LouB 

Makes sense. That would account for the B15 selling for 35 (pounds) and the B17 going for 67. Thanks

rhm

In 1958? That's hard to swallow (). Are you sure that wasn't £3 5s and £6 7s or something? Even that seems a lot of money.

LouB 

Shows as 67/6 in the catalog. Not sure but yup, that does seem like a lot of money for those days.

rhm

I think I'd interpret that as 67 shillings,6 pence; so it could have been written £3 7/6. After 1971 the same price would be written £3.35½

juvela

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Ran across this listing. Looks like the same machine...

Raleigh Lenton Grand Prix Vintage 1958

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LouB 

Yup, thats the one. I had been watching it for a while and could see it appeared virtually undisturbed. Also noted it wasn't a '58 but more likely a '60 or'61. Seller (good guy) and I texted for about a week prior to our visit to our daughter in LA & we made a deal, Also picked up a nice Cinelli bar with Campy levers. I feel very fortunate.

juvela

Beautiful work you are doing there in Saint Anthony; she is a fortunate girl to have come to your hand!

Shall look forward to following the progress.

Interested readers might like to see this resto as well:

Vintage Raleigh Gran Sport RESTORED!

LouB 

I hope when I'm done she comes up to your Gran Sport standard. Gorgeous. Question, did you source the white half hoods or did they come that way. Mine are shot.

USAZorro

Think he's pointing to someone else's sale.

LouB 

ah, correct. Nice bike though. I should come close. Should just need tires, hoods, brake pads, cables, bar tape and a whole lot of cleaning and polishing.

juvela

And the right person for the job!

Owned a late forties Lenton in a colour have not seen elsewhere. A sort of acqua flambouyant. All her fittings were most beautifully made. She put the bike boom herons to shame.

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3speedslow

I have one of the 62 Gran Sports as well. Those half hoods are most always crumbly and shot. I have plans to use the ones offered by VO but wish hey would offer a white version.

LouB 

Wonder if they could be painted with an auto paint that has some elasticity, like what's used for plastic bumpers. May get a couple of hoods from VO and experiment. Does your bike have the original fenders?

rhm

For what it's worth, I have been hoarding a pair of the white GB half hoods, the kind with a horizontal window that fits the adjuster. The kind you see in these photos:



Not my photos. Mine are NOS and, though obviously 50+ year old, they are pretty good.

I'm not eager to sell, but would lend them to someone who wants to duplicate them, whether by casting or 3D scanning.

3speedslow

Those be the ones. It would be neat if someone did a run of these. Kudos to you @rhm for offering them for repo.

3speedslow

I wish, no to the fenders. I have another bike, Rudge deluxe, come with a cracked set but still useable. They will stay with the Rudge because the decal is still readable.

3speedslow

@LouB I will be interested in seeing the results of any experimentation that is done on the half hoods. I have read that the plasti- coat paint used to spray or dip tools in might work as well. Never seen any results.

LouB 

Damn, I love this forum!

LouB 

Those of you that stated the chrome on these old bikes was excellent quality, were spot on. Amazing at what a couple of hours of polishing will do.

3speedslow

That Miller shines ! Great job there.

LouB 

I emailed Velo Orange and got a response right away. They said they would talk to Rustines and see if they would be willing to offer them in white. VO will let me know. Long shot but maybe a solution.

juvela

IIRC the forum had a thread within the past year from a member who developed a technique to save/restore these hoods. Alas, cannot recall poster or bicycle. Perhaps another reader will remember it...

Think we also had a post from a reader who found a source for replacements.

It was necessary for the purchaser to cut their own windows.

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rhm

@iab posted a very interesting thread in which he made a mould from an original hood and cast reproductions; and @bigblock has done something similar working with a machine shop.

I have my doubts, however, that old rubber can be rejuvenated in any useful way. You might possibly get it looking okay, but if it's disintegrating, it will continue to disintegrate with use.

I have no doubt a good 3D print could be made from a 3D scan. What I'm not so sure of is what the material would be. The materials I've worked with were not flexible. There are more flexible materials, but I have no experience with them.

juvela

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Have seen a good number of quality model Raleigh bicycles from the late forties through the early sixties with the tubular style crown we have here. Do not remember seeing before the cap worn in this case. Do the Raleigh experts know what years this was fitted?

Thanks for any information.

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Bandera

"Sheet steel stamping was used in particular to make the Raleigh tubular fork crown....a distinctive feature of Raleigh machines that had been introduced in 1892."

-Framing Production: Technology, Culture and Change in the British Bicycle Industry

"The Tubular Fork Crown is an exclusive Raleigh feature.
It withstands a strain 5 1/2 times greater than what is considered safe, yet it is quite lightweight being made of tubular steel"

-Advertisement circa 1921