The classic Claud Butler that I have acquired

leachim

Retro Newbie
Hi all. I should like to present myself and my latest acquisition : a 1953 Claud Butler in largely original but rather poor condition. I found the beast on EBay and probably paid more than I should, but it is the genuine article -- the ''bilaminated'' lugs seems to suggest a ''New All-Rounder'' or ''Avant Coureur', I can't determine which precisely. I live in the South of France and have in recent times reverted to an adolescent obsession with classic steel racing or semi-racing bikes. This is my first Claud Butler in nearly 60 years -- I had a much-loved all-welded superlight model with cantilever brakes which I still miss -- all the rest of my current mounts being of various French makes.
It almost certainly originally had a rear derailleur gear but this was swapped out for a 60s Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub a long time ago, as the rear chromed steel wheel is as rusty as the original Dunlop front wheel. The brakes are the original GB Hiduminium with the early style hooded levers, the handlebars are a rather nice aluminium with a ferule engraved with the names Kint, Steenbergen etc, the badly rusted chrome steel steel stem is a Titan which I shall try to get rechromed, but the seat post is in aluminiumn, closed at the top. I'm not sure of the chainset, which doesn't look like the Williams models of the period. I'm not yet sure what to use in its place as I think I need à 3/32'' item to accomodate a Regina-type 3, 4 or 5-speed derailleur free-wheel in place of the present 3/8'' chain arrangement.
The biggest challenge will certainly be restoring the frame, as the original paint is very far gone, and also rechroming the front and rear forkends which are badly blistered and peeling. I'm having a pair of 27'' wheels made up for it, consisting of Conloy Constrictor Asps with Resilion large-flange hubs, all found on Ebay, but I may also go for a pair or modern alloys with small-flange hubs of suspected Chinese-origin which are to be had relatively cheaply. The original Brooks saddle, apparently a B17, is too far shot to be used, but can obviously be replaced at a price. For CB specialists, the numbers stamped on the bottom bracket are : 4334 above 537. I interpret this to mean a frame built in July '53 and the 4334th of the series.
All comment and advice welcome. Leachim
 

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July ‘53 is correct. And I’m pretty sure it’s a New Allrounder.
The 1953 AC didn’t have fluted tops on the seat stays (That year they were partially wrapped over the top tube) and would have had a more expensive fork crown.
 
Peachy is certainly right about it being an All-Rounder rather than an Avant Coureur. In certain lights I've been able to decipher the letters ....DER'' model written inside the narrow black strip at the front of the top tube, which must indicate ''ALL-ROUNDER'' model. Another sign of it not being an AC is, I think, the fact that it does not have the CB separate seat-post clip but a fairly standard split seat-post lug.
I have dismantled the beast with a view to restoring the frame. In the course of this I discovered under the filth that while the front brake is a GB Hiduminium the back brake is a GB Sprite 61 (sic). I've never seen or heard of such. I now have the dilemma of wondering what brakes to fit to the restored frame. I had imagined simply cleaning up two GB Hiduminiums but maybe I'll now go for a pair of GB Coureurs.
Fortunately the dismantling was very easy. The handlebar stem and the seat post came out easily (after prior application of WD40) and even the cotter-pins came out with a minimim of brute force.
For those interested in these little details, the frame has a single derailleur brazed-on boss or lug on the down tube, back-brake cable stops on the top tube, a derailleur cable stop on the right chainstay and a brazed-on derailleur cable tunnel or guide on the underside of the bottom bracket lug. An agreeable detail not generally seen on later frames is a grease nipple on the top right side of the bottom bracket lug.
Considerably disagreeable is the rusty state of the frame, particularly the chromed front and rear fork-ends. The chrome is peeling badly in places. I'm wondering whether I'll be able to get the fork-ends re-chromed here in France, as there don't seem to be many workshops that do that kind of thing. I think I'll get the frame sand-blasted first in any event, before considering a paint job.
FWIW, there is the trace of a Reynolds 531 transfer at the top of the seat tube (some CB frames of the time apparently had Accles and Pollock tubes), but whether it is 531 double-butted throughout I cannot say.
Any thoughts or advice very welcome.
Leachim in the South of France
 
New Allrounder was plain gauged 531, Avant Coureur had the double butted
 
I've just about stripped the frame down ready for sand-blasting. But I have a question on which I'd like some advice. The head tube still has its metallic CB badge. The colours are a bit faded but acceptable. The badge is riveted on, with what look like two small brass rivets. Now, I think the badge should clearly come off before the sand-blast, but what is the best method ? A very small chisel to behead the rivets without, hopefully, damaging the badge ?
 

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