Here's my Raleigh Grifter Mk1 Restoration....

[ant]

Hi
We have started restoring/doing up our old Mk1 Grifter.
during the strip down we have established that the front forks are slightly bent, but will be ok to recover.
The bottom of the head tube was slightly flared but I have knocked it back into shape.
Calipers were left in vinegar for a couple of days and have come up amazing! Chrome on the wheels is a bit crinkly. Might rig something up to soak half the wheel vertically at a time.
Once we are ready we will get the frame blasted (masking the frame number) and powder coated. My son would like it a dark red- it won't be the original colour, but should be something close.

A couple of questions:
- the brake lever chrome could do with a refresh. They have plastic coated finger grips. Would the vinegar method attach the plastic?
- one of our cotter pins is messed up. Can anyone advise what size they are?
- where is the best place to get a set of Mk1 stickers?

Cheers
Anthony & G

[blueboy]

Hi ant.
Sounds like you're making good progress. There are other people here that should be able to give you better advice, but for what it's worth....the plastic finger grips should pull off. Prise a gap between the plastic and the lever then spray some wd40 to remove. The cotterpins should be easy to find on ebay. Just search grifter cotterpins. There was someone selling decals on this site if you can find them. Failing that, they pop up on ebay from time to time. Repro ones are easy to find. Hope that helps. Good luck👍

[gingerrich76]

Welcomes on board. Sounds like an excellent project to shear with your boy.
Cotter pins... good olde bike shop. I use cycleking .75p each. But the R nuts dont fit... better than nothing tho.
Decals... ebay for 20-25 of the queens pounds. I'll find a link.
Where abouts in the world are you?
Could try a throw up some pictures too..

[gingerrich76]

Look at this on eBay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322572265253
Just remember.. its only original once 👍

[ant]

Hi
Thanks for your responses.
We are near Hitchin, on the Beds/Herts border.
Cotterpins have been sourced from the local olde bike shop. Will have a go at the brake levers this week.

Not so bothered about being 'original' but clean,decent and usable. Concours isn't our thing.....

Cheers
Anthony & G

[gingerrich76]

Excellent, well done.
Don't forget photos 😆

[ant]

Hello
Grifter has been stripped.
Most of the chrome has cleaned up really well.
Frame has been powder coated. G wanted it dark red until the guy asked him what colour and it changed to blue! Mudguard are still there, along with an old kart frame.
Handle bars have been stripped and need a bit of cleaning up before spraying satin black.
Wheels are soaking vertically in vinegar. Have to keep rotating them daily, but they are looked ng a lot better. Garage stinks!

[ant]

[blueboy]

Nice colour. Looking good👍

[blueboy]

Is G happy with the colour?

[ant]

Thanks..
Gs likes the colour. He Spent quite a while infront of the colour chart at the powder coaters!
Should start getting it back together in a couple of weeks

[ant]

Hello
rebuild now complete- almost- couldn't find the black gearshift cable so reused the old white one.
Bought new brake pads that supposedly fit the Grifter, but they dont have the step to fit the anti-rotation device on the front calipers. Resorted to cleaning up the best of the originals and refitting on the front.
stickers are through the link on here. Very nicely made. Stripped and sprayed the handlebars ourselves but had the mudguards blasted and powder coated.
worst bit of the build was refitting the stand, rear brake cable threaded through on the first attempt.
finished it last night and G took it out for 10mile ride this morning. Happened across a Ferrari Owners Club meeting and few of them asked about the Grifter and taking photos of it!

[gingerrich76]

Looking good 👍

[blueboy]

That's worked out nice. Love the colour!

[ant]

Hi
Thanks for the comments
Chrome on the wheels is very pitted and rough but have come up reasonably well.
Cheers