answer to Vbert

david bowen

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Non-VOC Member
Never saw chrome handle bars fitted! the two Phils hated chrome handle bars, black , grey , red, and blue.yes! as for (nuts screws washers and bolts) cadd except for show bikes that had chrome which were a pain in the butt as all threads had to be re chased
 

A-BCD

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Phil Irving said chromed bars always slip in the clamps - not a problem with black enamel !!
 

davidd

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I am not sure what the question was, but my Flash had "Dull Chrome" specified for handle bars on the Work Order.

David
 
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david bowen

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I was involved in the 1949 Earles Court show bikes The Grey Flash had most of the alloy parts including the F106 were Anodize by a company near Stevenage called Wickstead Engineering I think only a few treated this way as Anodizeing was not cheap,a Mr. Wickstead from that company raced a Black Shadow in the IOM Clubmans event, works orders were run of in the office as standard, and if owners of Vincents have there works orders you will see cross outs and another part inked in Ie. 8 inch head light crossed out a 7inch but in. most of the different Cycle assemble parts ordered by the dealer were added after road test so I would say handle bars that are made of steel would have to be dull chrome as I do not think you can Anodize and that would match up the colour scheme.
 
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davidd

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I can confirm what David Bowen says. The Works Order for my Grey Flash was filled out for a standard Comet and every single hand written item is crossed out and in different handwriting is the specification for the Grey Flash items. I always assumed that order was filled out in advance by a clerk or secretary during a slow period. When a new order was written the few special items could be changed as necessary. It seems that the Flash was unusual in that lots of Flash items had discrete numbers that would not have applied to Lightnings (like ufm, rfm and fork blades.)

At least one other Flash that is being restored now has anodized parts as well as a dull chrome tank. It was built around the same time as the Show bike. I suspect the cost was the limiting factor. I understand that most of the handle bars were painted grey. I would have thought that matching the color of the anodized alloy parts would have been difficult.

David
 

John Cone

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Every nut & bolt on my Prince, the oil feed and return pipes are chromed, having spoken to the original owner he had ordered the bike through Conway's and it came like that. I would still like to find out why the underneath of all of my enclosures are Chinese red. The original owner says he did'nt do it. has anyone ever seen a red Prince?
 

b'knighted

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VOC Member
Phil Primmer told me that he had worked on what he thought was an original Victor rear cowl, and found an original colour of red which had been painted over in black. In the absence of photoshop perhaps the company tried painting panels in different colours to see how they looked before reverting to the correct colour.
 

Hugo Myatt

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Every nut & bolt on my Prince, the oil feed and return pipes are chromed, having spoken to the original owner he had ordered the bike through Conway's and it came like that. I would still like to find out why the underneath of all of my enclosures are Chinese red. The original owner says he did'nt do it. has anyone ever seen a red Prince?

I am sure I have seen photos of a red Prince or Knight. I assumed it was done post production. I think it was or is in the USA.
There was also that superb B Rapide engine fitted with red D (naked) cycle parts.
I believe Phillip Vincent had a penchant for red. Wasn't his personal Bristol car red? I can well believe he might have experimented with a red finish for the Victor.
Apart from the completely red B & C Rapides there were some supplied with red tanks and mudguards or just red tanks. There were even blue ones. There were red Comets with white saddles or is all this myth? My first Comet was supplied with a red tank. Perhaps that explains my weakness for red.
 

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John Cone

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Hi Ian, Mine is red inside the leg shields, handle bar muffs and the front mudguard. It has been painted over in black in the past but is now flaking off and i don't know what sort of paint to use or to leave it alone.
 
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