Allin of croydon information needed

[The Wheel Deal]

 

[The Wheel Deal]

 

[The Wheel Deal]

 

[roadking]

Hi all,
Just stumbled across this thread whilst doing some research - very interesting reading. I have an Allin (Stan Butler Butler Popular Model), frame number 1421 dating from around 1958. It was a birthday gift from my Grandfather to my Father and has subsequently been gifted to me. My Grandfather and Stan Butler were friends and cycled together back in the day. With the exception of the saddle and bar-tape, everything is original. The groupset is Campagnolo Gran Sport with Coureur Plus brakes. For its age, it's in great condition (some rust and some mild pitting on the top tube) and full working order. I am completely stripping down, servicing, cleaning and rebuilding in a few weeks time. Since this is a machine that holds great nostalgic value, I am also seriously toying with the idea of a complete restoration/respray of the frame, but I am concerned that I would lose the machine's character and never fully match the colours/decals etc. I would be very interested on opinions regarding frame restoration, pros/cons and any recommendations on suitable places capable of undertaking such delicate work were I to have it done. Really in two minds about this currently....
Thanks in advance for your comments/suggestions and I will post pictures shortly.

Frame number 1421 is almost certainly first half of 1959, it looks to be in very good condition if not quite original in terms of some of the components (as you mention: saddle & foamy handlebar covering). The frame was built by Peter Cobb.

If you decided to restore there would be no problem replicating the colour or the decals (the red with gold is not an unusual Allin livery). You might get opinions like,"it's only original once", but it shows no disrespect to your Grandfather if you restored it to as new (in fact he might well approve).

My Grandfather also new Stan (Butler) and Ching (Allin)well, this is mentioned in more detail on another website.

It is a nice machine you have.

Rk.

 

[The Wheel Deal]

Great, thanks for your comments. It looks like there is a strong chance our respective Grandfathers may have known each other!

 

[flash]

It depends where you are but Argos Cycles in Bristol are good. Definitely worth a call.....

 

[VeloFellow54]

Frame 1422 is documented as July 1959 - so that would indicate that yours is of similar date. My advice :
Take the forks to a specialist paint supplier. They will scan and match the colour perfectly for you. Cost you about £25-30 for more paint than you will ever need. Clean up the bad areas - carefully brush paint in some primer built the layers up and carefully rub back if required - then several coats of the matching paint. H Lloyd carry stock of all the decals that you will need and if you are dextrous you should be able touch in the head badge. Once you have done all the work on the frame, you should be able to find someone locally (car bodywork people) who will put a clear coat over the top at low cost (folding money helps). Make certain that all grease, oil etc is removed though or you will have problems with the clear coat after application. That way you will have the best of both worlds - you will retain the original finish and still give the frame a new lease of life. You should also gain great satisfaction in doing it. If you send it to a professional restorer to get it refinished, be prepared to pay a small fortune.

 

[The Wheel Deal]

Great, thanks for the suggestions....

 

[roadking]

Great, thanks for your comments. It looks like there is a strong chance our respective Grandfathers may have known each other!

They may well have done (depending on where yours lived), my Grandfather and Father (me to a lesser extent - respectively) knew Stan and Ching for over three decades.

I'd either keep it original or have the frameset restored professionally - it'll not cost a fortune (sic), and I have a NoS batch of headbadges if you want to replace it, but as Allin badges go yours is quite good.

Rk.

 

[The Wheel Deal]

Great, thanks for your comments. It looks like there is a strong chance our respective Grandfathers may have known each other!

They may well have done (depending on where yours lived), my Grandfather and Father (me to a lesser extent - respectively) knew Stan and Ching for over three decades.

I'd either keep it original or have the frameset restored professionally - it'll not cost a fortune (sic), and I have a NoS batch of headbadges if you want to replace it, but as Allin badges go yours is quite good.

Rk.

I never knew my Grandfather unfortunately, but I am told by my Father that he and Stan were good friends. They were actually in business together for a while - possibly something to do with the Whitehorse Road shop, but I can't confirm that. My Grandfather had a printing business just around the corner in Tamworth Road. He knew Ching, but not as well as Stan. They cycled together regularly and the Allin that I now have was custom-built for my father.

I think I will probably go full restoration if I do anything at all. The idea of having an "as new" paint job is quite appealing....