Stretch lowrider

[NLCTVWguy]

Figured I'd share one of our creations.

I can't take much credit for it except for parts and inspiration. The bike is one of those violet Bratz bikes, cut and sectioned at the seat post. A segment from a (Huffy, I think) mountain bike is sectioned in, extending the seat stays, bottom stay (extended as a single tube ahead of the kickstand) and adding a second seat tube at a jaunty, rearward angle! :shock:

My neighbor does the welding and pinstriping. Hard to see I think in the pic but the rear fender has a Volksrods-inspired pinstripe job in silver.
We collaborate on just about every project, from his house to my VW bus to custom frames to my 80 Honda motorcycle to his Volvo 245 "big turbo" project to the 68 Orange Krate we're building.

That's coming next... Here it's just on some wheels for the first time after the frame was finished. Pete's paint is awesome!

Enjoy
--=={{Rob}}==--

 

[Markm]

cool!!

 

[CCR]

cool orange krate !!! was the gaurd original or a rescreen ?

 

[NLCTVWguy]

Original

cool orange krate !!! was the gaurd original or a rescreen ?

The guard is an original 68 guard. I pulled THAT bike out of a junk pile when I was 14... a long time ago. It was a rusty pile of junk then, missing it's springer and banana seat, everything else already rusted to heck.

I stole the 5 speed rear wheel for a project I was attempting to build, and the frame sat around. I finally gave it to my little brother when I was probably 15 or 16, and I don't know if he ever did anything with it. He was 10 or 11 then. Eventually my mother cleaned house and it was thrown out. Many years later, after my brother has grown up, went to college, married, has a place of his own, he goes through old boxes of stuff, and there, incredibly, is the chainguard.

The paint is scratched to heck, the rivets were totally loose, the top of the guard is rust-pitted to the point of being probably incapable of being rechromed. But the screen is bright white!

All readable anyway. But it should never go on anything more than a C3 rider bike... it's just cool as it is. Patina, y'know. I don't know if it's going to stay with this "new" Krate or go back on my wall.

The frame is a KD Oct '68 frame. When we stripped it down, it turned out to originally be Blue, so it was either a Stik-Shift or a Deluxe Stingray. Both honestly are probably more rare than an Orange Krate, but it has been fun building it this way, and the chainguard was an inspiration.

The guard has been cleaned up and the rivets tightened, but up close, you'd see what I mean. Still looking for a 68-only Orange Krate seat at something of a reasonable price.

And if only I hadn't given away that "silly" 16" drum brake so many years ago... If we'd known then what we know now...

--=={{Rob}}==--

 

[NLCTVWguy]

Another view

Here's the Krate frame going together for the first time. Hard to get a feeling for the condition of the guard but it is a vintage piece so it stays.

Here's one of the donors for the project. The rear wheel is now on the Krate, the frame is probably going to become a lowrider or a copy of a Super Deluxe, and the rest has been sold to finance some of our adventures.

--=={{Rob}}==--

 

[CCR]

i like the krates for what they are but i really dont like the 16" up front, just me i guess. a super deluxe would be sweet !!! tryin to fix my 66 close to what it was before, not tryin to look immaculate, just a good used wheelie machine bike. think ive been stung by the stingray bug !!

 

[Clothespin n]

Koooow

 

[NLCTVWguy]

Krate project nears completion

The 68 Krate gained a few parts from the Musclebike Museum swap meet on Sunday the 26th in Connecticut.

Found an Atom drum wheel, low priced but with odd large gauge spokes... perfect for this low-budget project.

Correct bow pedals, red dot levers, a few odds and ends. (More projects for me, too).

Here's a few pics:

-------------Krate at speed---------

-------------Krate front end---------

-----------Smoothie seat on Krate------

----------Krate from behind--------

Is it a rat Krate if I could sell it for $400 and make money?

--=={{Rob}}==--