Saving Old Seagulls

Still looking for a transom Bracket ,If anyone has one for sale ...?

Dave

Hi Dave

This bracket I believe to be correct for my particular SDP.

It is firmly attached to motor so I am not offering for sale.
Is it something like what you envisage however?

Do you have any pics (We Love Pics) of your SDP and engine number? Never see very many aye.

Cheers

B[/color]

Still a lot of controversy about which particular bracket was/should be fitted to these wartime motors.
From memory Charles has indicated they probably would have had a very heavy steel bracket,nothing like what you might imagine them to be, very cumbersome too (and more than like extremely rare nowadays). Going by what still survives today (in our own private collections) it would appear that Arthur Bray removed the military bracket in favour of something that would allow the motor to be fitted onto a commoner garden boat. This is what we see today with the all bronze bracket.

Skeletal brackets however, i am starting to see a few more slowly showing up on my data (only 2 so far and both on early POST WAR motors)
My own model D was originally fitted with a skeletal bracket when i first purchased it. (now on an SD)


Bruce.
Your motor is as i would expect after going through Arthur Brays hands many moons ago. Most other SDP's are like this too. And SD's come to think of it


So that everyone can see the difference between a skeletal bracket and the more "common" hollow bracket version (still nice though being all bronze) have a look at the pics below. Might save some confusion
Very different things are the Military spec version.
(picture courtesey of Rene) Thanks Rene

Jon

That "military" style bracket looks quite different to the ones in the SD parts list paperwork.

A skeletal bracket without the engine support bracket & securing pin parts is of no use whatsoever as any of the later engine support brackets won't fit, so take care that you get all the required bits, so that you can avoid buying an expensive ornament, & they've very prone to breaking.

So it might pay you to buy a later one like Bruce's as they're much more fit for purpose, if you can't find one of those come back to me I think I have a spare one.

I have a skeletal bracket, but I doubt I will ever use it for anything other than show! They are really flimsy looking things.

Regarding the wartime brackets, personally I think we understand the evolution as follows:

1. SD models in army service - Fitted with heavy mount designed to fit on army pontoons etc. Very few of these about, as as Jon points out they are not much use for small dinghys etc.
2. First post war bracket is the skeletal bracket that seems to have had a very short life.
3. Then the all bronze version of the bracket we see going right through to the seventies, with the 90 degree bent over thumbscrews.
4. Later version of the same "standard" bracket, with bronze clamps but an aluminium body.

As for SDPs, my personal theory is that these were the first post war engine, not sold to the war department, again these only seem to be around for a short time before the D and Cs came along.

My SDP SO far ! I'm still waiting for my reconditioned ignition to get back to me, albeit two months wait so far . Notice the powder coated exhaust and drive tube! Both were in poor condition. As you can see, it's a work in progress , but enjoyable.

Dave

I've never tried powder coating seagull parts, but have done loads on my Triumph rebuild. It is a bulletproof finish. The original would have been chrome on brass for the exhaust (Which peels off easily..) and chrome for the leg.

Where did you get the tank decal from by the way?

Nice fuel pipe.

H-A

Oyster where in your timeline does the all aluminium bracket fit in & didn't the bent brass transom screws only get fitted to the hollow brass clamps with the raised casting numbers still on them.
In fact if I remember right, the other Charles & I came to the conclusion that the standard shaped transom screw entered into general use before 1950's.

Many of the late model Seagulls had powder coated legs & transom brackets this never proved to be very "bullet" proof, in fact it proved to be a major problem, any bruising permits water to creep under the powder coating & remain there, doing it's worst especially on aluminium!

The only problem with your SDP theory is the lower numbered ones tend to spoil it.

With luck Jon's researches might produce some concrete facts about the Wartime SD production.

Oyster 49 wrote:I've never tried powder coating seagull parts, but have done loads on my Triumph rebuild. It is a bulletproof finish. The original would have been chrome on brass for the exhaust (Which peels off easily..) and chrome for the leg.

Where did you get the tank decal from by the way?

The decal came from a guy on Ebay

I must say I'm not a fan of powder coat.
I had my kit car chassis powder coated befor building it, I now wish I had it galvanised.

Stop the press!!!

JERSEYDAVE if you're quick enough, there is a skeletal bracket on the "OTHER" selling site RIGHT NOW!
Not quite as it should be, but has potential to be something


Heed the warnings though as these brackets are not quite up to the job. Very flimsy and dont take much to break. Better to go with an all bronze version (look just as nice when polished up)


As for the pics, this was something Rene sent me a while back now. Not sure how many variants of military bracket there were. (3 maybe?) Still going through loads of stuff at the mo.
Jon

Hmmmm
where does this one fit into the mess?
All aluminium clamp with bent thumbscrews, all aluminium centre section (raised lettering in the casting) aluminium thrust block too.
Originally fitted onto an AC dated around 46/7
I can go to this any time as it's in the shed if anyone wants better pics of it!

Jon

headdownarseup wrote:Stop the press!!!

JERSEYDAVE if you're quick enough, there is a skeletal bracket on the "OTHER" selling site RIGHT NOW!
Not quite as it should be, but has potential to be something


Heed the warnings though as these brackets are not quite up to the job. Very flimsy and dont take much to break. Better to go with an all bronze version (look just as nice when polished up)


As for the pics, this was something Rene sent me a while back now. Not sure how many variants of military bracket there were. (3 maybe?) Still going through loads of stuff at the mo.
Jon

Thanks for letting me know Jon . I will probably go for a more sturdy bracket instead of the vulnerable ones like the skeletal version ,after the info from you guys.

Dave

Thank you all for the information regarding the various brackets that will suit my motor. I will probably go for the more sturdy version of bracket rather than the weaker skeletal one.
Another question ? What do you guys do for Villiers coils ? Do you get them refurbished , or do them yourself ?
I have been looking for new Villiers coils or pattern examples , but can't seem to find any !