I'll join. I recently acquired a stripped down Roadmaster tanker. I'm gonna go Pee-Wee Herman on it. Mud flaps, parade bars, crash bars, the whole nine tons.
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Unofficial March Shootout
- Thread starter GuitarlCarl
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Oh yeah.
It also comes up in new posts. I know some folks look there. It's also still a month away, there plenty of time for folks to claim a slot. I like your plans, ambitious for a 30 day shootout, as is a peewee tribute. I might as well build another trophy too. Gotta have something to try and win besides notoriety.This comes up as a "2019 update 2020" post under build challenges. Maybe people aren't noticing the 2020 part. Perhaps a post in "bike talk" about this would alert more people. I'm looking forward to this. I'm thinking of buying a Wal-a-part Kent Thruster for $99 and using the frame, seat post, brakes, brake levers and wheels to make a single speed gravel bike to race 100K gravel event the first week of June and a 50 mile cross country race in early August. Then I would throw out the frame and keep the wheels and replace the rear hub using my junk stash Bayless Wycliff 114 mm spaced flip flop hub for another bike that has wood wheels and the alloy rims would make that a better rider. Someone posted that the thruster rear spacing is 114 mm. If I get the Thruster I would grind off the paint as I can't paint in the cold but I could make it raw. I would remove the plastic chain guard and replace the fork, seat, chain, tires, gooseneck, cog, chainring, crank, pedals and bars with stuff from my stash. I have an old Breezer dropper post attachment with the external close pin spring that I could use. I might keep the original fork on the bike if 45 mm tires fit? It comes with 700c x 40 mm tires. It has a three piece square taper steel crank. This bike is not always available and it sometimes goes on sale. I have seen it for $68, but it might suddenly become unavailable so I'll probably order it next week. The fixie and single speed hipster folks hate the Thruster, which is reason enough to use it as the basis for a build. Older ones had a flip flop hub but now it just has a single speed BMX cog. It's hard to find specs as they aren't listed on the Wall-mart site but info on the net says it has a 20 inch frame and track style rear slide ins for the rear wheel. It comes in two variants, with linear pull brakes or with side pull brakes. I want the blue one with black tires and linear pull brakes. The plan is to beat it up and throw it away.
Carl.
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Any interest in a Rat Style trophy similar to others I've made in the past? Folks I've met in person seem to like the hand assembled pieces. I've tried to find nice vintage silverplate sugar bowls for the patina'd two handled "loving cup" look, paired with bits of bike and a nice base. Small enough to ship, nice enough to display.
Didn't have to ship last years ^^^ "Rat Supreme"
Seven I created for a Chicago Taildraggers Show in 2017 ^^^.
Carl.
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Didn't have to ship last years ^^^ "Rat Supreme"
Seven I created for a Chicago Taildraggers Show in 2017 ^^^.
Carl.
Sent from across the universe using Tapatalk
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I ordered a Kent Thruster from Walmart for the Unofficial March Build-Off. It should be delivered to Walmart in around 10 days. Then I'll have to wait until I have something else to do in town to pick it up as it's 130 mile round trip to the nearest Walmart. I didn't want it delivered to our house in case it was the wrong Thruster of if it was damaged or the wheels were potato chips. The plan should have me picking it up in the next two or three weeks.
The red Columbia I have was sold at Sam's Club, maybe we can have a big box store buildoff inside an Unofficial March Shootout... Anybody else building a big box bike?
Carl.
I have two never removed from box Walmartian bikes...so, I could 
Great Idea! I have this Mallwart Huffy Premier just sitting around since November 2015...
Web photo of bike as purchased except for seat, grips bar and stem.
Just a bare frame now. I'm in for the Big Box Store Build Off!
Web photo of bike as purchased except for seat, grips bar and stem.
Just a bare frame now. I'm in for the Big Box Store Build Off!
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I like the "thriftiness" of using big box bikes. Cutting up something that isn't vintage is a lot easier on my conscience. Of course I've got that little voice in my head saying, "Every vintage bike you cut up makes the survivors more valuable." So there is that... It's no rules though, so build whatever you guys want. Now all we gotta do is hurry up and wait a month for the Shootout to fill in some of the time between the MBBO/WBO and the BBO15. 
Carl.
Carl.
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MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
I dunno guys...not finding the parts I need, and a schedule change at work is eating up all my free time. Might have to downgrade from a Rat to a Donkey, and hope that the garage is warm enough in March to sling paint.
Plenty of time little brother.
We got a short month before we jump on it anyway.
Anything goes when it's anything goes.
Carl.
Count me in. I've been stashing parts for a while and this is a good chance to make my pile a rider.
Well that's eight of us so far. Come on boys the more the merrier. There's almost no rules except start and end dates and as usual a running journal as to your mods, fabs, and assembly. Pics of your bike next to a fountain always go over big as do dance videos with singing cows. Personally I can't wait to get to building, the WBO/MBBO seemed to go on forever. If there would have been a third class I could've tweaked mine to fit that class too... Gather your parts up we're rollin' soon Feb's a short month. NO RULES. NO RULES. NO RULES. No RULES. NO RULES...
Hey! I'm way down here. Carl.
Hey! I'm way down here. Carl.
I'm in like Schwinn! Got two weeks of travel in March but I'm going to make it happen.
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
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We don't need no stinken rules
Rules are, for this contest, pretty much limited to time constraints. You can enter any kind of bike you want, in any condition, built or unbuilt. One thing to consider is the change you bring to your bike during the month of March. That is where the magic happens, the change from a basic pile of parts, into a personal reflection of your artistic vision, wrought in metal and rubber. Heady stuff but it doesn't have to be. I counter a clean fixie is as artistic as a stretched cruiser encrusted with doodads, maybe more so in the restraint. Balance is as important as the change. Stance as well as style. So we'll have 31 days to twist our ideas into reality and see where we are at when it's over.
Guitarl Carl.
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Guitarl Carl.
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MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
I'll be proud if I finish, double proud if anyone agrees it's a bike, and over the moon if I get a vote!
Schwinn arrived today. Velcro (the cat) is ready to get building. She doesn’t understand calendars.
