Pee-Wee's Big Adventure Bike

[Abelugo]

that is vacuuformed, but since it is pulled over a mold rather than into one the plastic is stretched thin, that is why I want to back it with some fiberglass support, also when you cut the plywood and mount it, the piece hold the shape really nice. Atleast that is what the top rear bag did.

 

[Ruddigger]

Ah, so it is. It's hard to see on my iPhone.

 

[Ruddigger]

I've got a few updates of my own, although nothing as impressive as Abe. I got my rear fender painted and striped, and my compass came in the mail too!

 

[kxazbug]

bags look great Abe, im in the process of making them both look the same..ended up just using fiberglass resin to cover my one, only because i was anxious and i could get it right down the street. Abe how will you do the chrome fronts on your bags? the ridges look awesome.. also can you get a new cover for a mesinger seat? i got the correct one finally but it looks like Pee Wee rode it around the world a few times..its kinda beat. bikes looking good Rudd, ahh i remember those days..then comes the fun part of buildning stuff.

 

[kxazbug]

my right bag carved, resined, wood glued on backside..just need to final sand the skim coat of filler..and do whole thing over for other side..this pee wee stuff is hard work

 

[kxazbug]

still need to figure out the chrome fronts, not sure if ill be able to do the ridges as most likely ill be using polished aluminum.

 

[Abelugo]

The ribs are part of the sculpt in the bag, then what I'm going to use is the hobby airplane chrome adhesive tape, on the original bike the used some sort of foil tape also. There is red pinstriping on the ribs,, but I believe its just red under and cut out from the foil. see this image DSCN0132 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! DSCN0079 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

As far as a seat skin, there is a seller on ebay that occasionally had some NOS ones but the base doesn't have any hardware basically a seatpan, foam and skin, I've gotten two from them and they pull right off.

 

[kxazbug]

ill probally do the aluminum for now till i figure the ridge part out, i can cut those sections out and resin it in , thanks on the photo..my bike is what i call Pee Weeesque as itll never be an exact replica. ya i had my mesinger all apart and changing the cover was easy..probally easier to get another one than just the skin.

 

[Ruddigger]

There is red pinstriping on the ribs,, but I believe its just red under and cut out from the foil. see this image DSCN0132 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! DSCN0079 | Flickr - Photo Sharing

I dont believe this is the case. It's definitely red pintsripe painted on top of the chrome tape, probably with a marker pen or a pinstripe brush. You can see the spots where it has rubbed off, if it was simply the red paint from underneath showing through that would not occur.

 

[Abelugo]

good observation, time to bust the French liner and one shot out for the stripes.
Got the second side formed today, I just need to knock it out of the from, I'll be cutting the wood back today also.

I thinking I'll be making a separate pattern for the ribs that is tighter and basically blend it into the bags.

 

[kakemix007]

Has anyone made any further progress on this?

 

[kxazbug]

i think everyones just moving along, building a correct or even close to correct Pee Wee bike is no easy task. Rudd looking at the pics of your bike again do you have the front springer chrome fork rods on upsidedown an wrong direction, i had one of those style forks and figured the hole went on the bottom and facing in to hide it..looks like yours on top

 

[kxazbug]

my bags being fitted up..still have top one to make

 

[kxazbug]

think i may of made the butt area or lense area a bit to big..oh well no goin back now

 

[Ruddigger]

kxazbug, youre probably right about the truss rods, I just have them thrown on there for now, everything is only loosely assembled at this point. As for your bags, yeah, the movie bike has a bit more of a taper towards the back, but that last shot you posted makes me think, "who cares?" It still looks great.

Sidenote, my cousin and her husband stopped by the other day, and the first thing they said was, "what's with the bike? It looks like Pee Wee Herman's bike." Success!

 

[kxazbug]

sizes are a little off and tomorrow is paint day but bags are mounted..waiting on my buddy to finish cutting out my skirt guards and more movie correct looking tank whatever they ares?

 

[kxazbug]

need to finish the rear skirt, mount the siren and fin and prop the rocket ray, not exactly screen accurate but im liking it!

 

[Ruddigger]

It's coming together well. How did you decide to mount the bags?

 

[kxazbug]

i made tiny brackets that go to the holes for the newspaper rack on the bottom and strap brackets to the fender stays, it hovers a hair above the rear fender and comes off in one big assembly as its all tied together. im not exactly happy with the look of the bag fronts, but i have a bunch of extra panels cut out to play with. they are a soft aluminum so im hoping i can make a stamp of some sort to give them the right shape.

 

[Ruddigger]

That seems to be the way the movie bike was done too. I'm envious you're so close to completion!

I made a little headway on the light this afternoon. This thing was pretty banged up and rusty when I got it, but it's all painted and I just added the top fins.