Well... where do I start?
I received a call from Steve the frame builder at Arthur Caygill's yesterday and we went through all the problems he had subsequently found on the JT...
So here's the new complete list
1. Stem seized in the forks, now sorted by cutting then acid and reaming out remains.
2. Seized bolt in rack mount/eye, sorted.
3. Rear seat tube split near base, needs complete replacement tube.
4. Cracked brazed-on rear seat clamp, both halves would need to be removed and reused on new tube.
5. Stress crack at junction of top tube and front seat tube, it can be re-brazed if tube not replaced.
6. Bulge to the rear of the front seat tube approx 70mm from the top, both 5 & 6 likely caused by the very short & inadequate seatpost found here which obviously needs to support both the captain and the handlebars for the stoker.
7. Old seatpost rammed down probably as far as where the butting stops inside the front seat tube as there are now stress cracks at the BB joint. (This would be the reason for the short seatpost!
) It might be possible to remove an aluminium one but this is steel so it might be more efficient/cost effective to replace the front tube (also resolving the bulge)
8. Rear spacing has been cold adjusted from a likely 135mm to now 145mm, but most of the movement has been in the drive side chainstay most likely weakened by the extensive chain rub damage, this needs replacing.
Butcher's bill? Well if you include a proper spray job, then nearly three times the initial outlay for the bike.
Next steps? Well, I've made an estimate of around £100 potentially recouped from harvesting the various parts and pushing them on and the chap I bought it from has given me a partial refund so we're both sharing the cash hit about 50/50. I don't suppose he's going to have much joy with the previous owner, but he's going to try.
As for the frame? Well I still think it's an opportunity to have a large JT Tandem just how I want it, I just don't think I can't afford to do it this side of Christmas.
)
