My latest project has been this classic British 3 speed ladies roadster; it’s now finished and the restoration brought me great satisfaction! Matthew contacted me and supplied the Raleigh a few weeks ago; it belongs to his girlfriend but originally was owned and ridden by her grandmother. His idea was to have it restored in secret as her birthday present – smooth :)
The Wayfarer’s clearly had a lot of use (see bottom of page) but, given its provenance, I wanted to keep it as original as possible – so the only new parts are the Raleigh Record tyres & inner tubes, the brake cables and a shiny new chain to replace the worn-out original. It’s been completely stripped, cleaned, lubricated and polished – a true oily rag restoration that keeps all the original 40 year old patina while transforming it into a fully functional machine that’s clean as a whistle. I hope it brings great happiness to its owner!
Here’s how Grandma’s beloved Wayfarer looked a few weeks ago, complete with rust and cobwebs:
Great job! Matts a friend of mine and were all very impressed with the results. Good work
Thanks Frosty – really happy with it myself too! :)
Thank you so much for all your hard work; I absolutely love it. I’m very, very lucky it’s a really special present. I promise to look after it!
Was a pleasure to work on the bike, I’m really happy you’re pleased with it! :) Alex
Hi,
My wife has a wayfarer like this and used regularly since her Father bought it for her in 1972.
I is in good condition for it age.I intend to restore it to its former glory but I am having trouble finding a paint code / Humbrol touch up colour
I wondered if you are able to shed any light on the subject.
Kind regards
Steve Escott
Thanks for your comment, I think it might be best to take the bike to car paint place who could perhaps match it. Humbrol unlikely
Many thanks for your swift and helpful reply.
I shall give it a go.
Cheers
Steve
I got a bike like that in my shed. In need of restoration. What will be the going rate before and after restoration, please
I have emailed you, thanks
Hi there ,
Just found my grandmothers Wayfair … very similar to yours – would love to hear more about your restoration before starting mine !!
Hi Jim, I hope you enjoy the process as much as I did seven years ago! It was a straightforward one really, complete strip and rebuild with all parts restored. Loads of elbow grease. Fortunately the paint and chrome were ok under the dirt, and most of the surface rust came off ok. I use a combination of products and abrasive methods, depends on the part. Evaporust, Aoutosol, IPA, Gunk, GT85, diesel, engine oil, you name it! New tyres, cables and chain are usually required, certainly for a rider… hopefully yours won’t need much more as originality is desirable with older bikes, those with a bit of history. All the best, Alex