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Rambler 500 project
Rambler 500, sn J320801. getting ready for the powder coaters. While grinding away the blemishes on the Imperial 700, I decided I might as well get the dirty work out of the way on both. Great looking bikes. I think the snow will hit before I get to ride either of them this fall. Oh well, spring is on the way.
Kevin
A J-code could be a 1966 or 1967 model and the Rambler 500 was produced both years. The only colour avaiable for the men's models was Flamboyant Red, unless it was a Sports version, in whch case there was a Flamboyant Blue option. Based on the saddle, it's obviously the former. The handlebars and grips would appear to be replacements. Similar to a Motorbike handlebar but minus the cross brace, CCM catalogued these as "Steerhorn" handlebars during this period. As usual, we'll be looking forward to pictures of the finished product. Good luck with the painting..
Thanks T-Mar, This one was Flamboyant Red. The grips and bars are definitely not the originals. The Bar is a stainless piece off a Cortina, I had it on there to see what it would look like with a set of steerhorns. I have the original handle bars and grips, also the chainguard and fenders. I'll go as flamboyant as possible with the powder coat. The bike has a set of stainless T-13 rims, made in Canada.
Pardon me, that's F13 V160 28" x 1 1/2"
It'll be 50 this year coming up. I didn't do much to it visibly but it was gone over with files, sandpaper etc. and buffed before it went to the powder coater. All the rough factory casting and leavings are gone, all the nicks and scratches. It's rust free inside and out and ready for another 50 years. Hopefully not as hard and abusive as it had been treated. It was coated with Zinc, two coats of powder and baked. Still when you are putting a bike back together there is no such thing as a coating that it too tough. A few new parts are in the works, handgrips, seat, tyres, front brake. The fenders are cream. I'm not putting them on but they are there, as good as new or better, waiting for the next owner.
When I purchased the pieces, it was trash. Cobbled together from various Ramblers and completely unridable. The bearings dry and full of rust. It hadn't been a functional bike for a long time.
It's ready to face the New Year in style.
Finally, the fenders done. Totally rust free, like new. I had to trim a few inches off the rear fender as it was twisted beyond repair. If had an English wheel I could have saved it. Also, the practiced eye will see the 26" fork. It'll have to do until the original 28 gets into the shop. I've had three badly bent 28's of various vintages Distortion and amazingly bent steer tubes. Makes you wonder how some of them got so bad. Also suggests the 28" length might have left the fork prone to damage.