Rockafella - 1953 Ruff Firestone Super Cruiser - Completed Ride Video +MajorAward+RollingStoneCover

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Janet asked if you were buying the old senators gate, and if it'll be a vacation rental?

Oh no, I'm not buying anything extravagant. Just an old 1940s small bungalow that also has a detached 1 bedroom apartment.
 
Oh no, I'm not buying anything extravagant. Just an old 1940s small bungalow that also has a detached 1 bedroom apartment.
rental properties are actually a good investment i own 5 and am buying more they make me money when the bikes do not as long as you screen the tenants really well i actually got a deal with the Cowley county sheriffs department where the work release inmates do maintenance in exchange for using one of my properties( got a friend who works there and is good friends with the sherriff) so if you go that route you might think about something like that its a good investment as far as rockefella goes gorgeous brother just gorgeous i love it specially th checkered seat i need to find me one of those reminds me of the bmx days and fits the rat rod theme quite well and nanner puddin is truly an advaced build that would so be a great idea to mas produce i know they would probably outsell the repop sting rays and are better quality as far as that raleigh chopper what an amazing find!! i love them choppers ad had one as a kid but i trashed it wish i kept it that one looks like with a little cleaning it will come to life again and be worth quite a bit i am betting if you did sell it it would get in the 5"s ( hundreds) at least possibly more some of these raliegh choppers are selling for more then krates as always looks like you got an amazing build going on bro cannot wait to see it done
 
Still no work done on Rockafella. I'm in the middle of buying a rental property. I did manage to get in a ride and Fountain Pic on Nanner Puddin yesterday though.

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And then today I got a call from a local salvage friend of mine and I now own this Raleigh Chopper. On the way home I had to stop, pull the bike out, and take advantage of this photo op.
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:) He found this under a stack of trash.

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UNDER A STACK OF TRASH?!? SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT HOW YOU DOWN SOUTH CATS HAVE ALL THE DECENT BIKES. UP HERE WE GOT CRAP!! NADA!! ZILCH!! YOU LUCKY....

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
 
rental properties are actually a good investment i own 5 and am buying more they make me money when the bikes do not as long as you screen the tenants really well i actually got a deal with the Cowley county sheriffs department where the work release inmates do maintenance in exchange for using one of my properties( got a friend who works there and is good friends with the sherriff) so if you go that route you might think about something like that its a good investment as far as rockefella goes gorgeous brother just gorgeous i love it specially th checkered seat i need to find me one of those reminds me of the bmx days and fits the rat rod theme quite well and nanner puddin is truly an advaced build that would so be a great idea to mas produce i know they would probably outsell the repop sting rays and are better quality as far as that raleigh chopper what an amazing find!! i love them choppers ad had one as a kid but i trashed it wish i kept it that one looks like with a little cleaning it will come to life again and be worth quite a bit i am betting if you did sell it it would get in the 5"s ( hundreds) at least possibly more some of these raliegh choppers are selling for more then krates as always looks like you got an amazing build going on bro cannot wait to see it done

Thanks man! Feeling like I have too many irons in the fire right now. This is our third rental property and will bring us up to 6 units. It's definitely a smart part of our retirement. If you buy smart and lay down solid ground rules, it's a great way to invest.

It's gonna be July before I can really work on Rockafella.
Nanner Puddin is a long term build out and realistically won't finish until next year. But I can still have fun with it.
The Chopper should clean up nicely. Hope you're right about the value.
Cheers!
 
Finally did a little work.
I concentrated on hammering out some of the dents factory indention on the deep fenders so that they can cover these fat wheels and tires. Most of that work turned out good, but it looks like I am going to have to do some thinking on the fender struts to make these work with this wheelset both front and back. The front is more complex because I need to make them work AND not interfere with the springer action and rocker arms. The fender tucks well into the springer fork legs.

I really like the rusty patina on the fender struts, so it will be a challenge to extend or bend them and keep the look they have.

I also trimmed off a piece of the headset cap piece so that it would work well with the springer.

I have a couple of Monark paisley chainrings and dogleg cranks. 44T and 52T. I think I am going to run the 52T since my rear cog is 22T. I still need to clean up the chainring, but I went ahead and put in the bearing cups and bearings from the 53 Firestone.

I need to jump back on the tank soon, but I am liking the V shape of it a lot on this bike.

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I am pretty sure on the bars that I want to use on Rockafella, but I need to wait on them. In the meantime, I mocked up this wacky idea of flipped Screamer bars. Part of me thinks they are horrendous, but the other part of me kinda likes them. Give me your honest thoughts on them.

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I am pretty sure on the bars that I want to use on Rockafella, but I need to wait on them. In the meantime, I mocked up this wacky idea of flipped Screamer bars. Part of me thinks they are horrendous, but the other part of me kinda likes them. Give me your honest thoughts on them.

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So much love for this beast! All the parts, old and new just fits together perfectly! As for the flipped screamer bars....ummm IMHO, listen to the part of you that says "this is nuts!" and wait for the bars you ordered :crazy:. However, based on your past builds listening to that part can be a good thing too ;-)
 
So much love for this beast! All the parts, old and new just fits together perfectly! As for the flipped screamer bars....ummm IMHO, listen to the part of you that says "this is nuts!" and wait for the bars you ordered :crazy:. However, based on your past builds listening to that part can be a good thing too ;-)
Good advice.
We don't need another KF handlebar fiasco.
 
This may just be a Jake like distraction :)
Or it could turn into Imelda Barcos Part Deux

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NO...NO! Maybe I wasn't clear...NO...NO But It's your bike.
 
Forget about a pig bike, this is screaming donkey.
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If I ever use these flipped screamers, I'll call the bike the Screaming Donkey
 
This bike is so cool with the vintage Monark tin! :cool2::thumbsup:

No use mincing words here since you asked... Please don't kill this bike with crazy bars!!!

Also, while I'm giving my opinions (I hope you don't mind), the chain guard placement has been bugging me from the beginning. The horizontal line on the chain guard desperately needs to be level with the ground along with both front and rear fender braces. I realize that your working around the chain line but you could either raise the front or notch the rear (or a combination of both) to make it work.

There, I said it. I feel better now.:soapbox:
 
Opinions and feedback are always welcome! They are part of what makes build offs so much fun!

I'll ease everyone's worries. I do NOT plan to use the Screaming Donkey bars on Rockafella, but it is always fun trying stuff out.

All of thw chainguard mockups have just been to hold it in the approximate space with scotch tape paper towels and bubble gum. Getting the cranks on was a step closer to determine final placement since ill have to fabricate the brackets.
 
Does anyonee have any tricks to extending fender braces?
 
Does anyonee have any tricks to extending fender braces?
If you just need them longer to reach the axle you might try the metal strips with holes in them. I think you can get them in the electrical department.
Or some thin flat stock you drill holes in the ends, and bolt them through the holes in the stays.

Get fancy with a file or grinder to shape them to match/fit the flow.

Right?
 
You could get some extra braces, cut the sides off, sandwich them behind the existing braces and slide them in place to get the length that you need. Then just drill a couple of small holes and bolt them together.

Cheap Wald braces are easy to come by if you don't have any donors.

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