Carlton Catalina or Constellation arrived

[DCLane]

Having put out that this had less than 24 hours left I picked it up today. I'm presuming it's a Carlton Catalina or Constellation from a few minutes digging into it and the paintwork that's under the black overcoat.

@midlife or others - want it for the £10 I paid? Or have I gained another project?

From what I can see it was originally metallic red-ish with chrome on the top of the forks. There's a double crankset but only a single Simplex shifter. The only identifier I can find is K4990 on the left rear dropout which I presume from here dates the bike to 1962.

Lycett saddle, which is a bit cracked, the wheels need de-rusting but look solid. Brakes are European-style and I'm guessing it's been overseas until now. The seller is a bulk buyer and reseller of second-hand bikes.

 

[biggs682]

@DCLane that looks like a good project for someone

If my garage and shed were not full , i would make an offer and turn it in to a hipsters single speeder

 

[tom73]

Single speed my thinking too but Mrs 73 would kill me.

 

[Browser]

Gotta love those old-skule shorty ali 'mudguards', totally useless at keeping anything dry than their own top surface (didn't even stop the brakes getting crapped up!)

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Would that be a Tru-wel frame or something a bit more posh?
Seems @DCLane has a knack for acquiring bargain Carltons - I make it two for £14 recently with the one you made very orange for your boy.

 

[Spokesmann]

Its not a Constellation, possibly a Catalina or Clubman. Looks to be around 1962. Looks pretty rough...

 

[EltonFrog]

@DCLane what size is it?

 

[DCLane]

@DCLane what size is it?

57cm / 22 1/2" - it's in bits though at the moment.

 

[EltonFrog]

57cm / 22 1/2" - it's in bits though at the moment.

Thanks, it’s too small for me.

 

[Illaveago]

What happened to it ?

 

[DCLane]

What happened to it ?

It's travelled ...

Passed onto someone else to have a look at in November.
Lost via Hermes.
Travelled round various parts of the country
Finally turned up last week.

 

[Illaveago]

It's travelled ...

Passed onto someone else to have a look at in November.
Lost via Hermes.
Travelled round various parts of the country
Finally turned up last week.

Was it like one of those gnomes that sends back a postcard from all of it's travels ?

 

[DCLane]

Was it like one of those gnomes that sends back a postcard from all of it's travels ?

I got bored tracking it - it was supposed to be sent to Dudley from memory.
Instead it went to Deal in Kent, Dundee, Denbighshire and Durham. By then Hermes refunded the courier cost and it went off elsewhere for a couple of weeks, eventually turning up after Christmas. All I got was a tracking code and then confirmation it was in the wrong place.