New Age Hawthorne -- LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

[Toeslider]

I got nuthin'...

Nah, scratch that....I got a bike. And I got a title. I had another bike, a Huffy Camaro, and another title, but the automatic board censor wouldn't let me use it, and it was the strongest part of the build I had, so I decided to switch to this one:

As for the title, I'm thinking of a theme that suggests people's visions of the space age, right before we actually went to space. I know that was a theme already incorporated into a lot of bikes of that time, but I want to take it a step further than what you would see on a mass-produced bike. Think straight lines and angles, brushed aluminum and hex-head fasteners that are overkill.

This bike is typical of the time, but to me it seems straighter and cleaner than some other similar bikes. I love the way the lines of the tank line up with the rack, and the horizon as well. It bugs me when tanks on bikes aren't straight, or at least the accent lines on them. I think this bike will look fast and streamlined when I am done with it.

More pictures:

Got a few cool parts already, but I want to keep some suspense!

 

[sharmangasaurusrex]

Re: New Age Hawthorne

Great bike to start with. Can't wait to see what you do with it. Makes me think of Astronaut Jones from SNL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNrrhd4l9og

 

[kingfish254]

Re: New Age Hawthorne

Is he related to Basketball Jones?

Great Spaceman Spiff build bike. Crusty space bikes are cool.
Good luck.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Re: New Age Hawthorne

Looking forward to seeing more, love the theme, really mankind peaked in the 60's... Think about it, fly to the moon, concord, bluebird, cars with real style, start of computers...

Luke.

 

[kentercanyon]

Re: New Age Hawthorne

Looks like something that belonged to Major Matt Mason, a cheap action figure from the space race era. MMM may have been the missing link between girls' barbie dolls and star wars toys. He had more accessories than Imelda Marcos, the famous philippino dictatoress shoe whore-der. His gizmos all had dorky space names like "Reconjet Pak" and "Re-entry Glider"

link to a kid circa 1969 happy w his MMM space station toy. This was pretty much exactly what I probably looked like in '69
http://www.examiner.com/article/play-st ... chitecture


of course if you want serious space-envy google Bowden Spacelander

have fun w the build.

 

[Toeslider]

Re: New Age Hawthorne

I was born in 1967, so I just got the tail end of the Major Matt Mason era. I remember I had a toy that was two parts, the front was a motorized rover with two big "wheels" (I have wheels in quotes, because they were really just more like the spokes of a wheel, with no rim) that had suction cups on the ends of them, that supposedly would crawl up the wall (never worked right). The other part was a trailer that was basically like a clear hamster ball, that you would put Major Matt in, and the chair he sat in was always right side up, no matter waht the rest of the contraption was doing.

EDIT: The toy I'm talking about is right there in front of the space station in the picture, minus the trailer:

EDIT 2: That kid could be me as well, as my Grandmother had a couple of those rugs, and I had a Lionel 027 gauge train set that used the same track that is on it.

 

[Toeslider]

Re: New Age Hawthorne - PROGRESS

Sorry, I know I shouldn't tease people like that by putting "PROGRESS" in my title, but trust me, for me, this is major progress:

Presenting - A Clean Work Surface:

It will be short-lived, expect it to be a wreck for the next 3 months...

 

[Toeslider]

Re: New Age Hawthorne

Here is a ladies Colson that will be sacrificing some parts for the cause:

Believe it or not, I have women beating down my door looking for old ladies bikes with baskets on them, so it won't go to waste.

It is going to donate this guard:

This rack:

and possibly its fenders, if I decide to go with them. They are in about the same shape/patina as the rest of the bike will be, when I'm done with it.

 

[Toeslider]

Re: New Age Hawthorne

Ok, here's my first mock-up. Found a couple other parts, Brooks saddle, a cool stem and some bars that go straight back (they were the only pair I had that did that):

Not sure about the Brooks yet. I have a couple others to try. I want all the accessories to line up with parallel lines, like its going fast!

 

[sharmangasaurusrex]

Re: New Age Hawthorne FIRST MOCK UP

Looks really sleek and fast. Diggin those bars.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Re: New Age Hawthorne

I want all the accessories to line up with parallel lines, like its going fast!

I would say mission accomplished!

Luke.

 

[kingfish254]

Re: New Age Hawthorne FIRST MOCK UP

That guard , rack, and bars really accentuate the jet fighter stance of the at tanklight piece.

I sort of remember that wall climber toy. A buddy of mine had that space station. Cool toys.

 

[Fat Willy]

Re: New Age Hawthorne FIRST MOCK UP

That thing is sleek!!! Love it so far.

 

[ratina]

Re: New Age Hawthorne FIRST MOCK UP

Those parts look like they belong on there!

 

[Lowlife Lucas]

Re: New Age Hawthorne FIRST MOCK UP

That thing looks like its moving sitting still! I like it 8)

 

[Critter1]

Re: New Age Hawthorne FIRST MOCK UP

That thing looks like its moving sitting still! I like it 8)

X2! I concur!!

 

[Toeslider]

Re: New Age Hawthorne FIRST MOCK UP

Big news! I finally, FINALLY got FTP working on my iPad! What this means, to the uninitiated, is that I can upload pictures directly from my garage/workshop/basement, etc. without going to the computer, loading pics from the camera, then going online to upload them to my site, so I can then post them here. Should be able to do quicker updates, not just at the end of the day.

Stuff from today...

I have this light, may or may not use it if I can find a good place to fit it in:

Another possible seat:

Was looking for something else when I realized I had some cool parts off an old drive-in arc lamp. I'm diggin' the look of these art-deco side panels, although they may look too old for this build:

 

[deven_science]

Re: New Age Hawthorne WHY must you MOCK me?

Those side panels are awesome! I'd use them somewhere... tank... struts... something.

 

[kingfish254]

Re: New Age Hawthorne WHY must you MOCK me?

I think those mimic the chainguard perfectly and fall right in line with the horizontal bop you got going on there.

 

[Toeslider]

Re: New Age Hawthorne WHY must you MOCK me?

I was going to mount one on the chain guard, but its too big. I have a left and right pair, thought about using them on the front fender struts, just like where it is in the picture, with a connector of some sort joining them together at the back.