The Rustoration Build Off

GoldenMotor.com

mekano

Member
Nov 4, 2008
219
13
16
Stockholm, Sweden
I had cleareance problems therefore I raised the motor a bit, heres a pic a took for you SilverBear it's a mockup with cut out hockeypuck motormounts but it doesnt show.
 

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silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
The tires are 26", I will have to change the rear one to a newer on me thinks. The saddle is still trash...
What width are the tires? That seat can be brought back I'm betting. Send a few close up photos. You should have seen a couple of mine that I redid... they were pretty bad and now look very good. Don't throw that seat away even if you buy another. It is a 1930's seat! How many of those are left? Patience, my friend. Now that I see the engine in place it doesn't look like there's room for a cylindrical tank hanging off the crossbar. Something on the rear rack? Are you pretty handy?
SB
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
i don't mind if you wanna be in on this, mekano. the way i look at this "build off," is, it's gonna go on forever. or at least until the snow melts.

i've got at least 5 different prospects for "new" builds i'm looking at right now, just waiting for callbacks, auctions to end, people to respond, parts to track down... at least one of these will come through. if they all do, then i'm going into business.
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
0
Maine
Whut is this? Rustoration conspiracies? o_O

lol Sure mekano, a 30's Tellus is defo old & crusty 'nuff - I love the rear part pf the frame BTW!

What are ya plannin'? A full rusto... *cough* erm... I mean restoration with fresh paint and everythin'? Or ya gonna go for the "vintage patina" look and keep as much original as possible?

There's no real time limit beyond yer own impatience, no prizes beyond the bike you just restored - the one thing we ask is for lotsa pics ;)
 

mekano

Member
Nov 4, 2008
219
13
16
Stockholm, Sweden
Hello boys!
I will keep the bike in it's present condition as much as I can. I will buy new rims/tires and keep the old ones stored. Silverbear: the current rims meassure 34 mm in width. I WILL keep the saddle :).

Today I have done stuff to my bike:


Pic 1-4. I made a hockey puck engine mount. This shows the progress of the puck mount.
Pic 5. I bought this centerstand
 

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mekano

Member
Nov 4, 2008
219
13
16
Stockholm, Sweden
Oh, btw Silverbear, after some puzzling with the engine I got more space above the engine. I will construct some sort of tank made out of bean canisters or similar. I bought some soldering material the other day.
 

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K.i.p

New Member
Nov 8, 2009
339
1
0
CNY
I am trying to keep a vintage or at least dated look to my build. It never occured to me to "age" the CDI. You've got me thinking! As far as I know that is pretty damn original. Very cool.
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Oh, btw Silverbear, after some puzzling with the engine I got more space above the engine. I will construct some sort of tank made out of bean canisters or similar. I bought some soldering material the other day.
Excellent. You've made a lot of progress. I have a couple photos below of a tank I'm making for a Worksman Paperboy which will go in between the two crossbars. It will hold 40 ounces of fuel and will fit perfectly with allowance for hangers and a cover in harness leather... the poor boy version of an in frame tank. I'm glad you have room to hang a cylindrical tank from the crossbar... I think its going to look very cool, very old time like an early motorcycle. Mine are two corn cans and a mandarin oranges can to go between them. I haven't soldered mine yet as I have the Elgin to work on first, but will do it up when I'm soldering something else and am in 'soldering mode'. I'll be real interested to see how it works for you. Keep those photos comin'!
SB
 

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silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
i don't have the $$ but wanted to share this ebay listing with you guys, as it looks like a good pre-war bike to monkey with..
That is a nice bike. I like the tank and it would make a great motorbicycle. Only problem is I'm broke.... I just went to the Elgin listings and see a really nice one like the 39 I'm working on in this thread, except it is in super nice shape, white, original paint... 1938. Wow, fenders aren't banged up like mine, beautiful skirt /coat guards. Wonder what it will go for.
SB
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
260533236470 is the ebay listing for that Elgin if anyone is interested.
SB
I was glad for the photos on this listing so that I could see my bike as it was sold (in a different color) and can see what the graphics were like. I never would have pictured this bike in white, but I like it and can visualize leaving it as it is, plugging in a black HT motor, a black gas tank behind the seat and with just that it would be a really sharp ride. If I were rich I'd bid on it.
SB
 

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fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,470
4,954
113
British Columbia Canada
Know the feeling. Just got my camper van back from the garage and that was a $1,700 hit. The previous owner was very proud of the garage that he took it to every 6 months to have it looked at.
I would like to call him up and warn him about them.

Now I have to find the battery and hub motor money all over again.

That bike sure is sweet though and not a lot of work to fix it.

Steve.
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Know the feeling. Just got my camper van back from the garage and that was a $1,700 hit. The previous owner was very proud of the garage that he took it to every 6 months to have it looked at.
I would like to call him up and warn him about them.

Now I have to find the battery and hub motor money all over again.

That bike sure is sweet though and not a lot of work to fix it.

Steve.
Ouch, that's a lot of money. Sorry about the setback in plans for the Monarch. These are hard times, aren't they?
Oh, I was just being a little greedy and wishful about that white Elgin. It isn't like I don't have any bikes. It's the nicest un-restored one of that model I've seen and was glad to have an idea of the paint scheme and graphics. If I want a white one I have a 34 in the same style but with a different original and heavier rear rack which is back in Minnesota and which I stripped down and painted some years ago before I really knew what I was doing. Maybe I'll give it a do over in white this time and try to make it look original with the same graphics. You become a little wiser as you play with these old bikes. I didn't pay much for the frame and basics on the rustoration Elgin, but man, is it a lot of work stripping one down to bare metal... the frame isn't so bad, but the fenders and guards can be very time consuming. To find a bike 72 years old that doesn't even need paint or much anything and looks as good as that white one... well that'd be nice, wouldn't it? I sound like a collector when what I have in mind is having a little business dealing in old classics turned into morotbicycles, targeting elders. As with old cars, sometimes you can get a basket case really cheap, but then you pay as you go in time, new parts and money money money. An old car or bike in nice shape costs more up front, but in the long run may be the cheaper way to go. It's OK when you're doing a bike for yourself to put as much time as you want in it, but if it is to resell then I think you have to look at it differently. I'm in the process of thinking my way through all this, so the other thing about that white bike is it looks really easy... plug a motor in, set up the rear sprocket, mount the tank and she's ready to ride (sell). By the way, I thought of you and your suggestion of a birch bark covered side car when I was looking at that bike. That'd be sweet, wouldn't it?
Anyway, hope the camper repair is the end of what it needs and that you can move ahead on the monarch in spite of the setback. Still cold here with spring a long ways off. Stay warm, Bud.
SB
 

fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,470
4,954
113
British Columbia Canada
Silver Bear, I'd have to say that blind sided me. Needed a steering box,Transmission mount, front wheel bearings, drive shaft joints and the battery and alternator that had quit originally. These guys don't use cheap parts. The alternator is a Bosch unit and the $80.00 an hr for labour is about average around here.

The best part is they know what they are doing and we never have had a complaint in over 20 years that the family has been going to them.

Sure do like the Elgin that is on e-bay. Like you say it's just too perfect for the age.
I often wonder why people leave things on e-bay for so long. I tend to lose track of it if it sits there for ten days or so, or else something else comes up and the money goes towards that. Just don't think they do themselves any favours.

Yes wouldn't a birch bark side car be a world beater with that bike and you may be able to use the bike the way it is without a lot of work.

Have a friend of mine who has the money to afford a very nice collection of restored cars in NH. He did a couple himself and then started buying them when they had been restored for half what the restoration costs were.
At that level they take the car around the shows and when everyone has seen it and the awards have been won and the antique car mags have written about it, you are ready to take the new car on the tour and the old one is sold off.

It pays to start off with the best you can. Like restoring furniture it doesn't pay to put a 100 hrs. into a 20 hr piece. I have lots of proof. LOL

There is even more money in the deal if they supply the bike and you do the magic.

Steve.
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
hey you guys, i was thinking the more or less the same thing. i've had enough offers to buy my bike that i think it might be worth it to try and sell some. since i'd be upgrading the wheels, tires, and whatever else, finding cool parts bikes as platforms sounds like the way to go. frames forks and fenders to start, then let the customer decide if he wants the hundred dollar ebay rear rack, chainguard, etc.

and if someone came around with a junker and wanted to pay me for my time, it just might be worth it to build them up. i mean, mine took me what, a few weeks? it'd be cool to make $500 or more for those two weeks time...

now i gotta think about this while waiting for the UPS truck.