I have the chance to pick up a 20" Rat fink for $100. Should I pick it up to convert it to a lowrider? I've built 26" cantilever low riders and love to ride them, but never done a 20". Or should I just pick up an old schwinn and rat rod it? (I've gotten some cool ideas from this site)
'63 Schwinn to rat out.
- Thread starter kframe357
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Re: Electra Rat Fink 20". Should I?
I'd get an old Schwinn and rat it
I'd get an old Schwinn and rat it
Re: Electra Rat Fink 20". Should I?
Looks like I'll be going the rat rod Schwinn route. Picking up a black 1952 Schwinn cantilever frame with some old Schwinn rims handlebars and a Typhoon chain guard for $35.
Looks like I'll be going the rat rod Schwinn route. Picking up a black 1952 Schwinn cantilever frame with some old Schwinn rims handlebars and a Typhoon chain guard for $35.
Re: Electra Rat Fink 20". Should I?
oh, here's the Rat Fink bike if you guys are interested.
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/bik/1747271211.html
oh, here's the Rat Fink bike if you guys are interested.
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/bik/1747271211.html
Re: Electra Rat Fink 20". Should I?
Picked it up, came with frame, fork, cloverleaf ring and pedals, crap wheels and tires and someone threw a Typhoon chain guard on it. Serial # comes back to August 1952. Now I wanna know the model, not sure what it is.
Picked it up, came with frame, fork, cloverleaf ring and pedals, crap wheels and tires and someone threw a Typhoon chain guard on it. Serial # comes back to August 1952. Now I wanna know the model, not sure what it is.
Re: '52 Schwinn to rat out.
What model it is will be tougher to figure out. I never knew what my 53 schwinn was until I came here and saw all the catalogs for the early Schwinns. I sanded through 3 or 4 layers of paint to find the original paint, and the scrolls near the front of the frame gave it away, along with the chainguard, chainring, and standard forks. I'm positive it's a Meteor.
http://www.trfindley.com/pg_schwinn_cats.htm
What model it is will be tougher to figure out. I never knew what my 53 schwinn was until I came here and saw all the catalogs for the early Schwinns. I sanded through 3 or 4 layers of paint to find the original paint, and the scrolls near the front of the frame gave it away, along with the chainguard, chainring, and standard forks. I'm positive it's a Meteor.
http://www.trfindley.com/pg_schwinn_cats.htm
Re: '52 Schwinn to rat out.
NICE
NICE
Re: '52 Schwinn to rat out.
A real good deal for $35.
I looked through all my 52 Schwinn pics, I think it's a 57 maybe. They had serial numbers that matched up to 3 different years back then, starting with the letter D. What gave it away was the paint on it, it looks original unless someone redid the decals. The forks look 50's. The 52's didn't have a solid paint scheme. The way to tell for sure is on the cranks, when you take it apart there will be a 2 digit date on the center portion.
I'd love to find a deal that that.
A real good deal for $35.
I looked through all my 52 Schwinn pics, I think it's a 57 maybe. They had serial numbers that matched up to 3 different years back then, starting with the letter D. What gave it away was the paint on it, it looks original unless someone redid the decals. The forks look 50's. The 52's didn't have a solid paint scheme. The way to tell for sure is on the cranks, when you take it apart there will be a 2 digit date on the center portion.
I'd love to find a deal that that.
Re: '52 Schwinn to rat out.
The serial # is D340404, if it helps. I'm a novice when it come to building, my skills are limited to seats, rim/tires, and handlebar swaps. But thats good enough to stand out most of the time....
The serial # is D340404, if it helps. I'm a novice when it come to building, my skills are limited to seats, rim/tires, and handlebar swaps. But thats good enough to stand out most of the time....
Re: '52 Schwinn to rat out.
March of 1963. I suspect that is the original chain guard.
March of 1963. I suspect that is the original chain guard.
Re: '52 Schwinn to rat out.
Ahhh, thanks, it definately looks as though that's it. I'm ok with that lol.
According to http://www.angelfire.com/rant/allday101/SchwinnCodes3.html it was made on 04/17.... Which is my freaking Birthday! (not the right year though)
Ahhh, thanks, it definately looks as though that's it. I'm ok with that lol.
According to http://www.angelfire.com/rant/allday101/SchwinnCodes3.html it was made on 04/17.... Which is my freaking Birthday! (not the right year though)
That's a '63 Typhoon, it has the smaller early 60s-up head badge, single color schwinn quality stamp, og ivory S-7 rim on the back, and the new for '59 "classic" inline Schwinn logo on the top tube. The 'phoon was new for 62, but had a different double straight bar frame for that year only. Regardless of any o'that, sweet deal! -Adam :mrgreen:
deorman said:
Yeah, the front rim is going away. The rear has a couple broken spokes and I'm not wise in the ways of repair/fabrication. I'm gonna try to track down some ugly rims to paint. Maybe sell the rear rim off cheap to someone who can fix it....
First I ride my bike today to get fruit flies in my eyes, then I try to read super small text.
I give up. :wink:
I give up. :wink:
kframe357 said:
Why sell it off?
Wheels are not too hard to fix, cost maybe $10 (or a little less) for some new shiny spokes, lace that sucker up yourself!
you can do it... http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
