A few days ago I had an epithany. I love the classic board track racers, but I never knew what they were called til I saw them here.
My memory is shot, but I finially remembered I built a "racer" in 1973.
Late in high school I had bought a bunch of new parts to restore a pre-war tanker with springer. When I had it finished I rode it over to show the kid who sold it to me. That's when he told me I had to sell it back to him, because it was his dad's bike, and he failed to get permission to sell it. I unrestored it & returned it for my $15. (The old man's widow still has the pre-war gem, and it's still not for sale.) I kept the parts.
A few years out of school I stripped an old tanker (tank already missing) of fenders, kickstand, chain guard to lighten it. I sanded it down & painted it with a new brand of spray paint called Krylon- metalic purple.
I added a new seat, a set of full drop bars from a ten speed and my still shinny wheels, "new" tires & tubes, shinny sprocket & crank & rat trap pedals (with no reflectors). That all set me back over $24 at Western Auto a few years earlier. That bike was beautiful. I showed it to my minister, who used a 3 speed to get around town. He took it for a spin & loved it. He said that was how they used to do it, before light weights were common in these parts.
I can't remember what ever happened to it. I know I never like dropped handlebars. Flipping the original bars never occured to me. That was my first build. I was about 20.
Now I'm curious, who is the oldest member of Rat Rod Bikes ? I'm 58, for a few more weeks. I know Kota is about my age. How old is everyone, and what was your first build ?
Hope this is of interest to some.
Elmer in Staunton, Illinois, 8-6-52 :?:
My memory is shot, but I finially remembered I built a "racer" in 1973.
Late in high school I had bought a bunch of new parts to restore a pre-war tanker with springer. When I had it finished I rode it over to show the kid who sold it to me. That's when he told me I had to sell it back to him, because it was his dad's bike, and he failed to get permission to sell it. I unrestored it & returned it for my $15. (The old man's widow still has the pre-war gem, and it's still not for sale.) I kept the parts.
A few years out of school I stripped an old tanker (tank already missing) of fenders, kickstand, chain guard to lighten it. I sanded it down & painted it with a new brand of spray paint called Krylon- metalic purple.
I added a new seat, a set of full drop bars from a ten speed and my still shinny wheels, "new" tires & tubes, shinny sprocket & crank & rat trap pedals (with no reflectors). That all set me back over $24 at Western Auto a few years earlier. That bike was beautiful. I showed it to my minister, who used a 3 speed to get around town. He took it for a spin & loved it. He said that was how they used to do it, before light weights were common in these parts.
I can't remember what ever happened to it. I know I never like dropped handlebars. Flipping the original bars never occured to me. That was my first build. I was about 20.
Now I'm curious, who is the oldest member of Rat Rod Bikes ? I'm 58, for a few more weeks. I know Kota is about my age. How old is everyone, and what was your first build ?
Hope this is of interest to some.
Elmer in Staunton, Illinois, 8-6-52 :?:
Oh, HEY!! YOU YOUNG PUNKS GET OFF MY LAWN!!! :x 
