[CR]Gillott restoration dilemma.

(Example: Bike Shops:R.E.W. Reynolds)

Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 12:35:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: "simon bird" <simonandonandon@yahoo.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Gillott restoration dilemma.

A couple of months ago I acquired a 1952 Gillott frame. According to Mark Stevens a very rare Connoisseur model. I actually bought the frame because I wanted the head badge for another Gillott I own -an indication of how little I paid for it. The frame is in pretty bad condition, major scratching and chipping to the original paint, rear derailleur hanger and simplex shifter boss clumsily hacked off and a very slightly bent top tube. However the elegance of the frame with it's graceful fork and spear-point lugs with windows still shows through, and I've decided to restore it, it's exactly my size.

I've never been a slavish follower of period correctness and its quite likely that this bike will end up with a mish-mash of parts - a nod to old England (GB bars and stem) but with modernish (ma2) rims etc. And either a fixed gear or a Sturmey Archer AM (close ratio 3 speed)

The bike would have originally had a Simplex Juy 53 front derailleur - I know nothing about Simplex but from trawling the excellent archives of this list I found out the purpose of the odd-ball double pulley wheel brazed-on over the bb shell. I also found out the price these things fetch, and that's another of the things steering me away from doing a complete original spec restoration. I have decided to have the top tube replaced, and some nicks and small dings elsewhere filled by Barry Witcomb -most local, and original colour (white with green double box lining) respray done by Mario Vaz, also local. All transfers are available as is the 'Bonderised' transfer and I'm trying to get a small 50's -or repro 531 transfer for the back of the seat tube. (any ideas?)

However, here is my dilemma, should I have the Simplex hanger and boss replaced? Barry has some old simplex bosses that he could use and -I haven't asked him - probably has some derailleur hangers too. Its very unlikely that these will ever be used by me -unless I suddenly develop a desire for expensive vintage bicycle components that possibly dont work very well (no offence meant). The damaged Agrati end could be brazed and filed and no-one would ever know the hanger was missing likewise the shifter boss. Ultimately its my frame and i can do what i want, i have ruled out brazing on a campag hanger and spreading the rear to 130mm ;-) but I somehow feel that because of the age and rarity of this frame maybe I owe it a proper restoration to 'as built' condition. I'm in a strange ethical quandary, I feel like a custodian of this frame in a way I haven't felt before.

What do you all think?

Simon -can't make his mind up- Bird London England

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