Sunbeam restoration

[Alan B]

Have just collected an old Sunbeam bike from my dad. He's now in his ninties and decided to stop riding.
He says he bought it just after the war for £16 but can't remember which bits he's changed over the years, except the saddle obviously.
It's all in working order, just needs some new tubes, the wheels run true, no play in the bottom bracket, but the pedals are a little "floppy".
I appreciate that most of you are far to young to recognise this model, but I wondered if anyone could comment on originality and whether the disk missing from the centre of the chain bath was a removeable item.
I would like to do a restoration job in time,but would like to gather some bits first, eg transfers (if possible), period lights, and period saddle and saddle bag
cheers
Alan

ps no, I'm not going to electrify !

 

[flecc]

I worked on those bikes as a lad in the trade well over half a century ago, but honestly don't know if that disc was removable (though it probably was) since we never needed to touch the chains, they seemed to last indefinitely running in oil. The case was fully enclosed and that disc certainly should be in place though. We almost never took out back wheels, just used frame expanders on the steel frame to change back tyres or tubes.

It almost all looks original, I'm guessing the three speed Sturmey-Archer hub gear, and that was certainly a premium model. Somewhat similar from Hercules or BSA would have cost only £12 or a little over rather than that £16.
.

 

[Blew it]

Silver Sunbeam perhaps?

A search suggests your machine may be the 1937 Silver Sunbeam 23" model W light tourist.

Full details and excellent photos can be found on the link below, the list of machines at the top of the page are 'clickable'

The Online Sunbeam Cycle Museum1939-silver-sunbeam-23-gents-roadster/

 

[Alan B]

A search suggests your machine may be the 1937 Silver Sunbeam 23" model W light tourist.

Full details and excellent photos can be found on the link below, the list of machines at the top of the page are 'clickable'

The Online Sunbeam Cycle Museum1939-silver-sunbeam-23-gents-roadster/

I think it's post war, he bought it after being demobbed, probably 1946. The brakes are more modern looking, and chrome bottoms on forks.

Flecc, I guessed you might know about it. You're right - 3 speed, and the chain is almost certainly original, 66 years old, and it had a lot of use in it's younger days !

 

[flecc]

I think it's post war, he bought it after being demobbed, probably 1946. The brakes are more modern looking, and chrome bottoms on forks.

Flecc, I guessed you might know about it. You're right - 3 speed, and the chain is almost certainly original, 66 years old, and it had a lot of use in it's younger days !

That's very likely Alan. With cars, motorbikes and bicycles immediately following the war, the first models produced were the pre-war ones, simply because there was no lead time for new design and testing. In fact it was not until after 1948 that any variety of new models started to become available and by then most were allocated for export to pay off our war debts.

Those chains and sprockets seemed to last indefinitely, I worked on Sunbeams made many years before the war which had been continuously used for commuting every year since they were made, including through the war.

Looking at the site that Blew it linked to has jogged my memory on the chaincase. That disc was certainly removable on at least some, a screw at the bottom of the disc being the fixing, though I can't see evidence of it on your model's photo on that site. You can see that screw by the crank on this model's photo.
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