OddJob, you gotta come down to Tucson. I'll show you around and take you to my used-bike-parts shop, where I've scored dozens of great vintage parts cheap! Seriously, it's an open invite, and I'm fully retired, so can meet almost any day/time.
Rusty Ol' Firebolt
- Thread starter sdframe
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:
I' like the original fork in that mix of parts.
Love these frames and it looks awesome in that paint!
GREAT WORK!
GREAT WORK!
Unfortunately, the original fork won't accept the tires I'm using. I'm gonna go with a standard modern day beach cruiser fork and truss rods.I' like the original fork in that mix of parts.
I was afraid to remove rust from the chain guard, for fear of ruining the lettering, so I masked off the rusty embossed section and painted the rest black. I will be using black drag bars, black rims, black seat and chain.
The Renaissance Man
__CERTIFIED DIVER__ (Open Water & Open Dumpster)
Staff member
Moderator
Pro Member
I love these frames! Can't wait to see it with drag bars.
And I just picked up a beautiful ladies' spaceliner for the springer, chainwheel cap and reflector. I plan to put the frame in the "for sale" forum, so someone can buikd it with your convertible tank.
Sounds good! I will see what the calendar holds in the next few weeks. Would love to come down and hang out, and the used-bike-part stash sounds cool.
We also have a sweet paved bike trail along the river.
While not entirely what SSG recommended, I did go with truss rods. I believe it will turn out pretty nice. Thanks for the idea, SSG!
Got up at 4 this morning and started tinkering. The rear wheel/tire barely fits the frame; about 1/8" clearance on each side with the axle all the way back. That could lead to chain fitment problems. We'll see.
Another dilemma: The top bar has a slit on the top bar. It is bulging around the slit. Looks like water got in it and froze. I left it alone, mostly out of laziness, but also thinking a few battle scars look okay on these old bikes. Now I'm not so sure how I feel about it. It has a three-speed hub, so I could mask it with the shifter cable, or cover it with an old stick shifter I've been hoarding. Stick shifters look pretty cool, but from a rider's perspective, grip shifters are more safe and efficient. I'm going to think a bit about this for a while.
Or, for a touch of bmx you could add a 'nad pad' for the top tube. I made some of these (with my wife's help on the sewing machine) dubbed 'Tube Tops' as kind of a joke and functionality for our fat bikes at home. Use pipe insulation (comes in a couple diameters) and cover with fabric. Snaps or velcro for attaching to the pad on the bike. Don't have access to any pics, but I think you get the idea.
I like your cable route idea as well. Or simply a sticker over it that says, "Ouch!"
Done! I added a Columbia head badge, new cruiser pedals, a taillight and I'm happy with the outcome. The motorcycle drag bars looked too wide at 28", but I like the way they feel, so I won't cut them down just for looks. It rides like a new bike and shifts nicely. It's a keeper!
Attachments
Nice work sd! And yeah, my motorcycle mx bars on Mesa Buggie are 33" wide! But the stability is awesome.
Good work all around on the build. And, we will be able to find you on the bike path for sure!
Came out awesome and looks great!
A small amount of JB Weld epoxy would seal the hole so more water does not find its way into the frame...
Awesome build!
Did you get the clear coat on and do you like the way the color effex shows in the sun? I love that stuff but can never get a pic to show how great it looks. A dab of clear silicone rubbed into the cut will seal it and not hurt a thing with the paint.
[emoji450]L.
sent from a banana phone...
[emoji450]L.
sent from a banana phone...
