NOW SEEN IN FINISHED SECTION! ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓

[Jake Sensi]

Re: ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ 7/12 LIGHTS! Page 12

Hmm....that lantern light gives an idea! Thanks!!

 

[kingfish254]

Re: ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ 7/12 LIGHTS! Page 12

Thats a super score in my opinion!!!
Love that tailight pole!! and the roundish tailight is pretty cool too.

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ 7/12 LIGHTS! Page 12

Those look like the one I have.

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ 7/12 LIGHTS! Page 12

Alright, so I've been outside and I made a bike for my wife, then I decided to linseed oil the tins on my build off bike. For prep I steel wooled them and then did a quick acetone wipe. When I started working on the tank something awesome happened, first, I didn't know the little "wings" on the bottom were chrome, that's cool, then I saw that someone painted silver over the middle of the paint, I grabbed some coarse steel wool and went in and this came out!

So cool! Looks like Higgins is showing his true colors!

This is perfect!

 

[kingfish254]

Re: ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Steel Wool SURPRISE! Page 13

That is an extremely cool surprise!
Looks sharp.!

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Steel Wool SURPRISE! Page 13

I wish I could tell you how excited I was when I found the original lettering on the tank, anyway, it gave me a huge boost and I kind of finished the bike. There is still some mechanical tweaking to do and might try for some lights and other accessories, but as it sits this bike is ready to go on vacation with us!

The bike is... HUGE! I felt like Henry Ford (he built his first car in the basement) trying to maneuver this thing out of my shop for a quick ride around the block and then some.

I'm pretty stoked. I've gotten a lot more done during this build off than I did last year, heck, just earlier today I redid a bike for my wife:

It was a Kaluna that was given to me, pink fenders, pink seat, pink stem, pink grips, pink decals everywhere, opink chain guard, pink seat, and well, my wife doesn't like pink, so I got rid of the pink added the old Schwinn mountain bike bars, a stem off an old Schwinn (painted with hammered finish), painted the chain guard. replaced white cables for black, replaced seat, added mushroom grips, upgraded the shifter, and it rides GREAT.

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

Handling? Don't worry about it. :shock:

The handlebars, from stem to grips is about 32" from ground to grips is 5' 7".

 

[tvc15]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

That bike rocks!

 

[texasbigjon]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

love the ratty finish on that higgins! 8) great save on the o.g. tank graphics too.

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

That bike rocks!

Thanks, looking at the photo I think I might add some paint to the fork, not sure what yet, but I'm not going to paint it to match. I always seem to have cars with mismatched body panels, so why not my bike too?

 

[EastOfEastLos]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

Came out really cool yoo! I really like the look of that tank too. I was afraid you were going to chop it up or poke speed holes in it or somethin

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

Came out really cool yoo! I really like the look of that tank too. I was afraid you were going to chop it up or poke speed holes in it or somethin

Nope, only tank I've ever owned (or touched) and I was going to be sure to save it.

 

[CCR]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

...looking at the photo I think I might add some paint to the fork, not sure what yet, but I'm not going to paint it to match. I always seem to have cars with mismatched body panels, so why not my bike too?

I was thinkin the same when I saw the pics ... in my mind the fork was a crayon red, bike looks great man but i think it's mostly the swans fault :mrgreen:

 

[socal_jack]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

Thanks, looking at the photo I think I might add some paint to the fork, not sure what yet, but I'm not going to paint it to match. I always seem to have cars with mismatched body panels, so why not my bike too?

Just paint it flat black so it doesn't take away from that great patina. The blue kind of draws the eye away a bit.

 

[ChrisMac]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

Awesome build, but I definitely would not be able to reach those grips. Holy crud, the top of the bars are probably taller than me.


Looks great though. Tank makes the overall look work nicely.

 

[Terry66]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

That is a really nice rat bike. I like that a lot. I love the patina on the tank. Nice job on that. So now you can be the first in the completed gallery? I am done with my bike, but I need to find a cool location for a shoot.

As a side note, I am collecting parts for a ape bar tank bike myself. Mine is a ’58 Huffy.

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

I was thinkin the same when I saw the pics ... in my mind the fork was a crayon red, bike looks great man but i think it's mostly the swans fault :mrgreen:

Yeah, the swan is cool.

Just paint it flat black so it doesn't take away from that great patina. The blue kind of draws the eye away a bit.

I could...

That came out different than I imagined it would. Those fenders are cool. The seat looks right on there. The tank did come out sweet--those chrome tank lower parts are really cool. Is that a bell hanging up there on the handlebars? And the swan is on. I like the blue forks--gives the bike an I-just-made-this-outa-spare-parts rat rod hot rod look. Placement and color of the license plate looks right on. Those stop signs are really reflective, I see.

The only things wrong I see here is you really didn't take enough pictures--like close-ups so we can view 'em.

Oh, and don't tell your wife, but her bike is okay, but it just ain't near as cool as yours.

Yes, that is a bell up there.

I didn't take enough photos, because I need to get a location and get out the good camera, these were just a couple "I'm really excited that I just "finished" this bike pics.

Awesome build, but I definitely would not be able to reach those grips. Holy crud, the top of the bars are probably taller than me.

Stem to top of bars about 32", from ground to top of bars 5' 7"

That is a really nice rat bike. I like that a lot. I love the patina on the tank. Nice job on that. So now you can be the first in the completed gallery? I am done with my bike, but I need to find a cool location for a shoot.

As a side note, I am collecting parts for a ape bar tank bike myself. Mine is a ’58 Huffy.

I probably won't be first since I'm taking the youth on a trip today and leaving for vacation in the morning, but might get some shots while on vacation, but I'm sure someone will beat me into the gallery before then.

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

Looks awesome Justin! Has nice patina with the perfect amount of chrome :wink:

 

[kingfish254]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

Turned out super!!!!
Nice oiled up rust.
Great tank and tank details!
Incredible bars.
And we now know your house number. It will make it easier to come and get some parts while you're racing Amish buggys with Higgins.
BRAVO!!!!

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Re: Finished? ▓▒░ Higgins the German Spy ░▒▓ Done?

Nice Higgins, I'd like to have your tank! Looks great.