AdventureManCO 

Okay, adapter made! I just used whatever spacers I had on hand, but it is working, and alignment is great. Honestly the worst part was when I accidentally dropped that little brake nut through the insert of my table saw and had to fish around for it in piles of sawdust (whoops). Don't think this could have gone better, and the engine turning adds just a flare of panache.

I took several measurements of the OD of the adapter, and the ID of the steerer tube, and what I was seeing was several thousands difference between the two, with the insert being smaller. Still I couldn't get it much further than just barely started, so I tried to take off more material. By the time it was said and done, I probably had to use a few hundred lbs of force to get it up in there. But, that is precisely what I wanted, because I didn't want it rocking back and forth. I didn't want a loose fit. Also, you can see I angled it a bit, primarily to save weight (lol)...so that longer part is up against the back of the steerer tube, so that when braking force is applied, it will act as a barrier or stop to the fulcrum of the adapter wanting to rock forward with brake pressure. I did make sure to use plenty of grease in-between the parts, but lets be honest, it is never coming out. And if it breaks off, then I will have to treat it like a stuck seatpost...it is tight.

How did you spend your evening? Sit on the couch and do nothing? Rob a bank? Whatever you did, it was probably more productive and better spent than mine.

stoneageyosh

All I had to do was wait fifteen minutes.

cudak888 

You need a Colnago-pantographed kickstand.

-Kurt

RB1-luvr

jeez, a guy goes bicycle camping for three days and he has to spend his first hour at work Monday catching up with a Huffy/Campy build.

AdventureManCO 

https://www.starlink.com/

RB1-luvr

^^ haha. nope. Maybe for a week or more though.

Hondo6

Well, it's not Colnago-pantographed - but it is Reg Italy!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255883643340

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256010201106

#1000

Mad Honk 

By now the parts I sent to Adventure Man should be there. We shall see what he does with them. I suspect it should be some more fun following the build process. Smiles, MH

cudak888 

Watch out. It's all a ploy to get a dirt-cheap Nuovo Record group for his Paramount

-Kurt

grant40

You should 100% put a tubular disk wheel on the back.

cudak888 

"The new 7,200 RPM Huffy LeGrande."

-Kurt

grant40

You should use a purple Selle Italia Slr gel flow saddle on your Huffy.

AdventureManCO 

Okay! Well, a little update! And according to the 'Box o' Crap' rules, one should realistically provide a picture the day that the box arrives...








First off, a HUUUUUGE thanks to esteemed BikeForums member, and Crapmaster, Mad Honk !!!

Oh, and can I just say, it didn't dawn on my that Mad Honk was the Box 'O Crap Crapmaster for series 9 until today!!! When I look back, it totally makes sense, given some of the references, I just didn't totally make the connection, but knowing that now...I'm even more humbled that the Huffy project has drawn the interest from the 'Crapmaster'...but...I guess it sort makes sense haha!

I'm totally giddy over here. To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm more excited about...the BB cups getting fixed and to be able to continue with the build, the awesome brake adapters and other bits, or that little 'Box 'O Crap' sticker. I never officially signed up for a 'Box 'O Crap' round, so it is an incredible honor to me to be considered an honorary member of the 'Box 'O Crap' guild. I'm over the moon, and the bike will absolutely wear that sticker, and I think I've got the right location - underneath the FD. The Huffente has a sticker there, the 'made by Huffy corp' sticker, but it is damaged and coming off, so it will be removed and upgraded w/ the 'Box 'O Crap' sticker. And the outline and font is even in red...like it was made for the Le Grande! I don't know what the sticker is made of, so I don't know how durable it is, so I'm down for clearcoating it if need be.

I won't be able to do anything w/ the BB cups until this weekend, but I think I'm going to redo the engine turning, for a couple reasons. I've been banging them around, and it was when I very first started out. So it is not as clear as it could be. I want to give it another shot, and shouldn't take that long. Not completely necessary, but again the Le Grande demands the finest quality, so that is what it will get.

I've also been speaking to an esteemed un member about some solutions to the fact that the front brake adapter is currently held on by friction but nothing else. He had a concern from a safety standpoint. I agreed. Yes, we will secure it. However, we have a couple issues...

1) The original hole for the brake post in the fork crown is drilled waaaaaaaaaay off center. I remember someone commented a while back that their eyes were bad...but not that bad!

2) Now that we've got that giant bolt for the front brake going through the adapter, having a giant bolt going through the original hole would would significantly uglify it - and let's be honest, its plenty ugly already.

While I'm happy with the work done, this is not the most dignified look:



It honestly reminds me of a freakazoid creature...something not entirely normal. This is the closest thing I can find...




Hahahahaha...see the similarities? I do!

So I don't want to make it any worse. I think what I will do is pin it, instead of using a bolt. Once a pin is in place, I will grind it down flush and repaint, so it will be mostly hidden. A pin will be lighter as well.

So this weekend should be busy! BB work - red outline on the panto, redoing engine turning, re-installation of adapter, then Campy gore galore! Then the fork work. Yes, I have no life.

AdventureManCO 

I see a Suntour Cyclone FD...I thought we weren't supposed to be showing better quality, superior parts in this thread! Only Campagnolo stuff!

AdventureManCO 

You know Mad Honk, Kurt is right - put nothing past me.

But, in this particular case, why would I need Nuovo Record anything for the Paramount? I found a box of perfectly good parts in the garage that should work just fine!





Bahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

AdventureManCO 

Mmmm...not a bad call, not a bad call at all!

But I've started to get more inspired to go a different direction with the seat (and the overall build) -



Singlehandedly the best picture I've ever seen of a bike

AdventureManCO 

You are an inspiration to the Le Grande project.

AdventureManCO 

That is a gorgeous picture of a Le Grande! Where did you find that? I want that!

cudak888 

Needs a headlight. A very 1970's headlight. Something that the Rosco P. Coltrane-lookin' fellow in the 1973 catalog (you know, of Mr. Funny Trousers & The Bikini) might buy in his local McCrory's in the Sporting Goods section.

Stop laughing. Weinmann 999's don't perform any better

On a computer site.

-Kurt

Hondo6

Dammit, I posted the wrong link! Here's the correct one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256010201106

gilesa

... "I've been thinking of ways to get the lurkers to respond."

The picture of the BB interior did that for me. Can we assume you will spend a couple of hours grinding off those protruding tube ends before fitting the BB? Think of the weight saved!

RB1-luvr

maybe you could fill the unneeded hole in the fork crown with JB Weld?

AdventureManCO 

It’s a good assumption. Someone close to the project whose name sounds like ‘Filliam Food’ brought this up and said I should take care of that.

The estimated amount of time is also fairly accurate, if not somewhat undershooting.

I’ve come to realize that this build story will have 2 arcs…

1) get it on the road with Super Record attached by Jun 3

2) ‘The Biggest Loser’ edition phase which will be attempting to get the bike under a certain weight and will start after the June 3-4 event

Because these two phases are not entirely mutually exclusive, yet not completely symbiotic either, means that I am looking for ways to save weight as I go, but I’m also not really allowed to take things to the extreme.

The headset is a good example. That crown race weighs a TON (Super Record)…but for now I have to use it. If I can eventually find some other headset of equally high quality, but that utilizes ceramic cartridge bearings and therefore can use a 5g alloy crown race, then I will do it, and probably save 40-50g overall. The spindle is another one. The Campy SR bottom bracket is smooth, but let’s be honest it’s a boat anchor. A ti spindle w/ Phil wood cartridge bearings and alloy cups will be way lighter and still maintain an ‘elite’ status toward the bike.

I’m thinking of other areas I can do this with. The seatpost is one of them. Is having ‘Campagnolo’ written across the top worth a 100g penalty? By itself probably not. However, and here is the other variable. If having that Campy part so visible and prominent increases the offensiveness and pucker factor, then the weight penalty is worth it.

See how difficult this is? I know some artists will agonize for years over a single piece of art, and take years to get the exact vision.


That is me right now, and the bike is my canvas.

AdventureManCO 

Looks like we have another Huffy build thread, and somehow I like it way better than my own -

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...k-machine.html


Probably because I can enjoy it from the sidelines without doing any of the work

RB1-luvr

saw this on CL. I mean, with what appears to be aluminum rims, chrome socks and seatstays.... AMCO's brain might explode.

Road bicycle, 27'' wheels,10 speed,XL - bicycles - by owner - bike... (craigslist.org)