Nice job! What did you put on for wheels? I just picked up an early 60's Racer and would like to get rid of the handbrakes like you did. Any suggestions? I have done some looking around for parts, but not much luck and get tired of cruising Ebay.
The wheels are chrome steel 26” rims w/12 gauge spokes and a single speed coaster in the rear. Tires are 26x2.125 whitewall Duro’s. I replaced the stock Schwinn S7’s with this combo for a couple of reasons
1) The stock rims are pretty crusty
2) Tires to fit the S7’s are almost impossible to find locally in Canada.
Frame clearance with these tires is not a problem on a middleweight. Not sure about the clearance on a racer though, you may have to go with a skinnier tire.
Both rims were ordered from a local shop, they’re not an exotic part, but not usually kept in stock either. Similar wheels in both 26x1.75 & 26x2.125 sizes can be found online http://www.bikepartsusa.com/view.asp?f_ ... +inch&cp=4
Hope this info is helpful & thanks for the compliments
Both front & rear fenders are aftermarket items (not sure of the brand though). The two sets that I have came from Chaingang Lowrider. It looks like there's still a set available:
http://www.chainganglowrider.com/Specials.htm
scroll down towards the bottom of the page to find 'em
I think they would work for a 24x3. The outer diameter of a 24x3 is roughly the same as a 26x2.125. I'll get you a close up pic - it may help you judge if the width is adequate. There is a lot of adjustability with these fenders (the upper mounts aren't pre drilled) you can tweak as needed to get the clearance just right.