i just picked up a Malvern Star Tour de France. it was the orange one recently on ebay. i'm trying to figure out when this was made and if it's really a TdF model. the canberra museum has it listed in the 1933 catalogue but not in the 1936 catalogue.
anyone else have pics of another TdF? all i can find are pics of 5-Stars, which this might even predate. a serial number is stamped on the right rear drop - 47079 (maybe 79th frame in July of 1934? just a guess) is there a system for figureing them out? it doesn't have any holes for brakes, so i'll most likely get a front drum(any suggestions?), i don't trust my fixed gear riding skills with cars nearby.
the wheels are an odd size, though i'm not sure if they were original-the rims are painted to match- are 28x1-1/4. are tires this size even available? it seems the front fork is more like 90mm instead of the standard 100mm. though a zeus hub has been "fitted" to it and it came this way.
it does have a cool aussie hand paint job, which a previous owner had done - the neat pinstriping and box-lining, painting "Tour de France Model" on the top-tube, even the "Malvern Star" on the down tube is hand-painted.
any further info would be great. thanks. i just want to make sure I got what i got.
Eric Acuna
Santa Rosa, CA