[Maf Smith]

I’m new to Moultoneering and have bought an F frame to upgrade. I’ve bought an Automatic to strip down and powdercoat. However, it is missing its rear rack. Based on Paul Grogan’s great book the frame looks like the final version of the Series 2 frame (that is the crossbar tail is removable).

My frame is missing this crossbar tail and rack. I see though from Paul’s book that the Automatic was made in 66 only yet the Series 2 was made for a few more years.

I wondered if anyone can advise on the frame, and more importantly advise on getting hold of a crossbar tail and rear rack so I can refurbish fully.

Thanks

Maf Smith

[Nigel E]

Hello Maf, If your Moulton is a 1966 Automatic it would probably have been manufactured with a one piece (non-detatchable) crossbar tail. As far as I am aware the only models built with a rack/crossbar detachable behind the support struts were the stowaway and the Raleigh built Major’s. Is it possible that the tail has been cut off of your bike? If this is the case you will need to obtain a tail from a scrap frame (Moulton Preservation?) and somehow get it welded or brazed in place.

If you study the Paul Grogan pictures of the Automatic and the Stowaway and read the description of the crossbar it should explain my notes above.

Good luck with project.
Nigel

[Maf Smith]

Thanks Nigel. The frame has had a bad respray sometime, but it doesn’t look as if the crosstail bar has been cut off. The bike looks like one of the late Series 2 frames which has a fixed cross-strut not attached to the rack (based on the illustrations’s in Paul Grogan’s illustration of the different frame types) but is an Automatic which should have been from earlier (at least it is badged an Automatic and did come with the 2 speed automatic hub). It may be of course that at some point a frame and wheels have been swapped.

Assuming it was a late Series 2 what would I need to do to get a detachable crossbar?

[Nigel E]

Hello Maf, If your frame was built with a detachable tail it will have a clamp which is tightened with a nut and bolt, a similar arrangement to the clamp on the top of the seat tube used to secure the seat pillar.

If you need a detachable bar I would suggest Michael Woolf at Moulton Preservation (his address is on this site, postal mail only) or keep an eye on ebay. These bars were fitted to Stowaway’s and the Raleigh built Majors but I do not Know if they are interchangeable as the clamping arrangement looks slightly different on Paul Grogan’s illustrations of these models. You could also try posting on the Yahoo group it seems to attract a lot more activity than this site. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/moultonbicycle

[Maf Smith]

Thanks Nigel that’s really helpful. I’ll give the Yahoo group a try too.

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