Columbia experiment.

[charliechaindrive]

Recently I've came across several of these mid 50s columbias, one being this really sad 55

Dont be fooled, it's not as nice as the stacked instagram filters make it look. Paint is super scratched up, rear fenders too dented up to bother painting black, and it's really chalky all over. Some stupid stuff has happened in the last week for me, and started this project to help keep me sane sitting at home all day now.

took the shelby rack off it and figured my extra jc higgings one looked a little cooler, also dug out my wooden tank i built back in highschool wood shop.

I've got a pre war schwinn forged fork to use (one of my favorite looking options vs whats on it now) and I'll be using the fenders from the Pre war girls hiawatha I parted out to fix a few other bikes. You can see the fenders here on my '46 schwinn b6, they are very straight thankfully.

I got the higgins rack and chainguard sandblasted this morning and over the day I've got a good start on some smaller stuff.

Straightened the legs on the rack by pinching them in the vise over a 1/2 inch solid bar. Than i did a little body work on the chainguard and got the first two coats of the first color set today

Tomorrow morning I'll get the last coat of red down and get the fenders off the schwinn and into the blasting cabinet. I'm tempted to see if it's realistic to try and do the frame in the cabinet instead of getting the big outdoor sandblaster out. That windshield wiper blade stand they threw away from work makes a primo painting stand

 

[charliechaindrive]

Taped off what i wanted to stay red on here this morning

I figured two Coats were good enough for that red. Than i went along with my metallic dark silver, its a Chrysler color called graphite metallic.

My camera makes it look really bumpy, but in person it's spraying just fine. This is only the first light coat and it's covering the red nicely, the fleck really looks nice

funny thing is, without even noticing it in the store the Toredor Ford red i used for the base and chrysler graphite are the main colors on two of my vehicles at home.

 

[Frank and Pam Skid Kings]

Looks like a fun build. Keep the pic's coming.

 

[Steve Frame]

I'm completely infatuated with that Valiant V-8. A sweet little 273?