New to the site and Nortons

Welcome Simon, Sounds OK to me. A fifties Dommy in cafe racer trim. Created "in the day" sometime in the 60's?. and not some current retro money pit!. Don't think I would "restore" it. Fix it up ,use all old parts ,retain the "patina" and you will be right on it. In my opinion. But its your bike to do what suits you. Let us see what else you find to put it back together.

Welcome to the Mad World of Nortons Simon.

Oooooops too quick on the go button. I bought my Dommie 33 years ago in a similar condition to yours. I took the non cafe racer route, although I do like a good CR. Here is mine today.

Sorry the message board doesn't like pictures from my mega DSLR camera as it says they are too big. I will try another camera later today.

Paint the white bits with a mixture of black Valspar and shed dust use a brush with half its bristles missing, find some checkered tape for the rusty bits , fit some scruffy alloy guards and you will have a proper time warp cafe. Just like most of the bikes found outside bikers haunts in the 60's. Posh bikes were few and far between then.And we hated those flash lucky gits.

Looks a bit like my first bike,a C11G , cost me £3 , a pair of ally guards, a set of ACE bars and an exhaust valve made from an old Aero engine valve found in the science lab at school and I was on the road (at 14!) .

Paint the white bits with a mixture of black Valspar and shed dust use a brush with half its bristles missing, find some checkered tape for the rusty bits , fit some scruffy alloy guards and you will have a proper time warp cafe. Just like most of the bikes found outside bikers haunts in the 60's. Posh bikes were few and far between then.And we hated those flash lucky gits.

Hello Rob Hatered noted . were one of the luck gits , Yours Anna J

Hi all I've just become the proud owner of a dominator 88 featherbed wide line. i dont know anything about nortons apart some of the history. It seems to be pretty complete but i will have to sort through 3 shed for the rest of the parts. I'm not sure if ive done the right thing as I only found out about it yesterday and working on the saying ( if you snooze you loose) i forked out £2500

Well it looks like what once was a very nice 1958 model 88 , now defunked ! But my 1954 model 88 had less than this now look that her , when I got this domi the only tin ware on the bike was the oil tank and tool tray even the wheel hubs where the later type , so I sold them and search for the right ones this took 2 1/2 years to find along with the front mudguard the rear mudgurad I made my self from a sheet plate of steel on a english wheel , I had a freind who had a spare for his bike so I used it has a patient made out of plywood and took all the mesurement so I could get it right , the side valvaces took some time to makem but we got there in the end , I painted and rebuilt the Half hubs with new Spokes and Brass nipples with chrome on them Birtish chrome rims from Birmingham wheel builders , these where not easy to spoke up or true up ! the spoke patients are diffrent to later domies , and we fitted new wheel bearing too , new brake shoes now the jobs a good one, every thing in the engine was worn out , so New Camshaft new cam chains new Followers to match new Super blend main bearing there not easy to fit, rehoned barrel new old stock piston Hepilex 60 plus new set of valve and bronze valve guides , new valve springs from Terrys valve Springs New large end shells after a regrind minus 10 rebalace , refurbish pre-mono bloc carburettor, new tyers new inner tubes , new seat cover in two tone grey , from Leightons Birmingham , I made the seat pan , New tank from Indan tank lined with Slosh tank sealer anti ethernol , new handle bars and leavers has original new Cables in grey outer cover made to suite , kick start and gear lever and many nuts and bolts chrome by Quality Chrome Hull has was the Fuel Tank , the gear box got its looking at with new Bearing and bushs and it was timed up right so now it just nice a smooth changing gears the Cluster was from a Norton International Semi Close ratio the engine runs and should like a manx , twin it most be the porting I done and the engine can now breath better too , the Dynamo got its attention too, with lots of new parts, and the electics all new wiring harness all new lucas switchs , new old stock stuff, So you could do this caferace style bike if you wish like in this photo

yours anna j

Previously anna jeannette Dixon wrote:

Previously robert_tuck wrote:

Paint the white bits with a mixture of black Valspar and shed dust use a brush with half its bristles missing, find some checkered tape for the rusty bits , fit some scruffy alloy guards and you will have a proper time warp cafe. Just like most of the bikes found outside bikers haunts in the 60's. Posh bikes were few and far between then.And we hated those flash lucky gits.

Hello Rob Hatered noted . were one of the luck gits , Yours Anna J Hi Anna, I was just trying to add a bit of the flavour of what it was really like to be a Ton up cafe cowboy ,not many left now. A fun time the swinging sixties,I worked by Carnaby street and hung out at the Nightingale ,Johnstons and Chelsea Bridge on a Dommy. I hear your confession (envied rich flash git) ,as it was so long ago you are absolved and forgiven!. There are so many over restored bikes now they are Booring.

Good on you, A full resto can take an age and with many frustrations on the way,and some never get back together. To get back to a full orriginal bike would cost many thousands ,and for what? just to be like all the others.What would be fun would be a set of fifties rocker gear to go with it.(I'll go look in the coalhouse!) Those clip ons look a bit lethal hope you have a good back.

Previously anna jeannette Dixon wrote:

Previously robert_tuck wrote:

Paint the white bits with a mixture of black Valspar and shed dust use a brush with half its bristles missing, find some checkered tape for the rusty bits , fit some scruffy alloy guards and you will have a proper time warp cafe. Just like most of the bikes found outside bikers haunts in the 60's. Posh bikes were few and far between then.And we hated those flash lucky gits.

Hello Rob Hatered noted . were one of the luck gits , Yours Anna J Hi Anna, I was just trying to add a bit of the flavour of what it was really like to be a Ton up cafe cowboy ,not many left now. A fun time the swinging sixties,I worked by Carnaby street and hung out at the Nightingale ,Johnstons and Chelsea Bridge on a Dommy. I hear your confession (envied rich flash git) ,as it was so long ago you are absolved and forgiven!. There are so many over restored bikes now they are Booring.

Hello Rob well if you mean a big fat (0) in the bank and £176 weekly hard erned well I must be rich then , And the Days of Caferacers are well gone along with Britains Fineness steam locomotives now only a handfull left, and save by deadicated enthusiasts like us with these old Nortons you do know that Steam locos are my favoret hobbie, and these are the real man magnet ! I allway loved some drity and oily and dangerous just like most Norton are, and they cost a fortune too , so there just like your steam locomotives , but we love them, just the same, in our day if you rode you bike like we did back in the early 70s , you would soon end up with a car Chasing you with Blue lights on . Hello hello want all the rush then , the nice officer say, so were the fire then he say to , then he say Do you know what speed you were doing , and you then end up with a nice ticket to see the Judge, and nice 3 penalty point and a nice big fat fine to add to it, and your insurace will then go up too, So now we all have to keep our right hand well in contorl of that Twist grip and hold back the Urge of opening up that twist girp, and keep with in the Law and the Speed limits So you see the road not ours anymore like was back then, there too many Idiots on the Road Now, and some cannot even see you with High vis jacket and pants on and a White Helmet, so we all need eyes in the back of our heads to ride a bike out on the roads, the best thing you can fit to your Bike is a Small Camcorder , So if there is a incident you got it all on tape , So be very carefull out there on Britains roads and Happy riding yours Anna J

Previously anna jeannette Dixon wrote:

Previously simon_oneill wrote:

Hi all I've just become the proud owner of a dominator 88 featherbed wide line. i dont know anything about nortons apart some of the history. It seems to be pretty complete but i will have to sort through 3 shed for the rest of the parts. I'm not sure if ive done the right thing as I only found out about it yesterday and working on the saying ( if you snooze you loose) i forked out £2500

Well it looks like what once was a very nice 1958 model 88 , now defunked ! But my 1954 model 88 had less than this now look that her , when I got this domi the only tin ware on the bike was the oil tank and tool tray even the wheel hubs where the later type , so I sold them and search for the right ones this took 2 1/2 years to find along with the front mudguard the rear mudgurad I made my self from a sheet plate of steel on a english wheel , I had a freind who had a spare for his bike so I used it has a patient made out of plywood and took all the mesurement so I could get it right , the side valvaces took some time to makem but we got there in the end , I painted and rebuilt the Half hubs with new Spokes and Brass nipples with chrome on them Birtish chrome rims from Birmingham wheel builders , these where not easy to spoke up or true up ! the spoke patients are diffrent to later domies , and we fitted new wheel bearing too , new brake shoes now the jobs a good one, every thing in the engine was worn out , so New Camshaft new cam chains new Followers to match new Super blend main bearing there not easy to fit, rehoned barrel new old stock piston Hepilex 60 plus new set of valve and bronze valve guides , new valve springs from Terrys valve Springs New large end shells after a regrind minus 10 rebalace , refurbish pre-mono bloc carburettor, new tyers new inner tubes , new seat cover in two tone grey , from Leightons Birmingham , I made the seat pan , New tank from Indan tank lined with Slosh tank sealer anti ethernol , new handle bars and leavers has original new Cables in grey outer cover made to suite , kick start and gear lever and many nuts and bolts chrome by Quality Chrome Hull has was the Fuel Tank , the gear box got its looking at with new Bearing and bushs and it was timed up right so now it just nice a smooth changing gears the Cluster was from a Norton International Semi Close ratio the engine runs and should like a manx , twin it most be the porting I done and the engine can now breath better too , the Dynamo got its attention too, with lots of new parts, and the electics all new wiring harness all new lucas switchs , new old stock stuff, So you could do this caferace style bike if you wish like in this photo

yours anna j

Anna, that is a super job that you have done on your 1954 Dommi and it is a credit to your skills,but if you want it to be spot on then you need a correct seat cover which has red piping which goes all the way around the top edge of the seat and this was confirmed to me by Leightons themselves when I was restoring my 1954 model 88. I cannot quite tell from your photograph if you have the correct headlamp she'll either? It should have the under slung pilot light. All the same its personal choice and availability in the end, but as I stated, a nice Norton none the less.

Kind regards, Paul.

Previously anna jeannette Dixon wrote:

Previously simon_oneill wrote:

Hi all I've just become the proud owner of a dominator 88 featherbed wide line. i dont know anything about nortons apart some of the history. It seems to be pretty complete but i will have to sort through 3 shed for the rest of the parts. I'm not sure if ive done the right thing as I only found out about it yesterday and working on the saying ( if you snooze you loose) i forked out £2500

Well it looks like what once was a very nice 1958 model 88 , now defunked ! But my 1954 model 88 had less than this now look that her , when I got this domi the only tin ware on the bike was the oil tank and tool tray even the wheel hubs where the later type , so I sold them and search for the right ones this took 2 1/2 years to find along with the front mudguard the rear mudgurad I made my self from a sheet plate of steel on a english wheel , I had a freind who had a spare for his bike so I used it has a patient made out of plywood and took all the mesurement so I could get it right , the side valvaces took some time to makem but we got there in the end , I painted and rebuilt the Half hubs with new Spokes and Brass nipples with chrome on them Birtish chrome rims from Birmingham wheel builders , these where not easy to spoke up or true up ! the spoke patients are diffrent to later domies , and we fitted new wheel bearing too , new brake shoes now the jobs a good one, every thing in the engine was worn out , so New Camshaft new cam chains new Followers to match new Super blend main bearing there not easy to fit, rehoned barrel new old stock piston Hepilex 60 plus new set of valve and bronze valve guides , new valve springs from Terrys valve Springs New large end shells after a regrind minus 10 rebalace , refurbish pre-mono bloc carburettor, new tyers new inner tubes , new seat cover in two tone grey , from Leightons Birmingham , I made the seat pan , New tank from Indan tank lined with Slosh tank sealer anti ethernol , new handle bars and leavers has original new Cables in grey outer cover made to suite , kick start and gear lever and many nuts and bolts chrome by Quality Chrome Hull has was the Fuel Tank , the gear box got its looking at with new Bearing and bushs and it was timed up right so now it just nice a smooth changing gears the Cluster was from a Norton International Semi Close ratio the engine runs and should like a manx , twin it most be the porting I done and the engine can now breath better too , the Dynamo got its attention too, with lots of new parts, and the electics all new wiring harness all new lucas switchs , new old stock stuff, So you could do this caferace style bike if you wish like in this photo

yours anna j

Anna, that is a super job that you have done on your 1954 Dommi and it is a credit to your skills,but if you want it to be spot on then you need a correct seat cover which has red piping which goes all the way around the top edge of the seat and this was confirmed to me by Leightons themselves when I was restoring my 1954 model 88. I cannot quite tell from your photograph if you have the correct headlamp she'll either? It should have the under slung pilot light. All the same its personal choice and availability in the end, but as I stated, a nice Norton none the less.

Kind regards, Paul.

Hello paull yes this has now been sorted the right head lamp found and the seat recovered with the right one, And its better now than want I started with

just a frame and engine and box , but that did match with there numbers , J122-57531 was a export machnie it was sold in the USA , so its luck to still be around, your anna j

Michael - as the owner of an expensive (Presumably?) DSLR camera you ought to know how to resize your photo file sizes. This facility is in all photo software that I know of - even free, basic types. (For simplicity I often use PhotoSuite II, which was free about 11 or 12years ago!) No need to re-take the photos. It's always good practice to downsize photos when sending them by email too. I'm fed up with people sending stuff to our charity with attachement sizes of 15 - 25MB! 'Newsletters' are the worst! Stick to 1MB max per photo.

Previously michael_jobson wrote:

Sorry the message board doesn't like pictures from my mega DSLR camera as it says they are too big. I will try another camera later today.