Junk Crafted HIGGINS - After competition minor modifications

[MONARKofSoCal]

over the weekend I worked on removing the white from the tank but not the red
slow and tedious but got it without to many bare steel spots showing
400 grit worked best

The section of white I left will be painted black
Also you can see the holes I drilled in the side pipe rim
I had many ideas of how to attach it but this was the best compromise

It looses a bit of the aesthetics so i will just have to paint it rather than leave it bare steel


Finally picked a name as well from now on the J.C will stand for Junk Crafted
so the full name will be

Junk Crafted HIGGINS

 

[LukeTheJoker]

I like the screw mounting holes!

Luke.

 

[MONARKofSoCal]

Emblems where mounted yesterday
with the original mounting tabs almost gone I wasn't quite sure how I was going to mount them
and I didn't really want two sided tape
Finally I ended up buying really small 2mm bolts and nuts
You can see them between the H and the N but when i add black to some of the other middle of the letters it should make them harder to see

Got the outer part for the side pipes attached as well

With lots of spots to attach the bracketing to hold the side pipes

 

[LukeTheJoker]

This tank is going to be amazing!

Luke.

 

[MONARKofSoCal]

Had to work today but managed to paint the side pipes in a ratrodded paint booth

looks a bit like baked macaroni

I am off tomorrow which is good
so I am burning the midnight oil tonight then up early to finish all the little detail work as well as assembly and take pictures

 

[MONARKofSoCal]

well i finished but not everything got on the build as i had wanted
even posting to this finish section i had to leave a lot out so i will be adding the detail pics when i can find time to take more pictures

the link to the finish section of junk crafted higgins

http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/junk-crafted-higgins.93711/

one of the pics that I didnt get a chance to put in the finish section

and in case your wondering here is how the pipes are attached

nothing more than hose clamps with the extra metal attached to the bolts
I bet you thought it would be more elaborate

 

[LukeTheJoker]

The tank and pipes came out awesome!
Congrats on making the finish!

Luke.

 

[MONARKofSoCal]

I need to look back at your build thread and check out that seatpost.
CONGRATS!

kingfish254, Today at 8:49 AM

This quote in the Finished bikes thread made me realize there where still some pics from the final build day that where not posted

First tank photo

second the only pics i had from the new seat post mounting system
It was a last minuet change so I did it all on the final day
since I was rushed it didn't fully get documented

Here was one of the remaining straight cranks I had cut earlier in the build along with what I think is a mountain bike seat post (but I don't know I found it at a swap meet in a pile of seat post)
the post was then welded to the crank but I didn't get a pic of that

After cutting the "seat post" to size i trimmed the clamp to originally fit flush with the tank

But if you look at the final pics I submitted the post was lower than the tank at that was a something I had to do because of time constraints

Now that the deadline is past and the final pics submitted
I will be working on putting the seat post back in the correct spot

*Keep checking back because I will still be doing some final stuff that I didn't get a chance to do

ok so I needed to trim the rear of the tank in order to have the post sitting flush with tank

 

[LukeTheJoker]

That tank came out nice!

The tank and the cool rubber rake is what got one of my votes!

Luke.

 

[MONARKofSoCal]

my bike got a joker vote
wow thank you very much getting a vote from such a great builder is a pretty big deal
that does worry me just a bit though
I haven't voted yet so I don't know how I am doing
bit I remember reading one of your posts in the voting thread

I got it down to 3 and voted, only one bike from my original list made it through the multiple elimination rounds I had to do, and that was my favourite choice...
I was surprised that it had no votes at all before mine... Ah well...

Luke.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

This bike is such a true hot rod. I love the tank! Great job.

 

[MONARKofSoCal]

Thanx for the compliment TRM
I am thinking maybe I should make a casting of the side pipes and shroud and send it to you so you could make fiberglass inserts for your convertible tanks

Also I posted some updated pics in the finished thread if anyone is interested in taking a look at them

 

[LukeTheJoker]

my bike got a joker vote
wow thank you very much getting a vote from such a great builder is a pretty big deal

 

[kim_dude]

Do you have a separate build thread for the track bike build? Not sure how I missed all this but Breaking Away is what really got me into cycling.

 

[MONARKofSoCal]

Do you have a separate build thread for the track bike build?

kim_dude

Not yet but I hope to get back to working on it after august
keep an eye out for it in the new build threads
It will be under the name Circle Trek

 

[Tom Schwoegler]

Circle Trek = An aluminum trek cruiser built incorporating styles from the three bicycle circle track racing
- Little 500
- Cycle speedway
- Velodrome

The main Inspiration will be the famous bicycle racing racing event in Indiana the little 500 (see the movie Breaking away for reference)
Originally started in 1951 using Schwinn coaster brake cruisers with steel frame

1952 Delts cycling team

Today the bikes have been updated with aluminum frames and parts and 700c rims but the rules still require to use single piece cranks with flat pedals (no clips) with a steel sprocket and a 36 hole coaster brakes

Schwinn little 500 bike

BTW this will not just be a build off post but a history into the Little 500 as well as a prototype build for a form bicycle racing that would be similar to the little 500 but more widespread (than just a race for Indiana University students) and with more open rules also something that can raced as an individual or in teams

So for my build i will be starting with 1999 Trek calypso cruiser frame

I chose this frame because in about 1954 the little 500 required all bikes to be based on the amf built roadmaster bicycle (its an amf built version of a cwc frame) since amf had bought out cwc

1954 Alpha Phi Alpha Little 500 team
The trek frame (out of the aluminum cruiser frames i found) had the closest lines to the amf frame as well as the earlier Schwinn little 500 frames
It also is one of the few aluminum frames where i can still use a single piece crank like the little 500 rules require
plus trek has a racing pedigree as well as its headquarters being located close to Indiana
to me its what should have replaced the later diamond frame roadmaster (as seen in breaking away) rather than mongoose bicycle that did in 2000 only later to be replaced by Schwinn in 2005
*As of 2015 the they are still using Schwinn supplied frames

2000 mongoose little 500 bike

2005 Schwinn little 500 bike



*technically this will be my backup build (that i will be using as my one bike change if i don't finish my main build)
since i haven't as of yet made a final decision on my main build off entrant

I've been involved with the Little 500 for over 40 years, and was technical advisor to Break Away. Feel free to direct any questions my way.

Tom Schwoegler

 

[OSMojo]

This is such an original build. I love the fact that you haven't just thrown money at it, but used rare parts such as the crank set that are off the normal radar. Those pipes have come out incredible.

Here's my reaction when I first saw the bike

 

[MONARKofSoCal]

Had to share this pic of junk crafted higgins that I took near the end of the socal rat rod riders anniversary cruise