RE-TIRED STRIPPER - Formerly Spit Ply-er DONE (basically)

[Pedal2daMetal]

First time building a bike and first time posting photos on here so bear with me if it isn't very successful!!! I have a 1956 Schwinn Spitfire that's been sitting in my garage for way too long. I bought it to build but haven't got that round tuit until now. Hope I can keep up with you pros.... I'm already starting late so we'll see! I wanted this frame because it's one of the my favorite designs when it has a tank but I didn't want to spend tank money so I will be making one. I'm thinking plywood but with a bit of a twist... again we'll see!

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Welcome!
Trust me, one day late is not late. Have fun!

 

[fordsnake]

You're off to a good start with that frame...and welcome to the rat race.

 

[dracothered]

Don't worry you ain't late... your right on time and I am for sure not a pro...

 

[Pedal2daMetal]

So here is the start and there are already a couple issues I wasn't expecting. I bought the red tires and rims new a while back planning for this bike but now that I tried to put them on I see that the axle for the front wheel is larger than what the fork will accept. It's just balanced on there for the photo. I'll have to ream the fork a bit to fit the new axle. Aside from the wheel/tire combo I'd like to keep everything vintage. The seat I robbed off my 78' Varsity Camelback (another project for the future) and I was going to use the stem from that bike as well but I now know they are two different diameters. The 78' uses a smaller diameter stem and even though I can get it to tighten in the 1956 steerer tube (hope I'm getting all the bike terms correct) I'm afraid it won't stay put very well and it also leaves an uneven gap visible at the top that will test my OCD if I leave it.

I've always planned on painting the bike because the paint on it right now looks like it was applied with a brush but when I stood the bike up with the tires on it I actually thought this color combo looked unusually cool! I'm still considering repainting it but with a similar color in matte... I know that's not exactly the ratty thing to do but I really want this bike to be "fully restored."

So my first question for anyone who wants to answer is.... keep it blue? If yes, repaint it or leave it straight up barn-find like it is?

 

[dracothered]

You can put a top nut on the steer tube that fits around the goose neck stem tighter and don't be to over worried about it staying in there. As long as you tighten it down enough it will not come out.

 

[Pedal2daMetal]

You can put a top nut on the steer tube that fits around the goose neck stem tighter and don't be to over worried about it staying in there. As long as you tighten it down enough it will not come out.

I kind of wondered about that, but I guess without knowing the tricks of the trade I was thinking of playing it safe. I did like the way the stem looked in there so I might just do that. Thanks!

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Looking good! Welcome to the build-off!
I would vote a re-spray in the blue but matt, that would be cool!

Luke.

 

[Uncle Fide]

Lovin the leather sofa and TV! Paint wise, Matt blue looks cool offset with the red wheel/tyre combo


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[Funkme]

Welcome to the build,hope it turns out how u want it...

 

[Scribble]

Dude sweet bike, welcome man to build off 9

 

[Pedal2daMetal]

Thanks guys... The blue seems popular so looks like it's official!

 

[MazdaFlyer]

May I suggest a gloss gray? Good luck with your build.

 

[blackdiamond]

Id keep the Original blue, its only original once ya know, lol you can never go back.

May I suggest some white darts and a matt clear coat over the stock paint? Then it would be a matte blue, or use gloss, either way its got its original blue visable

 

[Pedal2daMetal]

Id keep the Original blue, its only original once ya know, lol you can never go back.

May I suggest some white darts and a matt clear coat over the stock paint? Then it would be a matte blue, or use gloss, either way its got its original blue visable

That's a cool idea but I'm pretty sure it's been repainted at least once already. The paint has wrinkles in some areas... Did the 50s bikes come with flaws like that?

 

[Pedal2daMetal]

May I suggest a gloss gray? Good luck with your build.

One of my other thoughts was to strip the paint and just clear coat the frame... I assume that would be sort of a gloss grey... Have you guys seen anyone do that? If so how did it look?

 

[yoothgeye]

Many have gone the bare metal look and it looks great, that's the direction I'm going this year.

 

[Pedal2daMetal]

Well time management has never been my strength so I haven't been tinkering as much as I'd like but I did manage to buy a new stem that was supposedly the right size (it's extremely tight) so I will have to do some convincing to get it as low as I want. I should know in a few hours if I won a new sprocket on eBay too. I'm not a huge fan of the clover leaf design so I'm hoping to win a sweetheart sprocket. If I don't end up getting it I have an idea of how to dress up the clover leaf. I also have an old police car spot light that should make a pretty cool head light. Not sure how much power, or how I will light this bad boy up buy it should be cool. Bigger is better right?

Here is the updated side view, utilizing a high tech yellow duct tape mock up method. Like I said, those handle bars are going to drop down as much as possible but I haven't posted an update in a week so I wanted to show the tiny bit of progress I've made.

I'm really liking the way this seat looks on this frame. I started to clean up the chrome and it's looking like new underneath just by hitting it with a brillo pad. For some reason the caps on the side don't seem to clean up at all though. Any suggestions for these things if a brillo pad doesn't work?

 

[Glen]

Looking great mate.

I used one of those lights on Rattled, my BO8 bike...

http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/rattled-ex-≈-peacetogether-≈-name-change.72610/

If you go to the link above and scroll down, you will see how I got it to go.

Cheers,

Glen

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Nice work, to clean up the rivets on mine I used a dremal tool with a brass wire wheel bit.