# 1930 Hartford by Westfield Mfg/Pope



## Gary Mc

*1930 Hartford by Westfield - Finally on the Road!!!!!!!!*

I wanted a semi-rare prewar bike to build so went searching on ebay.  After about a month of looking on ebay, one bike (a 30 day listing) kept saying buy me / rebuild me.  What I kept coming back to was the simple design & the amazingly neat head badge.  It screamed to be turned into a Touring style bike since the frame will not accommodate fat tires. So on day 29 of the listing I contacted the seller & made a deal for the complete frame with fork, crank, & handlebars.  He threw in the original fenders as part of the deal.  It was this 1930 (serial number starts H4) Hartford by Westfield Manufacturing Company. so it is essentially a 1930 Columbia rebadged as Hartford.  I think it is probably a rare bike with not many surviving but not sure.  I have not seen any Hartford's on the internet and have read they were sold as a cheaper version of the Columbia's.  I would not think many survived however I do see similar Columbia's on ebay a lot.  Any information anyone has on Hartford's would be greatly appreciated.  The ebay seller was parting it out due to the number or super rare / hard-to-find accessories and parts on it.  He sent pics of the bikes I'll also share before he dissasembled it.  The super rare parts/accessories I did not get include:

(1) The pedals were stamped J.H Graham Co. 'The Inventor of Torrington Pedals' which have been sold, 
(2) Patent Pending Persons Speedo, 
(3) Persons Majestic siren, 
(4) Delta light and canister, and finally 
(5) the one thing I really would love to have gotten my hands on was the saddle which was a Troxel long spring with red (Cordovan that matched the bike paint) leather, also rare!

I got the parts/frame yesterday, now my dilemma will be what I want to do with it.  The paint except the white and pinstriping is in amazingly great shape.  No rust at all.  The Pope decal on the frame is intact & complete.  The fenders are a little rough but will clean up well again except the white stripes.  I will probably debate what to do the rest of the year and would like any suggestions from fellow rat rodders.

My current thoughts on the build are:

- Leave the frame alone except clean, straighten fenders, and polish and leave the character it has intact.
- Try to make it look as original as possible with the exception of new rideable components. 
- Maybe paint head tube only back original white.
- Either rebuild a 1930s era Troxel saddle and stain the seat red like the one that was on it or maybe a new Brooks saddle in honey to match the headbadge????
- Rechome the handlebars & crank (the plating is pitted).
- Build either new 700cc or 28" wheels with 8 speed Shimano Nexus coaster brake rear hub (I live in North GA where hills will kill an old man LOL)
- Schwalbe Delta Cruiser tires in cream
- Find a 1930s vintage light & convert to LED

My only caveat with any build is it has to be rideable in North Georgia hill country for an old man & it has to be comfortable and enjoyable.  I don't need a museum piece to collect dust, I want to ride any bike I own regularly.  Any input or suggestions or just comments would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks Gary Mc.

Here's what I got off ebay:









Here is the head badge that kept me coming back to the listing on ebay:








More pics:










Before the ebay seller parted it out.  (this will make some people sick, ashamed not to have been restored intact but to each his own, sellers/pickers sell to make profit, & I am very glad I got the parts I did!!!!!!!)








Finally, the one piece I am sick I could not get, that original matching Troxel long spring with red leather.  At least glad I got the pic as I know what the original looks like if I decide to try to rebuild one just like it.  Now I know a red (cordovan) troxel saddle existed & was originally on this bike.


----------



## Gary Mc

Had some time yesterday to start working on the 30' Hartford.  Removed all the hardware from the frame being careful to tag & bag then started with the item that kept me going back to it on ebay, the head badge.  I spent about 3 hours polishing it using Meguiars Boat/RV metal polish to get 80 years of dirt and tarnish off being very careful not to touch the original brown paint in the center. Followed this up with about 30 minutes of Brasso polish finishing it off with several coats of Carnauba wax.  This head badge had original great paint so only cleaned the painted center carefully with Dawn dishwashing soap followed by several layers of Carnauba wax as well.  The head badge is metal with a thin coating of brass on the face so had to make sure I didn't go too far with the polishing.  Thought it turned out great and will now be some pretty eye candy for the front of the bike.

Here's before, after, & products I used:





Here's a larger pic of the head badge.  It actually looks a lot better and really shiny in person, I need to get a better picture in full sun:





Now to the "fun part" and the reason the white paint on this bike will probably not be repainted.  When I cleaned the front fender I discovered the probable original owner had etched their name in the white paint on the front fender which to me gives this bike additional character and a provenance as to ownership.  The name etched is "Gennard Perrotta".  Did a little research online and there are 2 Gennard Perrotta's still alive in the USA.  One in his 90's in NY and one in his 80's in KS.  Could this have been one of those gentlemens' bike, maybe.  I may try to find out at some point by getting in touch with them.  The NY Mr. Perrotta would be about the right age to have got this bike new as a kid.

Here's pics of Gennard Perrotta name etching in the fender:


----------



## Oldbikes

Congrats on a very cool bike/project.  That badge it ultra cool, and have never seen another like it!  I agree, it would be a sin to re-paint the white and erase the provenance of the bike.  Please continue to post pics of your progress!


----------



## pelletman

a bike like that should never be repainted!  Nice job


----------



## PHANTOM 55

let us know if you get in contact with him.


----------



## Gary Mc

_*My INTRIGUE with the history of this bike deepens.*_  In trying to find out what pedals were appropriate for this bike today I started searching the CABE for any info on J.H. Graham pedals.  I didn't get these with the bike but knew they were one of the "rare" items the ebay seller I got the frame from had sold when parting it out.   I found two posts that referenced these pedals (that came off this bike) as follows:
http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?13374-Really&p=85632&posted=1#post85632
http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?13691-For-only-1500...

The J.H. Graham pedals from this bike were sold on ebay for $300 to everyone's amazement.  Still have found very little on J.H. Graham pedals other than the patents from the original ebay ad at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Torrington-Pedals-Motorbike-Bicycle-Motorcycle-Rare-/160535260172?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2560a5ac0c#ht_776wt_952&clk_rvr_id=253177672875

The patent that appears to maybe apply to these is: 
_04/28/1925 Patent
_http://www.freepatentsonline.com/1535601.html

The ebay seller who sold these pedals to someone & the frame to me did some research and says: "James Graham was General Manager for the Torrington Co during the 1920s Also he was an inventor, there are several Patents Granted to J.H Graham during the 1920s most were assigned to the Torrington CO. Most of the pedal patents greatly attributed to the success and high quality of the Torrington pedals we know today."  He lists three different patents including the one referenced above.

Evidently these are very rare unless someone knows different.  They are similar to Torringtons, probably his connection as GM.  *How did such a rare pedal end up on this bike probably from the factory instead of regular Torrington's or Persons of the day you see on Columbia's out of Westfield Mfg of this era?  Were they aftermarket additions?  *I may never know the answer but every step with the restoration of this bike seems to add to the intrigue and mystery of it just as the name on the fender "Gennard Perotta" did.

Here are pics of the pedal I swiped from the ebay add:




Based on the $300, might be time to start looking at pedals more closely!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Any info on Graham or these pedals would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## Gary Mc

Troxel long spring saddle arrived today.  It's not the red/cordovan color I wanted but it will do until I can find exactly what I want.  Just needs cleaning & some TLC.


----------



## Gary Mc




----------



## fordsnake

So it was you who outbid me. It's a nice saddle...congratulation!


----------



## Gary Mc

Sorry fordsnake.  I think it's going to clean up really well.


----------



## chitown

I had a low ball bid on the saddle also just for kicks. I knew it was going to go for higher but I had to throw in my bid.

Congrats on one sweet saddle on a sweet bike.

Chris


----------



## Gary Mc

Thanks Chris


----------



## Gary Mc

Mainly searching for parts right now.  Got a neat 1920s gooseneck today that suits the bike well and is representative of the original I didn't get.  Great part was it was already re-chromed so one less part that will have to be sent out to be chromed.






Right now searching for pedals, original style (not new or NOS) black coke bottle grips (i missed a great original pair on ebay last week with buy it now, they stayed on ebay about an hour and someone else scooped them up), and front and rear hubs all era appropriate to this bike.  Toying with the idea of building 2 sets of rear wheels: 1 with original single speed new departure C or D hub and 1 with Shimano/Nexus 8 speed hub.  That way I could show it original and have an easily changed wheel (the Nexus 8 ) for a rider.  Just a thought, an expensive one though...  Also may still get a Brooks saddle for riding and put the Troxel I got on for show, it's age & price worry me when it comes to riding, one wrong move and it could be ripped/ruined.  Again expensive proposition either way.

Also still debating the white paint, leave it original or lightly repaint over the flaws to cover where the maroon is showing through.  I know I am not smoothing the old white down as I want it to look original with flaws but the maroon showing through drives the perfectionist in me crazy.  And no, Gennard Perrotta will not be painted over either way I go, that decision is a firm one.  Decisions, decisions...... sometimes I hate making decisions.

Any opinions welcomed......


----------



## 66TigerCat

IMO, leave the paint original. I love the patina.


----------



## markivpedalpusher

I'm a perfectionist as well however if you give it time I have a strong feeling you will realize the imperfections are what makes it perfect 


Very Very nice bike BTW


----------



## Gary Mc

*Parts search close to ending*

Haven't posted on the progress on this build in a year.  Work has been crazy (way too many hours) so haven't had much time to work on the bike but I have been buying the additional parts & accessories I wanted/needed to complete it over the last year.  Still searching for the correct red Troxel seat, the elusive Delta battery can it seems everyone is looking for on the CABE, a Delta light like was on the bike originally, and a Persons patents pending speedometer (missed the one on ebay last month & still kicking myself for not bidding an insane amount to get it).  I also purchased cream Electra Amsterdam tires 700x40.   The only thing left to get it on the road is to order a set of Ghisallo wood rims which I'll be ordering this month.  Then reassembly time over the next couple of months.

I need to say a *BIG THANK YOU to Nick-theCut *who got me the New Departure Model C & SM hubs.  They are amazing!!!!  These were these last replacement original parts I needed to get it back on the road & Nick really came through.  Also thank you to onecatahula for a great set of Torrington 10 pedals and to cstorar for a great Persons Majestic siren, actually a pair of them, the other one may be going on the Columbia archbar I just purchased from Blue Nelson.

Here are the parts I've been collecting to get the Hartford back on the road:

New Departure Model C (near mint) & Model SM hubs (appears NOS)








Original Torrington 10 pedals, still would love to find some J.H. Graham pedals but these are great instead




Original coke bottle grips




Persons Majestic Siren




NOS Diamond Chain




EA Labs Klaxon Horn (NOS) which I am waiting to arrive, shipped out yesterday




And just for fun which means the bike will need a seat mount tool bag, what every Hartford bicycle needs a Hartford Rubber Works Tire repair Kit




I'll post additional pics during reassembly.  Thanks.


----------



## bricycle

Awesome thread and bike!!!!!


----------



## Gary Mc

bricycle said:


> Awesome thread and bike!!!!!




Thanks Bri.


----------



## Gary Mc

*Rear reflector Persons Majestic Model No 219*

Here's the additional item I forgot in the earlier post, the rear reflector.  It was not on the bike parts I received but there was a large oval scratch on the rear fender that indicated the reflector that was on it fit flush at the edges to the bike.  I found a Person's Majestic Model 219 with a 1928/29 patent date in order to cover the scratches.  To my surprise and delight it was the exact pattern of the scratches on the rear fender and appears it could have been exactly what was on the bike but no one will ever know for sure, possibly as an add-on as it is not what it would have left the Westfield plant with it.  Here's the Person's Majestic Model 219 reflector that will be going on the bike after cleaning.


----------



## Gary Mc

*Thoughts on Ghisallo Rim colors*

OK, I am going with Ghisallo "Balloon" wood rims from Wheel Fanatyk.  I am considering color options.   Tires are cream Electra Amsterdams.  My thoughts were originally "A" below, natural but they are now producing these in different colors and am considering "F" below, mahogany which more closely matches the frame.  These are 700c rims, not balloon, Ghisallo just calls the profile "balloon".  I would welcome any opinions??????


----------



## bricycle

I like A or B...it has a slight reddish glow to it.....


----------



## Balloontyre

Gary Mc, Did I understand correctly, you are placing ballooner tires on this bike?


----------



## Gary Mc

​


Balloontyre said:


> Gary Mc, Did I understand correctly, you are placing ballooner tires on this bike?




Balloontyre,  No, not placing balloon tires on this bike, they are 700c x 33 but Ghisallo calls them "Ghisallo Balloon 700 rims" which are a 700c wood rim that have a really close profile to the original 25" rims but are 700c.  Same as Larmo63 has on his Mead Ranger.

You can see them on Lawrence's bike at Wheel Fanatyk: http://wheelfanatyk.blogspot.com/2011/07/summer-cruising.html

They are just my idea of keeping the bike wood wheeled but with a wheel I can count on to hopefully not fail instead of going back with original 25" wheels & 28" tires.


----------



## Balloontyre

OK, I did see pics of those 700C wheels, just didn't know the name. Should ride real nice. All the period jems you posted are very nice, the bike will look great when done.
I was going through many different ideas myself on what wheel/tire combo to use on that Crusader.  I kept the OG rims and went with Robert Dean single tubes.


----------



## Gary Mc

Balloontyre said:


> OK, I did see pics of those 700C wheels, just didn't know the name. Should ride real nice. All the period jems you posted are very nice, the bike will look great when done.
> I was going through many different ideas myself on what wheel/tire combo to use on that Crusader.  I kept the OG rims and went with Robert Dean single tubes.




Thanks Balloontyre and your Crusader looks awesome.  I really struggled with the wheel decision but in the end just wanted modern tires.


----------



## SirMike1983

Torrington Co and Westfield had a long relationship going back to the early days. The cities of Springfield and Torrington are not all that far apart, and Torrington later came to own Westfield as a subsidiary. The pedals may have been through the personal influence of the Torrington manager, who probably had connections at Westfield.


----------



## catfish

SirMike1983 said:


> Torrington Co and Westfield had a long relationship going back to the early days. The cities of Springfield and Torrington are not all that far apart, and Torrington later came to own Westfield as a subsidiary. The pedals may have been through the personal influence of the Torrington manager, who probably had connections at Westfield.




Torrington actually owned Wesstfield MFG for a while.


----------



## Hobo Bill

catfish said:


> Torrington actually owned Wesstfield MFG for a while.




Hey catfish...i came along a advertising in a early bike mag. that page was  refering to the "STANDARD COMPANY" in Torrington,Conn. they were selling no.5 star racing pedal , diamond E spokes and standard pedals as regular equipment.My question is: did standard become Torrinton?....bd


----------



## Gary Mc

*Finally - correct red leather Troxel saddle/seat*

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!  Finally got the correct Red Leather Troxel saddle for the Hartford and couldn't be happier.  Another item I paid way more than I intended due to an ebay bidding war I was not going to lose LOL but it came off a parted 1930 Westfield bike & is correct so happy anyway.  Leather is in great condition, pics are after an hour of work with Bickmore Bick 4 & Bick 5 Leather cleaners & conditioners on the leather.  This seat looked almost black before I began & I should have taken a before pic.  These are the same products I use on my vintage Lucchese western boots collection and they work great if you need to treat hard pan leather seats.  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND these products.  Color in pics came out a lot lighter than the actual cordovan/carmine color which exactly matches the fork & fender color after polishing them as well.  Edges where leather joins to pan a little frayed but I'm OK with that, I'll probably just show it with this seat anyway to preserve it.  I still have to remove the chassis, clean & polish it.










Other work on the bike is finally progressing.  I'm slow intentionally as I like to think about things a while & research where necessary  to avoid mistakes and do them to the best of my abilities.  My Dad is a true perfectionist & it drove me crazy growing up.  Getting much older now I have become a lot like him much to my dismay.  

All the chrome has had the rust removed via a white vinegar bath and awaiting final polishing before going back together.  Fork and fenders have been carefully rubbed out to show the original brilliant colors.  Still have to wax them with Carnauba wax.  Plan to start cleaning & carefully rubbing out the frame this weekend.  I'll try to post pics of the other progress & discuss all the issues I faced on the fenders.  They were much worse than I realized when I got this bike a year ago but think in the end they have come out nice. The rear ducktail of the front fender was just completely mangled & had to be carefully straightened.  It is not perfect but doing any more would destroy too much original paint.  Finally progress, more to come over the weekend........


----------



## Gary Mc

Here's one more Troxel saddle/seat pic with the polished front fender to show how well the new saddle matches the red color of the bike as an enticer to what the finished Hartford will look like.


----------



## SirMike1983

Hobo Bill said:


> Hey catfish...i came along a advertising in a early bike mag. that page was  refering to the "STANDARD COMPANY" in Torrington,Conn. they were selling no.5 star racing pedal , diamond E spokes and standard pedals as regular equipment.My question is: did standard become Torrinton?....bd




The Standard Company name appeared around 1900 after Torrington Swaging was renamed Standard Spoke and Nipple which subsequently was renamed Standard Company. Torrington had several plants, and Standard was one of them.


----------



## Gary Mc

Made a little bit of progress this past week & weekend.  Finished the fenders & fork with several coats of carnauba wax, they look great & are ready to go on the bike.  Finally got the frame fully degreased & hand rubbed out.  It is almost ready for a couple of coats of wax and reassembly.  This bike had some kind of black crap (looked like a mixture of oil & coal) all over the fenders and top of the frame & took a lot more rubbing out than I had hoped it would take being careful not to go thru the original paint which was thin in spots.  There was no choice if I wanted to bring back some of the brilliance of the original color and this decision cost me the original pinstripes or what little was left of them.  I knew it would going in.  I did have good pics of them and measured the distance they went out past the white darts.  Since I started the fenders last year I had a year to make a difficult decision on the pinstripes, to leave it without them or reapply.  I know purists hate any repainting but my choice was to reapply them, I look at them the same as many look at new decals.  They were original to the bike & needed to be re-applied.  They are handpainted & coming out great and I used a very light coat of black "1 Shot" sign painter's paint.  They will be exactly as they were originally.  I thought about distressing them to match the bike but hate fake stuff so they will be left alone.  To the purists, please reserve judgement until you see the finished product as this bike is all original paint except those pinstripes.

The rear ducktail portion of the front fender was completely mangled with the left side being completely bent under.  I got the section straightened losing a little paint in the progress but it looks pretty good using an auto body work hammer, my trusty section of railroad, some specialized vice grips, and some wood blocks some of which were shaped to mimic the fender form.  I made a decision here when I got it fairly straight to leave it alone rather than lose more paint.  I think it came out pretty good.  Definitely a lot better than it was.

I started final polishing 3 metal parts this week.  Got the 2 crank bearing cups out and polished today when I was working on the frame.  I started on the Persons rear reflector last week & I'll detail that little project with some pics as I restore it.  The glass was broken in the housing & needed to be addressed so I disassembled it & will completely restore it (or attempt to).  All the glass is there, all the little balls that come through the housing are good except one, but the glass is broken into about a dozen different pieces.  They will be puzzled & carefully glued back together & then polished.  The housing is polishing up nicely. 

The rain came this evening before I could get any pics so I'll try to take some of the progress this week.


----------



## Larmo63

*Killer thread, Gary*

This is fun to read this and to know that I'm not the only one who goes through all of the same 

obsessive machinations concerning antique bicycles that I do. The ride of the Ghisallo rims is

truly elegant. Be careful to watch your tire pressure too. Not too much, not too little!

I sent you a PM...


----------



## Gary Mc

Larmo63 said:


> This is fun to read this and to know that I'm not the only one who goes through all of the same
> 
> obsessive machinations concerning antique bicycles that I do. The ride of the Ghisallo rims is
> 
> truly elegant. Be careful to watch your tire pressure too. Not too much, not too little!
> 
> I sent you a PM...




Larmo, Got the PM and replied yes.   THANK YOU on the PM & the nice note here.  Yeah, I feel like I turn on an obsessive compulsive mode somewhere deep in me every time I work on either of the 2 antique bikes I have started, LOL.  But I enjoy every minute of it.


----------



## Hobo Bill

*columbia modelA9*







Gary Mc said:


> Larmo, Got the PM and replied yes.   THANK YOU on the PM & the nice note here.  Yeah, I feel like I turn on an obsessive compulsive mode somewhere deep in me every time I work on either of the 2 antique bikes I have started, LOL.  But I enjoy every minute of it.




My thurdy turd try at posting a bike pix


----------



## Gary Mc

Hobo Bill said:


> View attachment 64178
> 
> My thurdy turd try at posting a bike pix




Bill, Thank you very much for posting the 1923 Motobike pic, it is absolutely gorgeous!!!!!  You did a great job with it.  I love the Berkshire Blue color and that is the planned color for my arch bar. A Westfield built cigar tank motobike is next on my want list now that I have a camelback, an arch bar, & a tankless motobike on the way (1927 Stutz).  I have promised myself to finish these before I start that search though.   The tank versions like yours seem to be fairly rare, I have only found a few pics of them on the internet.  It almost seems the cigar tank Indians are more common (both Hendee & Westfield versions) than Columbia's.  Again congratulations on a great restoration & a great bike.


----------



## Gary Mc

Here are pics of the progress last weekend & today.  Today I finished the pinstripes on the frame & got some photos of progress just in time as we are now receiving more afternoon rain showers. I think the pinstripes came out great and am very happy I added them back.  I know it's a personal decision purists would never agree on but to me this bike would have never been "complete" without them. Anyway all the painted parts are finished except waxing the frame which I'll wait till next weekend so the pinstripe paint dries good.  Then I'll final polish all the chrome/metal parts as I go during reassembly which hopefully will start next weekend as well.

New pinstripes are visible in all these pics.  I laid down a "really" light coat of black paint so they look almost original.





Below left you can see the scratch outlines where the original rear reflector on the rear fender and how it appeared to have been flush mount to the fender thus the choice on the Persons reflector that will be going on the bike.  On the right you can see the straightened rear ducktail of the front fender and all the paint lost just getting it this straight and clean as it was in really bad shape.  The left side was completely mangled and bent back on itself underside which also deformed the whole rear of the fender.  I am happy with it as is although there was a lot of paint loss in this area.


----------



## Boris

Hobo Bill said:


> View attachment 64178
> My thurdy turd try at posting a bike pix




That's one beautiful restoration on a beautiful bike, Bill!


----------



## Hobo Bill

Dave Marko said:


> That's one beautiful restoration on a beautiful bike, Bill!




Y'all,
       I'm glad y'all like the 23 columbia A-9.that bike was restored about 10 yrs. ago... a while back i picked up an orig. 23 columbia camel back A-7......


----------



## Gary Mc

Hobo Bill said:


> Y'all,
> I'm glad y'all like the 23 columbia A-9.that bike was restored about 10 yrs. ago... a while back i picked up an orig. 23 columbia camel back A-7......




Bill, That's another great Columbia & thanks for sharing.  You are getting the hang of attaching photos.  I love the original paint & decals, they are in great condition!!!!  These camelbacks don't get enough love in my opinion.  Nice to see someone else valuing them too.  You have a great pair of 23's.  I may use one of your camelback pics to help me pick out the color on my arch bar.  Hope my two 30's come out that nice!!!! Thanks.  - Gary


----------



## hoofhearted

THAT WAS ONE OF THE VERY BEST THREADS i've ever read !!!!!!!!!   .........  patric


----------



## Gary Mc

hoofhearted said:


> THAT WAS ONE OF THE VERY BEST THREADS i've ever read !!!!!!!!!   .........  patric




Thanks Patric!!!!! - Gary


----------



## Gary Mc

Not a lot of progress this week as I have been attending the PGA's Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, GA this week.  I have 3 passions: Bikes, Golf, & UGA (college) football so I play golf when I can & attend PGA events quite often when they are close by.  This year I got to attend the Masters, PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, & the Tour Championship so consider myself very lucky on the golf front. 

I have been final polishing all the chrome & cadmium parts getting the bike ready to go back together.  Almost there.  Had a few questions for Wheelfanatyk on the wood rims before ordering so waiting to hear back from them.  I did make a decision to go with one repop item for the time being, the Delta battery canister.  Original single battery ones seem to be going for $300-$600 on ebay.  I am just not willing to do that so I ordered a 2-battery Delta repop unit that will be mounted on the frame. Now all I need is the correct Delta light unit and all the correct original accessories will be on this bike again when I get it on the road.

I did get two additional neat items for the bike:
First up is a *1930 Ocean Beach Vehicle License #84*.  Not sure if this Ocean Beach NY or CA but I love the ocean & the beach so it is appropriate for me.  It is bicycle sized & the seller thought it was off of a bike or pedi-cab.  This is after cleaning with Brasso.






The second item I got was an original *"Persons Patents Pending" speedometer* exactly like was an original accessory on it before this bike got parted out.  I still have to find a cable & fork/wheel drive unit but I'm at least part way there getting this accessory back on this bike.  _*I am really excited to finally get this original accessory and need to say a BIG THANK YOU to Larmo63 for selling it to me.  It is greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!*_





All for now, next step - RE-ASSEMBLY!!!!!


----------



## Gary Mc

*Wheel Fanatyk - Ghisallo Wood Rims*

I had three questions for Wheelfanatyk as I am new to the concept wood wheels (700c) and just got answers from Ric at WF:

1) Are carbon lined "balloon" profile 700c rims going to be available like the new wood Ghisallo "Sport Carbon Clincher" that is carbon fiber lined?  His answer was will check but is thinking all clinchers styles will at some time be available carbon fiber lined.

2) Color Choice - Ric stocks only color choice "B" but can order any of them, takes about 4 weeks.  Bricycle liked the "B" color in an earlier post where I asked what would be your choice & after more consideration I agree "B" will look best so that is great since he stocks only "B".

3) I was concerned with a weight limit at my current healthy 250 lbs.  Ric says this is not an issue or concern.

Thought I would pass all this along in case others have similar questions on Ghisallo's  wood rims.  If the carbon fiber lined are going to be available in the next couple of months I am going to wait.  If not, I'll go ahead & order a set of rims.  I'll keep everyone updated when Ric hears from Ghisallo. - Gary


----------



## Gary Mc

Still waiting to hear back from Ric at Wheel Fanatyk on carbon fiber lined Ghisallo rims but the Hartford re-assembly is finally in progress:


----------



## Gary Mc

*Persons Model 219 rear reflector restoration*

Spent 3 hours today restoring the rear reflector due to the glass being broken into 10 separate pieces.  Wrote up a detailed how to at:

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?32975-Persons-Model-219-rear-reflector-restoration

Before:




After:


----------



## Gary Mc

Here's the seat post I'm using after I got it cleaned up.  It's a pretty hard to find "collared" version and the post is solid, not hollow core.


----------



## Gary Mc

*Ghisallo rims*

Just got this from Ric at Wheel Fanatyk on the Ghisallo wood rims:

Hi Gary,

All our Balloon 700 rims will be carbon lined in the next order. Hope to see them in late Oct, early Nov.

Best to correspond via wheelfanatyk@gmail.com

Cheers,
Ric

- wheelsmitty​
I have asked him to hold out the first pair for me so hopefully I'll have this bike on the road in November!!!!!!


----------



## HIGGINSFOREVER

Gary Mc said:


> I had three questions for Wheelfanatyk as I am new to the concept wood wheels (700c) and just got answers from Ric at WF:
> 
> 1) Are carbon lined "balloon" profile 700c rims going to be available like the new wood Ghisallo "Sport Carbon Clincher" that is carbon fiber lined?  His answer was will check but is thinking all clinchers styles will at some time be available carbon fiber lined.
> 
> 2) Color Choice - Ric stocks only color choice "B" but can order any of them, takes about 4 weeks.  Bricycle liked the "B" color in an earlier post where I asked what would be your choice & after more consideration I agree "B" will look best so that is great since he stocks only "B".
> 
> 3) I was concerned with a weight limit at my current healthy 250 lbs.  Ric says this is not an issue or concern.
> 
> Thought I would pass all this along in case others have similar questions on Ghisallo's  wood rims.  If the carbon fiber lined are going to be available in the next couple of months I am going to wait.  If not, I'll go ahead & order a set of rims.  I'll keep everyone updated when Ric hears from Ghisallo. - Gary




If you go with a 4 cross when lacing the wheels you will have a stronger wheel.


----------



## Gary Mc

HIGGINSFOREVER said:


> If you go with a 4 cross when lacing the wheels you will have a stronger wheel.




Thanks Gene.


----------



## Gary Mc

*WTB: Delta Pre-War stem mount light or similar (see pic)*

Here's the Delta light I am looking for to go on my 1930 Hartford if anyone has one they will part with.  I am really looking for the version that attaches to the front of the handlebar stem bolt but would take either.  I would also consider any Delta light similar to this one as it does not have to be exact.  Painted black is fine as this one has been stripped, it would have been black painted originally I believe.  This one sold on ebay last week & I am still sick I missed out.  Have cash ready if anyone has one.  It is the only accessory I need to complete this project.

Thanks - Gary


----------



## Gary Mc

*Found Accessories!!!!!!!*

Thanks to fordsnake putting up two great items for sale yesterday I have now found the correct original Delta light and battery can for the Hartford so two missions accomplished at once!!!!!!  *So fordsnake, I need to say a BIG THANK YOU for selling these items to a very grateful fellow CABE member!!!!!!!* These were the last two accessories I needed for this bike to get the bike back original & exactly as it was before it was parted out and they should be in the mail to me this week & I am VERY EXCITED to get them.  Last week I had started fabricating a Delta single cell battery canister from a reproduction double cell canister.  I will still complete that project and document it here for anyone wishing to do something similar as these are so hard to find but the original will go on the Hartford. 









It's really funny how things show up in spurts as I had looked for these accessories for over a year and found them all over a 3 week period.  I looked for the Persons speedo unit for over a year with no luck & now have ended up with parts for three of them in the last 3 weeks thanks to fellow CABE members.  *So again I need to say a BIG THANK YOU to Larmo63, npence, & prewarbikes4sale for putting these up for sale, it is really appreciated by again a very grateful fellow CABE member.*  Both the 2 latest had original cables, one had the mounting brackets, and both work so now I have three of these speedometer heads, two cables, and one set of brackets.  I'll take the best parts to make the unit for the Hartford.  I am going to try to find or fabricate the additional parts to get all three back working.  I still need the piece for the wheel & may have to fabricate those parts but all is good as this bike will now have all the original rare accessories back on it.









Not sure what I'll do with the two extra Persons speedos, one may go on my Columbia, and the other one may go up for sale just not sure yet but you can rest assured it will go up for sale on the CABE first.

*The CABE is such a wonderful community of bike enthusiasts and I am so grateful I am getting to know so many of you on this great website Scott provides for all our benefit.  I just cannot say enough or express enough my gratitude for the CABE and for great CABE members & friends.  Your help with me getting this particular bike back together is just again GREATLY APPRECIATED as it probably would not have been possible or at a minimum easy without your help & support.  I just hope everyone can have the tremendous experience I am having getting this bike back together!!!!!!!
*

I had family commitments all weekend so didn't get any real work done on the bike but it was still a very very productive weekend!!!!!!!!  Good luck with your builds this week.  Thanks. - Gary


----------



## s1b

Looking forward to following this!


----------



## Gary Mc

Ordered & received yesterday a NEW No. 6 Battery from RadiolaGuy with a reproduction Eveready Radio-Ignition 1929 label and two other reproduction labels to build my own batteries when I get time.  The reproduction labels are a little larger than the ones on the Japanese made battery I got & were:


Eveready Radio-Ignition 1929 (to be used on this 30' Hartford)
Zenith Radio-Ignition (to be used on the 27' Stutz)

I'll detail the battery building project when I get time to get to it.  Went ahead & just ordered the battery in case I do not get time before I get the bike together.  Superfast shipping from him BTW.  RadiolaGuy battery website is at:

http://www.radiolaguy.com/info/Vintage_Batteries.htm

Here's what I received & look like great products:


----------



## Gary Mc

*Delta Reproduction Single Cell Battery Canister fabrication pre-1933*

Sitting here bored stiff waiting on paint and bondo to dry so thought I'd go ahead & start posting the details of this little project. I know there are many of you out there trying to find Delta single cell battery canisters for your pre-1933 bikes & projects. I decided to fabricate or more aptly convert a reproduction two cell canister into a single cell battery canister and began the project last week trying to finish it this weekend. So I posted this little project in the "Bicycle Restoration Tips" forum at:

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showth...le-Cell-Battery-Canister-fabrication-pre-1933

*BEFORE* Here's the repop 2-cell battery canister I started with:





*AFTER* Here's the unit converted to a single cell battery canister waiting for the new decal (I'll post a pic of it with the new decal next week


----------



## Gary Mc

*Battery Canister finished*

On the left is an original battery canister going on this bike & on the right is the final fabricated Delta single cell battery canister unit going on my 1927 Stutz:


----------



## s1b

*Nice*

Great work! I'm following this build, can't wait to see it rolling down the road!


----------



## Gary Mc

Chadwik50 said:


> Wow!Excellent blog! I really love how it is easy on my eyes it is. I’m wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made.Keep writing continue.
> buy youtube subscribers




Chadwik50, Thanks on the comments.  To subscribe, go to the top of the page to "Thread Tools" & choose "Subscribe to this Thread".  Thanks again!!!!! - Gary


----------



## Gary Mc

s1b said:


> Great work! I'm following this build, can't wait to see it rolling down the road!




Thanks Sean!!!!!  Just waiting on rims to get it on the road.  Wheel Fanatyk still waiting on the new carbon fiber lined versions to arrive from Ghisallo in Italy. They are hoping to have them in next few weeks.  - Gary


----------



## Gary Mc

*More little projects*

Bought this circa 1900 bell for my 1927 Stutz but may use it on the Hartford instead.  I am thinking about mounting the battery can on the handlebars like it was originally which means no room for the EA Labs horn.  If I do I'll use this bell on the Hartford and find another one for the Stutz.  I know it's not 1920-1930 era but I really like this style of bell so it's going on one of the bikes.  The bell was in really bad condition but I got it really cheap and nice ones seem to sell for $150-$200 so I'll restore it if possible. It was originally nickel coated but I have seen original brass ones as well.  The nickel on half of it was almost gone so I am removing the nickel and will polish the brass.  I was going to just clean it up but it looked too rough after cleaning so it will get a full restore.  It has a severely worn gear I'll have to try to address as well but hopefully it will come out nice.  Anyway it's my project for this week.

Here's the "sad" before condition when I purchased it. It actually looks worse than the pic and has some internal issues to be addressed.  This was the "good" side.





Here's the 2 halves after cleaning. On the left after cleaning only, had the side on the right looked anywhere near this good I would have stopped at cleaning it but the side on the right was down to nickel or copper on well over half of it so I went ahead & removed the thin nickel & copper plating.  Used a little course sandpaper to get it down to brass as seen here.  I'll keep using finer grit sandpaper to get out the sand marks & completely polish/buff it to a smooth finish.  The left half will get the same treatment.





More to come.....


----------



## s1b

Love the design on it. Looking good!


----------



## Gary Mc

*Bell Restore continued....*



s1b said:


> Love the design on it. Looking good!




Thanks Sean!!!!!!

It took less than 30 minutes to disassemble the bell, remove the nickel & copper plating, & finally restore/polish the brass.  Used 320 grit, 400 grit, & last 800 grit sandpaper to remove the nickel & copper, then finished up with Dremel tool polisher using Meguiars Marine/RV metal polish.  Most of the red paint in the cross design remained intact & is now cleaned.  This view should make a lot of people take a second look at really bad brass based bells most people would discard or bypass.....






Next up is the bell frame & mechanism restoration, with a wore out gear which may be a little "challenging".  We'll see if my idea on how to restore that works whens its back together if the bell will ring.  If it doesn't I'll have to find a donor.  First up more disassembly, degreasing, & a distilled white vinegar bath......


----------



## pelletman

I like B or E but I'm into the 1890's stuff


----------



## ABC Services

*1930 catalog page*

1930 catalog page


----------



## Gary Mc

ABC Services said:


> 1930 catalog page




ABC Services,

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!  Thought I'd never see the Hartford catalog page for this bike so been relying on the Columbia one.  Again, THANK YOU!!!!!!

Gary


----------



## redline1968

Wow... That bell rocks. Excelent nice job!


----------



## thehugheseum

that bell looks bitchen.................but it looked absolutely incredible before "resto" just my silly opinion..............


----------



## Gary Mc

*Ghisallo rim update*

Update from Ric at WheelFanatyk is the new Ghisallo Balloon 700 wood 36h carbon fiber lined rims should be in around November 16th.  I can't wait, patience is not my best virtue, sometimes.....


----------



## s1b

Gary Mc said:


> Update from Ric at WheelFanatyk is the new Ghisallo Balloon 700 wood 36h carbon fiber lined rims should be in around November 16th.  I can't wait, patience is not my best virtue, sometimes.....




Gary, why are you going with this brand wheel? I would like to know since there seems to be a few people making wood rims at this time. Just curious for my own future reference.


----------



## Gary Mc

s1b said:


> Gary, why are you going with this brand wheel? I would like to know since there seems to be a few people making wood rims at this time. Just curious for my own future reference.




When I first saw Larmo63's Mead Ranger, I was sold on the look of the Ghisallos, I just love his bike and to me pre-1933 bikes just look absolutely stunning with wood 700c rims.  They add a somewhat "magical" quality to what can be great riders in my opinion.  When I asked him about the ride with the Ghisallo's & got the answer "they ride magical", I was sold on the wheel.  Ghisallo has a very long history of great bicycle wood laminate wheel manufacturing was another selling point and then along came the potential to buy a carbon fiber lined wood rim where tire pressure was not a concern with blowing the side of the rim off and also add a little stability in the process and it was a "I have to have these moment".  For teens to twenties bikes, I just think they are a great option.  If I were going to paint or nickel plate the rims, I would just go with Velocity P35s and save the cost of a wood rim but I really like the look of natural or stained wood wheels on these bikes.  I also considered both the Sacro Bosco wood wheels & even considered Noah Stutzman custom built but for this bike & the Stutz, I just like the Ghisallos.  If I were building a early Racycle or a bike say 1898-1910, I'd probably have Noah or Sacro Bosco custom make a set of wood rims with steel inserts like Larmo.   Take a look at pics of Larmo63's Mead Ranger & the Noah Stutzman steel insert customs going on his Racycle, both wheels to me just have that again "magical" quality to them in my eyes.....

Long version of why but hope it helps


----------



## Gary Mc

*Ghisallo Balloon 700 wood 36h carbon fiber lined rims on their way to ME!!!!!!!*

Wheel Fanatyk got in the new Ghisallo Balloon 700 wood 36h carbon fiber lined rims and a pair is finally on their way to me. Excited & can't wait!!!!!!!  I'll post pics when they arrive. I might get this bike completed before Christmas.


----------



## DonChristie

She's gonna be a beauty! Those rims do look sweet! What color did you go with? I think most of us have done a similiar resto (well maybe not so detailed!) and are just living vicariously thru you! Keep us updated-love it!


----------



## Gary Mc

schwinndoggy said:


> She's gonna be a beauty! Those rims do look sweet! What color did you go with? I think most of us have done a similiar resto (well maybe not so detailed!) and are just living vicariously thru you! Keep us updated-love it!




Thanks schwinndoggy, they only stock color B, other colors are special order so I went with B.


----------



## Gary Mc

*Ghisallo Balloon 700 wood 36h carbon fiber lined rims arrived!!!!!!!*

*They are Here!!!!!!
*
The Ghisallo Balloon 700c wood 36hole carbon fiber lined rims I ordered from WheelFanatyk arrived today and they are beautiful!!!!!!!  Glad I made this choice and can't wait to see them on the bike.  A little hidden high tech for a very old bike....


----------



## Nick-theCut

What tires will you be using sir? Cream/Black Amsterdam's?


----------



## Gary Mc

Nick-theCut said:


> What tires will you be using sir? Cream/Black Amsterdam's?




Cream Amsterdams await these rims, had them for months now waiting on the rims to finally arrive.


----------



## Gary Mc

*Finally on the Road!!!!!!!!*

Finally finished building the wheels today & took a maiden voyage with no problems.  To quote Larmo63, these Ghisallo wood rims ride "magical".  They just have an amazing ride.  Still have to rebuild the Persons Siren, finish the bell, and fabricate/locate the remaining parts for the Persons Speedo.  Hope to be completed with everything but the speedo this week.  Very happy with this bike!!!!!!!


----------



## Oldnut

What a detailed first class build the cabe needs more of this


----------



## chitown

Gary Mc said:


> Very happy with this bike!!!!!!!




Nice job Gary. I'm sure the bike is very happy with you too. In fact, that bike never had it so good with those sweet rims you're sporting.


----------



## pelletman

Very nice!


----------



## Lraybike

*Bravo!*

I love the perseverance!... and madness of seeing a project through.  Well done.  L


----------



## Larmo63

Saweeeeet.................Nice one, Gary.........!


----------



## rustyspoke66

Looks killer! Which one is next?


----------



## SirMike1983

It looks good. I like the concept of the carbon-lined wood rims. I like the fact that you can get a traditional appearance with the  bonus of modern materials in the structure. One of the biggest pains can be ironing the problems out of old rims and dealing with frozen spokes. I think you've been able to bypass that without compromising on the look of the wheel.


----------



## Gary Mc

Thanks guys, I appreciate the great feedback.


----------



## Gary Mc

rustyspoke66 said:


> Looks killer! Which one is next?




Thanks Jeff!!!!! Your old bike, the 27' Stutz is next.  Now have everything I need to get it back together.  Starting on it today.


----------



## Tino

Awesome job! It shows that new paint is not always the answer to make a bike look good.


----------



## Balloontyre

Looking great man. How does it scoot??


----------



## Gary Mc

Balloontyre said:


> Looking great man. How does it scoot??




Scoots great Ivo!!!!!!!  I love these rims, they have the sweetest ride and the bike's fairly light.


----------



## Gary Mc

Finally got the bell & the siren completely refurbed.  Repainted the painted parts of the bell with 1Shot lettering enamel & cleared the brass so I will not have to constantly polish it.  Greased it up & it's ready to go.  I found a cheap donor for the mechanical gear that was damaged on the original bell.  Siren is already on the bike. Removed all the rust, polished it, and greased up the bearings. I actually took the best parts of two Persons Majestic sirens to make one great one.  I'll take some pics of the bike with these items on it later this week but here's the completely restored bell.


----------



## Gary Mc

Tino said:


> Awesome job! It shows that new paint is not always the answer to make a bike look good.




Thanks Tino & I agree, new paint is definitely not always the answer. I love original paint bikes, you cannot duplicate original patina.


----------

