"Opportunity Knocks"...(minor updates)

[IronDio]

So, I have a Schwinn World Tourist that I got for free.

It's a pretty nice bike, but my wife doesn't want another bike...what to do??
Strip it down and make a sweet men's bike out of it!
First step, strip it down.

Done, I flipped the handlebars for more of a boardtrack look. I'm more of a single-speed/coaster brake kind of guy. So, bye-bye shifter and hand brakes! I want to put some fatter whitewalls on it, but it's a skinny tire bike, plus I need a coaster brake, new wheels ordered. BUT, the front forks, rear chainstay and seat stay are too narrow. I have a vintage fork ordered and I'll have to re-work the rear end.
Here's a rough drawing of what I'm going to do:

I'm going to cut the top tube off and reverse it, stretch the chainstay about 7", build a new seat stay. Cut down the seat tube, bend the seat post, add some additional tubes (for looks), truss rods, and a headlight.
...Stay tuned

 

[mmcdaniel69]

Re: World Tourist "re-gendering"

Looks like that's gonna be sweet, cool idea with the top bar.

 

[Gdcast]

Re: World Tourist "re-gendering"

That´s a cool design right there, take lots of pictures, I wanna see that lady become a monster! 8)

 

[IronDio]

Re: World Tourist "re-gendering"

Ran into some problems already...
Here is the old fork...not really going to accommodate fatter tires...

Here is the fork I was planning on using...

Whoops...got the width I want, but no clearance above the tire! I really need to take the time to measure stuff and quit assuming things. This is NOT going to work for this bike. Too bad, I like that crown look. Actually not too bummed though...didn't spend a lot on it, plus with the truss rod design I have in my head, it might just be easier to make my own forks.
On the bright side, my wheels came. Going to pick up some rubber...maybe tomorrow

 

[IronDio]

Re: World Tourist "re-gendering"

Picked up some tires at W*lM*rt today. They are pretty friggin' nice cruiser tires. They were in a Bell box, but they're Innova tires for $19.96 ea.
And...GREAT news! They fit the original fork!!!

Not much clearance side-to-side, but plenty of room above the tire!

I love how much it changes the front already! Oh, and that other fork...I've got plans for that little guy.....BIG plans! LOL

 

[Gdcast]

Re: World Tourist "re-gendering"

Nice! Seems you´re arming and on the verge of starting something great. :wink:

 

[IronDio]

Re: World Tourist "re-gendering"

Got the seat for this project yesterday...had to put it on and check it out...

Nice and ratty!

 

[Random Bikes]

Re: World Tourist "re-gendering"

if it turns out anything like the drawing it should look pretty sweet

 

[IronDio]

Re: World Tourist "re-gendering"

Well, after 7 hours of cutting, grinding, head-scratching, welding, some more grinding, and one angry wife later...

And here's the drawing comparison for the progress so far...

There's still more to do, but we're off and running now!
(I have to take a couple weeks off though)

 

[King Zebba]

Re: World Tourist "re-gendering"

That is just Cool!!! 8) 8) 8) 8)

 

[UnDerzon3]

Re: World Tourist "re-gendering"

nice how you used the other fork

 

[IronDio]

Re: World Tourist aka "Project Gender Bender"

Thanks! Almost forgot to thank my dad for the help with the welding and the slick idea for attaching the droputs

 

[IronDio]

Re: World Tourist aka "Project Gender Bender"

Here's another pic of it from a slightly different angle. Chomping at the bit to get back to it, but promised the wife I'd wait until after Christmas...hopefully I'll get the rest of my parts from Santa! lol

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Re: World Tourist aka "Project Gender Bender"

That is going to be awesome! I'm definitely watching this one!

 

[IronDio]

Re: World Tourist aka "Project Gender Bender"

Worked on the truss rods tonight. Didn't really know what I was going to use for my bracket when I started...dug through the scrap pile and found a mirror bracket off of my old Dodge. Perfect! Stainless steel even! I used some u-joint straps to attach them to my handlebars, and I used some coaster brake arms to move them out from the axle. I used 3/8" brake line tubing for my rods. Here's the results...

VERY pleased with the results! Thanks again to my Dad for the extra set of hands!! (still figuring out my rear fender options, want to use the original front fender to really hug that tire, but...I'm just not sure)

 

[Xcruiser]

Re: World Tourist aka "Project Gender Bender"

World tourist--interesting story for you.
# days ago while cruising along the illinois river valley by some rock bluffs and my bud said look at those bikes up there!!
30 feet up was a rusted muscle bike and some odd mint green bike.anyway after climbing two 6 foot shear rock bluffs and hanging on for dear life from tree roots I reclaimed an old schwinn World tourist mens bike in remarkable shape for sitting 15-20 years (rumor has it) on a rock bluff.
The murray muscle bike white letter tires and all was an unsalvagable disaster.Inner tubes and a chain and i could ride the tourist.How they got up there remains a mystery.

 

[IronDio]

Re: World Tourist aka "Project Gender Bender"

That's crazy! This one, too, was an orphan. It was abandoned on my lawn one day. I called the police and gave them the info, left it propped up against a tree for a few weeks, and, after 4mths and another call to the police, claimed it as mine. Really nice bike too, but the call of the custom drove me to cut it up.

 

[IronDio]

Re: World Tourist aka "Project Gender Bender"

Here's my Christmas list that my mother-in-law insisted I make for her (what a great lady!)

Hopefully, this will complete the picture on this build! Not sure which seat I will use on this bike, I'll have to see which one IT wants once I get it mocked up before paint. That's actually a big detail on this bike. I don't think I'm going to add any more bars to the frame, I kind of like how that's looking at this point.

 

[IronDio]

Re: World Tourist aka "Project Gender Bender"

Finally figured out an adequate way to show what I did to stretch this bike:

1. What I started out with
2. Cut the seat stays loose from seat tube
3. Cut the chain stays off
4. pretty self explanatory, I think
5. My high-tech spreading apparatus
6. Ground down the ends of the old fork/new chain stay
7. Had to clamp what was left of the old chain stays in the vice to oblong them to match the fork and cut off about an 1" of the threads on the fork, then ground it down on the sides of the threads to get it to fit between the stubs...looks good!
8. Time for the dropouts. Left a few inches of the old chain stays for some meat to weld. then started running beads
9. welded the stubs to the top of the fork, AFTER the dropouts were welded in place. It seemed pretty crucial to have the whole rear end assembled before attaching it to the rest of the frame. Then tacked in the stem between the stubs. I could've cut that part off, but I wanted to make sure it was strong, I don't think it looks too bad either, though...so that helps
Didn't measure before and after, but I'd have to say it stretched it between 4 and 5 inches
The seat stays were not welded in place at this point. I waited until I flipped the top tube and got that in position so that I could get them to match that angle.

 

[gcrank1]

Re: World Tourist aka "Project Gender Bender"

I like the lines you got on that frame mod.