Panels and RockStar Energy Drink!

Side Panels going up!

I have cut and installed a few panels. The trim is not complete yet. I just urethaned a few more balsa strips. Roof and bottom panels still need to be installed. I sent these photos to Rockstar Energy Drink to apply for adverts on the panels that would pay for the electrical assist that goes on next.

Panel trim

I bought some three quarter inch balsa wood. My gorilla glue was all dried up so I picked up some outdoor double-sided tape and stuck it to the bottom of the trim. I made little notches to go around the PVC joint connections. The balsa is very easy to carve notches into. But it also is going to scratch and dent easily.

Hood Panel

Let's cut the top hood panel and see if this design will work

Panel  is cut to size.

Woodgrain Platypus Duct Tape is used like a hinge to secure panel to the PVC pipe.

Wood strips will be used as trim to hide the gaps between  the panel and the frame.

And put the accessories back on the newly painted side extensions.

New attachment for the horn. A tiki torch clamp holds the horn securely to the PVC.

Next I need to buy wider balsa strips for the trim. 1/2" to 3/4" will be better.

Panels and paint

Good outdoor sturdy display board is expensive. I'm looking at $200 plus. So I decided to try some $2.99 a piece foam core to start. Painted with some Krylon outdoor Hunter Green paint. The next challenge will be  to attach it to the PVC pipe. I ordered some wood grain duct tape from Platypus Designer Duct Tape, not available at Home Depot, Michael's Crafts or Joanne's. I hope to wrap it around the PVC and tape it to the panel on each side. Then I will cover the seam with a thin piece of balsa wood as moulding. We'll see. That's why I'm going cheap for the first try.

Measure for panels. Touchup paint where PVC will show that I didn't think would show before. My new panel design will be inset between the PVC, so the PVC will show.

Headlights for bicycles!

I purchased and installed the Dyanamo Retro Classic Chrome Headlights last week.  Now cars can see me in the dark and maybe I can see ahead in the dark. $42 plus retail, $29 on sale on amazon.com.  Note that the bracket is installed backwards to fit the curve of the PVC, making it sturdier with no opportunity to shake or vibrate.

Honda Dream Machine Event

FINALLY! I did the first trek to work on the Dreamcycle. Three miles of sidewalk, crosswalks, city streets and residential cut-throughs. It wasn't as hard as I feared and only took twenty to thirty minutes. I entered it into the Honda Dream Machine event, an event for Honda workers to display their custom cars, classics, and anything and everything they have worked on. Those Honda gear heads are really into cars! (and motorcycles). They appreciated the uniqueness and effort involved in the Dreamcycle.

 Off to the races! Er...display circle.

I scraped a wall next to the sidewalk on the way home and broke the connection of the tie rods to the steering wheel. Pushed it back in and went on. It would fall out.... repeat. Only had a half mile to go so I made it. Screwed it back together the next day.
I discovered through this journey, by the excessive tire wear, that the wheels are not aligned straight. The tie rod that I need to adjust seems to be stubborn and I will have to buy a vice grip to turn the tie rod so that it adjusts its length by threading into the end adjust nuts.