Deep-N-Hock - Shop Day

[DEEPNHOCK]

Just had our first hard frost... Bugs are gone!

Then, it hit 70 degree's today...
Shop cleanup!
Decided to take a shop pic.... Hard to get all three Stude's in one pic...

[63 R2 Hawk]

Very Studebakerish!

[t walgamuth]

Great shop!

[53commander]

Is it weird that of all the things in the shop I want to ride that mini bike?

[DEEPNHOCK]

Is it weird that of all the things in the shop I want to ride that mini bike?

Not at all... (long winded reminiscing reply warning)

My Dad and I built that when I was 11 (or 12) years old.
I had this burning desire to get a mini bike, just like the ones pictured in the back of Hot Rod and Popular Mechanic magazine...
My dad said "If you want a mini bike that bad...build one". So I did.
Bought a stripped Sting Ray bike for 5 bucks from a buddy, and scrounged a riding lawn mower.
Took a bumper jack and spread the forks and rear frame (to fit the bigger tires)...
Hacksawed the lower front frame tubes and bird$#!t welded some water pipe and a hand hacksawed motor plate down there.
Bolted this all together with a direct drive (no clutch/no money)... Got it running clamped in the vice...
Took it down off the vice and pushed it out of the garage, through the laundry room, to the back yard.
My dad had gotten home from work, and I remember my mother promptly escorting him back there to see his (according to my mom) son kill himself on that infernal contraption.
I was proud of my accomplishment. Had no fancy schmancy twist grip throttle. You had to pull on the wind up starter rope while holding the carb lever with the other hand, and shove off with your feet...all at the same time....
Anyways... It actually started and I sputtered out into the back yard... Got it up to about warp 2 (about 12 mph)....
My auburn hair flowing back (oh wait.... I had a mandatory summer butch cut back then...)
I was flying! Then I hit the miniscule bumps where the garden used to be...
The bird$#!t welds broke, the engine rolled bouncing out of there, and I was safely ejected from the tumbling spacecraft.
I remember my mother having this monaural conversation with my dad. But mostly I remember his comment to me.. "Well, it ran pretty good". "Looks like all you need is a good frame". Those words were huge!
We went to the go kart shop over in Carol Stream (IL) and he talked to the guy there, who pulled out a used GEM mini bike frame that had been busted by the fork tube, but they had repaired it and gusseted it by the break. My dad said that was better than new.
Paid him $30 for it. (That's 90 billion in today's kid dollars).
We then went home and built what you see in the pic. Oh, there have been eleventeen engine changes due to youthful exuberance...
But it is pretty much the way my dad and I put it together. Dad died three years later (at only 50 years old).
Never did a lot with the mini bike. Now the retro mini bikes are all the rage. What goes around comes around, I guess.
I just dragged it out to make a pit bike to go along with the race car. Leaving all the old stickers on it, though...

[t walgamuth]

It has a nice stance.

[53commander]

Love the story. I have two similar stories with me and my Dad and me and my son. My daughter got a much safer go cart

[1954khardtop]

Nice shop, and great story. It reminds me of when I was 11 or 12 and wanted a go kart.
My dad encouraged me to build one. I got a book from the library with plans, scrounged some angle iron, wheels and a lawn mower. My dads contribution was hauling the pieces home in his station wagon, giving me a space in the garage to work, and staying out of the way.
I didn't know it at the time, but his not "helping" was the most helpful thing he ever did for me, and very hard for him to do. It gave me the confidence to tackle a project and see it through to completion. I eventually got it going and drove it around the yard.

[Studedude]

*SIGH*
'Sure wish I could come play in your shop, Jeff!

[DEEPNHOCK]

*SIGH*
'Sure wish I could come play in your shop, Jeff!

C'mon down!
Guests welcome.
I have extra brooms!