'Harry Hall' - First Road 'Restomod'

[mrkawasaki]

Re: Harry Hall

Have had the serial numbers examined by Harry Hall's son and it turns out that it isn't a Harry-made Hall... apparently it was acceptable to take other frames of similar quality bitd, add a Harry Hall fork and respray them in the shop colours. Not that I find it acceptable and nor would the current trading officer regime, but hey, that's the retro world for you!

My disappointment is tempered by the removal of guilt about applying non-period parts, so now the real question is what to call it? Names on a postcard to...

This was normal practice for 'shop' frames throughout the cycle industry, as most people had them 'hand made' to suit the rider.
So dealers bought unpainted frames and then had painted in there colours.
Cannot see anything wrong with that, was in a bike shop today and saw a new TREK being built up, with a large 'Made in Taiwen' sticker on it.
Remember racing in the USA in the 80's and all the Bianchi's had a 'Made in Japan' stickers on it.
Which ever way you look at it, it came from Harry's shop so it has to be a Harry Hall !!! who was a great bloke and helped numerous Manchester riders during his life..

It was suggested to me that such a frame could easily have been second hand by the time any 'new' paint job/fork may have been applied - that would surely be an unreasonable practice, then and now, far if the buyer was under the assumption it was a new frame?

 

[Old Ned]

Roger Kowalski built many HH frames in the basement workshop. It has been mentioned that Harry didn't build himself but some early adverts say he did and here's a 1972 one that shows Roger on the left and Harry on the right hard at work.