Pimp that Brompton !

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I work with a chap who commutes on this, and has done for years. He is not very mechanically minded so I normally get roped in to fix punctures and stuff. It has got to the point it needs too much doing too it so he has bought another one. Now what is he going to do with this old one ?........ needless to say a deal was struck and it is now in my garage waiting to be pimped !

So I rode it home and the brakes did not work along with a few other things. I thought I would use it for a bit and find out what I wanted to do with it but that was not an option.  A full strip down was called for.

Oh dear. that sums it up. One rear wheel nut was so loose there was clear air between it and the frame and more of the same on pretty much everything I touched. Getting the rear triangle off was a right pain as the countersunk Allen bolts were stuck solid. Ended up welding a bolt on one side and drilling the other side out. Much faffing about. Finally all apart.

I started looking on eBay for a few bits that needed replacing and then found the whole world of Brompton "hop up's" (I am into R/C cars BTW). I started buying and did not know when to stop ! It has now ended and the only thing left from the original bike is the forks, frame, rear triangle and steering tube. I have decided to go with V brakes as well.

All parts were put through the parts washer to clean 10 years of grime off and the frame parts have gone into the sandblaster to be cleaned up. It was in such a bad way even the forks had a dent in them. When I braze the V brake bosses on I will run some braze into the dent and smooth it off. I have managed to get some black edition wheel for it which I think look very nice. Steering tube painted and carbon bars attached. Finished blasting the rear triangle today so worked out where to braze the V brake bosses on. Starting to take shape now.

Not this far ahead with it yet !