1949 Humber town bike restoration

[911hillclimber]

I usually do a 2-wheel project in the winters as some will remember the Hondas and the Terrot and the Peugeot BIMA, all with engines, and each had their own 'challenges' so to speak.
I've recovered from those horrors, and having seen Winston's vintage bike inspired me to do another, but no engine, had enough of engines 12 months ago...

After a bit of ebay searching found this Humber about 20 miles from where it was made in 1949.

It has a perfect spec:
Needs utter restoration, no oily rags this time.
4 speed hub
Dynamo set
Brooks saddle
Deep rust over everything/everywhere.
Set budget of £200 only.

I'll kick this off today, but if the thread goes quiet, I'll stop and carry on regardless.

[Winston Teague]

Brilliant, I shall watch with interest. That is a decent quality machine that will ride well once done. A perfectly good way to go for a sunny Sunday afternoon pint of Bathams. I think you'll have to be very price concious to keep within your budget, especially re-chroming..... but let me know if you need anything, I have boxes and boxes of bike stuff. Crack on and keeps posted, and at least you won't have a thing that refuses to start, in a foreign language! Good luck, W

[911hillclimber]

Yes, just scanned a few suppliers, as with anything old and interesting, nothing is cheap!
However, a lot is available so a bonus, quite a change to a Terrot or a Peugeot BIMA!!

It has cost me £71.33 on ebay (where did the 33 pence come from?) and £32 to collect it from Grantham today, the Skoda sipping @ 59.6 mpg, a personal best.
The plating is the biggest issue I think cost wise.
I can buy a new handle bar with brake rods for £21! It would cost more to re-chrome the original.

[Winston Teague]

Oooh, the replacement will be rubbish chrome on far Eastern bars.......the originals will be better quality.......

[911hillclimber]

Starting to get some comments on preserved original finishe andfull re paint.
This bike has little value, and I doubt they are rare, loads on eBay though most are women's frames.

So so many times I've put a lot into these projects, lots of cost to do things as best I can, then as good as give them away, so hoping not to do this again.
Wife is expecting an oily rag effort.

Bike needs a replacement rear rim and thespokes are not too bright...

I can see new rims and spokes, freshtyres and tubes, fresh brake blocks and all new ball bearings and some paint/rust/patina preservation and I'm done.
All of that will not take me long!

[Winston Teague]

I totally understand, I'd be tempted to shot blast the old chrome off, and paint black, trying to achieve a 'black enamel' look.....

[911hillclimber]

Interesting idea!

My Chinese stand off ebay arrived this morning and I'm very impressed just how stable it is esp for about £29.

A lot has been stripped off the bike now, all screws etc are easy to get off, just the front chain guard mounting is solid, hope a night soaked in WD40 will help.
Handlebar head stock is very tight (rust) but the seat came out with one hand, the chrome on the tube that goes into the frame is perfect, what quality!

Cotter pins are feeling as if welded in place of course so a bigger hammer needed (I was bought up in Birmingham).

The lower 3" of the mud guards are rusted and almost see-through, so might be difficult to repair, but will try..
Chain is very good, now in a bath of WD40.

So far so good, I am really pleased with this little bike, through the hard work is looming.

1949 Sport model, love the colour!

[911hillclimber]

Just been told the bike is a Himber Olympia Model 301 with all the options.
Nice to know.

[911hillclimber]

The Big Strip-down begins, some parts have come free easily, one screw had to be drilled off (so far) and the crusty condition deepens.
One pedal came off easily (!) and the other..well, it is stubborn. As in very. Heat and a bigger hammer needed.

Handle bars will not shift, but the stacks of small brackets are coming free well.
My biggest concern is getting a chrome finish back on all these small parts without sending them out for chrome. Have found some good chrome paints, so will try them out on a few parts.
I think my small grit blaster cabinet will be called into duty soon.

Some pics from today:

[Mick Cliff]

Are you aware that one pedal may have a left hand thread?

[911hillclimber]

!!!!!
Never thought of that.
Never seen the point of LH and RH threads in vehicles, but even less so for a bicycle, but this bike was engineered in the era where this was 'the way to do it'.
However, off to the den to thump it the other way round. Will report back.

In the end, you are CORRECT.

Had to heat it up good and hot, and then treated it to the old sckool technique of 2 hammers cracking a reluctant ball joint. A goodly thump and it slackened, and eventually unscrewed left handed.
Thank you indeed!

[hot66]

All bikes have lh and rh threads on pedals … stops them unwinding when cycling

[911hillclimber]

Last time I took a pedal off a bike was close on 60 years ago.
The way this had corroded on nothing was coming loose.

Pedal balls are in good condition, no rust but almost no grease left either.
Not looking forward to getting the handle bars out of the frame. Pinch bold loose and 'broke' with a sharp tap of a light hammer, but stuck fast so far.

[Mick Cliff]

Just the opposite James (hot66)! The LH/RH threads are so the pedals unscrew if the pedal bearings seize, so it doesn't snap your ankle!

[911hillclimber]

The shafts on these pedals have spanner flats to tighten, and a narrow and shallow slot as if to draw them in using a very wide blade screwdriver, but nip them tight by spanner.