Misc: Everything Else Complete Restoration of a Black Shadow

Magnetoman

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VOC Member
I think its time to start getting away from whatefer screen.And get it on the road.
You should do less riding and post more pictures and information about your work!
Writing a book


and work on the upcoming Brisbane exhibition


has kept me out of the garage and off the road way more than I would have liked for the better part of a year. Any mechanical work I've managed to get done has been as a result of playing hooky from what I "should" have been doing.

We're now up against deadlines to make two short and two one-hour videos to go with the exhibition, and at the same time Phaidon Press is organizing activities for us to publicize the book, further chaining me to the computer screen. When I wrote earlier that it (optimistically) wouldn't be until December before I would finish current projects and re-start the Vincent restoration, I wasn't just referring to work on risible BSAs.
 

Comet Rider

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VOC Member
In the UK & Europe Cadnium plating is banned for anything other than aviation or military use and the only way is to find somebody who can get it done via the back door. Even for those applications most parts have gone over to an alternative so basically cadnium is not an option.
Over here in UK the cheap alternative is mild steel plated with zinc which doesn't last as long. Stainless parts are definately more expensive than zinc plated parts.

Sorry for distracting from the title of the thread. This is a classic case though of showing just one single item mentioned can distract any restoration thread and so a certain amount of control will be needed to keep the discussions on track otherwise it will just go on and on. As an example the discussion about the modified steering head stem to alter the operation of the Girdraulics went on for 61 pages and that was just one topic.

Simon

Simon,
You are slightly out.
The Military and Aviation industry use "Passivated" Cadmium plating which is totally different to the old style cadmium plating. These are totally different processes. The only downside with the original process was that the chemicals used where highly carcinogenic. If you want the newer passivated cad plating go to Greenpar in Bishops Stortford and no problem

Neil
 

greg brillus

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VOC Member
I can see the desire to use stainless.......Its a one step process to make it, so that wins over having to make the item then get it plated........ However, after spending 10 years in aviation and having to spend much time removing seized solid hardware securing small fairing covers and engine cowls, and countless restorations of cars, bikes, aircraft, and so on........I just don't like the stuff. It may not make a better bike, but if i was judging a bike contest.......original is always going to win over something shiny........As far as the finish lasting, well a new bike will deteriorate pretty quickly if you don't look after it. A major factor in restoration is being able to find out what the factory actually did, not what someones opinion is........that is why the earlier bikes are harder to restore, as most folk who actually knew the answers are no longer with us.
 

Magnetoman

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VOC Member
If you don't have it already buy Jacqueline Bickerstaffs book Original Vincent.
I'm fairly well set for Vincent books. I have 25 in my 'general' list and 22 in 'manuals'.

As an aside, ~25-years ago Jaqueline rode a BSA Gold Star -- again, that horrible marque whose name shouldn't be mentioned... -- from Texas to a conference in California, and spent one night in my town. I took her to my lab and that evening my wife and I took her to dinner at an Italian restaurant that is still one of our favorites. Although we haven't been to it, or any other restaurant, since early March. Sigh...
 
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BigEd

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VOC Forum Moderator
Prioritise.
From your posts I infer that you are a busy man with lots of interests and projects.
Unfortunately, assuming that you, like many readers here, are towards the wrong end of our hoped-for lifespan and what time we have left reduces every day.
You have developed or restored bikes to what I believe is a high standard so you already know how long these things can take.
Be honest and ask yourself is your priority to actually ride this Vincent, restore it or use it to provide information to people who will be doing a similar exercise in the future? (The latter is a commendable philanthropic exercise but time-consuming if done to the high standard that I think you would produce.)

We all have our own priorities or preferences. Mine is to ride my Rapide while I am still able. Last week on a fine Thursday my wife and I had a wonderful day out with my brother and his wife. We rode 180 miles taking in interesting roads and wonderful scenery in the Derbyshire Peak District. Priceless.
When I can no longer do that kind of ride (not in the near future I hope ) maybe I'll pass my time by removing modifications I've done and restore my Rapide to original or a good standard. That is not my priority at present, yours and other peoples priorities may be different but we all have a choice.
 

vibrac

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VOC Member
Some time ago I was peripheral to a bike that had been sent to a shop from vendors with the instruction "just get this bike running" It was a norvin that had not been touched since 1960 huge GP carbs sticking out the side clipons racing seat, capricious five gallon tank alloy rims and amazingly no checker tape . A cafe racer straight from the Busy Bee it was returned to the vendor in a running state (it just needed ignition carbs and fuel )
Now that bike in my opinion should have stayed in that mode it was worth preserving it wasn't a factory clone, following a pattern whos minuti are lost in the midst of time but it was a real sample of life back then. Yes after all those years it wanted a engine rebuild and parts checked but I happen to know that it went back to the vendors was sold on jazzed up into a modern rendition of a norvin and I expect went wrong.
These old Vincents have been around over a mans lifetime some iterations are worth preserving (the fast lady Glitter guts.Vinny long legs Et al), It makes me sad to think they will all be boiled back to standard to look like that collection in the shed at Stevenage in 1950 odd, waiting for the Receiver to suggest the price is dropped so someone will buy them.
 

Cyborg

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VOC Member
vibrac, I can’t imagine there are very many folks that would disagree with you about the Norvin. I would love to have something like that (hopefully well done) from back in the day. No question it was worth preserving.
While a fairly large number of owners are getting bikes restored to what they and the judges believe is original, I think there will be a reasonable number of bikes remaining that were assembled with sensible modifications that were intended to be ridden. Who knows what’s coming down the pipe and how it will play out as far as Vincents are concerned. I think having a comprehensive and detailed thread about the restoration of a Black Shadow (to original) is of great value for future riders (assuming there are any). MM’s Shadow sounds like it a wonderful unmolested candidate and it would be hard to find a better one if part of the goal is to record how they came from the factory. If the project goes ahead on some sort of forum, I can’t see him escaping without all sorts of sidebar discussions about what sort of “reasonable “ modifications should be considered. The steering stem discussion might even turn into a bloodbath. Whether or not he succumbs to the pressure doesn’t really matter. I’m assuming, based on MM’s previous threads that most if not all modifications will be debated to some degree and future restorers, or riders can decide which path they want to follow.

Preserve or not? Sometimes that’s an interesting question. How about this abomination? It’s so bizarre that in a warped way it calls out to be preserved. On the flip side, there is the ocular trauma caused by just looking at it....
and...just think what could be done with that engine. As for riding it, I can’t decide which is more dangerous.... the front end, or the rear chain.

8AFEC370-893B-4035-8751-2441F4F26286.jpeg
 

Roslyn

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Non-VOC Member
vibrac, I can’t imagine there are very many folks that would disagree with you about the Norvin. I would love to have something like that (hopefully well done) from back in the day. No question it was worth preserving.
While a fairly large number of owners are getting bikes restored to what they and the judges believe is original, I think there will be a reasonable number of bikes remaining that were assembled with sensible modifications that were intended to be ridden. Who knows what’s coming down the pipe and how it will play out as far as Vincents are concerned. I think having a comprehensive and detailed thread about the restoration of a Black Shadow (to original) is of great value for future riders (assuming there are any). MM’s Shadow sounds like it a wonderful unmolested candidate and it would be hard to find a better one if part of the goal is to record how they came from the factory. If the project goes ahead on some sort of forum, I can’t see him escaping without all sorts of sidebar discussions about what sort of “reasonable “ modifications should be considered. The steering stem discussion might even turn into a bloodbath. Whether or not he succumbs to the pressure doesn’t really matter. I’m assuming, based on MM’s previous threads that most if not all modifications will be debated to some degree and future restorers, or riders can decide which path they want to follow.

Preserve or not? Sometimes that’s an interesting question. How about this abomination? It’s so bizarre that in a warped way it calls out to be preserved. On the flip side, there is the ocular trauma caused by just looking at it....
and...just think what could be done with that engine. As for riding it, I can’t decide which is more dangerous.... the front end, or the rear chain.

View attachment 37368
I like it think it should be painted a nice day glow yellow
 
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