Rewind '75 / '76

http://www.carlytati.com/wp-content/...x580-53035.jpg

[IMG]https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5629/2...8ac412a9_b.jpg1975BicyclingAd by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5490/2...a4a4deb8_b.jpgBrouchure4-5 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

What a beautiful job!

Thanks very much for this update. :thumb:

wrt the Lambert-Viscount sealed bearing bottom bracket -

Can recall reading a technical article by Fred DeLong in BICYCLING! magazine BITD on conversion to a standard loose bearing arrangement. IIRC this would have been about 1974. Does anyone else remember this?

Question for the L-V experts -

Did not Lambert make some fully lugged bikes with loose ball bearingL prior to concept of Aerospace Pro? About thirty-five years back I purchased an all-chrome lugged Lambert road frame at a flea market. IIRC it had faux forged dropouts stamped Lambert which looked to have been done by Cyclo. Upon checking the frame's alignment discovered that it had been constructed with seat stays of unequal length and could not be cold set into proper alignment. So had to junk it.

The sealed, press-fit BB can be removed and the shell tapped with Italian threads. You would need to grind down the the protruding seat & down tubes inside the BB shell as well. Or simply fit a thread-less BB (will still need to grind)

There were early lugged Lambert frames with standard loose ball bottom brackets, including ones badged w/ Viking and Reg Davis decals.

Check out Viscount and Lambert Board for lots of good info and helpful folks.

Thanks very much for the response. :thumb:

In the Fred DeLong article mentioned above he wrote that he felt the shell wall was too thin to ream and tap to Italian. Not enough "meat" there for strength/safety. Member JohnDThompson has posted that he did this to an example he owns and it has given years of trouble-free service.

Thanks for the information regarding the early lugged Lamberts. The frame I took in had no transfers or head emblem. The only way I knew it to be a Lambert product was the stamping on the dropouts. ;)

Stealth Viscount
 

Just completed the build on my "Stealth" Viscount. 63cm frame w/ a YST threadless BB and a NOS Tange Cro-Mo fork:



Detailed photos on my Flickr page:Stealth Viscount

Sharp looker. Is the Tange fork a factory replacement from the recall campaign? If not, who or what type of fork did Yamaha provide?

Please share how it handles and ride.

I realize there's many among the C&V type that 'steer away' from them but I'm enjoying learning of the brand plus the build with minor changes. Think they're pretty cool and well worth giving it a chance.

Sorry I don't have much update to report. As of late my only bike wrenching has been putting together a major basterized vintage Stumpjumper drop bar - winter beater.

Not the Yamaha replacement fork.... which came with this frame & I sold. From what i could tell, based on the weight & finish, the replacement forks were from Tange, but likely Hi-Ten not Cro-Mo. But still lighter than the cast aluminum "death fork".

A test ride won't be in the immediate future. Weatherman is calling for cold and windy with flurries through the weekend.

Got out for a quick 10 mile test ride today.... looks like the last decent day for a week or so and lots of yard work to do.

Bike felt light and lively... rolled and climbed well in spite of relatively heavy wheels. I think the cro-mo fork is a big improvement over the Death Fork.

I think I noticed the longer wheelbase, fork rake and more relaxed frame angles. The Nitto Rando bars will have to go. Feel way too narrow. Might go with a shorter stem as well.

I'm picking up a Lambert tomorrow in Rock Island which quite likely was sold by Bike and Hike. They're still in business at that same address and the Lambert came from just a few blocks from there, a friend got it off the original owner who he said was in his 80's now.

Its been some time since working on this project. Needed some bike time therapy ;-) Then looked up my thread here and noticed some flakey site issues and photo's dropped out. Let's hope are viewable again.

Anyways, just some cleaned up parts.

Pedals are SR model SP-150. They seem original to the bike in that year. I suppose the Lambert with needle bearing were no longer available?? Toe clips are UK made Cato.

[IMG]https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/285/32...011f18f9_c.jpgDSC_1372 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

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These parts were fairly scuzzy. Got to love the durable chrome plate by the Brits back then. Cleaned up good.

[IMG]https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2807/3...5698b96f_c.jpgDSC_1422 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

52T and 42T rings had some acid rain like stain and marginal corrosion. Unmistakable Lambert / Viscount parts.

[IMG]https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/636/32...58bb1e2d_c.jpgDSC_1423 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

The pile of hardware to go with it.

[IMG]https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/767/32...83eae530_c.jpgDSC_1424 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

Its now October 2017 and another English made from my wheelhouse is rekindled.

The original Shimano stuff is no more but for a little itsy junked shifter band clamp. The cool looking SunTour levers are now on that re-salvaged clamp. The levers are cute looking with the ornamental chain link running the perimeter.

[IMG]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4454/...1bcaba7e_c.jpgDSC_2214 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

I was unable to source the original Suntour VX mount bolt and bushing so I made the bushing and cut down another Suntour mount bolt. This model never had dropout adjustment / stops. Made my own. All good.

[IMG]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4476/...0d4e7364_c.jpgDSC_2213 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

Loose ball arrangement for the headset.

[IMG]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4467/...3a89a202_c.jpgDSC_2195 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

Freshened Lambert levers, hoods, bar stem and wrap. My guess the levers were outsourced to Weinmann. Bars may have been Lambert / Viscount but I'm thinking GB made them... same goes for the stem.

[IMG]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4446/...a320c567_c.jpgDSC_2194 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4487/...b59d8282_c.jpgDSC_2193 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

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Bye-bye Shimano Titlist, welcome Suntour V-Compe front changer.

[IMG]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4489/...a85d8a48_c.jpgDSC_2211 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

And the Suntour Perfect 888 Winner f.w..
[IMG]https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2839/...d5bde5b5_c.jpgDSC_1420 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

An experiment homemade yoke pulleys with sealed bearings. Complete nonsense but thought it neat with sealed bearings to match the hubs and bottom bracket. Decided against after they don't exactly hang in line, though they do work. Staying with the original.

[IMG]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4454/...de2806e3_c.jpgDSC_2202 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4498/...911e31eb_c.jpgDSC_2222 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

Gone is the original Birmalux post w/ standard rail BMX clamp. Replaced with an SR Laprade, fluted and single bolt.

[IMG]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4499/...071eeb7f_c.jpgDSC_2217 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

When's the last time one has seen a pair of the garden hose made tubular Pirelli Gran Premio's? 700 x 25c / hefty 420gm. Had a nice pair stashed and forgotten. These treads never seem to wear out but the trade off is how hard they ride! LOL Very nice condition however I did re-coat the sidewalls with seam sealer. Figured 'what the heck', the Super Champion Mixte rims are beastly duty ready, so these tubulars fit the theme.

[IMG]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4450/...49c50e3c_c.jpgDSC_2318 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4492/...bb217685_c.jpgDSC_2316 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

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random pics
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[IMG]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4487/...7e00e535_c.jpgDSC_2204 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

This guy wants it ready by Halloween. Thats all for now- cheers

[IMG]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5512/...881137f9_c.jpgDSC_1047 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

Looks great so far!

Is that the same stem?

Great rebuild... thanks for the update! Although I see these for sale locally from time to time, I never see anyone rebuilding one. No one wants to deal with the quirky parts or notorious fork.

Just a shameless hi-jacking: if anybody is interested I have a highly-reworked Viscount with a Columbus steel fork and BB re-tapped for Italian BB and with a re-made seat cluster, too.
It has a dog's breakfast of mixed components but is slightly too big for me (23") and now just taking up space. The PO owner also treated this to a (looks like) Imron blue re-spray. it actually can take 700x32 tires (like the Paselas) but has skinny old rubber on the Rigida rims (campy GS hubs) at present and the Mavic Starfish crank is now a Shimano 600.
I can send updated pix to anybody who bites and am "motivated to sell". Local P/U in the SF Bayarea would be better
than shipping!

Good eye! Not the original stem, it was just for a joke (AVA 'death stem' + Lambert 'death fork'). I'm using the original type.