Moulton Stowaway

**Alexei Moltonov

**I've just picked this Moulton Stowaway up for cheap. The picture is a bit flattering, condition is very poor. (Although prolly not at all bad for a 50 year old bike)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16282281@N04/8533879143/in/photostream

So far I've managed to remove the very rusty steel stem and 'bars and the quite rusty steel seatpost. I've also removed the horrible sidestand.

In my partsbin I've found alloy replacements for 'bars, stem, brake lever, brake caliper, seatpost and pedals. I've also got a couple of saddles to choose between.

Because the frame is in poor cosmetic shape and the steel wheels are very rusty I'm undecided whether to go for (a)original resto, (b)modernize with newer components and a modern paintjob or (c)some kind of restore-the-mechanicals-but-leave-the-cosmetics-as-they-are in betweeny kinda job.

I'm a bit worried that if I strip it completely to respray/powdercoat the frame and forks, I'll be opening up a huge can of worms with the suspension. I've read an online walkthrough of refurbishing the front forks which seems straightforward enough, once you've got the right tools and the service parts from Moulton Preservation. I'm happy enough to do the work if I have to, but I'm not sure I actually need to. Anyone have any experience with Moultons?

BTW - a mate and his missus thought the colour looked like a kind of Soviet utilitarian colour, which is where the Alexei Moltonov name sprang from.

More to follow as this progresses, I'm sure......

Nice.

Personally I would ditch everything but the frame and fit all new parts.

Done this with a few shoppers.

PhasergunAlex's moulton was rad, but I can't find a decent image of it (went from top to bottom)

^^This is my gut feeling. It's not like they're ultra-rare or anything. No puppies will be killed.

^ if only ribblekid had received such support recently! http://www.lfgss.com/thread99845.html

I'm sure it's his pride and joy, but my how I laughed.
We all gotta start somewhere, I guess.

Hmmm, I wasn't singling him out, more the collective forum cry of "puppy killing" over an ordinary frame. Yours is far less ordinary no, so worth keeping as period if possible?

Ah, I see.
Yes, forum life can be arbitrary and fickle in its cruelty at times.

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LFGSS its all about the ride money.

go visit the folding shopper of death thread, we kill puppies, but they are fugly so no one cares.

@Yocto
Thanks for that. Yes, I'm familiar with that website. Good stuff on there. Most of the advice I've had seems to chime with what I'd already thought, which is good news. I was hoping to find a Mk3 myself, but couldn't find one at a decent price, especially now that the great man has died. The suspension on the Stowaway seems to be working nicely at both ends but the paintwork is in poor shape, so I'm gonna try to clean it up without dismantling, in the first instance, and see how it responds to that. Alloy wheels will be built next.....

Watch this space.

i picked up a blue one of these for 20 pounds from a man having a garage sale last weekend. rides a treat, only needed to pump up the tyres. although would like a front rack for my shopping

My inner nerd thoroughly enjoyed the service guide for the sus-fork. I expect you get a bit of play in it after fifty years?