RatFinkRacer

Rat Fink Racer

A couple of things have come together to make me build this bike :

-Instead of sitting in 25 miles of peak hour city traffic getting to and from work 5 dayz a week, when the weather is nice I have started riding / catching the train - 4 miles from home to the train station and 2 miles to work from the station at the other end. I have been riding my 3 speed folder, but it's too slow, my 6 speed mtn bike, but it's too normal, my vintage euro road bike but that's too chic, so I need an ol' skool kool commuter with lots of gears.

-Want to ride something kool to the 2014 SaintSide Block party, haven't got a lowrider to take but I think the Fink would be acceptable.

Since I have always liked the style of the Mixte frames (even though 90% for the world seems to thinks it's a "girls bike") and I got this in a lot of 5 bikes for $30, this National Sport 1000 12 speed will become my Rat Fink Racer.

The pic below from the eBay listing shows the starting point - bits missing, rust on frame and chrome, oxidized alloy.

DAY 1

Pulled the bike to bits and de-greased everything with Kerosene.

Stripped paint from frame, fork and chainwheels

Derailleurs pulled apart and lots of bits got de-rusted : if it's an assembly of alloy and chrome, it goes in the CLR, if its all chrome it goes in the Oxalic Acid, if it's zinc or nickel plated it goes in the lemon juice, if it's steel it goes in the white vinegar.

That was it for day 1.... hope I can get those Derailleurs back together.

Another day was spent on the Fink, but then other things took priority.... and the Fink didn't make it to the Block Party, ended up taking the flamed folder instead.

The 27" front wheel was pulled apart ... spokes were not pretty!

After a soak in lemon juice and a polish with Brasso they look much better

Rim, hub and nips were also cleaned and the wheel ended up not looking too bad.

Alloy was polished, deraileurs re-assembled.

Etch and grey primer was applied

followed by a black basecoat and red metalflake for the lugs and fork

...and that's where it ground to a halt.

I have since got a nice chrome 26" rim for the back wheel, I'm taking a gamble that I can lace the 26" rim onto the 12 speed hub and that the 26x1.75 tire will clear the frame, and I have also got some finkishly metallic green paint sitting on my bench (to go under the green metal flake).

Next update sometime in the future :o)