Helen Wheels

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

OddJob

Staff member
Moderator
Pro Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2012
Messages
10,897
Reaction score
24,630
Location
Maplewood, MN
Final Photo.jpg


Helen Wheels started life as a 1953 Columbia 20" kids cruiser, was modified in the muscle bike rage of the '60s, and resto-modded and brought back to her glory by this guy in his 60s this August.

Named after my grandma Helen, who was a bit of a 'hot rodder' in her 60s when she 'freed' this bike from the school playground where she was the janitor and grounds keeper for a little grade school in a small Southern Minnesota town. We used to ride the bike at her house when we'd visit. She later gave the bike to us when she moved in to an apt and didn't have room to store it.

Helen's ride in those years was a 1970 Ford Torino, in the iconic color Anti-Establish Mint green. For real. She had a lead foot, and proudly declared, "I can beat anybody off the light in this car." And then she did.

This build is dedicated to my wild and crazy grandma Helen, and her Ford Torino.

Build thread can be found here for build process, and a few other funny stories about Helen.
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/helen-wheels-crossing-the-finished-line.109217/

And some highlight photos along the way....

Here's how the bike looked when we rode it back in the day; and how it was when we resurrected it out of my brother's garage attic in early August.
66817800_2757545174320021_8366388420485840896_n.jpg


The original Columbia bike would have been similar to this model:

Helen wheels columbia.jpg


And the inspiration, the Ford Torino :

Ford Torino mint.jpg


There were 4 colors of paint on her frame :
67413299_855833354790249_4920978385917706240_n.jpg


Three more colors, wouldn't hurt...

67082123_2329916063764150_243230195610288128_n.jpg
67375186_464402524345736_1327812345266700288_n.jpg


The seats and upholstery in grandma's Torino were a spruce green. So this seat got the same treatment:

67818491_356303228599386_2605738387692322816_n.jpg
67371976_2253944018056365_4521978462444978176_n.jpg


Because it had a Schwinn badge on the head tube, and it wasn't a Schwinn, it needed it's own brand. I created the 'BACK40' head badge using a etching process on aluminum sheet metal.

67193007_2250363571707410_9019789728030916608_n.jpg

Back40 head badge FLIPPED.jpg
67641061_374850573201181_4630495076080943104_n.jpg
67870678_464289987459111_3019792558084587520_n.jpg
67716872_360896051245285_6234154431827410944_n.jpg
67627830_677163366136768_6666354078836064256_n.jpg
68500007_2940381432853972_3945418337483227136_n.jpg


Thanks for joining me on this trip down memory lane. There's nothing better than a spin on your muscle bike through the neighborhood park. Till next time....

 

Attachments

  • 67704408_471489240315228_4737179929114836992_n.jpg
    67704408_471489240315228_4737179929114836992_n.jpg
    554.8 KB · Views: 207
:cool2:
 
Somehow I missed the head badge process in your build thread. Until now. Dang, you're good!
Steve, I always enjoy a new challenge. I felt like a mad scientist with that Muriatic acid / hydrogen peroxide cauldron brewing up a toxic fumed atmosphere in the garage!
 
Awesome fun build! Love the stories and history. Fade looks great.

Is that a pic of Aunt Helen in the Torino? That car is SWEET!
 
That was exactly what my grandma Helen's car looked like, and it spookily looks like her in the drivers seat with the door open. :43::13:

But, yeah. That was a very cool car. We have been trying to unearth it, but my aunt's brothers who bought it from Helen in the 80's aren't talking.
:D
 
Nice headbadge!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Head badge, super sweet. Love the back story too. Those Torino’s were awesome. Starsky and Hutch awesome! Great bike!
 
Coolest backstory! Excellent fade paint and that badge is wicked!
Well done my friend!!!

You probably already know this, but Don't forget that when the Voting thread is created we will use the first pic from your Finished thread. I'm not suggesting anything is wrong with the current pic, just making sure everyone knows.
 
Coolest backstory! Excellent fade paint and that badge is wicked!
Well done my friend!!!

You probably already know this, but Don't forget that when the Voting thread is created we will use the first pic from your Finished thread. I'm not suggesting anything is wrong with the current pic, just making sure everyone knows.
Thanks man! When the bike has a significant story line, it makes it all that much more exciting for me to build and be creative!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top