The Rustoration Build Off

[fasteddy]

Silver Bear, Great that you are finally getting warm weather. As I remember there were two rides every year, the first and last. Everything else in between was just fun.
How many times a day do you check the gas and see if the plug is clean? I used to push the bike outside to see if it would start and run right. My folks used to say 3/4 times a day was excessive.

Crummy weather at the moment so I'm on hold or I would finish the frame so I know it's done. Think it's time to go to the hardware store or the auto parts and see if I can find coil springs to put under the sidecar and figure out how to mount them.

My brother, bless him kept walking by watching me weld and saying things like, " hope it welded better than the go cart". Talk about a confidence builder.

I would never have done it to him or at least not as often!

Yes enough joking about the wheel chairs. No, Senior Citizens, homes either.
Want them saying, that old fa*t passed me doing 75 on that thing before he crashed. Sounded like a bumble bee in a drain pipe then he was gone.

If you don't mind though' I'd kinda like to use the Colson Crippler every once in a while.
Just has a ring to it.

Steve.

 

[silverbear]

Warm weather has finally come and I'm hoping for a first ride on the Elgin later in the day. Some progress on the Elgin and setbacks on the 63 Schwinn makeover. On the positive side, I installed the most recent version of the drop stand on the Elgin and it both looks and works well. It is copper pipe like the one before it, but is painted to match the frame of the bike and has been reinforced at the upper end where it bolts to the dropouts. I soldered a coupling section there which essentially makes the pipe wall double thick. At the bottom end I first tried some clear vinyl tubing slit so that it could fit over the horizontal run of pipe, what would come in contact with the ground when standing the bike. I figured it would get scratched up and chipped in no time flat in use, so wanted to protect it and also have some kind of cushioning where it would clip to the fender in the raised position. Didn't like it... looked clunky and just plain plasticy wrong. Then I thought I'd try stitching it up in black elk hide and that is a winner. It is tight to the pipe, matches the black elsewhere on the bike and is the same leather as the seat. Yeah, in time it will scuff up some, but I know from my moccasins and mukluks that elk hide is durable stuff. I use these scraps for engine mount pads to protect the paint, cut thin little strips to use for cable ties and in general find many uses for leather. I also got to thinking about how to attach the stand to the fender. Originally the stands clipped to a bent piece of metal which sticks off the fender. I've read that the stands were notorious for being noisy while in the up position and sometimes bounced loose to drag on the ground. On the plus side they hold the bike up nicely and look cool. I thought that for today I'll just run a piece of leather thong through the two bolt holes which originally held the metal clip and tie it to the drop stand. Realizing how quiet that would be I've decided to go with a strip of leather backed in velcro which will go under and then over the drop stand and 'stick' to itself in a small loop. Quiet, matches the leather on the drop stand and is cheap. No bent piece of metal. So that's how I'm going to do it.
The holdup on the 63 Schwinn is due to a misplaced front fork upper bearing cup which I removed for stripping and painting the frame. I'll do more searching today in the woodshed, the floor of which is dirt, back, sawdust and who knows. Gotta find that thing since on the deluxe models of the American the upper cup is a smaller size than the bottom one. The bottom one is pretty common to other bikes and could be swapped out. The upper one is... special. Oh for a real workshop. Anyway, it sits waiting for one part. Bummer. So close, yet so very far. Can't find a replacement on ebay and don't know if a bike shop would have a cup that size or not. If you have any ideas on where to find a cup I'd appreciate being advised. Pix below show the missing part.
Barely, your weather must be improving up there in Maine. Bairdco always has it good out there in California. Steve is getting rained on in BC and me, I'm gonna go for a bike ride on me spiffy 1939 Elgin motorbicycle! Ho wah!!! (Ojibwa for wow)
SB

 

[BarelyAWake]

I printed that out...

...and there wuz much loling


The guys here all agree that you've learned teh important stuff, yer defo a "welder" in their book

 

[silverbear]

Elgin first run.
I ran the cable for the front dium brake, fixed a couple loose bolts attaching the the fender skirts to fenders, started it up with the new NGK Iridium plug and running it while on the stand could see that the drive chain was lightly rubbing the fender, did some more creative bending and went for a mile or so ride to check things out. It ran nice and smooth and I love the springer seat and my foam grips. This is going to be a comfortable long rider. I still need to adjust the clutch cable, adjust the drum brake cable, route cables and wires and move the seat back a few inches. No doubt there will be other little tweaks as I ride it, but I consider this a great success. I'm looking forward to more and longer rides in the coming days. I'll post more photos when it is more 'done' and then declare this build finished. It's been fun...
SB

 

[fasteddy]

BarelyAWake, thanks and thank the gang for me. Glad you could use it. Just going out to finish the frame now.

May be on the road in early April.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Siver Bear, how sweet that first ride must have been. There is a certain joy to find out that all those hours of hard work really were worth it and were done properly.

What a sweet looking bike. Has that right vintage feel.
The green grass coming up though the brown grass from last year is a welcome sight also

Peach of a sunny day here and off to work I go!

My nephew in Afgahnistan says it's 105 degrees and you can't stand in one place too long when your on pavement because your boots melt into it.

Hope you find the parts for the Schwinn.

Steve.

 

[weekend-fun]

SB, Congrats on your first voyage I can imagine the grin on your face...

 

[bairdco]

finally!

just kidding, Silverbear.

don't ya just love it when it fires right up and you can just ride it away? must feel great to have it (almost) done, and the weather's nice enough to ride.

i just noticed that you've got the inframe fake tank. didja ever think of hidding the CDI, wires, even throttle and clutch wires in there?

just a thought.

also, give us some "glamour shots" of the bike. can't see the details against the background...

 

[BarelyAWake]

Whoohoo!!!!

PARTY AT SILVER'S HOUSE!!!

Lookin great man - defo gotta get summore pics of yer completed bike and defo the inside scoop on how it runs!

 

[silverbear]

Well, I've got a few things to iron out before I take more pictures, but here are another two I took before the run yesterday. I heard a rattling behind me as I rode and figured I needed to check the skirts and rear fender over when I got back. Then the rattling pretty well stopped and I thought, "that's good" and rode along for awhile until it dawned on me why the rattling got better. The right skirt had come clear off. Ah man! I should have known better than to rely on the original setup with how the skirts attach to the fenders. The skirts have little housings with the nut inside so that a short bolt fits through the fender into the nut on the skirt. I had figured I'd just check them every so often to make sure all was well. Instead I should have used a smaller bolt to go inside of and through the nut with a locknut on the other side. Anyway, I backtracked hoping nobody picked up or ran over the skirt. I did find it unharmed other than a bend when it came loose and some scrapes from the road. One of the holes in the fender was torn from the bolt that didn't come loose. So, there's that. I think I'm going to just repaint the skirt, touch up the fender hole and bolt it back on more securely this time and leave it as is until I get back to Minnesota. Chances are good that even with careful packing 1200 miles in the back of my truck may leave it with some paint damage anyway. I'm also less than happy with the paint job in general and that rear fender is still not right and could use more work unless I luck out and find another in good shape to replace it. Looks ok from a distance, but not up close. I don't think I'm going to try painting again in cold weather outside. Maybe somebody else would do it well, but not me. So, I may end up taking it apart this summer and trying to do the paint right this time. Other than that the bike ran well and is a very comfortable, solid ride. I'm not sure, but I think the NGK Iridium plug has given the motor more power as it seemed to handle hills with a little more enthusiasm. You ride the same route with hills and you know which ones you can pull without bogging down too much. On the other hand I had that engine on my Schwinn American, so I'm also comparing two different bikes. Anyway, it starts very well. First pull with no choke. I had to search around to find it as the local Napa would not order it for me ("I'd hafta order a box a ten"), Advance Auto did order two for me. At least for my own bikes, this is the plug from now on. With a stock motor every little bit helps, so come summer I'll also do a little porting cleanup. Anyway, in general I'm pleased with the bike and will ride it as it is until I get back to Minnesota. Then it will get finished off to sell. This will give me an opportunity to enjoy it while it's mine and make sure I have things right before passing it on to the next owner. I'll know a lot more going in to next winter's build of the 34 Elgin which is pretty much the same model design as this 39 with a few smallish differences. When you do the same model bike more than once you get familiar with its peculiarities and fixes. The next one will be better yet.
Baridco, I'll give some thought to the CDI going inside the little tank. Thanks for the suggestion.
SB
Here's the other two shots from yesterday. Didn't want to post much until the cables and wiring were straightened out, but with the skirt to fix it will be awhile before I can take nicer pictures. For some reason my employer is expecting me to do some outside work around here now that it is spring like. Cleanup, garden prep, that sort of thing. Still looking for that American upper bearing cup, too.

 

[fasteddy]

Got more welding done on the sidecar frame. Wheel mounts are about welded in but ran out of wire and by the time that was replaced it was dark. Bit more time if it doesn't rain tomorrow and I'll have some photos.

Went to buy a brake caliper for the hub motor so I could make the mount and weld it in and decided to use one of the local bike shops.

The first one is large and about 3 times the size of the other one. The guy waiting on me {reluctantly} is a Limey with a "you aren't at the Vancouver critical mass ride/ I don't know you attitude. Dressed in his best bike fairy gear. Ask for a cable operated caliper for a disk brake. he says there are all kinds of them.
What do you have.Drags himself to the work shop and looks quickly, around comes back and says you will have to come back in Monday when the mechanic is here. He may have some used ones.
WTH, used?
I want a new one
I'm sure he has some used ones.
This went on for a couple of minutes.
No one is the store the whole time I'm there.

Store 2. Follow two people taking thier bikes in for repair. Small store has bikes every where and hanging from the ceiling. At least eight people looking or paying for bikes.
Need a brake caliper and a really good one.
Yes Sir and heads for the repair room
Back in two min. Best one we carry,caliper and the disk that I already have but it is a package. He made sure that I knew how to put it on and how it worked
Done. As I'm paying I'm telling him about the Monark/sidecar. Asks me 3 times in a row to please bring it in so they can see it. Would I make sure to bring it in.

Were does the old guy tell people to buy and who are his go to people?

Get home and the first thing I see in the instructions?
DO NOT USE THIS BRAKE ON A MOTORIZED BICYCLE!

The disk from ebikes,ca that I bought when I got the wheel is almost twice the size of the one that came with the caliper.

I'm getting closer.

Steve.

 

[silverbear]

Fasteddy,
Yes, you are getting closer and congrats on the successful welding.
I went through a similar experience trying to buy a one inch upper bearing cup for the American at the nearest bike shop the other day. I had measured it, made an impression of the tube diameter on cardboard and also had assurances from Schwinn experts on the internet that the cup is one inch in diameter. The guy would not order the set because I had not used a caliper to measure it. That is their policy. I even offered to pay in advance and take the set even if it didn't fit. Nope, he would not order it. Can't figure some people. Did some more looking on ebay and bought a generic headset in chrome in the size I need for eight bucks counting shipping. This is for the 63American which will be ready to go as soon as the cup arrives.
I had a nice long ride on the 39 Elgin yesterday which I like very much and which is getting a lot of second looks from passing cars. I'll take it to town one day when I'm more confident to take a long away ride without breakdowns. I've worked out how to affix the fender skirts using elk hide pads where they contact the fenders and to use smaller bolts with locknuts. The left skirt and the rear fender will have to come off for repair later on. Not a problem now that I know how to silver solder the damage. This build has been a great learning experience and will make future rustorations go a little more smoothly. I think next winter's projects will be the 34 Elgin of the same basic design as the 39 of this build off and I'm negotiating for a 1938 Elgin men's frame which was made by Murray of Ohio and uses the same fenders, guards, etc. as the complete 38ladies model I bought this winter on ebay. So I could swap out parts from one to the other and have a complete men's model. I'd like to try an inframe tank in either fiberglass or copper, like Bairdco's. I'd also like to use the sbp shift kit and give more focus to the performance side of things. Builds are about done for this year. The coming summer is time to ride a whole lot and to sell off enough stock to fund next year's follys. This stuff sure is fun. I'll have more photos of the 39 to post pretty soon. Get your chrome yet?
SB

 

[BarelyAWake]

gah - bicycle shops are so... weird

I'm not surprised at all by yer stories (either one of you guys lol) - there's two bike shops around here... I think it's a rule that ya gotta have two, one kinda ratty and one all posh... but w/e. Anyhoo, it's kinda weird - the posh one didn't like ME so much when I wandered in lookin' for a suitable bike to motorize, they didn't know my intentions... I'm just not the spandex sort with a cigarette hangin' outa my crazed hermit beard I guess and they could jus' tell I wasn't about to throw down a coupla grand on some exotic plastic bike lol Yet later when I vroomed up on my $200 wallyworld Schwinn with a smokin' 2stroke bolted to it (wasn't broke in yet) all of the sudden Ima rock star - they loved it! Sadly, their shop is empty other than a coupla rims gettin' trued and they're of no help at all.

The other place... well... they're just useless in the storefront area (which is actually kinda posh too), but the shop is epic, always has been - it makes no nevermind what yer riding, they'll go to extreme lengths to help ya... regardless of the fact the shop is chaos incarnate heh I love that place



Progress... well - it's good ta see yer movin' right along fasteddy (tho ifn we don't get some pics soon Ima gonna have a temper tantrum) and I'm psyched to hear yer Elgin is treatin' ya right silverbear - when you do go to town with it, ya better bring some bike cards with ya or you'll never be able to get outa the crowd lol

Me? Well, I took a whole lotta steps backwards today

I gave the tank it's "final" coat of paint yesterday and this mornin' I was bolting it in fer realz when I got to lookin' at the angle of the engine, the shift kit's shaft, and the clutch cover... and decided I liked NONE of it and ripped the whole mess back apart.

Six hours later and I've sorted alla things that bugged me, the engine isn't finished being mounted - but the angle is better (beveled mounts), the shaft has more clearance from the seatpost as a result and I can pull off the clutch cover for maintenance w/o having to disassemble the shiftkit... which required complete disassembly ofc and tooling of the clutch cover itself so the fasteners can go in "backwards" (bolt heads on the inside) all that time and no one would be the wiser should I not point it out lol

I like painting better

 

[fasteddy]

Silver Bear, no chrome as yet but that is OK since the bike is nowhere ready for it and it will be some thing that I'll have to protect and move Heaven only knows how many times before it does get put on.

Nice to know that I'm the only one facing a wall of dumb a** when it comes to bike parts. I can only hope that the guy I ran into first is the Saturday help and not the owner.
Bet they all complain how the internet has done thier business in.

Glad to hear the riding is going and going well. I often wonder why we can't be satisfied with just one that works properly.
I find there are two more on the drawing paper and a bunch more roaming around my head pushing the ones in there already, aside to make room.

The welder we have is really made to weld sheet metal so I'm pushing it to one level above what it is supposed to do. Thinking new welder with 220V power instead of 110V.
O' the greed never ends.

I agree with BAW that you will needs cards when they see your bikes. I'm practicing a blank stare and a snide laugh if they ask me, followed by a price that will make any man weak at the knees and women faint. Of course some one will call my bluff and I'm working on plan B to get out of giving it up.

Think the next one will be a trike. If I get to PEI, I'll have to see if I can get away with a gas motor or I'll use one in the South if I go away for the winter.

Great to hear that you have found the cure for the skirts.
I am a big believer in the nylon lock nuts. If they are good enough for aircraft they work for me.

Got to go and see if it is dry enough to weld the last of the metal.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

BarelyAWake, I'll get photos just as soon as I can get the last bit of welding done. Pouring rain again at the moment so that is on hold for a while.
Have to look at the weather to see what it is going to be like next week. Probably 3 hrs left on it.
Working on the fender while I wait. Want to put a splash panel in it so the sidecar doesn't get sprayed. Keeps fingers and elbows out of the spokes too.
I have the front and rear fenders from a Monark. They look like they survived a youthfull
baseball bat attack some where in thier life but I do have a large can of fender butter and I know how to use it.

Hope your bike is falling back into place. It's amazing how some small detail catches your eye and you wind up starting all over again.
It's happend to me as well and I keep telling myself it's just a bike but then I built it and it's not good enough if I built it. Working on the theory that you may be in the sidecar when it breaks loose. Worse than that, you could be carrying the beer and Bairco and Silver Bear are waiting for us.

Could you define "final" coat of paint. Some of us have never seen one. LOL

When I put the wheel on the sidecar, the brakes and the arm that makes sure the axle doesn't turn are on the inside and the wiring is exposed on the outside so I have to route it around the wheel to the other side.

O' well the only thing I ever saw that was perfect was my former wife and the only reason I'm sure of that is she kept telling me she was. Seems she had proof.

Off to the garage to stand around looking dazed and confused. That part I have down pat.

Steve.

 

[weekend-fun]

OMG! wadda' you think 'bout this bad boy?
vintage old school cruzers cheap look

 

[weekend-fun]

Lets spice this up... I GOTZ MEH A NEW BIKE!

As most of you know, I had some setbacks due to some issues. And my original bike is just done. So I talked to fasteddy through PM's and decided to buy this bike. The next step is cleaning it off. Thats what Im going to do tommorow.

Has anyone heard of Ustream.com? Or Livestream.com? They are like online tv stations. you can broadcast live from your webcam. Im thinking about doing this for my bike, and you guys can see me working on it and help me. Input?

 

[fasteddy]

Weekend, that is sweeeet. Nice buy. Did you have to pay the full price?
Yep, I think it would be fun to see you built it. Any plans as yet as to how?

Fasteddy.

 

[weekend-fun]

Weekend, that is sweeeet. Nice buy. Did you have to pay the full price?
Yep, I think it would be fun to see you built it. Any plans as yet as to how?

Fasteddy.

I stole it for 60 I plan in using a normal china girl, and giving SB some $$$ for one of his tanks. If for any reason that dosent work, i'd go pusher OR friction drive. But I think I'm good. I'm soo happy!!

 

[silverbear]

Weekend fun,
Very nice score on that one! The tires look like they are 2.125, are they? A China girl should fit in there just fine. You probably know this already, but in case you didn't... before WWII JC Higgins were Elgins, after the war they still were but went by the new name. Elgins have a long history, way back into the twenties for sure and maybe before that. They even made motorbicycles for awhile with their own motors. Along the way they had some of the most innovative designs of any bikes made. Ones from the 1930's are especially beautiful. If you check with the classic bike site (can't think of the name right now and don't have the link, but they'll be able to tell you from the photos and any numbers you can find on it (model number on the seat post is especially helpful) the year and season it was for sale. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it doesn't look like a skip tooth. Did the seller give you a year? I'm guessing late forties or very early fifties. Whatever the year, it's a nice design and will look great with a motor. I'd be honored to see one of my tanks on that bike, so if you decide you want one I'm sure we can work something out. I'll sleep on it and PM you tomorrow.
SB