BO15 RaTs GaSs...Great year all!...pg 26

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
Rating - 100%
6   0   0
So, we are in a strange time world wide right now. With that thought firmly planted in your mind, here's another unusual thought. OJ will be doing a 'shiny' rat build this year~! o_O

Not only will it be shiny, it's going to be colorful as well! My experiment with the Dupli-color Metalcast paint last Fall on RaTsberry Buffet has entranced me ever since. This summer I will be going full bore on that paint plan!

I have long admired the 'gasser' hot rods and their exaggerated colors, jacked up front ends, big fat rear / small skinny front tire combos, colored glass windows, and added graphics and stickers / decals. Expect ALL of those on my build....RaTs GaSs.

Here are some of the inspirational photos I found this winter while planning my build:
gasser front end.jpg

90056637_2473097529686005_1197037480231043072_n.jpg


Then, while digging deeper, I found this Hot Wheels gasser photo.....and I knew this was it!

RaTs GaSs paint job.jpg


This March, as the seasons and our lives were changing, my buddy Scotty at Arizona Wholesale Bikes asked me to come in and help him build bikes and keep the shop humming to keep up with the explosion of bike sales. I spent 5 mornings there, enjoying his company and building cool cruisers. On the last day, I asked him about a frame set that had been hanging in the corner of the shop. "Was that a parts donor? It looks like a new frame. Any issues with it?" He told me he had taken the wheels / tires and saddle off of it to 'customize' another new bike the way a customer wanted it. So no, the frame and fork were basically new.

I offered that I would take that frame and fork in lieu of some of my day's wages, and he walked over, grabbed it off the rack, and handed it to me! It's a 'classic' styled frame ( that is the actual model name of this Zycle Fix bicycle) with a great chrome finish. Perfect for my Metalcast paint application!

92673284_2601995533380274_1922759281057202176_n.jpg


I told Scotty about my gasser build idea, and he mentioned a really cool custom auto paint store that was just a couple miles away. So I swung in on my way home that morning. The store is called Space Age Auto Paint, and is a unreal set up! Custom paint mixologists, every brand of base and paint you can think of, or have never heard of. And the aisle with Dupli-Color Metalcast was packed full! I brought these home from the shelves....

92913270_656097298544738_2153285242578796544_n.jpg


Yep! I'm doing a fade paint job just like the Hot Wheels car. Can't wait to get started!

I am also back now in Minnesota and working every other day at our bike shop in the 'hood. Put in a couple of parts orders, and here's what I have so far in the queue.....

26" chrome fender set

gasser fender jbi.jpg

20" Rant tire. Not sure if I will go 20" or 24" in the front. Have to try both and return the one I don't use. That employee discount sure comes in handy.
Rant Squad tire.jpg


BMX style lay back seat post. This is a larger seat tube than the vintage frames I usually work with, so I'm going this route. Chrome, of course.

94731004_1164165617262038_9014756833813856256_n.jpg


Last Fall Trek had some closeouts on Electra parts ( Electra is owned by Trek ) and I got this 24" x 45 mm wheel with the Shimano Nexus 3 spd hub and 24 x 3 Fattio tire dirt cheap!

94308966_3107470462638200_8027287064405868544_n.jpg


MX style stem in chrome, natch.

95789919_953210801761464_6889466566027509760_n.jpg


Option 2, 24 x 1.75 front shiny wheel with Kenda Kwest 24 x 1.5 tire. The tire tread matches up with the Fattio rear really well. Just, skinnier.

95385926_919422675200071_2419843145035415552_n.jpg


So, that's way more than you cared to know about RaTs GaSs . Can't wait to start throwing the bike parts around in the BACK40 !

RaT oN~!
 
Chrome? Gloss? Bright colors? Yep, you've gotta virus. :21:

One good thing about your candy over chrome approach is that if you're not happy, just wipe it off with thinner and try again until you like it!
 
This is gonna be fun and full of Classical fRATulence I am sure!!!!

 
We’re both doing shiny this year, Comrade Odd Job. End times for sure. Love gassers, hope you nail it.

furyus
 
A Spectraflame paint job! I'm looking forward to it.
Spectraflame, eh? Now I'm going to have to look that up and see what you are talking about.

Nice! Can't wait to see what you do with this
Neither can I ! Fortunately, if I stay on my typical build schedule, we won't have to wait too long!

Cool. Will keep an eye on this one!
Thanks Dave~! I'm anxious to get rolling on it.

Wait... what? :eek:
I know, right? Ch-ch-ch-changes....

Sent from my BND-L24 using Tapatalk
I've got something for sure, just not sure what it is! Thanks for the tip on the thinner.

Always wanted to do a spectraflame paint. They glow! I still have all of my 68-71 Hot Wheels. PAINT IT PINK! View attachment 118136
Ahhhhh ! So that's what Psycho meant by Spectraflame. Got it now. Cool car Tim!

This is gonna be fun and full of Classical fRATulence I am sure!!!!
Classic gas for sure! Like I always say, " f-RaT-ulence oN~!

Did you get the fever O.J.?
Shiny? What's that mean?
I got a fever all right; it's called BOvid - 15. Not sure what it means right now my Beer-named thespian, but I'm going to find out!

Noooooooooooo!
-- sees the plan...
Yeeeeeeeessssssss!

Will be watching with interest.
Thanks John! It will be a fun process for sure!

We’re both doing shiny this year, Comrade Odd Job. End times for sure. Love gassers, hope you nail it.

furyus
I guess 'apocalypse' would have been another option for a name, now that you mention it. I'm going to do my best on imitating that gasser vibe.

Shiney !?
Ya Fink !
:cool:
Fink! You've nailed it on the head my friend!

Love the Candy Chrome/Spectraflame idea. Can't wait to see it take shape.
If this warming / sunny trend keeps up here in the Northland, we may not have to wait long to see it take shape!
 
Alright, well, it wouldn't be an OddJob build thread if I didn't report at least some progress every day. At least for the first 30 days, anyway. :bigsmile:

First thing I did yesterday was insert the rear wheel / tire combo into the frame. It was a 130 mm spaced axle, and the frame is 110 mm for your typical single speed cruiser. I've still got enough strength in my sixty-four year old 'frame' to move some steel a 1/2" on each side. :wink1: I ended up with a nice tight fit in the rear end, a few micro-meters of space between tire and frame, and tire and chain line. And I didn't even have to change out the chain that was already on the frame and fork!
95328585_656749724889943_2531037421672333312_n.jpg
95441496_590973538181736_2777452215273521152_n.jpg
95404940_283383159493135_1491375587640475648_n.jpg


So I showed the photos yesterday of the two front wheel combos I would be trying out on RaTs GaSs. I've noticed in the gasser car photos that the front and rear wheels are about the same circumference, just different sized rims and tires from front to back. The rear wheel I have is actually a 24" wheel, but with the 3" wide Fattio tire, it measures out to be about the same as a 26 x 2.125 in height. On the bike, I thought I might try a 20" wheel, just to get the illusion of the jacked up front end of a gasser by diminishing the front wheel size. Here's the result:
95064246_239225023992047_7560035270171557888_n.jpg


NOT the look I was going for! As you can see, I slapped in a cruiser bar and stem combo I had in my stash, and stuck a Brooks saddle on the lay back post I plan to use, then threw on some pedals from my stash to make it ride-able. Not only does it look like somebody dropped the bike from 3 stories up and it compressed upon landing, it didn't ride great either. One of my trademarks of my builds is that they all are good riders.

So, round two. I set up the 24 x 1.75 wheel and 24 x 1.5 tire combo and threw that on the bike for a test look / ride.

95233766_235931674141443_7096935841729085440_n.jpg


This was much better! The bike handled like it should, and the 'look' was getting closer. But it is still too timid for a gasser hot rod. Granted, I have also decided that the bar / stem combo isn't working. I do have the chromed BMX stem that I will be using and a 'secret' handlebar option to be revealed! :nerd:

I need more rise on the front end I think. One piece that I've never used on a BACK40 rat rod bike build is a triple tree fork. I've never been a true 'chopper' fan, where these forks are often used, but I think with the traditional angles of this frame that it would add more 'lift' than 'chop'.
So I just ordered one of these, and it should be here early next week!
triple tree fork.jpg


I'm so GASSED!

The other thing I noticed when test riding the bike, the 3 spd hub combined with the stock crank set / 42t chain ring, does not provide enough 'high end' for this hot rod. I've got a few other crank options with bigger rings that I can try to give this gasser more 'teeth' ! That will keep me occupied till the fork gets here hopefully.

We have a gorgeous Sat morning here in the BACK40. Unfortunately, I will be 'locked down' at the bike shop all day, but here's a little serenity to get your day started:
 
"Unfortunately, I will be 'locked down' at the bike shop all day."
Yes. That indeed sounds unfortunate. I am heading out to the dump to load the back of my station wagon with compost. Jealous?:ninja:
Any day outside is better than a day inside; no matter what the task!
 
RaTs GaSs BO Day #3:

So, with the triple tree fork shipped and on it's way, I got out to the BACK40 pretty early this morning to play with the crank set options. Found a couple of vintage ones and ended up taking both apart to create one for RaTs GaSs ( aka R.G. from here on out).

I took the MX muscle style 48t ring off of a short armed set, and put it on a longer ashtabula crank. I think what I have created is going to be perfect!
95387308_565297331064378_2459470106741178368_n.jpg
95666478_761243694637629_598067637552939008_n.jpg


And it still worked with the stock chain guard as well. My buddy @KJV called me a 'Fink' with his first comment on my thread.... and he's right!
This year I joined the Ratfinks facebook page and it has been really amazing to see the unreal artists and their work, the sharing of 'collections' of the other a-Fink-cianados and some Weird Ohs stuff mixed in as well.

I have wanted to do a more over the top sort of Weird Ohs build, with a hot rod twist to it for a couple years now. I 'Fink' this might be it! :21:

I got ol' R.F.'s approval on the latest addition to R.G. Expect to see more of my little buddy showing up along the way.

RaT (Fink) oN~!

95268259_245128536799067_8817541487588802560_n.jpg
95373971_277881243242924_7351969105684987904_n.jpg
 

Latest posts

Back
Top