La Esperanza

[chattymatty]

Ok, so I won't pretend to be anywhere near as creative with the story lines as you guys, but here goes.

This build will be in honor of my old man, who has helped me immeasurably over the years, as dads do, and will be more or less as a replica of the bike he gave me when I graduated from 6th grade in 1983. His first car was a '51 Bel Air Hardtop he painted Honduras Maroon, so I'm going to combine the two- the look of the old bike he built me painted to match the car I grew up hearing about my entire life.

La Esperanza ("hope" en la Espanol) is a city in Honduras, and I'm hoping I can finish on budget and on time, so it seems to fit.

The befores:

And of course a gratuitous shot of 'Big Red' as she currently rolls:

(90% where I want it- as if they're ever 'done' lol)

 

[kingfish254]

Welcome to RRB
Is the bike already built?

 

[chattymatty]

The red '79 Spitfire? yeah, but the entry is the '67 frame... which represents my entire bike stash, lol. Sheesh dude, got lost in your thread- that Monarch frame is amazing

 

[raggedjim]

I like the cantilever bikes,

Good luck! Rg

 

[kingfish254]

Great job on the Spitfire. Look forward to what you do with the 67.
It looks like you are just posting thumbnail pics, try and post bigger photos.
Good luck!

 

[chattymatty]

Yeah, noticed that too. I think it's 'cause I uploaded using the phone app rather than u/l'ing from files on the computer.
Not happy with the shoes or spats on the spit, I just keep starting other projects lol. Duckbill fenders and chrome drop center hoops with Nexus roller brakes and wide whites waiting, just been too lazy to order spokes and lace them. The fleet won't be nearly as radical as the stuff most of you guys build, a little more Regan than Roosevelt...

 

[chattymatty]

Well, if there's a trophy for first to abandon their frame, at least I win something. Was out yesterday sanding and priming the Slimline frame, staring at those lovely and rare little tank tabs and decided that I have a better idea for what to do to do with it that just won't be in my budget this summer (BO10 or 11 maybe). As much as I prefer mounting brakes to fender mounts than that ugly boy-racer-rear-wing/freestyle platform brake bridge Schwinn used on their caliper brake bikes, for $25 I just couldn't pass this frame up. So presto change-o, insert one 1980 Schwinn Heavy-Duti frame in place of the '67.

 

[chattymatty]

No progress to report, other than cleaning the workbench, but I did dust off the most import part of the build

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Love the new frame.

Luke.

 

[chattymatty]

Well, progress is stymied due to the fires I'am afraid. Was gunna roll up to LA this weekend and pick up the new frame and the donor bike, but it seems both major arteries between here and there are in the fire zone, so that's no go.

I did at least make some decisions though. I hadn't been planning on using it, but the rack the bike had BITD turns out to be a real-deal, gen-U-wine, OG Schwinn Approved "Cruiser Carrier" and not just some random whatever my dad installed so I could haul my bass clarinet to and from band practice. And since one of my self-imposed criterion for this build is "as Schwinn as possible" (yes, I'm that nerdy) and it just happened to be still hanging in his garage, I can't help but use it:

and since hands have been tipped, here's the donor bike:

 

[kingsting]

Ooooh! 82' Sidewinder! Looks like it's loaded with good parts! I've been looking for a set of those bars should you decide to sell on down the road...

 

[chattymatty]

The original build as I received it was red anno/red frame, so this build with the gold anno/metallic maroon frame is a bit of a deviation, but what the heck, I'm 42 not 12, it's time for a 'Gentleman's Cruiser' and I can honestly say I am saving $2500 by being "inaccurate". Once upon a time, this bike is what I would call a quintessential Klunker, in the Southern California vein: old Schwinn frame, moto bars, multi-speed like the traditional Klunk, but with miles and miles of BMX anno and whitewalls put it as at home on the beach as trail.

TRIGGER ALERT: multi-thousand dollar survivor destroyed

Circa 2003 or so, as my old cruiser was just sitting in my dad's side yard under a tarp I got it in my idiot head that retro bikes were where it was at (cf. all the Schwinn and Columbia repop's coming out in the late 90's) and told my dad "Hey, let's redo the old cruiser, nobody cares about all that 'disco BMX crap' on that bike, let's put a cheap Chinaman springer and tank on it and go retro." Basicly my plan was a 26" Krate, bananna seat and all.

So here's where it gets painfull, what HAD been on the bike were mint red shiny-side Ukai rims with red ACS hubs ($300 wheels all day long), Cook Brothers Racing cruiser bars (last set I saw went for $1250), CBR forks (last set $850), black/red Mushroom II's (been looking two years, never seen another set), Brooks (?) hairpin seat etc. etc. And the worst part is, he can't remember to whom he GAVE these parts away!

Lucikily, he did save the ACS stem and Team Schwinn red seat post clamp (saw them in a box a few years ago but can't find them now) and the Team Schwinn cranks (recently sold to fiance a BMX project) but the sad reality is, if not for my own stupidity that $50 Schwinn frame was prolly a $2000 bike to the right guy who had a hard-on for survivors. It was as period correct as they come, and in all humility, a very unique example of that transition period before MTB's were much more than vintage frames with new lightweight parts, but pretty to look at unlike the pigs those (now rich and famous) NorCal guys were building, lol. If I get really anal I might re-lace the rear wheel to accept the SA 3-speed internal hub with 3-speed external cassette it originally had, but that set up was too finicky for the jr. high bike rack, so dad eventually swapped that out for a traditional 5-speed.

This build, if you squint, will look just like it, but with parts from the $150 Sidewinder rather than the obscenely priced OG stuff that used to be on it.

 

[chattymatty]

Ooooh! 82' Sidewinder! Looks like it's loaded with good parts! I've been looking for a set of those bars should you decide to sell on down the road...

As luck would have it, the one thing I might change is the bars in favor of of Al's aluminium KOS bars. I promise not to steel wool them 'till we've had a chance to chat (see, I learn form my mistakes lol)

 

[chattymatty]

And a gratuitous pic for those of you out there who might be old enough to remember when auto parts countermen wore company hats:

AAP was the store my dad owned back in the late 70's/early 80's and he built this bike in the back to try to lose a little weight and get back into riding (he eventually got pretty serious; his 81-ish Rossin is a work of art) before eventually giving Big Red to me.

Oh yeah, his deuce is pretty nice to Dad likes red...

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Ouch, I too remember many many bikes from back in the day when we didn't know any better. I had so many bikes that I took down "Dead man's hill" and off the jump at the bottom flew what felt like 50 feet through the air (more like 15) and snap the frame in half. I'd take my adjustable wrench out of my pocket and scavenge the wheels and any good parts off and throw the rest down in the creek bed. I swear someday I will go back with a metal detector and find a gold mine of old ratty parts...lol.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

As painful as reading the previous posts was, I am totally looking forward to the build! Going to be great!

Luke.

 

[cherrydeuce]

And a gratuitous pic for those of you out there who might be old enough to remember when auto parts countermen wore company hats:

AAP was the store my dad owned back in the late 70's/early 80's and he built this bike in the back to try to lose a little weight and get back into riding (he eventually got pretty serious; his 81-ish Rossin is a work of art) before eventually giving Big Red to me.

Oh yeah, his deuce is pretty nice to Dad likes red...

32's are my first love, inspiration for the build?

 

[chattymatty]

Naw, this build is basically a replica of the cruiser dad gave me in 1983. If you scroll up you'll see that bike as it is now, which will eventually get a real Schwinn springer, painted in the traditional Phantom pattern to match the '32. Dad's is nice (backround) but my boss' car is just flat crazy:

Yes, that's a blown and injected Ford 427 SOHC.

 

[cherrydeuce]

Thats a serious blown hiboy mister... next time you're passing an uptight prius lover give her a good kick in the pants for me! Thanks for the eye candy and best of luck with the build, I'll be keeping an eyeball on this one.

 

[chattymatty]

Ugg, had to check in once I stopped fuming. Started cleaning up the doner parts... and somewhere along the way not only did someone seem to think that some super harsh chemical like carb cleaner was the hip thing to clean a bicycle with, burning half the paint off otherwise pretty sharp ACS hubs, but they attacked the all the chrome with a fracking wire wheel. Ah well, I guess in the long run it'll same me the time and trouble of PC'ing the frame and fretting over the rusted to hell spokes (which may have also been a victim of the wheel)... and besides, I doubt anyone around here will fret over a 'survivor' build lol.