Space Patrol Bike

[pebblewurm]

I have some time, some tools and lot of old bike parts, and also purchased one of the renaissance mans' spaceliner tanks. That will be going on a Hiawatha Asto Flite that has been in my basement for a couple of decades. The plan is to gussy it up into a cruiser that could plausibly come off a showroom floor ca. 1960. Space Patrol just seems like a good name for the bike although the TV show was off the air by 1960. Here is the core- I will be trying to keep and refresh the flamboyant purple color:

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Oh yeah!

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Cool! I was hoping a TRM convertible tank would show up!

Luke.

 

[gowjobs]

I found some inspiration for you:
http://www.nostalgic.net/1960s-schwinn-aero-space-prototype

 

[Terry66]

I love the retro scifi styling from the 50-60s. I like the idea of building a "new" old bike

 

[Bike Bum]

I found some inspiration for you:
http://www.nostalgic.net/1960s-schwinn-aero-space-prototype

I'm actually making plans on building this. Maybe not an exact replica but close to it.

 

[kingfish254]

I like the theme you are planning on. There is a Space Bike Build Off in the archives. You should check it out for inspiration.

 

[SoulGarageOH]

Missions of daring in the name of interplanetary justice!

 

[Funkme]

Gee TRM is getting around...
Frame and tank will look out of this world.

 

[Fv2]

I have some time, some tools and lot of old bike parts, and also purchased one of the renaissance mans' spaceliner tanks. That will be going on a Hiawatha Asto Flite that has been in my basement for a couple of decades. The plan is to gussy it up into a cruiser that could plausibly come off a showroom floor ca. 1960. Space Patrol just seems like a good name for the bike although the TV show was off the air by 1960. Here is the core- I will be trying to keep and refresh the flamboyant purple color:

Legen................wait for it.............dary

 

[HuffDaddy]

I like your plan! Lookin forward to seeing it all done!

 

[pebblewurm]

The paint is not in too bad a shape, and is responding to rubbing compound. There is a lot of rust peppering that I HOPE will respond to an oxalic acid bath:

Rooting around in the sheds I've come up with some more parts-some Lucas L550 interior lights for headlights, but with LEDs behind them. Curved fender braces off of a Roadmaster which will have to be altered to fit a middleweight fender. Front fender is going to have to be a cut down rear in order to use these. The fender ornament came off of a car in the woods decades ago. It's a little big and a little heavy so I might drill it out and make a light out of it. Or find something smaller. I don't really like the chrome wire rear rack so I might cut off the legs and use the Spaceliner deck. The seat is a 1950s Persons that will have to be recovered, but it has a crash rail and the (corroded) brass Persons tag. Things seem to be coming together well! Hopefully not Famous last words...

 

[LukeTheJoker]

That rack should look awesome with the TRM tank conversion!

Luke.

 

[Bike Bum]

The paint is not in too bad a shape, and is responding to rubbing compound. There is a lot of rust peppering that I HOPE will respond to an oxalic acid bath:

Rooting around in the sheds I've come up with some more parts-some Lucas L550 interior lights for headlights, but with LEDs behind them. Curved fender braces off of a Roadmaster which will have to be altered to fit a middleweight fender. Front fender is going to have to be a cut down rear in order to use these. The fender ornament came off of a car in the woods decades ago. It's a little big and a little heavy so I might drill it out and make a light out of it. Or find something smaller. I don't really like the chrome wire rear rack so I might cut off the legs and use the Spaceliner deck. The seat is a 1950s Persons that will have to be recovered, but it has a crash rail and the (corroded) brass Persons tag. Things seem to be coming together well! Hopefully not Famous last words...

Cool. Those fender ornaments were used on '59 Chevys. I just picked up a pair of them at a swap meet a few weeks ago for the intent of using them on a bicycle. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

 

[pebblewurm]

I'm staying up too late enjoying a good midwestern thunderstorm, something that I just don't get in California. I also managed to win a 2011 Fat Tire beer bike at a local restaurant (this has been a very odd trip so far) and after playing with the Roadmaster stays and looking at the Fat Tire bike- a Felt Magno with curvy, tubular fender stays- I'm thinking of just fabbing the fender struts up out of tubing. There is a lot of 1/2" stainless tube in an abandoned building at work which makes the idea pretty tempting. Has anyone tried this or have any friendly advice? Fitting the tank is a little fiddly, but no real problems so far.

 

[jats]

this is looking cool so far love the start bike

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Lots of cool ideas here! Can't wait to see more!

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Anything happening here?

 

[pebblewurm]

More plotting and scheming and gathering materials than anything else- the bike and parts are in transit to the west coast. I am scaring up supplies to make a set of 1/2" rollers for the mighty harbor freight tubing roller for the fender stays and found a good site about forming the ends:
http://www.brufnut.de/MONTY/HEADLIGHT/headlight.htm
Basically, a lot of yak shaving before actually cutting metal but it's all been necessary.

 

[pebblewurm]

Here is what I hope to turn the stainless tubing into. I have a 30 ton hydraulic jewelery press that shoud do the trick:

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