POISON APPLE: '79 Schwinn Fair Lady Trike

[hamqqea]

Try as I may, I can't stop thinking of ways to make this build more complicated for the sake of aesthetics. My original idea was to just shave the top of the seat pole and weld a tank over the frame, but I just didn't like the rake of the fork, nor the seat tube and original top tube interrupting the lines of the overall design. So, in an effort to streamline the design and make my trike look even more chopper-inspired, I removed the seat tube and original top tube, and slanted the headset back a few degrees.
View attachment 145184
I'm thinking of adding either a Mattel V-RROOM! motor or a Sears Hot Rod Twin Fire motor to help fill the void, but I don't know the dimensions of either, or how much it'd cost to get one for that matter. I'm hoping someone here or on The CABE could answer that for me.
View attachment 145185
My biggest concern, however, is how this idea would affect the structural integrity of my trike. I'm hoping my plans to sit over the rear axle, and therefor take most of the weight off the bike frame, plus welding a new solid cantilever-style tank and top tube will help compensate for the lack of a seat tube. I'm no engineer though, so what are your thoughts?

I still like the original design. Schwinns are constructed very well and you're going to install a top tube. The rake will affect steering an may make it feel heavier, it does for bicycles. It will still turn fine. The motors look fun Don't know anything about them.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

I still like the original design. Schwinns are constructed very well and you're going to install a top tube. The rake will affect steering an may make it feel heavier, it does for bicycles. It will still turn fine. The motors look fun Don't know anything about them.

It may just be one of those things where I build it like the original design, then change it up when I can better afford it. I am a little concerned about steering, but I don't see myself riding anywhere that I have to make tight turns anyways. Are you saying it'll still steer fine if I modify it like I'm thinking, or that it will steer fine as long as I leave it be?

 

[hamqqea]

Turning won't be an issue either way. No worries

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Turning won't be an issue either way. No worries

Ok, thanks!

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Here are some sketches I did to try and figure out the seat and trike frame. It's tough to figure out though, as I can't really sit over the rear axle with the current wheel brace in the way, and I still haven't found a set of fenders yet. Nothing's carved in stone yet, but I'm still figuring it out. F.y.i., I drew all of these before I came up with the idea to angle the headset back and remove the seat tube and original top tube.

Meanwhile, I've been tinkering with the design further. I had the idea to make the open part of the frame look like the shape of an apple seed, to further the apple motif. I'm also in the process of getting a Mattel V-room motor to fill the space. If that doesn't pan out, I can always sell it and make my money back.

I also had another idea for this trike, thanks to this sweet rat rod Monark I saw for sale on The C.A.B.E. I'm thinking about maybe putting some USB battery-powered LEDs in the fenders and the frame to add to the wicked vibe I'm going for. Just imagine this thing with lime green lights glowing from inside of it. I think that would be cool, but I need to get this custom fab work done first.

I've just put a slight pause on working on this trike this week while I try to finish up a Christmas gift for my dad. I'll share it after he opens it. I think you guys would like it!

 

[hamqqea]

Thought this was going to be a fairly straightforward build from the initial pics... not a masterpiece.

Did you polish the inside of the fenders to achieve that reflection effect, and what kind of lights are those? Beautiful bike

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Thought this was going to be a fairly straightforward build from the initial pics... not a masterpiece.

Did you polish the inside of the fenders to achieve that reflection effect, and what kind of lights are those? Beautiful bike

Well, I have a habit of getting pretty ambitious with my art and other creative works. I'm a bit of an OCD perfectionist, and I have a hard time settling for "good enough," when I can see how much better something I'm working on can be. This may turn into a more straightforward build once I learn how much it'll cost to pay some metal fabricators and an upholsterer to make the last few parts I need to complete this trike. We'll see.

I sadly don't own that Monark with the LEDs in the fenders. I'd love to, but I'd rather spend that kind of money making a bike my own rather than buy one that's already put together.

Here's the link to that bike, though.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Progress report for Sunday and Monday: Dad told me of a buddy of his who has a bunch of Model A parts, including fenders, that might work for Poison Apple. He had stuff he needed to drop off with/pick up from him anyway, so my dad, my brother and I all went together to Dad's storage building to unload some stuff that was in Dad's truck, and in my case, drop off and pick up some bike parts.

I don't know if any of you saw my post on the Bike I.D. and Value Questions thread, but I have this little 20" kids' bike, The Mini Mystery Muscle Bike. I'd love to enter into the MBBO, but I haven't had any luck finding someone who can take apart the bottom bracket due to how it seems to be an old, old european design. Because of those complications, I had just stuck the thing in storage, figuring I'd use it as wall decor or something. Well, after putting the original wheels from my Schwinn Fair Lady on it, I now seriously want to try and find someone who knows how to service the bottom bracket on this bike so I can get it riding again!

Once we had picked up/dropped off everything, we all headed to my dad's friend's place. We get there, and I'm already excited because of all the cool old cars parked outside. I didn't have enough time to get pictures of everything there, so I'll just share a few pics of the bikes I saw at his place. By the way, I'm posting these with permission.

Anyone able to tell what kind of bike this is? It looks like a Snyder frame, but it's missing the head badge and even the owner isn't sure.

Out of all the bikes this guy has, this Huffy Thunderbird struck my curiosity the most. It's a nice looking bike with a cool fender ornament and a flashlight mount on the handlebars, but that's not what got my attention.

It was the head badge that got my attention. The reason why is because I've bought parts from G. Oscar Bicycles on multiple occasions. For those of you who aren't around Tulsa, G. Oscar's is a local bike shop that's been around since the '90s in a building that's been around since the '20s, and while the guy is starting to sell more of his art and photography than his bikes, he's still got a bunch of cool old bikes that would be great for a Rat Rod Bikes Build Off! So to find a vintage bike that came from his shop over an hour away from his location, that's pretty cool. Turns out my dad's friend is open to selling it, and while the price is nice, I need to finish this trike and my other bikes before I bring another project home. I might get it after Christmas, we'll see.

There were also these 2 wheels with some fat tires on them. Might get these later too. Any idea what kind of coaster brake that is?

Here's what may become the fenders for my trike: a 1930s-ish spare tire cover ring. My dad's friend gave this too me for free because it's rough, but it might work. At the very least, it'll help me know what to get if it can't be fixed. It's just the right size and contour to make a set of fenders. It's not the style I was aiming for, but it'll work.

Did some more figuring yesterday. I'm trying to figure out how to use the parts I have to modify the frame, so I don't have to pay someone to get materials or to bend tubing as much as I could. Basically, I'm going for slicing and splicing the frame, so that my regular welder, Joe, can do most of the work for me, since I know what to expect from him. He can't bend tubing for me, but he can cut and weld anything I bring him. Here I'm lining up the top and bottom tubes of a Schwinn Hollywood frame I have with the Fair Lady's frame to see if I like the angle of the headset angled back. It could work, but I feel the angle's much to drastic. I need something a little more conservative.

I traced and cut a template of the top tube of my Schwinn straightbar frame that was ruined during this year's RRBBO to see about using it to convert this frame into a boys' frame. I then took some scrap wire and painter's tape to mock up the revised tank design I have in mind.

Here you can see the "apple seed" shape I'm going for with the opening.

Here are 3 of the frames that might donate their steel for this build. First is a 1960s Schwinn Hollywood that I was originally planning on using with another identical frame to make a custom side-by-side quadricycle, but since I haven't done anything with either frame so far, I'd just rather use it to help build this trike.

Next is one that I hate to cut up, but it's a little too far gone fro me now: my 1950's Schwinn straightbar frame, Junk Mail, named so as it once served as a mailbox post some indeterminate time ago. If you didn't see my RRBBO thread earlier this year, I sent this over to a guy to try and remove the seat post, only for the guy to completely ruin this frame. I thought about trying to save it, but now, I'd rather just salvage it for frame parts. I shot a photo of it upside down because I have an idea of how to use the headset and top tube of this frame, but it'll make more sense if I draw it than try to explain it.

Last is the original frame to The Trashliner Trike, which I robbed parts off of to build this trike. This frame has a good combo of 1" and 1/2" tubing that could help with modifying the Fair Lady frame, and it'd be fitting, too, as a piece of this frame would still live on as a trike.

Here's another idea: on the Fair Lady frame, the seat stays go from roughly 1/2" tubing by the dropouts to to 5/8" tubing by the seat tube. I want to add cantilever style bars to the frame to add some structure and a tank. Problem is, there isn't a ton of 5/8" tubing on any of my bike frames. However, the seat stays on my Hollywood frames follow the same change in diameter as the Fair Lady frame. I'm thinking of cutting the seat stays off of this bike, flipping them so they face forwards toward the headset, splicing the 2 5/8" sections together at the seat tube, cutting them at the point they become 1/2", and splicing some 1/2" tubing from the Trashliner frame at that point, and then to the frame itself.

I'll try and draw some examples later today to better illustrate what I'm talking about.

That's it for now. I'm just about done working on my dad's present, so once I wrap that up, I'll start illustrating my plans for modifying this frame.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Bendix red band?

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Bendix red band?
View attachment 145647

I figured it was a Bendix, but I don't recall what the red bands indicate.

 

[hamqqea]

Good stuff man. Like the curve on the tank, I'm doing my fueler fork bike similarly.
Fender looks like it'll work and there's enough of it.

Get to work!

It's a 2 speed bendix. The red band color indicates it has an underdrive gear and the brake type used. The blue band has an overdrive gear.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Good stuff man. Like the curve on the tank, I'm doing my fueler fork bike similarly.
Fender looks like it'll work and there's enough of it.

Get to work!

It's a 2 speed bendix. The red band color indicates it has an underdrive gear and the brake type used. The blue band has an overdrive gear.

Thanks! That curve on the tank will look even better once I remove all the parts that make it look like a girl's bike.

Ok, thanks. I'm not too familiar with Bendix red bands.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Did some more figuring since last night. I had the idea to make the whole frame apple seed-shaped, but after sketching up some ideas, I found that I wasn't crazy about that idea. I tried finding the angles to each of the frames I was considering using to modify the Fair Lady frame, but that didn't help much.

Then I drew this sketch. I had the idea to use the sharp curve of the Hollywood's top tube as the bottom tube of this frame. I liked the attitude of it, as it looked more like a chopper to me.

I continued my figuring today outside while the weather was pleasant. I traced both the original frame and the pieces of the other frames to try and see what the revised frame design would look like. Unfortunately, after mocking everything up, I concluded that this version of the frame wouldn't work. It just didn't look right to me.

I flipped my poster board over and tried again. This time, I traced the front section of the frame that donated its seat tube to my RRBBO bike, Dumpster Diamond, upside down, which had a decent angle that could be joined to the curve of the original down tube of my Fair Lady frame. To give the top tube a slight curve, I traced the down tube of the Trashliner Trike frame. After tracing the seat stays off one of my Schwinn Hollywood frames and finding the inner curve of the tank area, I found myself with a much nicer-looking frame design, at least in my opinion.

I mocked it up again with some parts off the trike, and I think I've found the look of this trike. I just hope my regular welder can put this together for me, so I don't have to pay someone else to do it for me.

My plan for the rest of this week is to come up with a revised illustration of the final trike, find another spare tire ring for rear fenders, and see if I can find someone to make the rear frame and seat pan for this trike.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Well, I didn't do a whole lot with the trike build today. I looked at LED light strips and different reflectors or a headlight idea I had in mind, but that was about it. I was just getting ready for bed, when I browsed the forum for a bit and found this thread on a stretched chopper-style bike. Seeing the bottom bracket set so far forward, almost under the headset, gave me an idea. I went out and grabbed a chain guard for a 26" Schwinn Hollywood, and slapped it on my Fair Lady frame.

This turned out to be a big mistake, as I now am no longer tired enough to sleep. I can't stop thinking about how the frame would look with the bottom bracket moved forward a few inches and if it'd improve pedaling comfort.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Small updates for the past few days.

Got some new spare tire rings to use as fender material for free from another one of my dad's friends Saturday. One is a slightly wider diameter than the other, but the other has a better chrome finish. Odds are I'll be sandblasting the bigger, rougher one to match the rest of the trike, but I'm leaving all options on the table for now.

Speaking of options, I had spent some more time figuring out the graphics for this trike. I decided to look at pictures of late '60s/early '70s Mopar muscle cars for inspiration. First up, I'm thinking of mimicking the circle and words around the Poison Apple icon, like what you'd see on a Dodge Super Bee.

I then looked at all the stripes and other crazy graphics all the Dodges and Plymouths had back in the day. There were a ton of cool designs coming from every manufacturer back then, but I think Plymouth/Chrysler/Dodge had the coolest graphics and colors out of them all.

I'm really digging the rear quarter stripes on this one. I think these will serve as the biggest inspiration for the final graphics I add to this trike.

Then I came across this wicked cool 1969 and a 1/2 Super Bee 440 Six Pack. This is giving me even more ideas for the final look of my trike that I hadn't really considered before.

I wasn't crazy about powder coating my wheels satin black, as that's basically the color of the tires themselves, but after seeing these satin black wheels on this green Super Bee, I may have to reconsider. I hadn't planned on adding any red to my bike either, but seeing the redline tires on this car, plus the reddish-orange lettering on the hood scoop, I think a little splash of red would look good on this trike somewhere.

One last cool note to end on: I live in Oklahoma, where the weather does whatever it darn well pleases, including hitting 70-75 degrees on December 10th, only to switch to around 6 inches of snow on the 13th. I quickly took the opportunity to get out my RRBBO entry, Dumpster Diamond, and shoot some photos of it in the snow. That was the heaviest snow I'd seen in a long time, and it left me covered in snow in mere minutes! I'm just hoping it sticks around a little longer so I can go out and actually enjoy it!

Sorry for the sparse progress to report. I'm still tracing all the frames I have to try and redesign the current one, and I'm still sketching concepts for the final version of this trike.

 

[hamqqea]

You get good stuff and ideas to work with... along with talent

How's that snowmobile? I'm waiting to go ice riding on my muscle bikes... 55 today.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

You get good stuff and ideas to work with... along with talent

How's that snowmobile? I'm waiting to go ice riding on my muscle bikes... 55 today.

Thanks!

I was too scared to ride out in the snow, honestly. I really need at least a brain bucket before I try this kind of stuff.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Well, I just got my Mattel V-RROOM! bike motor in the mail today. It came with batteries, but they were old and used up it seemed. I got new D cell batteries, and I still couldn't get it to work. Played around with it a bit, and I eventually got it working, but with a couple issues. First, it doesn't want to turn on unless I angle it a certain way. Second, depending on the angle, the motor will go full-throttle regardless of what position the controller is set to.

So the motor works, but it has either a sticky throttle or an electrical issue. I can worry about it later, since I mostly got this for aesthetic purposes. That said, this puppy is LOUD! Holy cow, I had no idea how much noise this thing could make, and it sounds awesome! If I heard this cruising by and I couldn't make out that it was just a prop, I would seriously think whatever bike it was attached to was motorized for real!

It's a little too dark to get photos of it now, but amazingly, it looks proportionally correct for this frame.

 

[Short Stuff]

Do send us photos when you can. I'm technologically challenged and probably don't care as much as I should. I depend on Grandkids for photographs and sharing them on a forum. Enjoy your new toys and Be Well, SS.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Ok, as mentioned before, I got a Mattel V-RROOM! toy bike motor in the mail yesterday. It's a little finicky, but it does work, as far as sounding like an actual motorcycle engine goes. I also found that it would just barely fit in the open part of my redesign of my bike frame, that is, until I compared it to the ACTUAL frame.

Turns out, the motor is substantially wider than the bottom bracket, and it doesn't allow for much clearance between the crank arms. I'm sure I could remedy this by getting some wider crank arms and nudging the motor to one side a little to clear the chain guard, but I for now, I think I'll just leave the motor out of the equation.

I'm bummed that I can't use it for this project, at least not right now, but I now have a unique opportunity; I couldn't find much useful information on these motors anywhere, and I think I'd like to use my motor to help anyone else planning to put one of these on their bike. When time allows, I'd like to create a thread that goes more in depth on the dimensions, weight, and maybe even how these things work and how they can be serviced. I had no idea how big this motor actually was until I got it, and to my surprise, it's roughly the same size as those cheap Whizzer-style bike motors you can buy today.

That all comes later though. Right now, I'm busy calling every local fab shop in or around Tulsa to see if I can start putting the rest of this trike together.