Ellis Briggs "Favori" - my 1st restoration project

[daccordimark]

Nice find Mark.

It's a bit older than mine....................

Cheers Ned.
It is indeed a very different beast to yours - in fact, it's almost as old as me! Probably much slower down hill than yours too.

Mark.

 

[Old Ned]

Nice find Mark.

It's a bit older than mine....................

Cheers Ned.
It is indeed a very different beast to yours - in fact, it's almost as old as me! Probably much slower down hill than yours too.

Mark.

Oh, I don't know. If it's heavier then gravity sucks (as you probably well know!)

 

[daccordimark]

My big problem now is that I haven't got a tool that will fit the crank bolts. They look to have a 16 or 17mm head and my 17mm socket won't fit inside the crank.

Given the frequency at which I needed to use the tool, I spent a whole £11.something on a set of box spanners from Machine Mart. They're crude but the metal is solid enough & did the job. An inexpensive way of solving the problem. https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/prod ... set-metric don't ask me why they are £21 on the website, they were £11ish two weeks ago in my local store.

Good call on the box spanners - I got some from Screwfix which undid the crank bolts - defo 17mm. Luckily the non-driveside crank came off in my hand and the other one just needed a quick tug with a bearing puller.

Then I had to tap the bottom bracket lockring off with a screwdriver because that was oversized compared to more modern ones as well. What is it with this old French stuff and weird sizes? The fixed cup is also a pain because that is a hexagonal one not round with two flats like I'm used to.

How about this for a man sized inner ring? :shock:

55 outer ring with a 50 inner - those rings will have to go. Derek did say he only used this bike for time trials.

Mark.

 

[FINNEY1973]

Happy days - sometimes a cheap & cheerful solution is overlooked. Mine were 17mm as well - the LBS only had a 15 & 16 - however at little over a tenner it was a win win.

A 50 & 55 combo - that's only for one purpose and that's speed!

 

[daccordimark]

I've just discovered why the left hand crank came off so easily! :roll:

Anybody got a spare non-driveside 49D crank with perfect tapers?


I set to work on the frame this weekend removing all the worst rust spots and getting them back to bare metal. There were quite a few bad patches including this one on the chainstay.

My plan is to prime them then cover with as a close a match as possible to the original colour. I haven't done this sort of thing before so don't know whether I need to sand that some more to get rid of all the dark spots or if that's good enough. I'm worried about going too far and weakening the tube.
As for colours Halfords didn't have anything very close - none of their blues had a hint of green which this colour has to my eye.

Ellis Briggs have confirmed the frame is a "Professional" built in 1973 and the Flamboyant Blue is the original colour.
Their quote to respray the frame with the same colours and design was £250 and this didn't include lug lining. Given the amount of rust patches I think the frame needs a respray after all but I want to get it re-built in some form ASAP and see how I get on with the fact it's too big for me by half an inch.


Mark.

 

[daccordimark]

The front mech appears to be a 1st generation Record. Chromed bronze arms and no slot in the built-in cable guide.

 

[Old Ned]

That's a nice front changer. Quite rare with the screw heads etc. Kevin will be jealous.

Don't think that is the original clamp bolt though?

 

[daccordimark]

That's a nice front changer. Quite rare with the screw heads etc. Kevin will be jealous.

Don't think that is the original clamp bolt though?

Kevin?

I might have to sell it to help fund the respray :cry:. Not that I would begrudge the money because it is a really nice frame. I haven't owned that many frames (7 steel ones IIRC) but this is the best in terms of visible build quality by a decent margin.

Mark.

 

[Midlife]

Kevin Sayles (Woodrup) probably.....................seems to have a massive collection of Campag front and rear mechs.

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/co ... ngers.html

Shaun

 

[daccordimark]

Re:

Wow that's some collection Kevin has there. Looking at that timeline I have a 1st gen and 12th gen.
Shame I don't have a 13th gen. Also a shame my 1st gen doesn't have the original cable clamp bolt or it could be worth a fortune!
http://www.hilarystone.com/gearscampagnolofront.html

CCG50 Campagnolo Record front gear 1st pattern 1959–60 with bronze arms and set screws for arms rare very good with a little wear to inner cage £135

Is Hilary being a little optimistic there? I've seen ones on eBay not sell at two-thirds that price.

Mark.