Is this correct?

[hawkie197]

I am in the throws of getting my 32DD (it is an import to Australia from California USA and there fore has a steel tank and aloy mudguards) running before I completely dismantle it for painting when I discovered that the rear petrol tank mounts foul thr top toolbox mounts is this correct?
Please see the attached photos.: Pete from the Antipodes.

[John Wakefield]

Looks correct to me, not sure what you mean by 'fouling' toolbox.

[mayfield]

Is this correct?

Having rebuilt three models DC and DD, I am surprised at the mismatch of components at this junction,but correct all the same. Good luck with the rebuild.

[hawkie197]

Is this correct

Hi John, Along the top of the tool/battery box is a "U" shaped channel, the front section hits the two petrol tank mounts that extend rearwards.
It appears that no effort has been made to arrange either of them so that they clear each other, instead they are just forced together as witnessed by the rust where the two make contact.
This John makes me ask the question, Do I have the correct parts?
There are very few road bikes in Australia, another 32DD lives about 20 miles away but that has glassfibre guards and tank.
Any information or advice would be helpful. Cheers Pete from the antipodes

[Colin Sparrow]

I'm don't think the 25DD was ever sold with a steel tank, although possibly, if fibreglass was unacceptable to the US authorities they might have used one - in the same way that the 1967 Ranger had a fibreglass tank but the 1968 version had a steel item.

The fact that yours has alloy mudguards means that someone has been messing about with it, and it seems likely to me that the same someone has bodged a steel tank onto it.

The irony is that with the bioethanol in petrol these days "eating" fibreglass tanks, replacement arrangements will have to be made for anyone trying to keep a DD or a DCX on the road.

An interesting point arises from this thread. It looks as if a steel roadster tank from one of the DC models might not be as straightforward a swap for a DD as one might asume...

[John Wakefield]

DC/DD frames/petrol tanks

An interesting point arises from this thread. It looks as if a steel roadster tank from one of the DC models might not be as straightforward a swap for a DD as one might asume...

You are right there Colin, I had a call earlier this year from a member who was putting a steel tank on his 25DD Essex to replace the 'melted' glass fibre one. Although the tank fixings were the same there was a problem with the location of the horn. Apparently the DD has the horn bracket in a high up location under the tank, as there is a cut away in the glass fibre tank for it. The 25DCMk2 & East Coaster had the steel tank with horn below the tank as the steel tank does not have a cut away. So although the basic DC frame is the same for all models there are variations on bracketry.

[Stan Nicholson]

The US imported 32DD was fitted with steel tank, 3T motor and alloy guards. These were black and silver (as far as I have seen) and were called "East Coasters" by the importer, although were obviously not the same as the UK version with the 4T motor. I have not got around to restoring the one I have as the Silverstone takes most of my time, but will check the tank/toolbox mounts to see if they are the same as your photos. If this is a US import I don't think the tank and guards were fitted later but I also don't think it would have come out of the factory with the mismatched brackets but you never know. I will check mine.
Stan

[John Wakefield]

The US imported 32DD was fitted with steel tank, 3T motor and alloy guards. These were black and silver (as far as I have seen) and were called "East Coasters" by the importer, although were obviously not the same as the UK version with the 4T motor. I have not got around to restoring the one I have as the Silverstone takes most of my time, but will check the tank/toolbox mounts to see if they are the same as your photos. If this is a US import I don't think the tank and guards were fitted later but I also don't think it would have come out of the factory with the mismatched brackets but you never know. I will check mine.
Stan

Ah yes the 32DC East Coaster built? / marketed by the 'infamous' Randy Wilson using a doctored road test report for a 32DC with pics of the 4T (UK built) East Coaster. See my post http://www.greeves-riders.org.uk/for...6013#post16013 in 2013.

[Stan Nicholson]

Hawkie, I checked my US import 32DD today and it has the same configuration as you show in the photos. My bike had been loosely assembled and is not fitted with any bolts between the main frame and subframe at the moment so I tried to see how the tank was supposed to fit. I can't believe that Greeves sent them out this way as I always thought my 25DB was pretty well engineered. These steel tanked DDs seem to be a real lash up thrown together to meet an order from the US. The two straps that extend from the tunnel of the tank are way too close together to fit over the outside of the rear subframe plates and need to be bent out to fit. The fabricated bracket that supports the front of the dual seat is even worse as it is fairly heavy stock and the two ears of the bracket have to be really spread apart to fit over the subframe plates and the tank straps. These two ears should have been welded further apart to clear the parts it is supposed to fit over.
There is a long bracket welded beneath the top tube that carries the two coils and the tunnel of the tank seems to be wide enough to clear the coils, just, but the horn is carried on a strap that extends from this bracket in front of the battery box. The tank will not fit over the horn in this position and it interferes with the petrol tap anyway. The horn looks like its an original fitment so I have no idea how it is supposed to fit. When I get around to rebuilding the bike I will have to try and sort out this mess. Good luck with yours.
Stan

[John Wakefield]

Stan
The problem with the horn bracket/position would appear to be the same as I previously mentioned. It is ok for the DD fibreglass tank but not the steel tank. When Greeves produced the UK East Coaster (25DCMk2) they lengthened the bracket so that the horn (a Mixo) was positioned lower down below the steel tank. As for tank & seat fixings I have no problem with these on my East Coaster of 1965, they fit together ok. I am sure Greeves would not have sent bikes out like you describe, maybe Randy Wilson imported the DD's with the fibreglass tank & then replaced them with a steel one before selling, 'bodging' the tank fittings, & mounted the horn in a different location on the bike, therefore not using the original bracket. The fact that the DD was designed to have a fibreglass tank meant that fixings were different so may have lined up. I have not heard of owners of DD's fitted with original FG tanks having this trouble. It would appear that the 32DC 'East Coaster' that Randy Wilson was selling was not a model endorsed by Greeves & may of course been assembled from bits & pieces he had in stock at the time & by the look of it using DD frames.

Here is a pic of the horn mounting on my bike

The position is as follows:
Horn bracket 4.5" from front of tool box, & off set to right & welded to frame