Recently became custodian of this old girl; my first classic. So much to learn; quite fascinating. E.g. the wheels can be removed without spanners, the front mudguard stay doubles as a stand to remove the front wheel, the rear mudguard is hinged & lifts to remove the rear wheel. I need to get her running; she has been stored away for a few years but I understand ran nicely at that point; I will then decide whether to strip & restore or keep original (ish) Need a 6 volt battery & charger; think I have that covered now. I need to clean the inside of the tank; it looks a bit rusty in there. Any tips for doing this?
Hi Swis T, I have an S8 which is a slightly different version with standard wheels instead of the balloon tyres but it shares many of the same components. They are nice little bikes though could not be described as powerful! I've stripped and refurbed most of my Sunbeam and, although I would not be considered anywhere near an expert, you are welcome to contact me for any information or advice you might want. Good luck with the restoration. Cheers Steve
Thank you Steve; that's really helpful. Priority is to make sure she runs & everything operates; it should, before the previous owner bought it, it has a very detailed maintenance history. It didn't turn a wheel with the previous owner. I bought a battery & charger today; next is cleaning out the tank. Do you have any pointers with the tank cleaning? Also, do you have a pic of your S8?
For getting rid of rust/flakes, a weak solution (10% thereabouts) of battery acid swilled around will restore it to as new. Perhaps best done with tap removed and a bung in its place, easier for draining too. Take care with paintwork!
That will be 3 of us on here with Sunbeams then, as I also have an S8. I'm far from an expert though, having only had mine a month or so, though it has been in the family since 1965.
Here you go. Its a 1954 machine. It used to have a pillion seat on the rear mudguard but I took it off as I think it looks a lot cleaner without it.
I had a rusty tank on my GSX1400 and solved it by cleaning and sealing with the products here. https://www.rust.co.uk/product/cat/fuel-ethanol-proof-tank-sealers-1
My garage has taken on a new odour since the SB came to live here; nothing quite like the smell of leaking everything; I like it. I need a new front tyre; the one fitted is an option for better handling, but it needs the look of the intended balloon up front I think. I've just read that the front & rear wheels are interchangeable; clever fellas in the 40s'/50s'.
loverly bike and ahead of its time in many places - Don't mention the worm drive - but it will give you something to do !
Hello. I have used the Evapo-Rust products described below with success every time, they don't require any special handling/disposal methods, and they are supposed not to harm paintwork. Although, I wrapped my tank in a couple of layers of cling film just to be sure. The instructions are straightforward and it has removed the rust every time, but does not protect the new surface, so a light coat of oil should protect it until you use it again. I hope it helps, Tom. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom, Frost Auto Restoration sales our products both in store and online. Here is their phone number and a link to their site. Phone: 01706-658-619 https://www.frost.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=Evapo-Rust Thanks DAVID LEWIS Vice President, Sales
