(WBO) Steadfast Tin Roller; Unleaded '49 Mercury. FINISHED!!!

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It's been a while since I've posted anything, I've been working on getting everything situated with the springer, I had some clearance issues with the rocker bolts and the spokes on the front wheel. I've also decided to go a completely different route with this build, I'm ditching the fenders, and rack and taking on a simpler board track style, more to come on that later as it comes into being.
 
OH! I love that rack,
I wonder what it would take to end up on my bike...
Really...

Carl.
 
So for the last three days we've been iced over, and here in Texas a little ice means everything comes to a screeching halt, working for an institution of higher learning (UNT) I got two days off with pay as the university was closed, that gave me some time to do some assembly, in my kitchen. This morning I rode my usual 6 miles to work in a mix of sleet and rain, which was followed by a three hour snow shower, this afternoon I rode home in a t-shirt and jacket, as it was in the mid 40's. Texas weather is fickle, and turns on a dime.
So here's some teaser pics of the new stripped down version of my build, it's a roller now, I polished the rims, rebuilt the hubs, greased everything, cut a set of wider apehangers to make a set of "staple" board track bars, mocked up a tail light and got the headlight mounted. Also worth mentioning, the pedals are Torrington 8's, the seat, a bare Troxel pan, and the chain was originally chrome, but wearing a very heavy surface rust, I cleaned it with a wire wheel and now it matches the chrome on the rest of the bike quite well. The seat's set at riding height in the pictures because I had just finished racing my 4 year old son, Henry up and down the driveway. I still have plans to do something with the chainguard , and if time and weather allow, build a tank plate, we'll see where that goes.



 
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Looks great! I'm gonna steal your idea for making those handlebars. ;)
Steal away, that's half the point of these build offs is, giving people insight into the how- to aspect of other peoples building technique, I look forward to seeing people "steal" all sorts of ideas from me, lets me know I'm doing something right.
 
So, I spoke earlier about the ridiculous nature of Texas weather, so when I posted pics Wednesday, it was in the upper 40's sunny, overall what most of you folks up north would call spring. Yesterday, we got 8 inches of snow in Denton, so here's a pic, same bike, same place, two days later;

However, despite the snow and low temperatures, I made it out to the shop/carport, and got the chainguard drilled out, speed holes baby!

I still need to paint it and in doing that match the bike's patina, and once I can spend more than 10 minutes at a time outside, get to work on the tank plate which will some what match the chainguard but also advertise my recycled bike business.
 
I ordered some cream tires off Amazon for my '59 Jaguar, when I got them they were not the ones I had ordered, and not quite what I had in mind for the Jag, however, on this Mercury...kinda diggin' them.




I'll of course be putting them on the chrome wheel set I I just rebuilt for this build, and although they don't really fill out the rear as much as I'd like, they have this cool drag bike feel, that, I think fits.
Sorry, can't seem to get the last picture to rotate, so just turn your heads, you get the idea. Thoughts?
 
Finished...or as finished as it's going to get, and let me tell you folks, it rides even better than it looks. Although I ended up building it up a lot more simple than my first vision, I'm pleased with it all the same, possibly more so.
Pictured below with someone else's trophy, a little tribute to "The Wild One".
 

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