# New to the ballon tire bikes



## proto2000 (Apr 5, 2008)

Hi all, I'm a MTBer and saw a picture of a really sweet looking klunker bike, I knew had to build one. I picked up this bike as is and want to hot rod it but want to check with more informed people to see if I am making a mistake. I would rather do this to a bike which is low valued that a possible high value bike. I would have to strip and repaint the the whole bike and only reuse certain parts, but I would do all of it just in case I wanted to restore it to original or as close as I can to original. It's a Western Flyer badged bike but seems to have a Schwinn fork and probably some other parts too. The rear wheel(brake arm) has Shimano on it so must be added too. Give me an idea of what to do with this. I won't do anything with it for at least 2 weeks and after that it's going to get a facelift and boojob, that is unless I'm commiting a mortal sin.


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## old hotrod (Apr 5, 2008)

I would look for another frame to use and think about restoring this one but it will be expensive since it appears to have been pieced together. The frame, chainguard and rear fender look like a Shelby which is a popular bike to restore. As you have already noticed, the seat and fork look like Schwinn maybe off a middleweight and the sprocket looks like it may be off an Elgin but still may be correct. So for the most part, you have a frame, chainguard, and rear fender off a late 30s collectible bike. 
There are probably sturdier frames to build a klunker out of...Schwinn the most popular. I have seen several klunkers built from later cantilever frames and these are very plentiful. I made one out of a 40 Schwinn DX and now I am returning it to stock.


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## proto2000 (Apr 5, 2008)

*Good thing there are forums*

Thanks HR. I was getting that feeling after looking at the bikes all over the net. Seems that Shelby's are popular as is or restored. The cost doesn't frighten me, it's the waiting for the correct parts to surface. I was building a 20 lb. MTB for 6 months and finally sold it because I got impatient, not good to be that way I know but at least I know this. I still want to build the klunker, guess I'll have to search for more options. Thanks again, I'll leave this one alone.


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## old hotrod (Apr 5, 2008)

You also might want to search the vintage forum at http://www.mtbr.com/ for more klunker/clunker tips. There are several issues with building one from an old style frame-like bad brakes, cracked, brittle frames and tiny seatposts. That was why I recommended the later cantilever frame. A few people have welded new seat tubes in so they can run the traditional sized seat posts and welded brake posts on for v-brakes.


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## militarymonark (Apr 5, 2008)

Contact JE on this thread he is restoring two of these bikes right now and he might have parts. Here are some ebay items that your bike may need http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-1936-37-SHE...QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Shelby-Airflow-B...QQcmdZViewItem
you can buy this set and sell the worst of the rear fenders


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## militarymonark (Apr 6, 2008)

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-1930-40-SH...yZ156523QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
here is a rack


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## proto2000 (Apr 6, 2008)

*This is what I want to do*

Here's a picture of what I was hoping to do with the bike I have. I won't be cutting or modifying any of the original parts, only repainting  some of them and then using newer BMX and MTB stuff to make a SS hot rod cruiser. I have a machine shop so any parts that don't fit can be modified to fit, that way I leave the originals alone.It only looks like a klunker but rides like a cruiser. I have a SS 1995 Team Ibis Mojo that I take off road so this will be a street only bike. Still a bad idea?


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## J.E (Apr 6, 2008)

I've got a couple bikes that would be good rat rod canidates if you would like to do some trading.


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## old hotrod (Apr 6, 2008)

Not a "bad" idea, in fact, we had a ride today with over 30 antique and vintage bikes and one of the regulars was riding a klunkerd Shelby, same frame and original truss suspension fork...shock-eez I think. A very cool ride indeed. In my opinion, it is your bike, do what you want, it is just that some of the old frames don't handle the abuse of off roading and curb hopping too well so I would just keep that in mind...otherwise ride the hell out of it. Here are pics of mine, 40 Schwinn DX, alu rims W/sturmey archer 3-spd drum brake in the rear and Sturmey drum in the front. Race Face cranks, Monark fork. 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/david-quickpic/1280570770/in/set-72157602356066779/


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## proto2000 (Apr 8, 2008)

*Airflo it*

I like your bikes in the link. I did buy those parts on eBay so it seems I'm going to Airflo this one since I have a good start. My Hot Rod will wait until I do my homework and find a good candidate. I'll be in here asking for more advice whenever questions come up and I'll try to keep up with a photo log. One more thing, should I have the bike repainted or leave it as is? I think that the bike was "repainted" since it is cracked looking.


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## Honter12 (Apr 8, 2008)

*nice*

wow old hotrod that bike is phat. I did somthing kind of like what you guys did except I took a old cleavland weld roadmaster and turned it it into a 21 speed lowrider. its sweet. I've never seen a klunker, I want to make a Klunker now those are cool.


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## ColsonTwinbar (Apr 8, 2008)

heres a cool link for building one of those bikes up. I'm gonna get around to doing one some day. http://clunkers.net/


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## old hotrod (Apr 8, 2008)

Klunkers are throwbacks to the origin of mountainbiking. Hippy bike nuts in the Bay area converted/modified old bikes into off-road worthy downhillers and somewhere picked up the nickname klunker/clunker. My bike was built to be a tribute to mountainbiking and those before me. Here is a site with some of the history associated with the bikes. 
http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/alansbikes.htm


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## 37fleetwood (Apr 8, 2008)

I used to work in a bike shop for a year or two and became familiar with the stories. Joe Breeze and Gary Fisher were a couple of the main guys who started the mountain bike thing. they both still make bikes. check out the breezer bikes, some are moddelled after the Schwinn DX he used to ride.here are a few sites to look at.
http://www.klunkerz.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Fisher
http://www.breezerbikes.com/breezeBreezerH_popup.html
http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/repack_results2.htm
Scott


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## Aeropsycho (Apr 9, 2008)

*NO BRAKES for HIPPIES!!!*

Hey I grew up in Ocean Beach CA around hippies they didn't ride bikes!!!

I did this stuff in the late 70s early eighties at Lake (quwe a mac ah) down the fire roads up there Damb Near Kilt Myself I had a special grease packed 52 Bendix Coaster Brake hub Dia Compe MX rear brake and I still could not stop I used to put 80-90 pounds of air in my Snakebelly tires Too I never could find a Prewar schwinn around.. and I am sorry to say never or knew about these Pioneers... until 93 but I consider myself to be similar in nature back then... I even went on a tapanga race and came in 25 out of 100 with a one speed I had to run uphill with my bike!!!:eek: 

I think as long as your keeping the bike running which ever way you can so what!!...

I found a guy riding down at the beach on this strange single tubed frame cruiser with a tab hanging down I told my friend about it he said when you see him again tell him I will buy it! So when I found the guy he said sure!!! 80 bucks... well little did I know about it back then.. it was a AEROCYCLE frame!!! :eek: 

I know where there is 3 or 4 more of thous Shelby frames 

I HATE PA-CHU-LIE OIL!!! 

J...


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## 37fleetwood (Apr 9, 2008)

that is why they called that one ride "Repack", because after each ride down the mountain you had to repack the hub! 
Scott


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## eazywind (Apr 9, 2008)

*we are everywhere*

Some of us do. Some of us collect bikes also. Some of us ride 4 grand carbon road bikes and ride over 5 thousand miles a year in spandex looking like Lance Armstrong (except I have long hair ), much to the chagrin of my retro buddies. I guess I am a jack of all trades. I don't drive, am a vegetarian, go see jam bands all over the US along with the forementioned bike stuff. But I also like country music, retro music, metal and alt rock, hanging out with good ol' boys and girls, retro boys and girls and roadies also. People are people. Alot of them are Jerks. Alot of hippies are jerks also. I have found good and bad people ( and have probably been one or the other myself ) in all walks of life. Got to agree with you on the Pachulie though. I have never liked it. Like another musky plant smell though. 




Aeropsycho said:


> Hey I grew up in Ocean Beach CA around hippies they didn't ride bikes!!!
> 
> I HATE PA-CHU-LIE OIL!!!
> 
> J...


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## proto2000 (Jul 21, 2008)

*Hippies are cool so are you*

I've been collecting my butt off trying to get the goods for a Western Flyer Airflo build and I'm sooo close. I need just a few parts to complete this but they are the tough ones. Tank, good luck I know. Bars, someone selling repops on ebay 200 bucks but need chrome. Neck, even harder than the tank I think. Thats it and I'll be riding the sweetest bike ever built. Remember that I am a MTBer so the dollars don't scare me, we all know how expensive those parts are and I have 4 of them. I'm gonna build this bike come hell or high water. Once I'm done I will post pics.


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## Flatblackkustoms (Sep 29, 2014)

*1940/41 Shelby Airflow klunker*


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## Flatblackkustoms (Sep 30, 2014)

honter12 said:


> i've never seen a klunker, i want to make a klunker now those are cool.



do it!


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## Flatblackkustoms (Sep 30, 2014)

Honter12 said:


> I've never seen a klunker, I want to make a Klunker now those are cool.



DO IT!



Video: Lars Sternberg and Friends Go Klunking

http://www.bikemag.com/videos/video-lars-sternberg-and-friends-go-klunking/


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