Thank you guys. The sidecar tire arrived today and is now mounted. It is 2.10 in width and is white and not cream like the bike tires, but was the best I could do. I did find some new old stock 3" wide tires in street tread on ebay and they sounded great. Then I got a heads up from Barely regarding NOS white tires, that he had heard of checking problems. Sure enough, I asked the seller if there was any evidence of checking and he said there was, but they looked great anyway. That might be OK if the sidecar just sat looking pretty, but this is going traveling with my little buddy inside. I found some BMX type in white and 2.125, but they were all knobby tread. I figured a street tread was worth going with a slightly narrower tire, new and not new old stock. The bike is in the first coats of the cream color and looks pretty nice. Not as nice as if Fasteddy or 2door was running the rattle can, but I'm doing OK. It is going to get scratched and scraped anyway since I plan to ride the heck out of it, so there will be touch ups as a kind of routine bike maintenance. Tomorrow I hope to get the final coats sanded and laid down then have to decide whether to go with clear coat or not. What do you think, anyone? I admit to not being much of a painter. I guaranteed a different color and it is... also that it would look good from a distance and it will. It is what it is and I need to get this bike together. I still have a lot of small things to finish up... some bead work on the hand grips, a raven feather fan 'flag'... a stained and clear glass lens for the headlight... dragon fly wings for the jewel torpedo fender running light. I still don't know if I'm going to try to disguise or dress up the CDI unit (yes, Barely, I was thinking copper) what to do about the inline gas filter. Copper & glass would be nice, but the outlet from the tank would be lower than the inlet and copper loop for the glass fuel filter, so that's no good. Maybe disguise the plastic inline filter (yes, Barely, I was thinking of using copper). I was also talking to CurtisFox about a fold down top for the sidecar, like on a model T Ford... the realized the bows from a baby buggy might work... or possibly use the top framework from the kiddie trailer. But not now. Maybe not all of the little things will be done before it is time to head east for Maryland, Delaware, "to infinity and beyond!" I still have to rebuild a utility trailer into a covered bike hauler, a bikemobile, to haul bikes upright and tools, belongings, etc. I started on that yesterday. I have just about one month and have to be on the road. I can do it.
SB