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Post by stoatie on Mar 9, 2014 12:10:56 GMT
I found this one on preloved link in maidstone, not much detail and a poor non driveside picture. He says it's a 26" aluminium frame and it looks to have been resprayed, although looks like it has original forks. |
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,418 
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Post by Jem on Mar 9, 2014 15:10:19 GMT
I am going to pretend to be Sherlock Holmes here...
The seller has had the bike a few weeks or so, it's too big for him and he doesn't know the name Viscount , he is 26 or 27 and is about 5'10", he is right handed and got off the bike as a right hander might do with left foot on pedal.He isn't into bikes much and wants a quick sale. The bike was previously owned from almost new by a person who was keen on Viscount and knew of the history and lineage of the make.
He has had it re-sprayed , as you point out, but then has gone to the trouble of putting a 'Viscount' decal back on.(but possibly hand made the decal from an alphabet of stick on letters?) In doing so showing some dedication , and from that I can infer he may have also taken care of the bike and it's maintenance.
I think the wheels, fork, and chainset, gears etc will be original based on the previous info.
I also believe the seller will accept £40. I think that would be reasonable.
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,418
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Post by Jem on Mar 16, 2014 10:15:17 GMT
Nobody even remotely tempted by a £50 Viscount in Kent then?
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Post by cusqueno on Mar 16, 2014 15:31:39 GMT
Does anyone have a Preloved membership? I went through a long registration process only to find that I can't ask the seller anything unless I pay £5. Don't they want anyone to buy?? What is needed are drive side photos and any indication of model / type.
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,418
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Post by Jem on Mar 16, 2014 16:03:12 GMT
I had forgotten that Preloved needs a paid membership to contact sellers.
However, it is possible to contact the seller with just the free registration after a certain time has elapsed from original posting of advert.
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Post by stoatie on Mar 16, 2014 16:32:46 GMT
Hey Cusqueno I've got a preloved account, if you pm me your email address I can see if he'll send them to you.
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Post by cusqueno on Apr 8, 2014 12:54:17 GMT
Well friends, I bought this one and I have posted some pictures of my latest Viscount on the Viscount & Lambert Flickr group here:
Flickr Viscount Group
Thanks to Stoatie for spotting it and posting details on this forum, also for contacting the seller on my behalf (as a Preloved Newb I couldn't do so myself). Sooper8's prediction of the selling price was accurate, although it was a 118 mile trip round the M25/M26/M20 for me to collect it.
To whet your appetite, here is a picture, with added Bluebells:
 >
At some time it has been re-painted (could be rattle can, definitely not powder coated) with some extra braze-ons - rear brake cable stop, gear cable stops for bar end shifters and front derailleur cable stop. Bike was up-graded with nice wheels (Campy Nuovo Tipo hubs and Weinmann concave rims), Ofmega pedals (the worse for wear now) and Weinmann Vainqueur 999 brakes. Also Campy bar end shifters and the stem drilled to act as a front brake cable stop. I will sell the wheels to finance the restoration of the rest. (PM me if you are interested - 27" / 630mm rims, spokes are butted but chrome-plated and hence rusty. I'll be taking the wheels apart very soon, so be quick if you'd like the complete wheels.) |
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Post by stoatie on Apr 8, 2014 15:13:07 GMT
Excellent news, somehow looks better in your photos than the ones I got sent. Ready in time for DFR2?
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,418
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Post by Jem on Apr 8, 2014 17:44:23 GMT
Bravo!
Few questions...
Will any amount of saddle proof hide recover that Brooks?
Are the recessed parts of the chainring painted in the same yellow colour? Original or done after purchase?
Would thumb lever/bar ends have been on any Viscount from new?
Was I close with any other of my Sherlock Holmes style predictions?
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Post by cusqueno on Apr 8, 2014 21:11:02 GMT
Married couple, retired I should say. Bike belonged to wife's brother who moved overseas some years ago. He might have done the renovation, although I didn't ask. Husband said he had ridden it quite a lot in the past, but he didn't know much about bikes.
I think saddle is salvable and I'm putting some beeswax stuff on it tonight. The rails and metal bit at the back are painted yellow/orange. Can't be original can it?
The inside edges of the chain wheels and cranks are neatly painted. I think it looks good. Could it me original?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,418
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Post by Jem on Apr 8, 2014 21:26:25 GMT
Married couple, retired I should say. Bike belonged to wife's brother who moved overseas some years ago. He might have done the renovation, although I didn't ask. Husband said he had ridden it quite a lot in the past, but he didn't know much about bikes. I think saddle is salvable and I'm putting some beeswax stuff on it tonight. The rails and metal bit at the back are painted yellow/orange. Can't be original can it? The inside edges of the chain wheels and cranks are neatly painted. I think it looks good. Could it me original? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk It could be the same Taxi cab yellow that Triitout has a Grand Touring in? I love the look of that yellow detailing in the chain wheel/cranks. That is really something. Could all be original? |
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Post by cusqueno on Apr 8, 2014 21:27:00 GMT
Bar end shifters - quite a lot of Viscounts sold in the US seem to have them. So many that I think it must have been at least a 'standard' option in the US. Perhaps Triitout can confirm?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Post by cusqueno on Apr 8, 2014 22:17:56 GMT
I have just checked a 1978 Viscount owner's manual I have (US / Yamaha) and shifters are shown as being either down tube, stem or bar end. I have put some photos of relevant pages on the Viscount Flickr group.    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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Post by cusqueno on Apr 11, 2014 11:14:42 GMT
It could be the same Taxi cab yellow that Triitout has a Grand Touring in? Shifting the frame out of the way this morning, to get out a Viscount for my ride to work, I noticed that the yellow paint extended inside the head tube and bb shell. Might have been over-spray from when it was re-painted but it might mean that yellow was the original colour, in which case I'll consider re-painting it yellow. I couldn't see any other colour in the tubes, but will need to look more closely. And here is a yellow Viscount of similar vintage to mine: Gran Touring on eBay US, in Maryland. |
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Post by velocipete on Apr 11, 2014 19:00:07 GMT
That looks to be the same yellow as a "SE" I have.See the Viscount flicka site.
Good luck with it,I'm sure it will respond to some tlc.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Post by cusqueno on Apr 14, 2014 21:09:53 GMT
Visiting my mother yesterday, I spent half an hour or so with the yellow frame in my father's old workshop. With the aid of a large engineer's vice and pushing and pulling backwards and forwards on the frame, with the end of the seat pin clamped in the vice, I was able to remove the pin safely. The clamp part of the pin was FUBAR however. So now I have a bare frame ready for stripping &c.
I'll post some pictures somewhere on the forum. Perhaps we need a section for build logs?
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Post by triitout on Apr 15, 2014 3:31:01 GMT
It could be the same Taxi cab yellow that Triitout has a Grand Touring in? Shifting the frame out of the way this morning, to get out a Viscount for my ride to work, I noticed that the yellow paint extended inside the head tube and bb shell. Might have been over-spray from when it was re-painted but it might mean that yellow was the original colour, in which case I'll consider re-painting it yellow. I couldn't see any other colour in the tubes, but will need to look more closely. And here is a yellow Viscount of similar vintage to mine: Gran Touring on eBay US, in Maryland. Congratulations on the new purchase! Nice to see the taxi cab yellow color starting to show up. I think you'll be seeing that ebay listing in Maryland not move at that price ($400). I was fortunate to get mine on Craig's list for about $150 with the shipping in 2010. That was the list price back in 1976. The Gran Touring models have been popping up with some regularity especially my sky blue color. Tempted to get one that was still original but alas, not meant to be. I had seen a few bar end shifter GP models pop up years ago but not very often and I don't remember it being at the bike shop back in 1976. |
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