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1961 750 cc NORTON ATLAS
It all started about two years ago, I had just sold my AC Cobra which was my pride and joy, and I was lost in a world of nothing to do. Having taken quite a while to build my dream car which kept me busy on week end’s and holiday’s, after driving it for a number of year’s the car was sold I was like a mossy with no perch to sit on. My wife suggested that I find a classic bike and restore it. I sat and thought about it, and decided that could be a great project, as I had never restored a bike before.
I put an add in bike magazines and in the junk mail, as to what I was looking for and how much I was prepared to pay. It was not long and I got a phone call from a guy who had the Norton, who was going to restore it, but as it turned out either ran out of time or lost interest. I made the arrangement’s, went and had a look at the bike, was happy with what I saw and duly brought the old lady home. When my saw what I had bought, and what I paid, she asked me how am I going to turn this poor old bike around and put it back to original, I told her to watch this space.
I set about by joining the Classic Motor Cycle Club and got to know a lot of people that all had the same interest.
The bike was taken into theatre, and the restoration operation was started. The old lady was stripped rite down to only the frame and a bucket of rusted nut’s and bolts. The frame was stripped of the haemarite paint it had on it and was sent for sand blasting and power coating. With it went the swing arm and the stand. Next the wheel’s were sent in, dismantled, and the rims, spoke’s and spoke nipples were all sent in for chroming.
The paint work that needed to be done was sent to J G Custom and Classic and was given a new lease of life.
When all the part’s come back from the relevant specialists the reassembly process started. This task took in the region of six month’s, as the wheel’s had to be rebuild, and all the nut’s and bolt’s had to be either plated or replaced.
The motor and gear box were checked and all was in order, at last the bike was complete. With the help from my friend Dennis Stolk and a few Hanses later, the timing was done and the 750cc motor was kicked into life. When it fired, I don’t know who got a bigger fright, him or me, but it was music to our ear’s.
Now that the bike is complete, guess what I am like that mossy with out that perch to sit on, but un be knowing to my wife, I am on the look out for the next project.
Mervin Short mervin>short@eskom.co.za