HellCamino

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Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
202
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Location
Kansas City, MO
"If you're going through <heck>, keep going." —Winston Churchill

This build is dedicated to my Dad who was diagnosed with inoperable Stage Four lung cancer in January. The name is a combination of two elements that make me think of him: the first is the above Winston Churchill quote, and the other is my Dad's prized '77 El Camino. This one's for you, Pop.



I've been wanting to build up a straight-bar Schwinn rider, and I've been planning and gathering parts for months now. Almost every part of this assemblage came from a different place; the forum, eBay, my parts bin, MLC, a few online retailers...I even picked up some tubes from my local REI. It finally started coming together though when Rick (expjawa) agreed to do a frame swap with me about a month ago. I had a black straight-bar Hornet frame, but I really wanted blue; and not just any blue, Schwinn blue. The first bike I remember having as a kid was a garage sale special that my Dad rattle-canned almost the exact same color. It definitely wasn't a Schwinn, but that hue has always stuck with me. This build won't be about cutting or welding, and probably not even painting. Rather it will be a re-imagining of what could have been with a bunch of mostly stock parts–old, new, and everything in between.

Some of the goods:
Schwinn BFGoodrich (of course) frame from Rick


Felt Cruiser wheelset with Nexus 3-speed


Project346 tires


NOS Shimano 3 speed shifter


Fenders, tank, chainguards, rack


Pedals (provided I can straighten the bent axles)


I've got a few more parts in the hopper and I'm still tracking down a bunch of the smalls. Pulling everything together has already been a good distraction for when I need a break, and now I'm ready to get buildin'!
 
Best wishes for your dad and the build you are doing in his honor.
 
Nice concept and I know you'll nail it. Really like the starting point too.
Thanks Terry! I'm glad you're in the mix this year. Your Grumpy's Higgins is still one of my favorite builds. I learned a lot of what NOT to do from last year, specifically don't bite off more than I can chew. Figured I'd keep things "simple" this year...

You found your blue straight bar! I like the concept and will definitely be watching.
YES! Rick was really cool about it. You both probably thought I was nuts, but I had my reasons. I was pretty crushed when you passed Simpleton on, but all's well that ends well. Looking forward to your next build!



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YES! Rick was really cool about it. You both probably thought I was nuts, but I had my reasons. I was pretty crushed when you passed Simpleton on, but all's well that ends well. Looking forward to your next build!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I always understand when it comes to finding something in a particular color. No judging from me... :)

Got a call on Monday from the friend that now owns Simpleton. He's building the ladies equivalent and made a set of matching truss rods that are indistinguishable from the Elgin rods I used. He's still looking for the identical bars and chainring I used. I can't wait to see this thing!
 
Started making some progress over the last couple of days. I need to get better about taking photos; I keep getting involved with what I'm doing and forget to shoot it! One of the first things I tried was installing the rear wheel with the Nexus hub. I had a feeling it was going to be wider, and I was right. Searched the forum and found a great trick for opening dropouts with a wood clamp. It fits!


Once I knew I could get the rear wheel in without destroying the frame, it was time to clean. There is some paint loss and surface rust, so I tackled it with some tin foil and water first, then some Barkeeper's Friend on a damp cloth, and finished with a little Meguiars cleaner/wax liquid. Pretty happy with how well it cleaned up and the paint loss gives it some character...


Since I was already cleaning, I disassembled the rack and polished it up as well. The rivets had been replaced with some mismatched hardware. Next step will be to find some nice stainless to reassemble with.


Gratuitous saddle shot:


Tomorrow I'll break out the soda blaster and do some metal cleaning. Can't wait to start doing some mockups!
 
That cleaned up purdy!
 
Not sure anything cleaned up as well as your Columbia last year!


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Don't you mean "your" Columbia ;)
 
Got a little further today. Took the soda blaster to the seatpost, the inside of the tank, and my top-secret headlight.

Before:


Headed back down to the workshop and threw the sparkling seatpost in, then cleaned and reinstalled the rear fender. Also reassembled the rack and bolted it on.


After all of that I managed to squeeze the back wheel in again. I think I need to spread the drops just a little bit more; I'd hate to have to change a flat on this beast on the side of the road.


Wrapped up the day by installing the reflector on the rack. I originally picked up some period-correct glass marble reflectors, but opted for this bullet from my parts stash instead.


Now it's time to play the "waiting on parts" game! :(
 

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