Council Estate Custom

[cartmel808]

I’ve had this one for a little over six years now... stripped it all down to bare parts not log after I bought it and then immediately lost interest - so its sat in the shed till around two weeks ago, when I pulled it out into the day light to have another look at it.



I didn’t want to do a full blown resto & go to the expense of getting it painted - just clean it up & put it back together... so set to with the pressure washer to clean off all the Spanish crud from the frame & panels, which subsequently also removed most of the dark blue paint to reveal what was left of the original paint under.




So I Set about it with some acetone & thinners to try & get the rest of the dark blue off



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[cartmel808]

I’ve had this one for a little over six years now... stripped it all down to bare parts not log after I bought it and then immediately lost interest - so its sat in the shed till around two weeks ago, when I pulled it out into the day light to have another look at it.



I didn’t want to do a full blown resto & go to the expense of getting it painted - just clean it up & put it back together... so set to with the pressure washer to clean off all the Spanish crud from the frame & panels, which subsequently also removed most of the dark blue paint to reveal what was left of the original paint under.




So I Set about it with some acetone & thinners to try & get the rest of the dark blue off



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So I Set about it with some acetone & thinners to try & get the rest of the dark blue off.
My initial joy at seeing the og paint soon faded though... as they say - they’ve usually been painted for a reason!


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[cartmel808]

Despite the poor condition of the og paint, I still didn’t want to get t blasted & painted - so I smoothed it all down with scotch pads & gave it all a couple of coats of clear lacquer to seal it. The paint looks even worse in the flesh than in the pics - but its all relatively straight (despite some historic panel beating work from previous crash damage) and all of the tin work is 100% solid witness not one bit of rot anywhere.







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[cartmel808]

I stated putting it back together last weekend and got the new new loom & cables ran through the frame, riveted the floor runners on, which wasn’t too bad s I re-used the original runners - fitted the leggie trims & tool box - plus fitted & wired the rear light, horn & brake light switch & wax oiled the frame tunnel... so that was all of the shitty jobs out of the way.


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[cartmel808]

Had another go last night & managed to get the fork & front end in aswell as the engine... so it’s now sitting on its wheels & this is pretty much where I’m up to.








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[cartmel808]

Everything underneath the panels in new & upgraded - with a nice kitted PX 221 Reed motor, quality suspension, hydraulic disc brake, Tubeless rims, ect...
The vision in my head was more of preserved, survivor look - but this does look very scruffy & more of just a neglected, scruffy rat... however I am growing more & more fond of it each time I look at it .....Shiney bikes are so over rated!


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[Martin20]

Nice work. Really like the look of it as is!

[garry inglis]

thats a cracking job cartmell 808 it looks great the patina it sat well on your workmate did you bolt it down

[hendy]

Looks lovely and I'm in about the same situation myself with an LI. I'll bet you wouldn't be doing this if Shaun was still around though .

[rosscla]

I think that looks brilliant,