*The 76er* (I. Think. I'm. Done. update: 7/29)

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Re: *The 76er* (Rack work, need advice! update: 7/28)

The rack is cool but it covers up the even cooler fender :wink:

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

Re: *The 76er* (Rack work, need advice! update: 7/28)

Are you sure the flames on the fender won't burn through the rack? :mrgreen:

Cheers bro,
Dr. T

 

[kingfish254]

Re: *The 76er* (Rack work, need advice! update: 7/28)

Hope I didn't throw you off kilter. I just love that flame and louvered fender!!!! It is the coolest I have seen. Just seems a shame to hide it.
Maybe use some mesh with big holes for the rack top. Or just have 3 or 4 skinny cross braces.

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: *The 76er* (Rack work, need advice! update: 7/28)

Or just have 3 or 4 skinny cross braces.

You read my mind with this one. :wink:

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: *The 76er* (Rack work, need advice! update: 7/28)

Day 86... wait calendar say Day 89, I was WAY off.

Well, I think I just... FINISHED!!!!!

I was walking out of the shop and kept looking at the bike wondering if I was really done. It pedals and stops. The tires hold air. The lights work. There's a place to sit. I really think I am done.

Now what?

Since it's just after 2:00am and not quite the right lighting for a final photo shoot I'll give some details on what I did tonight. I had to be sneaky with my photos so as not to show it complete, but like some people have been doing, you can put it together in your mind if you really want to.

First I scrapped the wood on top of the rack and looked at some ideas of making cross bars, but nothing really added to the rack, it only took away from it, so I'm leaving it as is, just bars. So I mounted the tank. 1 screw through the rear of the tank into the frame and 1 copper bracket up front:

While looking for screws I accidentally found this cool curvy old reflector bracket and used it to mount my taillight:

Then I had to make the taillight work, so I ran the wire through some thin copper pipe (front an icemaker line) and contructed a battery tube which houses a 9v battery and switch.

After this I slapped on my license place and I think I'm done. I'm not going to mount the pedal tachometer because it would not be functional and I can't bring myself to mount non functional items just for looks, cool for you, but not for me, we can all get along.

I feel like I'm forgetting something, but for the life of me I can't think of anything.

Here's one that's interesting, at the end of July in 1976 there was a load of steel delivered to a factory in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. In less than a months time that steel would be made into a Murray Skybolt dated 08/76. After a leisurely life of forgotteness as it was about to turn 35 years old, another body born in 1976 had just breathed new life into it as the finshed Rat Rod Bike Build Off bike: The 76er.

 

[texasbigjon]

im liking that battery storage/copper tubing trick!

 

[yoothgeye]

im liking that battery storage/copper tubing trick!

Thanks, it's a cheap replica of an actual battery tube, mine is made out of a doorbell chime resonator I found in the trash.

 

[KOTA]

Unlike MOST people, who showed pics of the whole bike, while building, to do a little tweaking. You opted for the "BAM", surprise approach....I hope we like it. :lol:

 

[yoothgeye]

Unlike MOST people, who showed pics of the whole bike, while building, to do a little tweaking. You opted for the "BAM", surprise approach....I hope we like it. :lol:

haha, look back a page or 2 and you can basically see the entire bike sans rack and taillight. I really just wanted the first "finished" photos to be in a pretty setting than the busy messy upstairs of my shop.

 

[KOTA]

Just "bustin" ya!....This thing has got SOOOO many details, you're gonna need 50-60 pics to do it justice. What I like best is you did everything right there in your shop (home). You showed a lot of people they can do a LOT of very COOL things with no special tools, well maybe a welder....Heck I had trouble painting flames, on my fender, never mind cutting them out. Can't wait to see it FINISHED!

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Looks COOL :mrgreen:

 

[yoothgeye]

Just "bustin" ya!....This thing has got SOOOO many details, you're gonna need 50-60 pics to do it justice. What I like best is you did everything right there in your shop (home). You showed a lot of people they can do a LOT of very COOL things with no special tools, well maybe a welder....Heck I had trouble painting flames, on my fender, never mind cutting them out. Can't wait to see it FINISHED!

Thanks, very intuitive. I guess I'm a teacher at heart sinec that's my concentration with the youth I minister to. From lack of tools I've figured out all my ways around doing things without "out sourcing" and it feels so good that I want others to know what they can do with a little. The fender was cut with a cutting disk on a 4 1/2" angle grinder and cutting disks on a dremel tool. The welder I don't feel is too out of reach for most people, it's just getting over the idea that only professionals should burn metal, I'm not a great welder, but I trust my welds and I have a grinding disk.

Thanks again, I'm glad some people have seen what I've been trying to display, the art of home brewed parts with little to no training, but alot of try.

Photo shoot in the morning. :wink:

 

[yoothgeye]

Finished post here: viewtopic.php?f=60&t=43570

 

[yoothgeye]

Been riding this bike all over town, and so far I've had one part break twice... the bell! haha First fix was done with a welder, second with super glue. We'll see if it holds up. JB Weld is next.

 

[subi4life]

I know I'm about a year late, but this build thread is awesome! I'm pretty new to the site, and just found this gem of a thread. I commend you for your great work on a great bike. Your work and updates are top class! Many, many, many great ideas on this build for a sweet looking bike! A job well done!!!

 

[yoothgeye]

I know I'm about a year late, but this build thread is awesome! I'm pretty new to the site, and just found this gem of a thread. I commend you for your great work on a great bike. Your work and updates are top class! Many, many, many great ideas on this build for a sweet looking bike! A job well done!!!

Thanks man, I could've used you voting for me a year ago! haha But you have time this year, see my signature for my current build (a little different from this one). Thanks again.

 

[kingfish254]

I know I'm about a year late, but this build thread is awesome! I'm pretty new to the site, and just found this gem of a thread. I commend you for your great work on a great bike. Your work and updates are top class! Many, many, many great ideas on this build for a sweet looking bike! A job well done!!!

Thanks man, I could've used you voting for me a year ago! haha But you have time this year, see my signature for my current build (a little different from this one). Thanks again.

Or you could follow my signature and give ME your vote. 8)

 

[yoothgeye]

Or you could follow my signature and give ME your vote. 8)

Get your own votes! haha :wink:

 

[kingfish254]

Or you could follow my signature and give ME your vote. 8)

Get your own votes! haha :wink:

I am trying to. MUHAHAHAHAHA 8)