98cc Villiers on a 1945 Sears Roebuck

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Harold_B

Active Member
May 23, 2012
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Grand Rapids, MI
Thanks gents. Photos always turn out really dark with my phone and the black frame with hunter green tank, fender(s) and wheel(s) doesn't help. I have spent a lot of time when I have it available on details like the transmission. This is a shot from the eBay ad and what it looks like now.

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indian22

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Dec 31, 2014
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Harold this bike is just too cool! Time tables only count on reality TV. You've had to use some real skills to come to this point and I appreciate that. I agree with the others this is a already beauty and just keeps improving. I'm a fan of the rich green and black combination by the way. Rick C.
 
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Harold_B

Active Member
May 23, 2012
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Grand Rapids, MI
Thanks Rick. I had planned on having the whole bike painted hunter green with pin stripes to match the Villiers decals but the pin stripes were either too gold or too copper color. A lesson I've learned from mixing and matching sport coats and pants (since I'm too cheap to buy a suit!) is that matching colors from different sources is nearly impossible so it's best to go with a complementary color. I decided on burgundy pin stripes. However, a green bike with (basically) red pin stripes and my beard and it's a Christmas themed motorbike. Not what I'm looking for so a black frame it is. With all the JB Weld on the welds to smooth them out a bit the flat black engine paint with gloss over coat looks almost like a casting. I'm liking it. Not even close to perfect but I'm happy! Painting the rear wheel and sheeve tonight.
 
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fasteddy

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Feb 13, 2009
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The bike really looks the part. A vintage bike that would have fit nicely into that period without it being questioned by anyone. I'm a big fan of the Hunter Green and Black colour scheme as well. That was a common colour combination on furniture at least 200 years ago if not before then and it is as timely today as it was then.


Steve.
 
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Harold_B

Active Member
May 23, 2012
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Grand Rapids, MI
Thanks Steve. I'm really liking it as its coming together. Somethings bound to go wrong! Until then I'm having a good time cleaning up all the little bits and pieces and getting things painted. I took apart the Leper Primus saddle (again) to polish up the springs and hardware. That thing is more complicated than the transmission! I'm exaggerating but there's eight springs and a bunch of brackets and hardware. Anyone used Pecard leather conditioner on a bicycle seat?
 

Harold_B

Active Member
May 23, 2012
997
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Grand Rapids, MI
I've had the last several days off or maybe "off" since I spent a lot of it being a reasonable and responsible adult. I did manage a good amount of me-time and made some progress on the bike though. It's encouraging now that it's starting to look like it might get finished before the snow flies again. The rear wheel is painted and pin striped and clear coated. The seat is all polished up and back on. I ran out of pin striping before I got to the rear fender so I'll be heading to NAPA soon but tomorrow it's back to work. Time in the garage will get limited again.

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Harold_B

Active Member
May 23, 2012
997
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Grand Rapids, MI
Not the progress I was expecting to make but thought I'd report in anyway. I bought a Lucas King of the Road bulb horn on eBay and paid about 1/3 the going rate. A fair number of dents, no screen and no bar mount would be mostly why but the attempt at a restoration is another. The paint chipped every time I picked it up or set it down so I spent several hours removing said paint and refinishing. Also made a bar mount and have been routing cables. Screen will come later I guess but for today I like it.



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Better than just reporting I put air in the back tire I suppose.
 
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Harold_B

Active Member
May 23, 2012
997
246
43
Grand Rapids, MI
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Still plugging away with the details on this thing. The back fender braces didn't turn out the way I wanted so I'll need to remake them. Working on getting the floorboards mounted as well. They're most of the way there although I want a bit more support on the back half. The plan is to make some brackets that attach to rear mounts like the ones in the front. The mounts are fixed not folding. I gave this a lot of thought while following Wret's build and I'm thinking that this bike will not likely need to lean that far since it won't go very fast. If it turns out I'm wrong I can always change it later.
 

wret

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Feb 24, 2014
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Maryland
THAT is a really awesome looking bike Harold! You really nailed the old-timely feel. It has the look of an immaculately restored turn of the century bike!
 
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