20d 1954

[garybam4711]

i thought I would share a few photos of a nice early bike we are currently working on in my Greeves business many part have been made and coming together nicely we are hoping we will finish very soon as we have two for same customer

[whitehillbillies]

Look nice.
Thanks for sharing.

whitehillbilly

[IanCordes]

Looks good Gary

[Brian Thompson]

Hi Gary,

I've always been very impressed with the superb quality (and accuracy) of your restorations, but in my opinion you've really knocked it out of the park with this one. It's beautiful.

I can really appreciate the work, time and effort that went into it, especially sourcing or re-manufacturing parts that were needed to bring it back to this level of 'as new or better' condition.

When you think that this bike is nearly seventy years old and nearly ready to be enjoyed once again it's just brilliant to see it and a fantastic achievement. Well done to you and the team and I'm sure your customer will be delighted with it.

I thought it would be nice to attach a few period factory pics back from the days when the bike would have first been built, to add a bit of context. In amongst them are some factory fresh 20D, 25D, 20R, 20S and 20T models, as well as some well known personalities from the early days of Greeves motorcycle production. The pics are screen shots from an old DVD I produced many moons ago and it seemed fitting to add them here to your thread.

I have a couple of questions Gary....Is that 'Quaker Blue' on the 20D, as it would have been originally of course, as it looks a little darker in your pics than Moorland Blue (whatever that is....!) as I understand it was. Tony was asking recently if I knew the RAL number (I don't) so I was just curious, especially as it all looks so 'as original'. Secondly, do you have any 'before' pictures of the 20D as it arrived? I'd love to see what kind of condition it was in before you started working on it. Had the owner managed to get some work completed before, and if so (and they are on here) it would be great to see what it was like when they first acquired it too and very interesting to compare with how it looks now.

I was thinking that before and after pics of your restorations would be interesting to show new customers as well, and maybe a nice addition to your website too.

Anyway, thanks for sharing the pics Gary, really nice to see this lovely old Greeves. That's another one saved.

Brian.

[John Wakefield]

I think its this 20D 863AHK new in Southend https://www.greeves-riders.org.uk/fo...otype-20d-419d

[garybam4711]

YThanks Ian
brian also thanks for photos I have not seen them before
i gave the paint shop a nos part and they had it matched up you are correct I normally get all my bikes powder coated and I use RAL 5001 that is lighter but so easy and half the cost of what this cost to wet paint as for before photos I did not take any as the bike came to me stripped down with another one there are some photos of when the customer purchased on here maybe someone would be kind to post the link if they can find it I will post some photos of the other one once I have stripped and sent to paint as we also do. Dry build first rather than rushing in
Gary

[Brian Thompson]

My pleasure Gary, even more so as you hadn't seen them before. I love the old factory pics, they all tell a story and have a real charm about them.

Thanks for sharing those additional details on the build too. Be great to see more of the excellent work you do, especially on the challenging rebuilds, as these very early models must be.

Brian.

[Brian Thompson]

Here's another nice shot of the 1954 Greeves 20D, this time from the factory catalogue of that year.

Brian.

[John Wakefield]

Only five 1954 20D's known to survive including one that has only had one owner, David Evans of Ipswich, from new, PRT188 frame No 413D now with his son in law who was planning to get it running again. Hopefully just as an oily rag job to preserve its patina as its an original unmolested bike. There is also one 1955 20D known survivor 5058/D the second one that Gary is restoring for its owner. (Pics of PRT188 attached)

[garybam4711]

So few survivors but nearly 70 years have passed