Pee-Wee's Big Adventure Bike

I'll probably only make a few vacuum formed tanks, mainy because I've got three DX's, you can get repo metal tanks with the brackets from bicyclebones on ebay for 95 shipped.
 
1983/5 Schwinn Cruiser

I'd like a vaccu-formed tank if anyone sucks some out.

I just scored a 1985 Schwinn Cruiser off of Craigslist last week - got it for $110!
I bought it from the original owner, who bought it in West Covina (30 miles from Burbank Studios!) in 1985. The bike was manufactured in late 1983, so I guess it was sitting in the bike shop for more than a year.
I thought I'd share some pics to show what was coming on the Schwinn Cruiser circa filming of P.W.B.A.
How many parts can you count that are correct for the X-1?

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Has anyone identified what brand of coaster brakes are on the museum bikes?
 
if you got a mesinger seat out of it, you can probably use the seat, seat post, seat post clamp, headset, gooseneck, chain wheels and bottom bracket nuts and cups, the handlebars should be 30" wide, you might have 28". The frame is wrong. Are these any other markings on those wheels?
 
No other marks on the wheels. Front hub says 'Made In Japan'. They seem pretty generic. Yes, seat is a Mesinger.
Awesome wheel reference!
So maybe it seems an 83-85 era Schwinn Heavy Duty (with added springer, in a perfect world) would be the 'ultimate donor bike' to get most of the stock 80s era Schwinn parts out of the way?
In any case I plan to strip this Cruiser, use all the parts (wheels too), then flip the frameset.
 
The Hero Bike wheels look like they came off an old 60's Schwinn Stingray. See where the spokes meet the inner rim, there is some ribbing that is on the the inner rim that is perpendicular to the wheel. I can see the detail you posted in your shot of the Hero wheel. I know this because I had to clean those damn wheels for my Dad years ago. You might check that route too.
 
That's cool did you make your own table or are you lucky enough to work near one... We had one at work they sent it to the TJ factory and it just sits there doing nothing... :angry

I have other tanks that could be vacuum formed as well $$$ :love

Please keep us updated on your progress I would like to do my own someday very interesting! :confused


I happen to work near one. Just gotten very busy this month at work so progress with be slower.

Still looking for the correct fenders and wheels.


O and i checked my museum photos and they are just as blurry as yours
 
Those look like a great find - if they aren't correct enough for you I'd be interested!
Does it look like the 'Security' bike is a Worksman?
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Between Schwinn Heavy Duty and Worksman, it seems like they could have gotten all the off the shelf 80s parts (heavy spoked wheels especially) by raiding studio lot bicycles that were already on hand.
 
Does it look like the 'Security' bike is a Worksman?

It sure is. NPR did a cool story on the Worksman company a couple years ago. Here's a link to the story:
Nation's Oldest Existing Bike Maker Keeps On Rolling : NPR

This recent bout of warm weather allowed me to make another saddlebag. They aren't 100% screen accurate, but I'm not bothered by it. I just want to finish the bike.
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As far as wheels go, mine are cheapies that I got on Amazon. Made by Wheelmaster, size 26 x 2.125. They are sold built-up with hubs and spokes. Front wheel was about $18 and the rear was around $29.
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On a fun note, I have an old DX-looking American Flyer that I'm building up as a daily driver. The forks were bent inward but my buddy has a vintage fork straightener that fixed the problem in a matter of seconds. It works like a car jack. You ratchet the handle until the forks look good.

Before pic:
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Jack,
I've got a Hawthorne with a similar look, I'm currently changing the front fork to get a headlight on it. Your's might be a CMC and apparently is prewar with that style rear chain adjuster.
 
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Jack,
I've got a Hawthorne with a similar look, I'm currently changing the front fork to get a headlight on it. Your's might be a CMC and apparently is prewar with that style rear chain adjuster.

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Wow! That's a great looking bike, Abe! Yes, I figured mine might be prewar due to the rear dropouts. I'm having a tough time finding adjuster screws for it. They seem to be an odd size; I may need to come up with a workaround. I got the frameset for free so I'm not looking to bring it to stock condition. I'm building it up with a mish-mash of spare parts that I had laying around. It currently has a Schwinn chainring, Sugino crankset, Monark stem, Wald handlebars. It's like the Johnny Cash song "One Piece at a Time." I'd like to make a tank for it sometime this summer.
 
Just stumbled onto this on the internet... Pretty awesome... This is the miniature used in the dinosaur dream sequence... I guess its on display in some studio office... There wasnt much info about it...

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