The Rustoration Build Off

[BarelyAWake]

Well, we've been talkin' it over and we've decided to have ourselves a vintage build off. As it was inspired by this thread, we're just gonna continue on in here - any/all are welcome to join provided you're just starting on a 1950s or older unrestored bike with the intent of motorizing it of course.

As for the "rules" silverbear laid it out pretty well lol;

...Some basic guidelines and requirements. For example, you have to be poor. I think the three of us qualify on that count, quite nicely. You've gotta have an inadequate shop or like me, no shop. (In the summer I use a picnic table and bench outside. Here where I am for the winter I'm eyeballing a corner of the wood shed where maybe I can set up an old door for my workbench, extension cord for a hanging light and a few power tools.) Three (and most important) you've gotta have a good sense of humor and not get too serious. And finally the bike has to actually run when yer done....
SB

To clarify a bit, this is a low key build off. While you don't hafta be living in a cardboard box - this isn't a thread for uberprofessional exotics and scratch built custom frames, this is just crusty old bikes being slowly transformed back to their heyday, so no choppers or major frame modifications (engine mounts etc. are fine).

You're welcome to post here with questions, suggestions, pics and comments even if your not officially in the build off... but a friendly warning, this is a build off thread so try to stay on-topic and keep it to crusty cruisers - this isn't the place to ask where the spark plug goes on your brand new Wallyworld bike or to just show off your finished build, such posts will be deleted. Don't take it personal, we'd love to help and/or see yer stuff - but that's what the rest of the forum is for.

Finally, this is a "competition" in name only, the only point being to have fun and the only prize the bike you just finished - which is a heck of a prize if ya think about it

Here are the entries so far;

BarelyAWake: 43 Rollfast

bairdco: 39 Colson

silverbear: 39 Elgin

 

[bairdco]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

Well, I went and picked up a winter project to try and keep me sane during the long cold dark - she's a touch rough but seems a good solid project bike. As best as I can figure it's an early 1940s Rollfast with the 40s frame style but the 30s paint scheme and skiptooth.

This one didn't come with the headlight and taillight combo and the chainguard is missing, but that is the original Rollfast speedometer/odometer and it still works. Apparently some came with a springer fork as an option and I got one that's about the right era included with the bike.

The guy I got it from is really happy with my plans to fix her up and motorize it, which is a relief as I fear some purists may not be impressed with my intentions lol

Any information regarding this bike (frame #14-E11 118525) would be more than welcome.

nice score! that speedo alone is probably worth more than the rest of the bike!

i think you're right about the year. those did come with the d.p harris big H chainwheel, and that paint scheme, actually, so it might be original. the 30's had more of a diamond frame, and during the 50's i think they went to the standard, tired old cantilever-style frame.

now would be a good time to buy that chain breaker. you don't want to grind any of those links off, because it'll cost you plenty to buy some more...

you can probably pick up a chainguard for pretty cheap. Rollfast bikes were made by D.P. Harris, and they made bikes for different companies, and most of them were pretty similar.

the funny thing about the "purists," if you tell them you're going to put a motor on it, they get all snooty, but if they see it afterwards, without knowing you did it, they think it's a factory job (till they get closer.)

the way i look at it, is you've got a solid, classic beater that would cost you more money to restore than it's actually worth, and giving it a new life with a motor is a way to enjoy it.

(but even i would flinch if someone found a mint, perfect condition original, and slapped a weedwhacker on it...)

good luck with it, and welcome to the cruiser crowd.

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

Nice bike... (I like the card board back round!!) Couldn't you have just rolled it to the side of your garage for a pic?

Oh ya.... Like Baird said, "welcome to the cruiser crowd!" YOU KNOW WE RULE!!!

 

[2door]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

Ahhhh, you can't fool me. That's a Target Point Beach that someone left out in the rain
Geoff, I'm envious. Every time I find something like that around Denver they want a million dollars for it. I'd really like to start with something really old and classic, then build from there. Keep us posted. We want progress photos.
Tom

 

[BarelyAWake]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

bairdco - I'm pretty sure the paint & chain are original as are the seat and I suspect even the grips - although of course there's no tellin' what people might have done. I just noticed it's got the 30s style seat post as well... It's a touch confusing as it really seems to be a transition year bike with a mix of two different decades. If it wasn't for the paint I'd think someone just stripped out a 30s to fix up a 40s, which I suppose is a possibility *shrug* I'm not finding a whole lot of info on Rollfast yet - but I'm still diggin'

I like the 30s parallel top tubes frame style a little better, but I do like the 40s curvy down tube - so I guess it works out heh

1936

1946

ROFL - yeah don't worry, my Dremel isn't going anywhere near that chain, as for the chainguard and head & tail "lights" the guy I got it from has some stuff kickin' around and he's gonna dig through it to see what he can come up with. I've already noticed there's some aftermarket/NOS bits available and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they're really quite nicely priced!


Venice - I woulda loved to roll it to the other side of the garage... but I don't have a garage lol, that's my basement and it's so filled with other people's crap that yer lookin' at my entire shop space... that lil corner by the door... meh. I put up the cardboard so ya'll could see the bike a lil better without heaps of kid's clothing and other useless junk in the background. We've blasting & paint booths at my workplace though so when it comes time for that I'm all set.

Tom - funny you should say that as I spent the same as a Huffy Cranbrook woulda run me... I suppose I coulda got one and threw it in the ocean for a few weeks to get that "aged" look... or not lol But hey - I found a old and classic Rollfast on ebay for just $195 if yer interested;

Progress is gonna be a bit slow, particularly at first. I still need to get tools as all I have are metric for some reason lol, I have the engine kit for it but I'm obviously not going with the peanut tank - so I'm now with all the others trying to get tanks for these things. I figure the first step is stripping it down and bringing bits to work to sandblast... (actually I'm prolly gonna air up the tires and pedal it around a bit first heh) but yeah, I like progress pics too!

As for "welcome to cruisers" I really git a bit of a giggle out of the contrast between my Schwinn and the Rollfast TBH, it'll be nice to have the mountain bike for beating on trails and the cruiser for the comfy Sunday rides, gotta have the right tools for the job right?

Thanks guys, we'll see what happens.

 

[azbill]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

nice score !!!
this is gonna be a cool thread to follow

 

[BarelyAWake]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

Thanks Bill

I just had to ride the dang thing, so I greased the bearings & oiled the chain, put in some rim liners and new tubes, washed a few decades of barn offn' it and away I went on my first Sunday cruise...



I'd never ridden an old bike like this before - WOW it's comfy!!! Granted, with the single speed yer going nowhere fast but ooh, it just gliiiiiiiiides along without a care. I wasn't sure about it's crazy handlebars at first - I stand corrected, they too are supremely comfortable. I was also impressed at how smooth all the bearings were with a touch of grease, the bike's absolute silence surprised the heck outa me - despite it's huge steel fenders & rack there's no rattles at all.

It's coaster brake (a New Departure model D:New Departure Coaster Brakes) isn't something I'm used to, but unlike my buddy's coaster (on a new Huffy) I kinda like this one, it's growing on me. My buddy's is "grabby" - there's no real range of braking pressure, whereas mine will lock up fully or provide a range of gentle braking... I have no idea if it's because it's a better design - or just worn out *shrug* Ima coaster newb lol I do know that it's gettin' one of Jim's sprocket adapters fosho! I gotta dig up a drum brake for the front ofc.

Anyhoo - to appease Venice's tender sensibilities I took this glam shot without any cardboard in sight

Now... hmm... do I take it apart or ride it summore? *scratches head*

 

[bairdco]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

see? i told ya...

 

[2door]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

Geoff,
I took the liberty of playing with your photo a little to bring out the patina on that great bike. I see you took the speedo off. You're going to replace it...right? As for riding it for a while...Yes. That way you'll have a good comparison between what it really is like and how the motor will change it. I was thinking it would be cool to design a quick way to disengage the chain so you could ride it as a pedal bike whenever you want. Just a thought.
Tom

 

[BarelyAWake]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

Nice Tom, thanks! You did a sweet job with that... it looks better than it does IRL lol

The speedo works, but the cable drive is really gummy so instead of tempting Murphy I took it off to clean/rebuild it before I broke it through neglect... I may not put it back on with the drive engaged as I've heard rumors of bad things happening to mechanical speedometers on motorized bikes *shrug* It does go up to "50mph" tho - this would make my HT faster - right?

As for disengaging the engine chain to pedal... I suppose I could pull the master link, that would be the simplest solution, but single speed aside I pedal my Schwinn all the time with the clutch locked and while there's some noise/drag it's really not bad.

To be honest though, much as I like how this bike rolls - I'm really not the biggest pedal fan, which is what brought me to this forum in the first place lol

The bigger "issue" I have is before I actually got this bike is I was planning on converting whatever bike I got to a multispeed and pickin' up one of SBP's shift kits, but I've become downright enamored with the skiptooth on this 'un so I guess that's out the window. I'm a lil disappointed, but for good reasons.

and yeah, instead of starting to strip down the Rollfast I'm gonna pedal it to work tomorrow heh, if the weather stays as nice as it's been today this project is in danger of being postponed

 

[bairdco]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

i just got this colson today. you and me can have a build-off!

 

[silverbear]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

Boy, I like that one. And I bet it will roll fast! The old Schwinns are sure nice and I love old Elgins, but a nice old Monarch, a Columbia, Shelby... or a Rollfast... you just don't see many of them around in any condition and yours will be the only Rollfast motorbicycle I know of. Yeah, cruisers rule! Nice lines on that bike and I really like the head badge. Recover the seat... yep, it will be fun to see it change before our eyes. Will you go with the original paint scheme or make it your own? Nice pick, Bud!
SB

 

[silverbear]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

i just got this colson today. you and me can have a build-off!

Way to go! I'm not familiar with Colson. What do you know about it? Where was it made? Any idea what year it is? Is that a 26"? By the way, how the heck tall are you anyway? You must run your knees into the handlebars when you pedal. Guess that's why you got a motor, huh.

I'm having some fun myself with my old 39 Elgin step through. I've got the wheels lined up for it, a used Worksman for the front with a drum brake and a new heavy duty coaster brake rear wheel from bikeworldusa with my first hub adapter from Jim... man is that a thing of beauty. The main problem is nowhere to work on it but outside and winter is a comin' in. What kind of gas tank are you picturing for that Colson? Nice bike...
SB

 

[bairdco]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

that bikes a 24". it's not as small as it looks. but, i'm 5'7", and 135lbs, so i'm not exactly a giant. i've been looking for a 24 to build up, and this one fell in my lap for almost nothing.

the in-frame dimensions are about 1/2" smaller than my '56 goodyear, so it'll be fun making a motor fit.

colson made some really cool bikes in the 30's and 40's. they also made wheelchairs and gurneys. google 'em...

oh, and it was made in elyria, ohio.

 

[silverbear]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

that bikes a 24". it's not as small as it looks. but, i'm 5'7", and 135lbs, so i'm not exactly a giant. i've been looking for a 24 to build up, and this one fell in my lap for almost nothing.

the in-frame dimensions are about 1/2" smaller than my '56 goodyear, so it'll be fun making a motor fit.

colson made some really cool bikes in the 30's and 40's. they also made wheelchairs and gurneys. google 'em...

oh, and it was made in elyria, ohio.

You sure look tall in the picture with the Evil Kenevil outfit. I guess the seat's low. Yeah, I kind of thought that was a 24". You're right, a motor will be a tight fit. I look forward to seeing what you do with it. Yeah, I'll look up Colson. Years back there were a lot of companies making bikes, just like all the car makers back when. I remember Kaisers and Nash, Studebakers and my Dad had several Hudsons through the years. All forgotten now. I guess that's part of the fun of these old cruisers, bringing some genuine Americana back to life.
SB

 

[BarelyAWake]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

i just got this colson today. you and me can have a build-off!

orly? o.o

I WIN!

Seriously though that Colson is gonna look sweet motorized, a tighter fit for the motor may be awkward pain in the *** during the build - but I really do think it looks really nice when yer done... more like the frame was designed with the motor and less like the bolt-on kit it really is (I'll admit I'm lookin forward to a build w/a lil room this time though heh). Any idea what year it might be roughly? I wanna guess late 30s - but I really have no idea lol

I think mebbe it's the 28 spoke rims makin' it look smaller than it actually is...

Boy, I like that one. And I bet it will roll fast! The old Schwinns are sure nice and I love old Elgins, but a nice old Monarch, a Columbia, Shelby... or a Rollfast... you just don't see many of them around in any condition and yours will be the only Rollfast motorbicycle I know of. Yeah, cruisers rule! Nice lines on that bike and I really like the head badge. Recover the seat... yep, it will be fun to see it change before our eyes. Will you go with the original paint scheme or make it your own? Nice pick, Bud!
SB

Thanks silverbear, yeah - I'm not touchin' that head badge 'cept to take it off and put it back when I'm done painting the bike, it's perfect just the way it is lol. I may not need to recover this seat (although it's NP if I need to), the fella I bought the bike from is diggin' around for a few things for me. If ya look close at the pic of the '36 you can see it's seat is identical, but a dual-coil whereas mine is missing the lower springs. It's nothing major, my seat is fine and I think mebbe it came like that - but it does bottom out on bumps pretty easy. I could ofc just replace the springs with heavier ones... or I can cross my fingers and hope he finds another... I'll prolly end up doin' both lol

Paint? meh... I thought I knew what I wanted but the more I think on it the less I'm sure My first thought when I saw this bike is prolly what I'll go with and thats black and "gold leaf" kinda like the old Singer sewing machines (mimicking the orig paint but pinstriped outlines), then I had the thought that black with the orig detailing done in antique white/cream... But then my brain burbled up with the thought that this bike would be perfect done up as an old army bike (which would be the easiest by far)...

I think I'll just start with primer gray and figure it out from there

I think I've seen yer 39 Elgin step through... but couldja post a pic here if ya get the chance? Might as well give bairdco summore competition as he's gone and made this a build off and all

 

[silverbear]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

Hmmm... a build off, huh? This sounds pretty serious. A great build off, a clash of the titans. How can a real manly type like myself say no to such a challenge? I asked the dog and she says go for it (sounded kind of like that). But like those other guys I think we should have some basic guidelines and requirements. For example, you have to be poor. I think the three of us qualify on that count, quite nicely. You've gotta have an inadequate shop or like me, no shop. (In the summer I use a picnic table and bench outside. Here where I am for the winter I'm eyeballing a corner of the wood shed where maybe I can set up an old door for my workbench, extension cord for a hanging light and a few power tools.) Three (and most important) you've gotta have a good sense of humor and not get too serious. And finally the bike has to actually run when yer done. No problemo there, heh ( but not sayin' fer how long). Are we up for this? Is it a go? What do we call it? The Poor Boys Build Off? Rustorama 20010? We need a name, ya know, so I can magic marker an official T shirt.
Some photos below just so you know what kinda competition yer up against...
SB

 

[silverbear]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

Uh, where is there a picture of Bairdco in an Evil Knievel suit?

He posted it back around Halloween. Now it is his avatar...
SB

 

[BarelyAWake]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

ROFL silverbear - sounds like a plan, The Crusty Comp is on

That Elgin really is about perfect for a step through HT isn't it? It looks as if with just a lil more standoff on the seat post, the forward motor mount would line up with the cross support between the Dtubes... with welded mount tabs, it'd look factory! Or am I seein' it wrong?

While the frame is gorgeous, with far less wear than mine - those fenders are... um... ooph... Are you bringing those back?

 

[silverbear]

Re: Rollfast Skiptooth

Photos below show where things stand with my 39 Elgin. I brought the bike with me to western Maryland where I am doing a gig as a caretaker/handyman for a few months. Before I left Minnesota I had pretty well stripped the frame down to bare metal. I had found a Schwinn exercise bike at the landfill and from it got a nice sprocket & short crank, bearings, goose neck and handlebar in really nice condition. Since coming here a couple weeks ago I haven't done any work on it, but now have a nice Worksman front wheel with drum brake (thanks again, Fasteddy!), a new heavy duty rear wheel from bikeworldusa, found a Puch moped headlight (the one on the right in the picture) and bought a can of V8 juice to make into a gas tank which will mount behind the seat. It will basically follow the lead of Rockenstein's apple juice gas tank, although being V8, mine will be faster. The chain guard is pretty well stripped down to bare metal and the fenders are mid way. I haven't started on the skirt (coat) guards yet as the stripping is slow going and right now I have nowhere to work. I did purchase a bag of sand and found a smallish ball peen hammer at an antique shop for $4.00. The hammer will be used to pound out the fenders and chain guard with a sand bag behind as I tap things out. I expect the fenders and guards to be pretty slow going. As could be seen in the first set of photos I have some silver solder work to do on fender and chain guard repair and once again thank Rockenstein for giving me tips on how to go about it. I'll take pictures as I go. The exterior shot of my trailer shows a 1951 Spartan Royal Mansion made by Spartan Aircraft. I'm fixing it up as I go along. I have a bigger 1957 which is my summer home in Minnesota. This one gets towed behind my truck to wherever I am in the winter. I heat both with a wood stove.
I think the engine mounting will be pretty simple with this bike, but the trouble will come from the engine drive chain clearing the fender guard. I don't have a clear plan yet, but imagine that I'll need to either bend or add little extensions so that the guard is far enough outside the path of the chain. I'm tentatively planning to use a pull start automatic from BGF, 80cc with a slant head. It will be stock other than the chain tensioner and rear sprocket adapter/ The adapter arrived from Creative Engineering and is beautiful (thank you, Jim). I guess that's it for now and until I can figure out a space to work in.
Silverbear