# The Betty



## Woodtickgreg (Aug 9, 2019)

Well after I fi ished my custom red typhoon cruiser my girl said I had to build her one. So this build is called the Betty, it's another custom cruiser. 
So this is what I started with,  a 1953 Schwinn Spitfire.








I love this style of chaingaurd.



It spent its whole life in the Detroit area.



Original tires, I sold them at the Ann Arbor swapmeet.



Painted S-2's



Original kickstand.



New departure rear hub, I replaced that, you'll see with what later.



Nice AS clamp and bolt.



So this is what I started with.


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## GTs58 (Aug 9, 2019)

Looks like that has been kept original all these years. Usually the girls don't like them there seats. That serial number was also used in 1952 but I think you got the correct year pegged looking at a few of the components. 
Have fun!


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## Greg M (Aug 9, 2019)

I hope your lady isn’t named Veronica.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

So i put the spitfire up on the work stand and stripped it down.



Didnt take long to get to this point.







All the stuff that's going to powdercoat.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

So while the frame and other parts where at the powdercoater I started working on other parts for the build. I took a lot of the parts to my work and glass bead blasted them to clean them up. I also like to keep some of the metal parts raw and I just clear coat them. It leaves them with kind of a grey metal finish that I like and still protects them from rusting. 
Original kickstand before. 



After a trip to the glass bead cabinet. 



It's an original Miller brand.



I used rust-oleum clear enamel to seal it.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

The seat post and clamp got the same treatment. 



Before.......



After, even the Schwinn script on the seat post cleaned up real nice. 







A little clear coat to protect it. 



I like the look.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

Next up was the crank, nice dog leg style. I use fine scotch brite pads and 0000 steel wool to clean a lot of parts. I barely touched the chrome on the crank and it came right off! But it revealed the copper plating beneath it and I thought it looked cool so I went with it. I think it will fit nicely with the direction I'm taking this build. 



Original Wald crank. 



The copper looks cool in my opinion. 



A little clear coat so it doesn't tarnish. 







And it still has a little patina. 



This was a mistake that turned into something cool. You'll see as the build progresses how it will fit in.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

I picked up some nice cream colored tires and a set of new fenders for the build since this is a custom. I saved the original fenders incase I may need them for a restoration in the future.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

Since it was missing the original head badge I found this one on Ebay. 



I think it'll look nice on the bike.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

Next was preparing the S-2 rims for powdercoat. 



The wheels will get new spokes so I just cut the old ones out because most of them where so rusty they wouldn't turn. 



Hubs will not be used so I bagged them for use on other projects. 



Some rim dings and dents will be tig welded up and ground smooth before they go to powdercoat.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

I gathered up some new parts for the build. I found a black L.E.D. head light for the bike, it will have very little shiny chrome on it.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

I finished preparing the rims and smoothed out the welds. I drilled and chamfered the holes for the new larger 12 gauge spokes  before sending them to powdercoat. 

This will be smoothed further.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

Yay! Box of parts back from powdercoat! Grape ape!







Black S-2's 



I had the spring for the fork powdercoated too.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

First new part on the Betty.  New Schwinn sticker on the chaingaurd.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

Front wheel build. 
Box of 12 gauge spokes and a newer front hub to go with the freshly black powdercoated rims.



All laced up. 



And trued. 



I had to mount a tire up to see how it was going to look. 







Adding  new parts is the fun part of a build after all the cleaning.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

Frame is back on the work stand and the first part is put on. The head badge.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

When I was at the Ann Arbor swap meet I found a nice rear rack and new reproduction tail light for the bike. I know it's not the period correct piece for the bike but it is a custom build and I think it looks cool. 
As purchased with the mounting clamp and struts.



The new light.



Fits the rack perfectly. 



I took it to work. 



For a visit to the glass bead blasting cabinet. 



Cleaned up nice. 



Ready for powdercoat.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

Next was to prep the Springer fork for installation. 
The old bearing race looked great but was to small for the newer fork, so I opened it up a bit with a dremel. 



Then I made a race driver on my southbend metal lathe to drive it on.



I seated the bearing cups. 



And installed the fork with clean and repacked bearings. 



I think the purple spring looks cool. 



Not much chrome.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

Black handle bars and the black headlight went on next.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

Next was the copper crank assembly with clean and repacked bearings and the kickstand.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

Next was the seat post and clamp. 




The new seat.



The rear rack.







Grips



And new white bow style pedals.



Front wheel and new black powdercoated fender too.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

Well I need a rear wheel so I cleaned up a used bendix red band 2 speed kickback hub for the wheel. 
As purchased. 







Cleaning the petrified grease out of the hub body. 



















The brake disc all looked great. 



All back together. 







Hardest part of this job was drilling out the holes for the 12 gauge spokes. The hub flanges where hardened, was tough even in a drill press.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

I mounted the hub in the frame to repaint the red bands. 



Then I laced it up and trued it.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

I mounted the new tire and installed the wheel assembly with a new nickel plate chain, and the chaingaurd. 











And a new ring dinger.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

Next was some new peel and stick decals to dress it up a little.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

And the final and most important part of the build.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2019)

My Betty with her new Betty.


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## GTs58 (Aug 10, 2019)

***********************BRAVO!*********************​


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## Wards Guy.. (Aug 10, 2019)

Great job!!! Nicely done!!!


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## Hammerhead (Aug 12, 2019)

Very nice work, and great pics.
Hammerhead


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## Sven (Aug 13, 2019)

EXCELLENT!!!!
GREAT JOB  on "BETTY"  As well as the illustrated progress.


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## Woodtickgreg (Aug 13, 2019)

@Sven @Hammerhead  Thanks for the comments on the pics. I dig doing builds like that so people can follow along, it keeps it interesting for everyone I think. I also think it can be a great way to share knowledge to folks that may not have done things like this before, it may give them the confidence to try their own build or restoration. I'm no expert, I just enjoy what I do and like working with my hands.


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## Mymando (Nov 19, 2020)

Hello I want to ask you what size spokes you used on the 2 speed S 2 wheel? And add what a awesome job you did on this bike! Thanks


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