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Now the proud owner of a 1936-38 Colson "Red Ring" Rear Steer Tandem. I was told it was a 1938 but fellow Cabers think its more like a 36 or 37. I tend to agree with them.
The bike has good bones as they say.
Lots of paint to be stripped off.
Front wheel is not a drop step like the rear so it is probably a replacement rim. Luckily I have a few drop step rims in stock.
Seats are later models so I'll eventually look for the correct ones.
Pedals are a mixed lot of pre and post war models so I'll be replacing them.
Tires are dry rotted so they'll be replaced also.
Your basic head to toe restoration.
Handle bars, grips and stems are later also so I'll be replacing them also.
Just finished piecing this one together as best I could using the spare parts I had on hand, and I've made my decision on how I'd like to proceed. Which means that I'm looking for an original paint 26" postwar girls frame, fork, and fenders to match the forest green, chartreuse and white on tank, chainguard and rack. Looking for parts to be in very good condition. I think the correct fenders would be deep and non-peaked, as the top rear fender brace should run fairly parallel to the brace on the rack. Also looking for same 52 tooth chainring as appears in attached photo on the right, which I think would be more correct to this bike. Trying to make a big sister to the 24'' that I have in bottom photo.
This is how I rode (alot!) my barn find formerly house painted Colson the last two years.
I sold the Bee Hive I put on and have a 24" Evans fork as a placeholder until I get around to straightening the original fork shortly.
I'd like to find a proper badge, guard and tank someday to get her a little closer to rightness.
Unfortunately the cars are not mine.
This bike is one of 3 bares in line for a color coat when climate allows, I like the 7 speed but another tire swap is on the list.
Bought this one for the headbadge and chainguard. After looking at it long and hard, I decided it might just be OK after I get the house paint off and an OA bath, after all, a guy can't have too many prewar loop frame Colsons. White rims look like they're going to clean up a million times better. I've gotten the bike pretty much apart except for the fork and stem which are proving to be quite the challenge. And there was no hope for the pedals, seat, spokes, hubs and chain. This is probably the most rust-fused bike I've ever come up against. Hope to make this one a stripped down crusty rider. I could use a crusty left truss rod and truss rod crusty bracket If someone has a spare. Will post photos along the way, but this bike isn't a priority, so it may be a while.
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