No Worries Greg. Easy when you just drag and drop your file/picturs onto your post.Will call you on weekend.
Restoring the last of the series "A" Comets.
- Thread starter greg brillus
- Start date
Any chance of a Series A single joining the NZ tour with its bigger twin brothers?
Hi Greg
I may be bale to offer some help with some of your questions. I currently own the 2nd from last Series A meteor which left the works sheet shows it left the factory on 23rd June 1939. The bike was restored with an objective of achieving as much attention to detail to making it totally original spec as possible. Im no technical expert with these bikes but it did come with numerous lever arch files full of technical drawing specs and notes gathered over the 12 year restoration (many letters and details from Bob Stafford). Ive not looked through them all but am happy to look at the nike and the files to help answer any questions that you may need more info on. see attached image of bike. Let me know if i can help
regards John
I may be bale to offer some help with some of your questions. I currently own the 2nd from last Series A meteor which left the works sheet shows it left the factory on 23rd June 1939. The bike was restored with an objective of achieving as much attention to detail to making it totally original spec as possible. Im no technical expert with these bikes but it did come with numerous lever arch files full of technical drawing specs and notes gathered over the 12 year restoration (many letters and details from Bob Stafford). Ive not looked through them all but am happy to look at the nike and the files to help answer any questions that you may need more info on. see attached image of bike. Let me know if i can help
Beautiful John and thanks for sharing. You have a photo of the other side? No doubt Greg Brillus who is restoring the A Comet for Violeta and I will be in touch. Be nice to show Marty Dickersen his old bike in its rightful glory.
Interesting the clamp arrangement for the rear spring box damping, on John's bike they look simpler than the two piece band type and a wing nut verses the brass knurled wheel type of adjuster. Any chance of a closer photo of this set up thanks John. Ok I'm guessing it looks like the steel hubs were painted black, not sure on the spoke flanges, but hub bolts and nuts/washers were probably cadmium plated. Can anyone answer, most all of the attaching hardware seems to be cycle thread bolts, are these a plain head type bolt (no manufacturers markings....? Yes/no) and were these all cadmium plated as well. so are the bolts /nuts similar to the post war bikes, were nuts are mostly single chamfer sided. The clamp arrangement holding the Miller Dynomag, should these be chrome plated, or cadmium....? With regards to the tool box, on this one it appears to have two holes cut into the top, one for a headlight switch.....this is the early type with the resistor coil for the third brush generator, the other hole had an early Lucas ammeter in it. One hole looks original, whereas the other has been cut in at some time......Is this standard or should these not be there at all........? It does have the ammeter and headlight switch in the top of the stock 8 inch Miller headlight shell. More questions to come.............Cheers........Greg. PS: I checked the weight of that original steel hub, and it weighs a kilo.......
In the last two photos Stephen posted, the top one is not my bike, but from a collection of photos of other bikes I've collected over the years. The bottom photo is my bike.
There are two type of damping clamps for the rear springboxes with one been a simpler strap type with a wing nut. Both type were used randomly. I guess they used whatever they had at the time.
Most threads are cycle which is common pre war. I have seen mag straps cad plated and also painted black by owners. I suspect originally they were cad as it provides extra earthing. Most nuts would be bar turned single chamfer.
Earlier bikes like mine had the BTH mag-Dynamo fitted and so also had a BTH cutout mounted on top of the toolbox. This looks a bit like the post war regulator but more squarish. Later bikes like yours has Miller 3 brush mag Dynamo where the cutout is in the end of the Dynamo and so nothing is on the top of the toolbox. Any switch or ammeter is mounted in the headlight and not the toolbox. Lucas electrical gear was only used on the twins with the singles been Miller. Only bit that is an exception is the Lucas altette horn and horn button which was usually used on singles.
Simon
There are two type of damping clamps for the rear springboxes with one been a simpler strap type with a wing nut. Both type were used randomly. I guess they used whatever they had at the time.
Most threads are cycle which is common pre war. I have seen mag straps cad plated and also painted black by owners. I suspect originally they were cad as it provides extra earthing. Most nuts would be bar turned single chamfer.
Earlier bikes like mine had the BTH mag-Dynamo fitted and so also had a BTH cutout mounted on top of the toolbox. This looks a bit like the post war regulator but more squarish. Later bikes like yours has Miller 3 brush mag Dynamo where the cutout is in the end of the Dynamo and so nothing is on the top of the toolbox. Any switch or ammeter is mounted in the headlight and not the toolbox. Lucas electrical gear was only used on the twins with the singles been Miller. Only bit that is an exception is the Lucas altette horn and horn button which was usually used on singles.
Simon
Thanks Simon, that's just the sort of info I need...........I must say that the hole in the top of the tool box which was for the second headlight switch, does look like a factory cut hole. I will take some photos and get them on here for you all to look at. Cheers..................Greg.