Coventry Eagle circa 1973
 

Before
https://www.flickr.com/gp/142098987@N08/ku205D

After
https://www.flickr.com/gp/142098987@N08/sZz596

https://www.flickr.com/gp/142098987@N08/2bFA24

https://www.flickr.com/gp/142098987@N08/7Jp0J8

https://www.flickr.com/gp/142098987@N08/ncPASa

Never done this before so please be nice.... on a whim I've bought an old bike of ebay thinking I might do"something" with it(keeps me out of trouble).
Bought it without knowing what it was or what I would do with it.
After some digging, prodding and poking I now know the following
Coventry Eagle circa 1975 Road/Town bike
27" 1/4 wheel set
3 Speed Sturmey Archer
Brooks B17 Champion Narrow saddle

I've stripped the frame to bare metal and replaced the following
Nitto Moustache handlebar (second hand £19.00) before anyone shouts at me for drilling them:)
Tektro bar end brake levers and cables
Chain
Head badge

Here's where I ask for your advice ..........

I have drilled the bars and brake cables are now inside the handlebars, will tape after i have decided on the respray colour, I have thought about having it lightly blasted and then a few coats of lacquer but again will take any advice given as I have not seen much to give confidence that this will work i.e frame will rust anyway.......
I would prefer the 3spd shifter to be mounted on the down tube, there is a hole for something I assume a previous shifter of some sort so would appreciate some advice on what would fit.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/142098987@N08/ku205Dhttps://www.flickr.com/gp/142098987@N08/ku205D

Sturmey Archer made a beautiful quadrant stick shift for top tube mounting, but these are scarce and expensive.

You could also friction shift with a single downtube lever, as I did after temporarily converting my old low-end Bianchi 10-speed into a 3-speed coaster.

I'm thinking of putting a Sturmey Archer Thumb shifter to the down tube, there is already a hole that would accept a screw/bolt, just need to find the right size.
Sturmey-Archer | SLS3X Brazed On

The hole on the down tube is shown here.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/142098...posted-public/

If you want that bike to be around after the next 43 years, paint it!


It will not survive bare.

Paint goes on last, after I've put it all together I will have a better idea of the paint job I’m after.