Hey
had this one for a while but thought i should post some before shots as she will be transformed over the next few weeks. sorry about the quality of the pics. I got sand in my camera and it doesn’t work to good at the moment, so i phone pics it is.
Its a hillman, don’t know how old but the logo’s are painted on and it has a grease/oil hole at the bb. Any ideas of age would be greatly appreciated.
I came very much like this minus the risers, brake and grease.
I have a mate who is a sign writer who has taken a stencil of all logos so that i can do something with the poor paint work and not feel to bad.
Doesn’t look like poor paintwork from here, but photos can sometimes hide that. A shame to paint over hand painted decals though 
Are you sure you want to do that? I guess if your sign writer mate thinks they can replicate the decals then that might be good, but otherwise I would tread with caution.
Before you do anything rash you might want to drop these guys a line:
Hillman Cycles
55 Grantham Street
West Brunswick
Victoria
Telephone: +61 3 9388 0033
Facsimile: +61 3 9388 1118
Email: hillman@vicnet.net.au
Thanks for the info i definitely will get in contact with them.
I have been loosing sleep over whether to paint it or leave it as is. The person before me really trashed the frame.
The top tube looks like it has been burnt and sanded:
Drilled and torn at the back:
and has been painted over in sections:
I plan to be kind and restore the frame not wreck it.
I know some people will give me grief about having the beautiful old forks drilled for brakes but it came like it so it will stay like it. I know people will give me grief about having risers on the bike but i don’t like riding with drops.
Don’t Listen to those cunts. Your personal safety is worth more than someone else’s idea of aesthetics. Besides its not like a little hole in the fork can’t be filled and painted over if someone ever decides to hang it on a museum wall.
+1 on contacting Hillman - they have records on all of the bikes that they have ever made, and will be able to tell you a thing or two about that frame.
When I went in they showed me one of their log books, which they had highlighted with all the frames that they had built for Olympic cyclists, competition cyclists, etc, etc. There was a lot of highlighting.
I vote keep it the way it is.
No point getting it repainted only to ride it on the street. Just ride it. It has character.
if u plan to ride it year round just leave it
if its just for summer id send it to star in sydney and go all out on the new paint
And good luck talking to the old fucks at Hillman
Very cool bike!!!
If you dont like the paint now, repaint it man!!!
Its your bike, do what you want
Thought it was time for an up date.
Spoke to hillman on a couple of occasions to get details and Barry is never in to give me any answers. I’m not going to hassle them to much, one day i will get hold of him.
Decided that it will be a full period correct resto inluding repairing top tube ect. But until i get another bike and some more money it is bitsy but a pleasure to ride.
Since last post i have:
600 sealed headset
Time attac’s (best pedal ever)
fitted gators (find them a little sketchy)
put carbon aero seat post (not the best match but a mate had it lying around and i needed more length)
Dia comp twin brake lever (halves the braking power but more hand positions on risers)
some dodgy black vinyl bar tape
front shamal (thanks to xbrendanx for hub)
and have a rear b 43 on the way
Nice man, I do love that frame.
Agree that the seatpost aint the best match, IMO it looks pretty damn horrid…
I was in need of some extra height so got a nice silver cheapy off ebay for about $15, would go well with the rest of the chrome/silver parts, just saying as all…
Yeah i hear what you are saying. It will tide me over until the right one pops up.
What’s the diameter of your seat post?
around the 27 mark. The original zeus one os 26.8 with a shim and this one it 27.2 and very tight (shaved a litle crabon geting it in). So i am after probaly a 27 campy one with around 300 mm in length
I’ll keep my four-eyes out for you.
Can we seriously do something about the image hosting here.
Cycle bucket is a joke. Start a flickr account or something.
careful. when the crabon fails it ain’t nice especially when it’s under your behind. no scratches is the rule…
Your bike and bumnut’s bike - separated at birth?
Hmmm, lose the seatpost… as Classix said: jamming a 27.2 crabon into a 27.0 is not good, plus you know that it ruins the look of your ride (as you’ve conceeded).