# Mystery chrome framed Carlton - What is it??



## porteous (28 Jul 2009)

I posted this on chat yesterday:

_"I have just done it again. Another E-Bay impulse buy! It's described as a Carlton Carrera - nice lugs, 5 speed, 27", looks 70s to me but never heard of Carlton making a Carrera model. It's described as a tourer and has straight bars and a rear carrier. _

_Have I bought:_
_a. A nice old bike needing revival._
_b. A bitsa with part of it Carlton._
_c. (Yet another) clunker??_

_You can find it on E-Bay at _
_110416654846_

_PS Looking at the lugs (Capella?) seems to put it between 58 and 66. I am rather hoping this is a nice lightweight masquerading as a "going to the pub" bike. "_

Picked the bike up this morning and fouind chrome plating peeping through the crappy paint job, chromed tubes and chromed lugs. Not too sure about the forks yet, but definitely chromed at the bottom. Cyclo changer (50s?) running a Hurth rear mech (70s?). A really nasty straight bar in a rather nice GB quill and weiman brakes. What on earth is it??????



I bet Bagpuss knows!!

More photos are here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/31231726@N03/3764749919/in/photostream/


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## hubgearfreak (28 Jul 2009)

it's an interesting buy at a good price. well done. as to what it is, i've no idea, but it looks reasonable enough quality to me. i'd ride it, if i was shorter.
the carrera stickers may be just what some kid in the 70's had laying about to customise it with. they could just as easily have said turbo, or hull city, or indonesian airways. they certainly don't match in style or era the headbadge

i'm also at a loss as to why the seller listed it as QUITE A LARGE BIKE?


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## hubgearfreak (28 Jul 2009)

also, i'd bet some mug on ebay would nearly pay you the £17 for the mudguards or crankset alone

as for the question, you've bought a


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## porteous (28 Jul 2009)

Thank you. I have now got the number - K6386 - which puts it at 1962 (Probably). All I need now is guidance on how to establish the model?

By the way hubgearfreak, the old chap who sold it was a. quite small, and, b. had a garden full of children's bikes he was selling; which may explain why he thought it was big.


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## hubgearfreak (28 Jul 2009)

porteous said:


> All I need now is guidance on how to establish the model?



i realise that i may be stating the obvious, but do the shiny stickers peel off easily? 
having studied the pics again, i have a feeling that the (plain, quite cheapish) lugwork on the fork crown doesn't quite match the exquisite lugs on the frame. indeed, they look like the forks i have on a cheap raleigh of indeterminate age

you're obviously aware of....

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/British_isles/Carlton.htm
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/carlton.html
http://www.carltoncycles.me.uk/home.htm

good luck, and keep us posted


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## porteous (29 Jul 2009)

*One tin of nitromors later*

Now stripped the bike and removed the paint (It actually looks much nicer than the photo.) Dropouts are Cyclo, BB is marked T.B.G. Made in England (?), Top tube 21", Front tube 23", Seat tube 22 1/2 ", pump lugs under top tube 17 1/2 " apart.

The chrome is showing signs of age, some rust where tubes meet BB and where Front tube meets Head, but still pretty good for 47 odd years!

I suspect it is either a Constellation or a Catelina. When I stripped the frame the remains of a burgundy colour showed under the horrible dog poo brown it arrived in, so I think it may have been finished in burgundy achrilichrome.

Not quite sure what to do with this one.


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## porteous (29 Jul 2009)

More (larger) photos at : http://www.flickr.com/photos/31231726@N03/


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (12 Feb 2012)

porteous said:


> I posted this on chat yesterday:
> 
> _"I have just done it again. Another E-Bay impulse buy! It's described as a Carlton Carrera - nice lugs, 5 speed, 27", looks 70s to me but never heard of Carlton making a Carrera model. It's described as a tourer and has straight bars and a rear carrier. _
> 
> ...


Carlton produced a couple of Cappella lugged models in the mid 60s with full chrome spec frame options. The Flyer Grand Prix, all chrome & the cappella Clubman, all chrome. Their sister company, Sun, which were also produced at the factory in Worsop, also put out a chrome model, The Snipe Plus all chrome. They also played around with gold or copper translucent acrylic over chrome which they called Nicrylic.


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## Spokesmann (27 Jun 2014)

Carlton also produced the Catalina all chrome as well as the Constellation. The paint finish was acrylichrome as I remember.


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## biggs682 (27 Jun 2014)

porteous said:


> More (larger) photos at : http://www.flickr.com/photos/31231726@N03/


some nice old tractors there too


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