SB4059 SBDU Ilkeston 1980 TI-Raleigh Team Pro Reynolds 753 – A New (and Correct) Look

It has been a long couple of days but I’ve finally completed this small and difficult project to bring SB4059 up to spec in terms of a 1980 period SBDU TI-Raleigh transfer scheme. Deciding to go for it and wreck the paint on a perfectly good frame meant that there was no going back. Thankfully my patience and care have paid off and SB4059 is done!

This is how SB4059 looked yesterday morning… painted, clear coated and still masked.

The new task was to use some fine grade wet and dry 1200 to 2500 paper and gently rub over the surface. I then polished the finished tubes before removing the masking tape. Everything was looking good but in my head I was still thinking that I could have a problem with the masked edges around the lugs and the top seat tube band.

However, once the tape was removed and I had given the top tube and lugs another polish to remove any residual gum from the tape, the lug lines and masked edges were ok!

The colour of the top tube was also a really good match to the rest of the frame. And when the fork and Super Record head set were refitted I couldn’t see any difference in colour.

And for the first time since December 2011, when it came through the door in a box, I’m finally looking at SB4059 with the correct 1980 TI-Raleigh scheme.

With the frame sorted, I really wanted to get on and build the bike. With a quality frame and quality parts and quality tools, that task doesn’t take long. The head tube and BB were already faced and all the threads were clean and good.

After a busy day, the low evening sunlight was coming through the window and hitting the work bench, and the paint, chrome spokes and gleaming Super Record parts lit up.

Finally done. A 1980 SBDU TI-Raleigh Team Pro 753 in the correct livery with a full ‘Team 80’ specification described by Gerald O’Donovan.