this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2025
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So, I had the stupid/great idea to Upgrade my halloween costume. I think it's going to take at least a year's work. I want to take my bike and turn it into a pirate ship. I also recognize that I'm not quite proficient at all of the tasks ahead of me so I thought I'd ask y'all if you had any advice. I'm at the drawing up plans stage. Here's what I've got:

I plan to take a generation one electric terratrike rambler and make a "little" removable shell i can clamp to it, remove it every year &c. for halloween that looks like a small pirate ship i can ride around the neighborhood and give out candy. they, not mine, look like this but i've got more neat shit on minei'll let you guess what my costume is.

so here's a crude mockup of what my trike looks like:
crude mockup of trike

now here's a basic idea of what i'm planning on doing: crude mockup of trike with a boat shell

my first thought for that purple frame outline is to get some PVC, bend it the shape i want, put some cardboard on, paint on some fiberglass, once it's dry sand it and paint it like an old timey boat. attach it with some struts and clamps of some sort i'm sure i can frankenstein together in the back and front, fuck pedaling while it's together just run off the electric. have my crate in the back be the poop deck, maybe put a mast in where my headrest is i dunno.

so: any tips with the fiberglassing? see anywhere I'm going wrong? I've never done anything like this before, it just looks fun.

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i bought my trike a few months ago from a steve who used to make shit for movies, out near santa cruz ca. It would be remarkably serendipitous to be getting advice from the same dude. gave me a little chuckle for a moment.

anyways, thanks so much for the advice. I've got to figure out precisely how i'm going to mount everything (i have a specific type of clamp in mind that i want to buy) but i like your suggestions. should i lacquer both sides of the paper (one at a time)?