1950''s W.F. Holdsworth Tornado?

[Illaveago]

I have been concentrating on other things to take things in! Yesterday I looked at a 1952 Holdsworth catalogue. Reading the description it is very similar to my bike with the design of lugs, it also states that it was only a frame only option so the customers would fit whatever they had or liked to it. So trying to date the frame by using the parts fitted is out. If my frame is from 1951/52 then it would have already have been an old frame by the time that the previous owner bought it. I make it 11 years old by the time he was 16.
So far I haven't spotted a frame number. I'll have another look later but for now I will assume that it is a 1952 model which was built as a 10 speed. The bracket for mounting the front mech is brazed onto the seat tube.
I was lucky yesterday that the seat post came out. It might be that it was because the previous owner worked for Rolls Royce and knew about those sorts of things. The bike looks to have been cared for in the past and has had a couple of resprays in a similar colour. I assume that the head badge is a replacement as according to the Holdsworth site the badge with the crown was only in use after the Tornado stopped being made in 1953.

 

[Illaveago]

Years ago it would just have been an old bike so repaired with whatever you could get (or had) to keep it rolling.

Yes. The date of the parts fitted threw me as to the age of the frame. The frame is much older than was thought 70+ years old. As it was sold as a frame only option any parts could have been fitted to it.

 

[Illaveago]

I did a bit more work on the frame today. I flatted some paint back to reveal the original colour. It was a light blue a bit like BMC Iris blue instead of Bianchi green. I also found the frame number hiding on the Bottom bracket 14480 which makes it a 1951.

 

[Illaveago]

After a bit of polishing this afternoon.

 

[Paulus]

After a bit of polishing this afternoon.

View attachment 752915

That's coming up really nicely.

 

[Illaveago]

So the Tornado was launched in 1951 as a complete bike or frame set, in 1952 it was frame set only and by 1955 it was dropped altogether.
Short lived !

 

[Illaveago]

I have just been doing a bit of tinkering on the Holdsworth recently as the weather hasn't been very good. Rubbing down rusty areas, removing the saddle and trying to treat the leather. I removed the tensioning bolt to try to rectify a twist which had developed in it. Here is my Heath Robinson attempt to straighten it.

 

[Illaveago]

I did a bit of work on removing corrosion from the bars and brake levers yesterday. Corrosion had formed underneath the cloth tape. I'm not a fan of it. I find it to be hard and rough. It also reminds me of the old cloth insulation tape.
I brushed some acid on the corroded areas and let that work before removing the white crust with a light file. The grey staining will have to be removed with wet and dry.
I have been working on the leather saddle. I have been treating it with a leather conditioner, it is now softer and looks a bit better but I'm not sure if it will be useable. A dark brown residue comes off when I rub it . We will see.
I will need to see if I can free the stem . It seems to be seized at the moment. I tried pouring some penetrating oil down but it just ran straight out through the clay bar I used to block the end.
There is play in the BB which will need looking at.

 

[Illaveago]

This is how the saddle looks at the moment. It looks fine but I wouldn't want to sit on it wearing light coloured trousers.

 

[goldcoastjon]

Well I went and got it! SWMBO wasn't amused! "How Much?"

As a Californian who is unfamiliar with your abbreviation, may I ask what "SWMBO" stands for?

Thanks!

 

[Dogtrousers]

As a Californian who is unfamiliar with your abbreviation, may I ask what "SWMBO" stands for?

Thanks!

She Who Must Be Obeyed

 

[Illaveago]

As a Californian who is unfamiliar with your abbreviation, may I ask what "SWMBO" stands for?

Thanks!

As has been stated above it is She who must be obeyed! Our wives/ partners. I think it originated from the TV series Rumpole of the Old Bailey starring Leo McKern.

 

[Illaveago]

Slow progress at the moment. I have removed the bars and brake levers, that was a struggle to get them through the stem. Whoever put them in also found it a struggle as there are lots of marks on the bends. I have started to clean one side of the bars, glue residue is still on the other side. The stem appears to be seized at the moment and so are the cotter pins in the cranks. One of the pedals is starting to look a bit better after putting some rust removing gel on it. I haven't looked at the wheels yet.

 

[Illaveago]

Sorry but I'm short of pictures at the moment. Here is a pedal that I cleaned up with rust removing gel. I also did some work on the frame with it but haven't concentrated on it that much.

 

[Illaveago]

Computer malfunction.