New member from Essex

[Willis wheels]

hi all always fancied a Greeves as I'm an Essex boy, just bought a frame to start my project so a long way to go, I have a complete fanned front hub and as I'm a wheel builder that means a nice front wheel coming up, will be asking a few questions along the way but hoping the frame is 1963 my birth year and fingers crossed it's a scottish as this is what I like, hopefully can add a picture if anybody can help identify it.
chris

[Willis wheels]

Won't let me upload attachment

[Willis wheels]

Frame number 63/3127

[John Wakefield]

Welcome aboard Wills wheels, the frame number you have quoted is a 'fake', Greeves never used the 63/**** series as they went onto model related numbers ie 24TES*** from 1962 onward.

This frame was recently on eBay, and is referred to in this thread https://www.greeves-riders.org.uk/fo...e-frame-number
Presumably you did not see that as it was in members area.

So here it is again https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163549559927?ul_noapp=true
MEMBERS BEWARE this frame number has a fake number, 63/3127 as most of you will know after 1963 Greeves used the model type as a prefix to number, the last of the old series with year first was 1961 (61/****)
This frame was on John Harding's stand at Telford last weekend (asking price was £250).BUT NOT OWNED BY JOHN, who was selling it for the current eBay seller in Bromsgrove. It was not sold at Telford resulting in the owner listing it on ebay as an un molested frame. His eBay name rustynscrap says it all
Apparently its from a SCS.

I would suggest you contact the seller and ask for a refund, he was to my knowledge made aware of incorrect frame number.

[Willis wheels]

Oh no that's not good news, will look into what to do From here

[John Wakefield]

You need to report seller to eBay as he clearly breached their terms and conditions as it clearly was NOT an unmolested frame so description of item was wrong.

[John Wakefield]

Won't let me upload attachment

That is because you are not a GRA member.

[teamferret]

I wouldn't worry too much about frame numbers, my dad was very involved in the trials/scrambles scene and he always maintained that as many Greeves left by the back door as went out the front. Some went to good local riders, some were sold to avoid tax and some were sold by employees. My trials bike has a number beginning with 62 so suspect this was an unofficial numbering system. Surely we are all about riding these bikes and not getting hung up on originality

[46T Sprocket]

I have to agree. I have a Challenger frame that I know came out the back door. For me It's just good to see them still running after all these years.

[John Wakefield]

I wouldn't worry too much about frame numbers, my dad was very involved in the trials/scrambles scene and he always maintained that as many Greeves left by the back door as went out the front. Some went to good local riders, some were sold to avoid tax and some were sold by employees. My trials bike has a number beginning with 62 so suspect this was an unofficial numbering system. Surely we are all about riding these bikes and not getting hung up on originality

Sorry to disagree but if this bike is to be made road legal (its a trials bike and most people want to ride them on the road) then it needs to have a genuine frame number to be authenticated by the club to get it registered with DVLA.
If it cant be authenticated then a single vehicle approval will be required, quite a difficult long winded process lots of forms, inspections, and safety aspects to be complied with and in the end a Q plate.
Further more these days prospective buyers are wanting all numbers correct bikes. Back 'in the day' these things were less important as it was just a bike to ride, but in these days of collectors and investors, frame numbers are now most important and can seriously effect the value.

[46T Sprocket]

Well lets hope that this hasn't put Willis wheels off.

[dave higgins]

Hi David, unfortunately it does turn people away, hence only the handfull of people now using the forum.

[Colin Sparrow]

Unstamped beam are not uncommon. I don't know much about bikes stolen from the factory, but Greeves would supply unstamped beams to repair accident-damaged machines. They left it to the dealer or repairer to stamp them and clearly some didn't bother.

[John Wakefield]

Hi David, unfortunately it does turn people away, hence only the handfull of people now using the forum.

So how can highlighting dodgy bikes on the forum turn people away from the forum? in fact it should bring them to it, as doing so may prevent them from buying non kosher bikes.

[Willis wheels]

I'm back, had forgotten my password Decision made, I got it for a fair price and will go with it, it will probably only be used for off road use and display to my collection. I go to many autojumbles and have seen top beams for sale so maybe keep my eyes open just in case, I have a 198 villiers engine laying about so am fitting that, and will enjoy the hunt for other items I need, if anybody has a spare rear hub for sale it would be much appreciated
chris