The original paint on the fenders was so nice I did not want cover it. Also, the deep blue contrasted nicely with the red tires. I had the frame sandblasted at a local gravestone business and then got matching paint in spray cans. I got stencils for the sunburst darts on the frame and I highly recommend them, as I re-positioned them several times and they never lost their adhesive ability. After spraying the sunburst area of the frame white, I applied the stencil (and masking tape). Ditto with the darts on the front fork. Then I did thin layers of the deep blue, removing the stencils before the paint was completely dry. The final stage was the clear acrylic. If you include the new tires, rims and spokes, for a bike that spans 80+ years, and several manufacturers, I think it looks factory fresh and as if it rolled off a designer's blueprint! |
Charles Hurst: Kustom Monark |
While this bike is not a chopper custom, it is far from being a "correct" restoration. It is a custom dressed as lamb, or a restoration dressed in wolf's clothing whatever! More than ten years ago I got the frame from Gordon Bradbury. At the time, nobody was sure what it was. The only thing that was clear was that it was a very early ballooner. After consulting many people and looking through literature, I believe Leon Dixon's opinion that it is a late 1930's Monark. The saddle came from a 1920's Mead Pathfinder. Chuck Leipham restored it and I intended to put it back on the Mead, but it looks so darn good on this bike, I think it has a permanent home there. I also got the 1930's McCauley aftermarket chain guard from Gordon. The deep fenders and tail reflector are late 1940's Monark. I think the front fender light is a 1937 Columbia. The screw holes fit perfectly with the holes on the fender, and it looks good too! The springer fork is a reproduction, and gives a great ride (not spongy at all). The rims are alloy. I do not recall if the handlebars are 40's or 50's and exactly what they are. The handlebar stem is from a Mercury. The pedals are reproduction. Lastly, I chose a late 50's/early 60's Bendix red band two speed kickback hub. I live on a hill so I used a Wald chain ring with only 40 teeth. It's a great combination with the 2 speed hub. |
The original paint on the fenders was so nice I did not want cover it. Also, the deep blue contrasted nicely with the red tires. I had the frame sandblasted at a local gravestone business and then got matching paint in spray cans. I got stencils for the sunburst darts on the frame and I highly recommend them, as I re-positioned them several times and they never lost their adhesive ability. After spraying the sunburst area of the frame white, I applied the stencil (and masking tape). Ditto with the darts on the front fork. Then I did thin layers of the deep blue, removing the stencils before the paint was completely dry. The final stage was the clear acrylic. If you include the new tires, rims and spokes, for a bike that spans 80+ years, and several manufacturers, I think it looks factory fresh and as if it rolled off a designer's blueprint! |
