Darmic1

Thanks Nigel..... Just need it to run now and a few of Titch's decals!

Thanks Chris! Will be unusual for me not to restore something........ But seeing guys and gals actually getting in the dirt and playing with their machines has me curious? Gotta give it a go! I will be checking all is in fine fettle beforehand, hence the engine being off the 2nd machine, don't want any unreliability do we??? (no mentions of the Gem and Bantam at Ardingly..........) Anyways here are a couple of daylight piccies....

Thanks! I'll use it around the show circuits...... I do have another one which I'm thinking about leaving in its working clothes and working?

Almost done....... One or two little bits left to finish, painting the nut and bolt heads, replacing the cork on the fuel tap, handlebar grips, decals, oh and some oil for the gearboxes. Have ordered a litre of sae140 as specified, EP free of course! Will get a better picture when this flippin rain stops!

This machine was missing its depth skid when collected, so using photographs of other machines and some measurements taken at our 'meet n greet' I have reproduced one. This is it 'mocked up' on the bench, painted and then fitted.

Also made a minor change to the Spark plug cap, The insulated rubber was fouling the fuel tank. The cap has been removed and the metal connector with hole fitted, Also took the brass stop tab from the donor machines engine and fitted it to this one,

Also found one of the rotor blades was snapped off. Decided to have a go at replicating a replacement. Firstly, I welded together two narrow straight blades from an old set of mountfield rotors. I used a flap disc to clean up the welds, I then scored around an original blade and roughly cut out the new blade. I then formed the curved mounting part and finished the welding. Once cleaned up I drilled the mounting holes and fitted the blades. Think it turned out quite good?

Here is the original clutch lever from this machine, its seized with rust and pretty rough...... I took a couple of pictures in the daylight today, the paint doesn't look too bright under natural light

Thats the one!

Got on well again today, Tyres cleaned and refitted to the wheels, wheels refitted. I then stripped and primed the rotor drive case, gave it a couple of coats of colour and left to dry whilst cleaning nuts and bolts. Gave it a coat or 3 of clear. Refitted the handlebars and mounted the engine, once the drive case was dry I refitted that too. Wont be able to do much tomorrow........ Have both the kids for the day, joy!!!

Yes, Richard, I was aware......and shocked by the price, I was at Isfield meet n greet and Paul, Jim and and somebody else said they had some, hence the ask! Thanks Paul! Im starting to wonder if there is a machine that you 'dont' have literature for!!! Thanks Triumph66, The whole process uses really good products, not cheap, but great quality........ Most are surprised when they find out its 'rattle cans'

Quite a bit of progress today, the gearbox is reassembled, brackets reattached awaiting its wheels! A few pictures of where I'm up to........

Cheers guys, and thanks Paul! Paul? Do you happen to have one of those locking clutch levers that we spoke about at Isfield? One that you would be willing to part with???

I then stripped the engine back to a point where I could respray it to the correct colour. Before painting and to ensure a good adhesion I lightly 'scotch bright' the surface and then began the process again. Here's the engine now in the correct colour. Fuel tank was next.......I do like the finish with these ProXL products! Refitted the cowling once dry and the various bits removed for painting back on the Villiers.

The Insomnia is back! So I thought i'd show you what I have done with the 1st of my days off. I haven't been happy with the flat colour supplied by the paint shop, so took some bits from the 2nd machine along and trawled through their colour chips until we found what we think is the perfect colour match to the original metallic finish. Its odd how when these machines were made they were able to mix a metallic paint which had a gloss finish to it, yet today it has to be a 2 stage, base colour and clear coat process! The bits were given several light coats of the base and left for around 2 hours to dry. I then activated the 2K clear and sprayed light coats over the base colour. .

Hi all, I know its not old, but thought i'd try anyway...... Im after a grass bag and frame for the above. If anyone has one they are willing to part with please get in touch! Cheers

Not had much time this week. But have managed to move things along a bit. The fuel tank has been stripped, repaired and primed. The gearbox is now stripped down, cleaned, de-burred the gears and the outer case is now in primer ready for its top coat. The rest of metal work is at the blasters. Have even managed to order the steel tube and a decent tube bender to reproduce the 'missing' handle bars, couldn't believe what a local company were asking just to supply and bend a bit of tubing!

Thanks Mr Showman!

Hi Phil, Could you get a close up of the handlebars please? As I say, mine are missing and I'm gonna make some new ones......... Ordered 3m of 1" diameter tubing today, just need to find a way of bending it! Thanks Ian, Am going to try to get it done in time to bring to Isfield......... Have 18 days and counting!

Thanks! I really did think the engine was beyond saving when opened up. However Gareth persuaded me to give it a go..... Its suprising how bad these little engines can be and yet still be bought back from the brink. 'They sure dont make 'em like they used too!' Just hope the rest of the machine can be rescued!

Cheers! Get the tank done and then make a start on the rest of the machine.

Refitted the cowling, then the carb........ Washed the fuel tank out. will remove all the old paint tomorrow afternoon........

Had the afternoon in the garage today, carb cleaned and rebuilt. The bits arrived from Gareth arrived too, Cheers G! Also got the engine timed, flywheel tightened etc....... Guess what.............. It runs too!!!! Wanna see? https://youtu.be/PeetRoIOQmI

Cheers Gareth! This green is what was beneath the brushed on dark green. No progress today after this mornings excitement. Im back to work tomorrow, so wont be much progress for the next week!

Also sorted the air shroud, stripped all the old paint using a heavy duty paint stripper, then a wire wheel. A couple of coats of etch, then some colour........ The "rat" look or not??? NOT!