A Rat named Ward

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LabRat

New Member
Dec 24, 2011
596
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Ruston, Washington
Ward, a 1941 Montgomery Wards horn tank cruiser.

Ward's original owner enlisted in the Army and left for the fight in Europe. He was never to return. Ward sat unattended in a Pennsylvania barn for some 70 years.

He nearly lost his life when he was removed from the safe haven barn by a scrapper! As it should happen; Ward was rediscovered in a pile by wing nut. At the time wing nut was picking scrapper acres for odd ball engines. You know the kind with MAB potential. He has been to the location before and shown us pictures of things like lawn mower wall. Well this trip he sent back pictures of Ward as seen below.

I simply fell in love. This was a bike I had to have, I had to build. I could already see him completed in my minds eye.

So the negations begin. "What you mean no cash I exclaimed in a text message... is it for sale or not", I exclaimed! Put it this way wing nut is the only perpetrator that has ever worked a set of super wheels out of the shop. The set he received, the last wheel set I had Sledge build.

Wing nut picked Ward took him down and packaged him up. His desire for a set of super wheels so strong he simply asked for my address and shipped Ward my way Pennsylvania to Washington State. That last picture is how he arrived and the bow well it was last December and it sure made me smile. Although it was not entirely the bow that made me smile.
 

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LabRat

New Member
Dec 24, 2011
596
20
0
Ruston, Washington
So first its clean and clean and clean some more. First I use SOS pads. Yes steel wool.
Lightly taking off surface rust and orange but leaving as much of the painted patina as possible.

Next its OSPHO. A Metal Treatment ..... Not a Paint !

Then a bit of rattle can clear lacquer to seal it all in. Note the difference in the chain guard.... this will surly turn out to be one amazing rat.... Ward the Rat.
 

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LabRat

New Member
Dec 24, 2011
596
20
0
Ruston, Washington
Ok here are some quick picks of its basic assembly mock up. You may notice I have chosen again one of Sportsman flyers hub adaptors with a 56t sprocket for a 4 stroke build.

Oh yes I found some shock masters for the front end. The front hub is the standard for my builds. Its some knock off front hub similar to what would be found on a tandem bicycle in the 1950s. eBay seller has them under whizzer parts listed $125 each. Comes at a cost to build spokes are $1.10 each and you will need a wheel ring/rim.

* Don't you worry about that disk you see on the front - this is a mock up and that will not be the wheel used on the front.
** This is all cleaned treated raw steel not sealed in or final yet....
 

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LabRat

New Member
Dec 24, 2011
596
20
0
Ruston, Washington
Now we need an engine.... out of CL local Tecumseh 3.5 HP Engine $50.00! Off I go. Guy starts it great I buy it! Still on the stand from the pressure washer it came off of. But when I get it home and fire it up. BANG!@&^% WHAT THE~

Fly wheel blew up. Made some nice dents in the cover I mean nice the kind that add to the rat appearance. Back to eBay find a flywheel $25. So now I got about $80 in the engine with postage.

Part arrived in 3 days and engine is fine!
 

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LabRat

New Member
Dec 24, 2011
596
20
0
Ruston, Washington
First mocked up with the standard $75 kit of parts for a wide bottom crank. I was persuaded to get the sick bike parts crank by wizzkid.

I can say it is superior to the old stand by. I am a sick bike parts convert for wide cranks. Its the bearing set that comes with the sick bike parts that is hands down the winner. The sick bike parts is not quite as wide as the other so the pedal cranks still required bending. It even looks bad ass!
 

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