Update on 1951 Rudge Sports 3 Speed, AKA Morley...
After two years, mostly procrastinating, Morley is ready for the road! As you can see original owner etched his name quite deeply in the one pic, plus a couple other locations.
Mostly original. Obviously new tubes & tires, originals had to be cut off from the wheels. New re-pop grips in the original style, thank you Taiwan Trading Co. One new cotter key for the crank, machined down to fit correctly. New brake pads, safety first! A re-died original Brooks saddle, not sure if the color is correct from new. Few miscellaneous nuts & bolts. Frame pump seems to work. I do need to locate the insert in the nipple end of the hose that allows the air into the tube.
Most work was done by yours truly. With hub, BB, headset cleaning & re-packing left to my LBS good guy Mason of Westerville Bike Shop. Shameless local business plug intended. And I just don't have the correct spanners to do this work yet.
Paint was brought back to life with Meguiers's Pro Line auto paint products. Chrome was basic elbow grease, chrome polish, SS pads and brass brushes. All else was scrubbed clean of 30+ years of oily dust. There has been no paint touch up or anything else. Rust and corrosion will be held in check.
Bike has been ridden several times. I have no reference for what she should ride like, but she is a hoot to be on. Needs some fine tuning for the 3 speed shifting. Rear brake cable is stretched beyond use, but I have a hack in place with a fix ready.
Much to my surprise the dynometer lights work! Bulbs look to be original. I did find a replacement lens for the rear light at Memory Lane in Grand Rapids, Ohio. Original lens was bleached a pale pinkish-yellow.
If there is any advice on placement of clamps etc., I welcome the feedback.
Cheers,
Mike