My Comet restoration.

[Williegunn]

Earlier this year I took over my father’s Comet. He has had it from new.
I have just got it back from Tony Hutchinson, it now runs, after sitting seized for 45 years give or take a year or so. Tony tells me it starts easily, he obviously has more practice than me but I have had it running, my pulled muscle is healing not too badly.
I have now started on the cosmetics
The seat has been removed and the leather cloth has been stripped and is down at the local saddle maker to be re-stitched.
I have started with gunk and water. Then removed the mud guards and polished them.
There is some surface rust, on the chain guard, and am trying to decide whether to have various bits re-sprayed on just leave them as is.
When the spares company re-opens I will order so rubber parts.
Any thoughts on the thigh pads on the tank? They are badly perished and probably were fitted after sale. Not sure if I should scrape them off and get the tank resprayed or simply find some new ones and stick them on.

I will post more photos later, I did not realise it was so time consuming.

 

[Len Matthews]

Looks like you've got a nice unmolested bike with all it's original features. The thigh pads are a matter of personal choice, obviously fitted to preserve the enamel by a past owner. I believe some riders used Philips Stick-a Soles bought from cobbler's shops.

 

[Dinny]

They look like pre 1957 (chrome tank version) Norton wideline rubbers to me.

Mark

 

[Jim Richardson]

Unless you have a mad desire to own a very shiney bike, clean it up and spend your time and money making it reliable. Then when ever people come up to talk to you about the bike, you get hear " it's nice to see a Vincent thats used, not just polished and stuck in a museum", you also don't get to upset when it rains.

 

[Williegunn]

Bit of progress, removed the mudguards and did a bit of polishing defineately an improvement. The magneto cover came up nicely. The front mudguard is coming along and should be finished today.

 

[aldeburgh]

Its called patina and I think it looks great as it is, if removed it will take another 45 years to make it look right again. During restoration it is not mandatory to use bucket loads of abrasive polish

 

[Ken Tidswell]

It would be good idea to takethe seat stays apart to find if there is any friction material left. You will have to take off the chain guard to get at the bolts on the drive side

 

[Williegunn]

It would be good idea to takethe seat stays apart to find if there is any friction material left. You will have to take off the chain guard to get at the bolts on the drive side

Started on that this afternoon. Should the friction material be a complete circle or about 75%?

 

[Ken Tidswell]

All the ones i have taken apart usually had loose friction material or hardly any left. If the lining is on the load bearing part up to the split in the alloy then you should be OK. You should not then have metal to metal contact. If they are misaligned, the edge breaks of the alloy drums, steel drums are usually fine apart from the rust, which usually acts as a lapping compound.