Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Brittany 3 Speed Resoration Part 3 / Paint, Wheels, Brakes and Other Things as Well

Before I get started I wanted to mention that Hugh`s Bicycle Blog now has a FaceBook page. I think this will be an asset, as readers will now have a place to post their projects. And I hope it will be a place where we can exchange ideas and answer questions. The link is posted right at the top of what was once called the "Bicycle Related Links" section. For now it is called "Hugh`s Bicycle Blog on FaceBook and other Links". Please check it out and please click on LIKE to show your support.

Left Click on Images to Enlarge & Focus. Use Back(<)Button to Return Above: The front wheel cleaned-up quite nicely. I used the Turtle-Wax Chrome Polish & Rust Remover and also a brass detail brush. I also did the sides of the rims (braking surface) with the wheel brush. As for the fenders and the rest of the painted surfaces, after everything got wiped down with Armor-All Cleaning-Wipes I used Maguiare`s Cleaner/Polish. I do not usually get off this easy. But underneath the dirt and grime the paint was in wonderful condition.


Above: The rear wheel was not so easy, evidently it was in a much damper area. That may sound funny, but I see it a lot. One wheel much rustier than the other. I imagine the rear wheel was nearer a door. This pic shows two things. First, how much pitting was left behind after brushing. And second, how much rustier the bottom (the area closest to the floor) of the wheel is. If you look t the right of the brushed area you can see the rust was much less severe. If you were doing a "show bike" you would want to replace it. But this is just a fun-bike that won`t cost a fortune when finished, and will still look really good.
Above: The front caliper on the left "Barn Fresh" as they say. And on the right ,the rear caliper after dismantling and polishing each part. The chrome parts were cleaned with the wheel-brush mounted on the rechargeable drill. And "as always" the rear caliper got a new pair of Jag-Wire brake shoes. Also "as always" I only took apart one caliper at a time. This is so I could use the other caliper as a reference. These two calipers had lots of spacers/washers. So I was glad I did it that way.

Above: I decided to go with a more aggressive KENDA tire on this bike. I know that many students ride pretty much year round. And with the winters we have here, a little extra traction will come in handy. I thought I had a set of tires for this bike
in stock, but the tires ISO number was wrong. These are I believe a 26 x 1-3/8inch tire with a 590 ISO. I believe the tires I have in stock are a 597 ISO. So watch those ISO numbers especially with Old 3 speeds.
Above: Here is the other "first time used" product I installed. The first being the Kenda tires with the aggressive tread. I also installed a BELL handlebar-mounted water-bottle cage. I must admit when I first saw these, I though they looked stupid. But as my water bottles always seem to get all gritty from road spray. It occurred to me one day that having the cage mounted up high would keep the bottle much cleaner. Ok, So now I`m sold. They are not stupid. I don`t know that I would want one mounted up there on a Road Racer. That I think "might" look stupid.

Above: The finished project. I think the real cork grips give it a vintage look.
I Shellacked them to protect them from the weather. I used the Permatex (hardening)
gasket sealer to keep them securely in place. I smeared some sealer inside the grips then slid them on. You will want too wear a plastic glove for that part.
Above: The Port side view of the Brittany. I was surprised the rack cleaned-up as nicely as it did. It was much rustier than the rack on the step-through Brittany.
It was labor intensive brushing the rack, but well worth the effort.

Well that about covers it for this project. I would like to apologize for the delay in showing the finish pics of the "Parliament Custom Built Made in England". I am not 100% pleased with the paint touch-up color match . But here it is just before I re-installed the original rear wheel (shown in foreground)
Above:  The unfinished Parliament. Until Next Time RIDE SAFE and Remember to Always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers, Hugh

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