|
|
Sept 15, 2020 19:30:57 GMT
|
Been after a 500cc velocette for years, finally bought one before they get out of my price range! These were basically hand built and were high quality. Regarded by many as the finest British singles. I can't really comment on that but I love them, so I bought one. Wouldn't be me if it wasn't a very rough one though! It has some quirks and unusual features. A few wrong parts too, but it probably wont stay 100% stock anyway so who cares. Picked it up on Sunday and its already in bits Basic plan is full strip, coach enamel repaint, new chromework and some more power. I think it has 25bhp iirc, but they made a venom version with 34bhp I think. More is possible, all depends on how unreliable and hard to live with I'm prepared to make it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 15, 2020 20:22:31 GMT
|
Get a supercharger on it. Just for sh&t's and giggles
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 15, 2020 20:26:37 GMT
|
Get a supercharger on it. Just for sh&t's and giggles The thought had crossed my mind. Velocette built a few supercharged experimental racers in the 1950s.
|
|
|
|
mungo
Part of things
Posts: 318
|
|
Sept 16, 2020 13:26:14 GMT
|
sweet. I had an LE for a bit It was pre internet so it was a real nightmare trying to get parts via the owners club....had to write letters to some old dude !!!!!!
|
|
56' bug 2332 +ida's 56' lowlight ghia 72' bus 1600 devon 67' type 3 square - gone 83' gti - gone 90' gti 16v - gone 82' chevette - gone 70' GP1 Beach buggy -gone 78' lightweight landrover 3L v6 -gone 89' gti - gone 83' gti - gone
|
|
|
|
Sept 16, 2020 13:53:56 GMT
|
sweet. I had an LE for a bit It was pre internet so it was a real nightmare trying to get parts via the owners club....had to write letters to some old dude !!!!!! Yeah, it's all a fair bit easier these days!
|
|
|
|
scimjim
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,503
Club RR Member Number: 8
|
1954 velocette mssscimjim
@scimjim
Club Retro Rides Member 8
|
Sept 16, 2020 14:19:26 GMT
|
A mate of mine has several Velocettes from stunning standard condition, through well used, to full scrambler spec - and his brother is one of the model registrars. They do lots of classic events (regularly winning) but most importantly have a workshop with a lathe etc I popped in last week on my way to the workshop and they were designing a twin spark head on a bored out engine using Triumph pistons.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 16, 2020 15:01:20 GMT
|
A mate of mine has several Velocettes from stunning standard condition, through well used, to full scrambler spec - and his brother is one of the model registrars. They do lots of classic events (regularly winning) but most importantly have a workshop with a lathe etc I popped in last week on my way to the workshop and they were designing a twin spark head on a bored out engine using Triumph pistons. I've read somewhere about folk doing twin spark conversions. It may have been the same people, or maybe someone else, but there are also long throw cranks, new cases, all kinds of stuff. They are very well catered for! Funny you say about scramblers, my mss seems to have been built around a scrambler frame. It's all original though so no idea what happened there.
|
|
|
|
scimjim
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,503
Club RR Member Number: 8
|
1954 velocette mssscimjim
@scimjim
Club Retro Rides Member 8
|
Sept 16, 2020 15:13:13 GMT
|
A mate of mine has several Velocettes from stunning standard condition, through well used, to full scrambler spec - and his brother is one of the model registrars. They do lots of classic events (regularly winning) but most importantly have a workshop with a lathe etc I popped in last week on my way to the workshop and they were designing a twin spark head on a bored out engine using Triumph pistons. I've read somewhere about folk doing twin spark conversions. It may have been the same people, or maybe someone else, but there are also long throw cranks, new cases, all kinds of stuff. They are very well catered for! Funny you say about scramblers, my mss seems to have been built around a scrambler frame. It's all original though so no idea what happened there. I’ll show them your photos when I see them next.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 16, 2020 15:44:09 GMT
|
I've read somewhere about folk doing twin spark conversions. It may have been the same people, or maybe someone else, but there are also long throw cranks, new cases, all kinds of stuff. They are very well catered for! Funny you say about scramblers, my mss seems to have been built around a scrambler frame. It's all original though so no idea what happened there. I’ll show them your photos when I see them next. Yes, do. I have been discussing the bike on the Facebook group. It has no sidestand lug and no sidecar lugs. It also has a solid trunnion shaft and pinned torque tubes. The pins are taper fit and the torque tubes have weld bosses where the pins go. It also has a brace gusset behind the head tube casting. It may all be fit, but it's all done well. The fuel tank has fixing bungs for a tank rack too, which no one has ever seen on a velocette. If they have a stock of parts, I'll be needing some! 😂 You can buy pretty much everything new, but I'd much rather have old genuine bits, even if they need restoring!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 17, 2020 15:26:33 GMT
|
Hmmm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 20, 2020 18:20:56 GMT
|
Nice afternoon for some cleaning
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 23, 2020 18:24:11 GMT
|
One of those fancy wrought pistons is it? It is now!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 30, 2020 18:27:57 GMT
|
Been taking the engine apart and getting stuff sorted. All the painted steel work is at my local engine shop for paint/rust removal. Barrel got away with just a hone. Head needs an inlet valve and a pair of guides so they have been ordered. It was time to take the oil pump out. They are a tight fit in the case. If you don't heat the case before taking them out it scores the case and then the engine is scrap. Cleaned the oil off in the kitchen sink and out it in the oven. Took 1 hour at 250 centigrade for the pump to come out!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 26, 2020 17:01:46 GMT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 26, 2020 17:05:35 GMT
|
Lots been happening, haven't been updating! So, quick catch up.
I removed all the rust with citric acid, which worked better than I thought! Had to weld some seams on the fuel tank.
Frame had a badly repaired snapped top tube so I cut it out, sleeved the join internally and had a coded welder friend weld it all back up.
Carb was worn so I have bored it out on the lathe and am part way through making an oversize slide.
Had to make a side stand lug as the original had been removed.
Found out the rockers and rocker box were ruined, but have found replacements.
Had new guides put in the head and then noticed it has 3 broken fins. Decided to have a try at welding aluminium. Seems to have gone ok, built up the missing fin areas today.
Everything is now in primer, next stage is alot of surface prep!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Everything has been epoxy primed, flatted, and given a coat of high build. Alot of flatting and spot priming now to deal with the rust pitting.
|
|
|
|
glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,072
Club RR Member Number: 64
|
1954 velocette mssglenanderson
@glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member 64
|
Nov 13, 2020 22:20:39 GMT
|
Nice. One of my old apprentice instructors had a Venom, back in the late 80s. I remember him passing me quite convincingly on the Thamesmead spine road when I was already pressing on pretty swiftly myself.
Having owned a BSA M33 for a number of years, my only advice would be to not go too mad with the state of tune. You can easily get a 500 single to perform, but it can come at the expense of ridability, refinement and your enjoyment of the machine. Mildly tweaked they’re lovely though; I look forward to seeing how you get on with it. 👍
|
|
My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
|
|
|
|
Nov 14, 2020 10:11:21 GMT
|
Nice. One of my old apprentice instructors had a Venom, back in the late 80s. I remember him passing me quite convincingly on the Thamesmead spine road when I was already pressing on pretty swiftly myself. Having owned a BSA M33 for a number of years, my only advice would be to not go too mad with the state of tune. You can easily get a 500 single to perform, but it can come at the expense of ridability, refinement and your enjoyment of the machine. Mildly tweaked they’re lovely though; I look forward to seeing how you get on with it. 👍 Agreed. I really don't want to be going for velocette thruxton levels of performance, along with the hard starting, lack of idle, no bottom end and necessary abuse of an already oddball clutch! I think all I'll do to this is use a venom piston to up compression, and as it turns out not to need a rebore yet, I'll only do that if either the right size piston comes up used, or if it needs over boring again in future. For now I'll just concentrate on getting it painted, back together, and up and running. I'm getting to the buying parts stages and it's freaking me out how much parts for this cost!! I knew this when I bought it obviously, but does t make it any easier 😂
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 14, 2020 10:28:13 GMT
|
Took a bit of searching, but managed to find a horn. Cast iron!! Needs 're finishing and doesn't work, but I'm sure it will live again.
|
|
|
|
|