Well, I had a wander around Netley Marsh Autojumble today with Mich and my eldest son Dan. I had £300 in my back pocket, but soon realised that things have obviously moved on a bit since I last went to Kempton Park about 20 years ago.
I was looking for a period girder front end for the Triumph, but there was nothing that looked serviceable. Even incomplete rusty old shit that could only really be used as a pattern was £500 -£800.
Pre- Unit engines (650) were being touted for £800-£2000 (not including gearbox or primary) and rolling chassis' were marked up between £1400- £2500.
Undeterred, Dan and I called in to Beaulieu, as the autojumble was on there as well.
I did see a reasonable condition girder front for £350, but by now I'm thinking that I'd rather take a tape rule, vernier and micrometer over to Sammy Miller's for a morning, pay the admission charge, then make them myself.
I came home at 6pm, having shelled out £5 for a very large bar of blue soap and £5 on a new polishing mop.
Was an interesting day out though.

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I started out with nothing and still got most of it left.

On the plus side, my son Dan fell in love for the first time today...........




















......With a lovely Indian V- Twin.

Mich got a photo, I'll get him to post it up.

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I started out with nothing and still got most of it left.

Ade and I wandered around Netley Marsh and managed to buy a few bits that he needed for the 1972 Bonneville restoration project....the only problem being, I think someone 'lifted' a strip of chrome from my carrier bag whilst on the way out of the venue. I was swamped and jostled by a group of 5 guys on our way out and had been carefully carrying the bag of bits we had bought. There was no hole in the carrier bag, but a chrome tank strip (costing £10.50) disappeared from the bag... not happy!!!! Typically it was the most expensive single item we bought.... Oh, and I got the blame for it.....

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Valencia Orange XB12Scg - serviced by Maz 2018
Black P3 Blast - serviced by Maz and fixed by Maz in 2019

Right, I've decided to make my own girder front end. Does anyone know whether DOM tubing is available in the UK, or would CDS tubing be OK?
3/4" or maybe 7/8" (or 20mm) would be about the right diameter. I'm going to build it around a single Hagon shock, so that I don't have to mess around with obsolete springs or asbestos friction dampers.

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I started out with nothing and still got most of it left.

Shameless hijack of the thread in the name of posting 3 pictures of the indian (and 20 others! )

Mick, the first 2 are those of the modified DNA springer. May give you a few ideas. And I have LOADS of pictures of girders here: http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc15 ... y_Journal/

See you later!!

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Illegitimi non carborundum

Well, I'm still working on the Triumph, but I need to get rear mudguard sorted and the tank I want to use, before I can remove the rear wheel. I'll need to weld some lugs on the frame before powder coating, then I can remove the wheel and get a new rim for the rear and some stainless spokes.
I made a table out of pallets and stripped the gearbox.

It's pretty straight forward to work on, once I realised that the "mate" I lent my puller to 15 years ago, hadn't given it back and bought a new one.

I refitted the clutch hub to loosen the mainshaft nut, then it comes apart easily.


The internal components are all in good nick, as I rebuilt it 20 years ago and never rode it, so I'll just replace the bearings and seals.

I could have just bead blasted the case and polished the outers, but I didn't like the casting marks on the case, so decided to "de-seam" it, prior to blasting.


I started with a bunch of files and blended the casting marks out.

Some took more time than others.........

Once I'd had enough of filing, I got out some 80 grit paper.

..........Followed by some 240, then 400 grit wet and dry.

Finally, I took it to work and got a bit of heat into it in the pedestal drill with my £5 mop and bar of blue soap. I wasn't going to polish it, I was just cleaning it up for blasting, but I was just curious to see how it would look. I've still got some more to do to it, but I can't find my Die files to get into the webs.

It's taken me 8 hours to get this far, but it's better than the telly.

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I started out with nothing and still got most of it left.

loving that Mick , a class job

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Feros Ferio

Lovely Get one of those rubber grit blocks. They're really good for getting into awkward bits. M&P sell them, I think.

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If your dreams don't scare you, they are not big enough.

Yeah, I wore mine out ages ago. Always make me chuckle, they're called Garryflex.

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I started out with nothing and still got most of it left.

Nice work Ian, but those pictures have made my screen go large. .

I'm thinking about making a manual tube bender to make my girders with. It will look like an old mangle, but with a bigger handle.

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I started out with nothing and still got most of it left.

Cheers for the offer mate, but my next door neighbour has one that I can use.

I was going to sign up for a TIg course a Poole college, just to have access to a welder, but the course costs £550.
I've done a bit of tig welding years ago (I made my stainless oil tank) as I had £8500 worth of kit when I had my machine shop, but I haven't welded anything for over ten years.........

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I started out with nothing and still got most of it left.

Toyboy was telling me that you can get mini bottles of Argon (or argoshield) for "domestic use" without going to BOC. You pay £50 deposit, but no rental charges.
The bottles are good for 5 hours continuous use. The Co. he told me about is in Pompey somewhere, but they must be available elsewhere.

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I started out with nothing and still got most of it left.

Bratby Gasses supply me with a fekin huge bottle for £60 per year rental. It's the same as Argosheild - it's called Coogar iirc . I've always found BOC very expensive.

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If your dreams don't scare you, they are not big enough.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I'll spend more on tube, getting the forks right than on paying a mate to weld them when I eventually do.
BOC have always been robbing bastards, 'cause they had a monopoly.

This is what I've got in mind. It depends on whether I can get a small enough damped shock to fit.

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I started out with nothing and still got most of it left.

........So it wasn't you that scooped the £130 million last night then?

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I started out with nothing and still got most of it left.