me retroglide gets a face lift... build #2

[ohchusan]

well, it had to happen, after seeing all the cool "rotten" rides here... i figure i'd give it a go too.
my plan was to take one perfectly sound, stock cruiser and totally remove all hope of ever being able to sell off this bike.
(you see, folks round these parts, like their bikes nice and new, old and decrepit is what the construction guys here use to get round the yard.)

so, here's what my Raleigh Retroglide looked like last week before i tore her down and sent the frame and fork to be sandblasted.

 

[ohchusan]

Re: retroglide gets a face lift...

got the goods back yesterday and i was totally shocked!
the guy who did the sandblasting, did such a good job that it looked too perfect for what i had in mind....
it looked like high zoot carbon type material!!! :shock: :shock:

so i had to break out the wire wheel and drill and get to work...
after an hour or so, here's what i ended up with...
all nice and swirly, scratchy and totally not perfect! PERFECT!

 

[socal_jack]

Re: retroglide gets a face lift...

Much better already. Sometimes those post blasted can look a bit like Ti too.

 

[ohchusan]

Re: retroglide gets a face lift...

now i could finally get down to rebuilding the bike the way i see it in my head.
so, yesterday, i went downstairs and gave the bare frame and fork a once over with rattle can clear coat. the color of the bare metal turned darker the moment the acrylic hit??!!!.... and it came out shiny.. nope! that won't do!!!
i re-shot the clear coat further away and the frame came out with a more matte finish!

waited till today to slap the parts back on so i mounted on the rear wheel first, just to see the contrast of the tires against the frame.... i'm a happy camper!... i would've like the frame a tad lighter in color but it'll have to do i guess..... heck, so long as i could still see the swirls and scratches! :mrgreen:

 

[ohchusan]

Re: retroglide gets a face lift...

Much better already. Sometimes those post blasted can look a bit like Ti too.

thanks... i like it too. my wife however thinks i;m insane! :?

 

[elvis51]

Re: retroglide gets a face lift...

gotta love bare metal bikes!!! i like those tires too. where did you get em and what kind are they?

Easy E

 

[ohchusan]

Re: retroglide gets a face lift...

tires sez INNOVA on the sides, they're 24x3 inch tires that i got off a chopper bicycle dude here for a buck a piece! seems he got it from pimp garage when there business venture here in Singapore went belly up, so they were practically giving stuff away... thats what i heard anywez.... i wasn't there!!

 

[elvis51]

Re: retroglide gets a face lift...

oh man, didnt see you were in singapore....guess i wont be gettin those tires anytime soon.... lol :roll: i love the bike still!

Easy E

 

[ohchusan]

Re: retroglide gets a face lift...

oh man, didnt see you were in singapore....guess i wont be gettin those tires anytime soon.... lol :roll: i love the bike still!

Easy E

thanks buddy!
hope to be out ridin real soon!

 

[OUTLAW]

Re: retroglide gets a face lift...

that frame has an awsome colour to it. now get it done.

Outlaw

 

[ohchusan]

Re: retroglide gets a face lift...

that frame has an awsome colour to it. now get it done.

Outlaw

i will i will...... :wink:

 

[ohchusan]

Re: retroglide gets a face lift...

springer?....

or
stocker?......

i'm leaning towards'... stocker.....

unless i can de-chrome the springer and give it a similar bare metal look....

so for now, i guess it'll be the stocker... all nice and crappy looking! 8)

note to self, flip that front wheel round to face the "right" way....

 

[OUTLAW]

if you can heat up the springer and blue it that may be kool otherwise i would go stocker.

Outlaw

 

[ohchusan]

if you can heat up the springer and blue it that may be kool otherwise i would go stocker.

Outlaw

hmm... interesting...
erm...how would i heat it up? are we talking welding torch type heat?

 

[elvis51]

just take some sort of torch to it. like a propane torch would even work. just to kinda singe it i guess. like this...........

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=10772&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=kansas+fried+cruiser&start=15

Easy E

 

[ohchusan]

thanks for the link elvis!...

 

[elvis51]

no problemo. glad i could help!!!

Easy E

 

[socal_jack]

You can dull the chrome out to a flat stainless steel almost aluminum look with a scotch-brite sponge and WD-40, used that method on the fork in the pic below

 

[ohchusan]

.....hmmm........ thanks man!

oh cool bike btw

 

[rgallen]

I for one like the stocker fork. Cool looking bike. Will look great when finished.