headlights with aftermarket light internals and switches
• Delta twin mounting bracket
Columbia fender mount headlight"FFTYFV" custom bicycle license plate
Here's a link to the build:
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/50-shades-of-blue-aka-hellcamino.91987/
My thanks to everyone for the kind words and encouragement throughout the build. It’s been great to see everyone else’s progress and final results; there are some amazing rides out there. Congrats to all who entered and good luck to all who finished!
Coincidently, I used to have a custom 80's El Camino with pretty much the same color scheme as your sweet awesome Schwinn.
