Path Racer - Early Euro style - Finished!
- Thread starter HotRodHocke
- Start date
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Re: Path Racer - Early Euro style
Thanks! Your blog was one of the places I visited to get inspiration for this build!
Thanks! I just drilled and tapped the OPC. Already bought the tools for it when I was building the "Strawberry Milk" bike.
After going back and checking out my collection of pictures of path racer style bicycles: http://public.fotki.com/VikingMustang/other-projects/path-racers/ I decided to make a mock up with the old fork after all. In my opinion this old fork gives the bike a much more "vintage" look than the straight one I was working on.
Also think the handlebar needs to shortened around 2" per side to fit into the design:
Here's a close up of the new cover I made for the shifter:
I am again sorry for the mess in my "man cave", but I at least usually clean it up between projects...
Håkan
Thanks! Your blog was one of the places I visited to get inspiration for this build!
Thanks! I just drilled and tapped the OPC. Already bought the tools for it when I was building the "Strawberry Milk" bike.
After going back and checking out my collection of pictures of path racer style bicycles: http://public.fotki.com/VikingMustang/other-projects/path-racers/ I decided to make a mock up with the old fork after all. In my opinion this old fork gives the bike a much more "vintage" look than the straight one I was working on.
Also think the handlebar needs to shortened around 2" per side to fit into the design:
Here's a close up of the new cover I made for the shifter:
I am again sorry for the mess in my "man cave", but I at least usually clean it up between projects...
Håkan
Re: Path Racer - Early Euro style
I´m truly honoured Sir! :shock:
Shifter looks amazing and your man cave makes me miss my old garage... I really love that place :roll:
Build on! :wink:
HotRodHocke said:
I´m truly honoured Sir! :shock:
Shifter looks amazing and your man cave makes me miss my old garage... I really love that place :roll:
Build on! :wink:
Re: Path Racer - Early Euro style
Thanks gcrank1, Gdcast and hewey, your comments are really appreciated!
Paint is now in progress:
Gray zinc primer:
Planning on water borne black and hopefully a polyurethane clearcoat later today.
Håkan
Thanks gcrank1, Gdcast and hewey, your comments are really appreciated!
Paint is now in progress:
Gray zinc primer:
Planning on water borne black and hopefully a polyurethane clearcoat later today.
Håkan
Re: Path Racer - Early Euro style
Håkan
Håkan
Re: Path Racer - Early Euro style
Thanks FatBoy!
I wasn't really happy with the surface finish after the zinc primer so I added a layer of high build primer:
Here's the result after the water borne acrylic has dried, a very flat black:
And here's the final result just after the second layer of polyurethane clear. The reson it doesn't look better than this is the "fog" from the spraying still in the air in my garage:
Here's the fork with the "fog" in the background:
I BTW ran into some maybe interesting info about the material used in this frame. As I mentioned before it was called "aircraft steel", the brand name of the steel was "Stato 5" or "Statho 5" and it was made by a Swedish company, Uddeholm. The material was originally developed to be used in the frame of the Swedish made FFVS J-22 fighter airplane that was made in around 200 units during WWII. The tubing is seamless CrMo and was later used by the Swedish Monark bicycle company to build frames. The Monark bicycles were sold as Stanleys, like mine and also using a number of other brand names. Here's a couple of old ads I found, probably from the late fourties, early fifties:
Håkan
Thanks FatBoy!
I wasn't really happy with the surface finish after the zinc primer so I added a layer of high build primer:
Here's the result after the water borne acrylic has dried, a very flat black:
And here's the final result just after the second layer of polyurethane clear. The reson it doesn't look better than this is the "fog" from the spraying still in the air in my garage:
Here's the fork with the "fog" in the background:
I BTW ran into some maybe interesting info about the material used in this frame. As I mentioned before it was called "aircraft steel", the brand name of the steel was "Stato 5" or "Statho 5" and it was made by a Swedish company, Uddeholm. The material was originally developed to be used in the frame of the Swedish made FFVS J-22 fighter airplane that was made in around 200 units during WWII. The tubing is seamless CrMo and was later used by the Swedish Monark bicycle company to build frames. The Monark bicycles were sold as Stanleys, like mine and also using a number of other brand names. Here's a couple of old ads I found, probably from the late fourties, early fifties:
Håkan
Re: Path Racer - Early Euro style
Nice legs!!! :lol:
Bike is looking really neat, love black bikes, makes me wanna finish one I have hanging...
Nice frame back there, looks very tough, what is it?
Nice legs!!! :lol:
Bike is looking really neat, love black bikes, makes me wanna finish one I have hanging...
Nice frame back there, looks very tough, what is it?
Re: Path Racer - Early Euro style
If you mean to the left in the background of this pic:
it's my '67 Mustang coupe that I have been working on for years, I am actually closing in on starting to paint it. But it's a very slow process as I get sidetracked to whole time, but that's the nice thing with a hobby, right? You can do what you like to do and when you like to do it.
The blue stuff in the background is my beadroller (with the steering wheel on), a planishing hammer and an english wheel. On the floor to the right is a 2WD Explorer aluminum drive shaft that a buddy in the US sent me together with all the parts I used on this last bike build. The Explorer drive shaft is the same length as the original '67 Mustang drive shaft, but of course much lighter.
Håkan
If you mean to the left in the background of this pic:
it's my '67 Mustang coupe that I have been working on for years, I am actually closing in on starting to paint it. But it's a very slow process as I get sidetracked to whole time, but that's the nice thing with a hobby, right? You can do what you like to do and when you like to do it.
The blue stuff in the background is my beadroller (with the steering wheel on), a planishing hammer and an english wheel. On the floor to the right is a 2WD Explorer aluminum drive shaft that a buddy in the US sent me together with all the parts I used on this last bike build. The Explorer drive shaft is the same length as the original '67 Mustang drive shaft, but of course much lighter.
Håkan
Re: Path Racer - Early Euro style
Today's project status, sorry about the bad phone pic, but here it is:
Working on some decal and paint details where the blue masking tape is on it, not sure yet if I am going to pinstripe the rest of the frame or not.
More later,
Håkan
Today's project status, sorry about the bad phone pic, but here it is:
Working on some decal and paint details where the blue masking tape is on it, not sure yet if I am going to pinstripe the rest of the frame or not.
More later,
Håkan
Re: Path Racer - Early Euro style
Many thanks Gdcast & DesignIt, really inspiring comments!
Have the project pretty much finished now. Was thinking about adding some kind of lettering on the white area on the frame, but we'll see. Had to do something there as I was too eager to start assembly and messed up the black paint that was still soft at that spot.
Have of course test ridden the bike and it feels very light, fast and solid. Guess it will take a while for the saddle to get a little softer as it's brand new and pretty tough right now. I also think it was a good idea to use the fork that I used as the steering feels very "direct" even with this fork. The gear ratios seems to make sence and as it's a Torpedo shifter mechanism inside my homemade aluminum cover it works great to shift up and down. Also not very hard to reach even if it's attached to the frame.
Overall I am happy with the outcome of this build. Here's the pics:
The badge is something that I assume is supposed to be put on a walking stick. Bought this when I visited the Glacier National Park in Montana last summer while on a road trip from Houston, TX to Kalispell, MN and back.
Håkan
Many thanks Gdcast & DesignIt, really inspiring comments!
Have the project pretty much finished now. Was thinking about adding some kind of lettering on the white area on the frame, but we'll see. Had to do something there as I was too eager to start assembly and messed up the black paint that was still soft at that spot.
Have of course test ridden the bike and it feels very light, fast and solid. Guess it will take a while for the saddle to get a little softer as it's brand new and pretty tough right now. I also think it was a good idea to use the fork that I used as the steering feels very "direct" even with this fork. The gear ratios seems to make sence and as it's a Torpedo shifter mechanism inside my homemade aluminum cover it works great to shift up and down. Also not very hard to reach even if it's attached to the frame.
Overall I am happy with the outcome of this build. Here's the pics:
The badge is something that I assume is supposed to be put on a walking stick. Bought this when I visited the Glacier National Park in Montana last summer while on a road trip from Houston, TX to Kalispell, MN and back.
Håkan
Great build, and so much the better that it 'feels' right.
FWIW, I think I would mask off the white seattube section and repaint it black, the straight section with the curved white tires doesnt work for me. (or, just to see, wrap it with some black plastic electricians tape).
FWIW, I think I would mask off the white seattube section and repaint it black, the straight section with the curved white tires doesnt work for me. (or, just to see, wrap it with some black plastic electricians tape).
Very Sharp Bike!! Love the top tube rake compounded by the caster of the fork 8) 8)
Very Sharp Indeed!
The geometry of the frame and fork just look FAST!
Great Job! :mrgreen:
Have any more pics of the Mustang?
The geometry of the frame and fork just look FAST!
Great Job! :mrgreen:
Have any more pics of the Mustang?
