Murray Beach Comber/AMC VII

[The Renaissance Man]

Looks great!

I've often wondered why derailleurs are not more widely used on rat rods and customs. It looks cool and is very functional in my opinion.

 

[ParkRNDL]

Looks great!

I've often wondered why derailleurs are not more widely used on rat rods and customs. It looks cool and is very functional in my opinion.

Yeah, especially as I’m getting older I always prefer having a selection of gears under my thumb. I just rode this bike 10 miles today and I shifted the heck out of it. With the little front sprocket I have on there, it’s geared REALLY low and I love it. Normally on a 7- speed bike I would end up using gears 1-4 and never really get higher than that. Today I used mostly 3-5 on flat ground but dropped down to 1 and 2 to just twiddle along up hills when necessary. Love my low gears.

 

[OddJob]

Looks tight! That Ocean blue is a great color, white walls and the middle weight frame make it look all at once light and lively,but with enough 'beef' to take on sand or pavement.

Thought of a name from the '60s...with a twist:

"Fred A.MC Murray"

Little complex, but it made me smile.

 

[ParkRNDL]

(snip)

Thought of a name from the '60s...with a twist:

"Fred A.MC Murray"

Little complex, but it made me smile.

 

[ParkRNDL]

Put another few miles on it today. The shifter is a little finicky about downshifting from 6th to 5th unless you hit it juuust right... sometimes I end up stuck halfway into 4th and I have to go down another gear and back up till it settles in the right location in the shifter. I assume there are parts getting old or worn in there (something something "pawl and ratchet" something). I BIN'd one of these off Fleabay just in case it gets worse:

Shimano TX50. It's actually kind of a cool design... the thumb lever is for downshifting and the little black button is for upshifting.

 

[ParkRNDL]

also I really like the way this bike is shaping up

(pretty sure I stole the idea for taking the pic in front of the wings from someone on here... I know I saw it somewhere online recently)

 

[ParkRNDL]

Well this did not go according to plan.

That's what happened when I took off the seat tube sticker. It was actually one sticker wrapping all the way around the tube, and I am thinking I didn't get the last bit with the heat gun for long enough and that's why it took paint with it. The side I started on came out great. I am in the process of either buying or making a pinstripe-type graphic for the front of the seat tube.

It's not a perfect match, but I will try to touch the back up a little with this from my stash of model car supplies:

I think the can matches the frame better than it does the tank, but I had the tank sitting right here so that's the picture I took.

The headbadge sticker also did not cooperate:

That's not bare metal, that's remnants of the metallic sticker. I tried heating it some more but I could feel the paint getting soft and I quit. A friend of mine has this rubber wheel that he chucks up in a drill and it takes sticky stuff off paint; I am always amazed that it doesn't damage the paint in the process. I will ask him to give it a shot on what's left of the headbadge.

I actually wanted to preserve the part that did come off, and that pretty much worked as I wanted it to; there was enough adhesive on it that I put it on the bottom of the seat tube just above the Made in Lawrenceville sticker.

I will tack that edge down with something so maybe it'll stay there for a while. Something about that sticker just made me want to keep it even though I planned to replace the headbadge.

Speaking of the headbadge, the idea is to get the head tube smooth enough to put this on it:

Found it on Fleabay and I think it's a great-looking sticker.

Meanwhile, I rode it another few miles today. Works great and I do like it better than the Schwinn I took the drivetrain off of to build it.

 

[ParkRNDL]

Ok, so definitely not great up close

But not terrible from a distance.

I'd be a lot more upset if the rest of the bike were perfect, but we already have chips, scratches, rust spots, cable rubs, et cetera.

And the most important thing... it doesn't show from the drive side

 

[Captain Awesome]

Ok, so definitely not great up close
View attachment 238247

But not terrible from a distance.
View attachment 238246
View attachment 238245

I'd be a lot more upset if the rest of the bike were perfect, but we already have chips, scratches, rust spots, cable rubs, et cetera.

And the most important thing... it doesn't show from the drive side

Good save

 

[ParkRNDL]

Not sure I'm sold on the basket/crate. I want to like it, I really do, but something's off. Maybe it needs to be longer, or maybe it needs to be wooden.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Maybe it needs to be longer, or maybe it needs to be wooden.

To me, it doesn't belong. It is a black plastic box covering that beautiful paint matched steel rack. But in some cases, function trumps form, so if you need to haul stuff, maybe an older wooden crate

 

[handyandy1100]

Maybe it needs to have lower sidewalls? I like the vintage wood idea.
Or maybe a wire basket that lets the rear rack shine through?

 

[ParkRNDL]

To me, it doesn't belong. It is a black plastic box covering that beautiful paint matched steel rack. But in some cases, function trumps form, so if you need to haul stuff, maybe an older wooden crate

I guess this is a big part of it. I like the rack too; it seems wrong to hide it.

Maybe it needs to have lower sidewalls? I like the vintage wood idea.
Or maybe a wire basket that lets the rear rack shine through?

Yep. I wonder if I can make little “bed sides” from wooden slats…

 

[SwissGuy]

Well this did not go according to plan.
View attachment 238221

That's what happened when I took off the seat tube sticker. It was actually one sticker wrapping all the way around the tube, and I am thinking I didn't get the last bit with the heat gun for long enough and that's why it took paint with it. The side I started on came out great. I am in the process of either buying or making a pinstripe-type graphic for the front of the seat tube.
View attachment 238225

It's not a perfect match, but I will try to touch the back up a little with this from my stash of model car supplies:
View attachment 238226
I think the can matches the frame better than it does the tank, but I had the tank sitting right here so that's the picture I took.

The headbadge sticker also did not cooperate:
View attachment 238223

That's not bare metal, that's remnants of the metallic sticker. I tried heating it some more but I could feel the paint getting soft and I quit. A friend of mine has this rubber wheel that he chucks up in a drill and it takes sticky stuff off paint; I am always amazed that it doesn't damage the paint in the process. I will ask him to give it a shot on what's left of the headbadge.

I actually wanted to preserve the part that did come off, and that pretty much worked as I wanted it to; there was enough adhesive on it that I put it on the bottom of the seat tube just above the Made in Lawrenceville sticker.
View attachment 238224

I will tack that edge down with something so maybe it'll stay there for a while. Something about that sticker just made me want to keep it even though I planned to replace the headbadge.

Speaking of the headbadge, the idea is to get the head tube smooth enough to put this on it:
View attachment 238222

Found it on Fleabay and I think it's a great-looking sticker.

Meanwhile, I rode it another few miles today. Works great and I do like it better than the Schwinn I took the drivetrain off of to build it.

In my experience working with a cleaner that's containing citric acid works best to get rid of glue remnants.

 

[JA331]

To me, it doesn't belong. It is a black plastic box covering that beautiful paint matched steel rack. But in some cases, function trumps form, so if you need to haul stuff, maybe an older wooden crate

I agree. The bike looks awesome. Great color and I’m hanging to see that tank on it. Most of my bikes have IGH’s and when I ride one of the few I have with a derailleur I can feel the difference right away with a more direct transfer of power.

My Freeliner build with 3 x 1 gearing is way more satisfying to ride than the nexus 3 equipped bikes I have.

 

[ParkRNDL]

I agree. The bike looks awesome. Great color and I’m hanging to see that tank on it. Most of my bikes have IGH’s and when I ride one of the few I have with a derailleur I can feel the difference right away with a more direct transfer of power.

My Freeliner build with 3 x 1 gearing is way more satisfying to ride than the nexus 3 equipped bikes I have. View attachment 238584

Wow! Not only is that a great-looking bike, but the 3X1 is a very interesting setup. Heaven knows I have enough front derailleurs down there in the dungeon. I actually think I have a really good candidate for something like this. Couple of them, as a matter of fact.

 

[JA331]

Wow! Not only is that a great-looking bike, but the 3X1 is a very interesting setup. Heaven knows I have enough front derailleurs down there in the dungeon. I actually think I have a really good candidate for something like this. Couple of them, as a matter of fact.

Cool. You will also need a freewheeling hub for it to work. I had a Sturmey Archer drum brake hub I got a deal on and combined it with an old bmx freewheel.

 

[ParkRNDL]

Cool. You will also need a freewheeling hub for it to work. I had a Sturmey Archer drum brake hub I got a deal on and combined it with an old bmx freewheel.

And a junker rear derailleur to use as a tensioner, I assume. Do you just lock that in place with the limit screws?

 

[JA331]

Yes. I locked it in place with a section of cable. I also marked the positions of the gears on the shifter as the gears are not indexed.

 

[Pondo]

(pretty sure I stole the idea for taking the pic in front of the wings from someone on here... I know I saw it somewhere online recently)

Might have been @kingfish254 :

maybe it needs to be wooden.

I like that idea. Maybe an old crate or a custom built box with a patina'd blue?

Great looking bike! I love how all the blues match. I definitely like the derailleur look too. I live in the mountains so gears are great. Very cool!