Sunday 5 October 2008: History to Renovate

Old
But not past it
Its first owner
Didn't outlast it

-----------------

And I bought it off only its second owner...

A 1935 Sunbeam (I think it's a 'Low-Built' model). I'd offered him £50, thinking that was too low, and he let me have it for 20 (I tagged on ten for him to get a bottle of wine for dinner that night). It's actually in rideable condition (which I proved by pumping up the tyres and taking it out into the street). But it's going to get a full restoration.

Once I'm back from holiday it'll be stripped down and the frame sent off for a new lick of black paint, with the lugs lined in gold for a period sort of touch. I've found a source for original style decals as well. So new parts? Well the brakes seem to work perfectly well and just need cleaned, and the Sturmey-Archer four-speed hub also seems in working order (a 50s change), but in need of a little TLC. Even the dynamo in that hub still works and the lights light up beautifully!

So at the moment it's looking like a new, longer, seatpin, some replacement black mudguards (again I have a source), some traditional style path racer/roadster cream tyres and a replacement right crank. And that really is it.

I'm planning on riding it on next year's Pedal for Scotland in full 30s regalia (or possibly a WWII RAF uniform...)

• NIKON D40:
• f/6.3:
• 1/800":
• 18mm:
• ISO 200

• viewed 286 times :
• 7 comments :
• show tags

• about anth :
• view blipfolio