I have a little bit of progress to report from this week.
First, I picked up a couple of white grips, along with a few other parts, at the Springfield, Missouri Bicycle Swap Meet this Sunday. I don't know if I'll use them, but I'm willing to give them a shot.
Next, I tried mocking up a couple other chainrings earlier this week to see if I could make do with what I already have. First I tried this Murray chainring with the extra holes for mounting one of those plastic covers some of the Spaceliners had. The chrome's good on it, and it's got potential, but I still don't like it as much as the previous chainring I had on it.
Next, I tried this 5 spoke chainring off a later model Huffy bike. Can't say I'm the biggest fan of it either.
Today, I cut out a block of wood to help keep the seat stays wide enough where the rear tire is at its thickest while I narrow the rear triangle.
Lastly, I did some scouting for paint options.
I found this engine paint that, based on the cap, would make a great anodized gold color for all the parts I wish to paint that way.
I also found some lime green, bright green, and teal spray paint that matches the digital mockup of the bike I made earlier.
But I also came up with this other color palette I really like too, with lime green, bright blue, navy blue, and black. I feel like I need to explore a few more color options before I decide on paint.
While I was at Home Depot, I also picked up some 3/8" threaded rod and some nuts and washers to squeeze that rear triangle down to the width I want.
Progress has been a little slow this month, but I'm ready to kick things into high gear and start ordering parts soon.