Ruttman GT150 Restoration

Oldyellow

Oldyellow

Active Member
#3
#3
No on the washer only. I also have a Ruttman GT150 with the 5 HP Briggs virtually identical. Where’d you get that seat Jim. I need one and am struggling. Very very nice BTW thanks for the post.
 
Addicted 2 Minis

Addicted 2 Minis

Well-Known Member
#4
#4
If it were a 65 it would have had a single down tube and it would have been a washer frame. Here's a picture of a very late 64 or early 65 Ruttman, they stopped using the single down tube because they easily broke on mild impacts. To the best of my knowledge, yours is a 69 as that is when they stopped welding the foot bar to the frame and the first year of the riveted serial number plates. The two holes on the front left of your engine plate is where the serial number plate would have been riveted. 66-67 were washer frames with double down tubes, 68 had both washer frames and axle strap frames.

001.jpg
002.jpg
 
Addicted 2 Minis

Addicted 2 Minis

Well-Known Member
#6
#6
Oldyellow said:
I agree. I know this is a 69 because the owner bought it new that year. Or could it be a 68 as I saw no evidence of a number plate.Thanks!
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It gets really hard to tell when they start one thing or end another, The wheels on yours are '69 but who knows for sure as they may have been putting them on in '68 for the '69 bikes. Same goes with engines, they used up stock from the previous year so you may find a '68 engine on an early '69 bike. Ads don't really mean much either, a lot of manufactures used what they had on hand for the next year bikes unless it was exclusive to the year they were advertising it for. A good example is this snippet I took from the '69 Ruttman Judge ad, it's the GT150 but it's a washer frame from the previous year.

Ruttman GT150.png
 
Oldyellow

Oldyellow

Active Member
#7
#7
Awesome. Thanks. You’re on the money. Just because the owner said he bought in 69 it could have been a 68. I know the paint was still original and looked for evidence of rivet holes or even a stuck on serial number. Thank you for your time. Between you and Joe I’m never in the dark on these things. Much appreciated. You don’t happen to know James Ackerman personally by chance do you?
 
Addicted 2 Minis

Addicted 2 Minis

Well-Known Member
#9
#9
Oldyellow said:
You don’t happen to know James Ackerman personally by chance do you?
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No Sir, can't say that I do. Another thing to note is your kickstand, my '69 has it welded and yours is bolted to the engine plate, may have been a difference between a "kit" vs. "complete" bike thing?. Here's a couple shots of the Taco style wheels they used, '68 wheels had smooth webbing like the first picture whereas the '69 wheels had casting bumps in the webbing like the second picture. My guess is, the bumps in the webbing was from whatever casting technique they used to help align the molds better.

68 Taco style wheel.jpg
69 Taco style wheel.jpg
 
Addicted 2 Minis

Addicted 2 Minis

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#10
#10
Oldyellow said:
On me more? Whats the difference between a Ruttman 150 and a 250?
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The GT150 had a Briggs whereas the 250 had a Tecumseh, I believe the engine plate sits further forward on the 150 to accommodate the rear mounted tank on the briggs engine so it could clear the tire. The Tecumseh bikes had a steel vertical seam front mounted tank.
 
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