[CR]Re Jim Bundy...mad Cinelli project

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From: "Greg S" <gtsoftley@ozemail.com.au>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 11:05:23 +1100
Subject: [CR]Re Jim Bundy...mad Cinelli project

Hi Crew, Jim Bundy is a legend a 'legend in his own lunchtime' as we would say over here in Australia...just a play on words.. Given the right timing, you can call into Jim's, have a beer, watch Jim fire up his torch and get your job done within a short time, have a couple of more beers, shoot the breeze, watch an old bike race on VCR, and leave fullfilled and knowing all is good in the world. He is my main frame man who can tackle almost anything I can challenge him with. Probably the greatest challenge was with a 60s Cinelli frame that I sourced from the US (from a listmember) that was a virtual basket case. Cost me very little so I wasnt too keen to pay the $350+ shipping charge to Australia. Soooo, I had the seller slice the frame up with a 4" Makita angle grinder so as it would fit into a small box and reduce the shipping to about $30. This is where Jim comes in.....Jim sweated the cut tubing out of the lugs and replaced the tubing with new fresh tubing. All done on a jig that has built thousands of frames over decades. This was a good time to look at the quality of brazing on the old frame and it was not on par with Jim's new brazing at least as far as penetration goes. During the process there was one snag which was unexpected. A problem with sweating the tubes from the seat cluster resulted in Jim fabrication a whole new fastback seat cluster which cannot be differentiated from the original. The final filing and cleaning up is yet to be done and then chrome...paint...and build. I have a photo gallery of the whole deal here
   http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclomondo/sets/72157602818665709/ Everyone that Jim knows cant help themselves and do him personal favours....he has that sort of influence and charisma. I have created him some special decals which have included a photograph of him as a young man (about to leave on his honeymoon with his new bride on a BSA motorcycle/ sidecar)....just his face in the centre of a Jim Bundy head tube decal. There are other greats out here in Australia that have links back to the days when we had a thriving bicycle manufacturing base and the whole resurgence in interest for steel frames, which also includes fixies and track, has meant that they are receiving the professional respect and admiration they deserve. Greg Softley Coffs Harbour (too far away from Jim's workshop) Australia