This image shows the Donnybrook Legion, where the London Branch Swap Meet was held. Plenty of parking was available—though it filled up quickly at times, the turnover kept things manageable. With the Legion open and the sun shining, it turned out to be a great day for the event.
Here’s a look down one of the aisles inside. The weather was fantastic, and between the traffic in the parking lot and the groups gathered to socialize, there was a lively atmosphere all around.
I went in hoping to track down some key parts, but British bike components were in short supply this year. Still, I did make a promising connection—someone who may have a set of WM2-18 rims with good chrome for my BSA. He didn’t have them with him, but I’ll be giving him a call to arrange a trip out to Wyoming, Ontario (about 45 minutes away). He mentioned one rim has excellent chrome. They’re rear wheels, and I’ll need to confirm if the hubs are the same as mine. Fortunately, I really only need the rims; I can clean up my hubs and rebuild with stainless steel spokes (about $80 a set). It’ll all depend on the price he’s asking. For comparison, Italian chrome rims run about $150, while English chrome sets are closer to $250. Are the English ones shinier? Maybe—but unless they sparkle like the Crown Jewels, I think I can live with Italian.
A friend also reminded me to inspect my hubs carefully—specifically the brake drums. If the drums have been machined oversize, that could be a real problem during inspection. Since I don’t know the full history of the wheels, I’ll need to check the specs carefully. It’s a bigger concern for the front hub since the drum is integral, whereas the rear uses a separate bolt-on drum. Looks like I’ll be hunting down the factory spec for a ’61 BSA B40.
One unexpected bonus: Dave Gibson kindly donated a spare B40 head he had sitting on a shelf. My current head needs a fin repaired and has a stud that must be reset, so having a spare gives me some peace of mind. Mario and I still intend to reuse the original, but having a backup eases some of the risk.
Outside of bikes, the weekend was a bit busy as well. My wife and I drove my mother-in-law back to Toronto for her flight to Scotland. She’s gone for till the next visit (2.5 weeks went quick), which means the household will be noticeably quieter—although I’m sure when she gets there, Glasgow will be complaining about the increased noise levels! On the way back we picked up a little 4×4 trailer I’d left with a friend for hauling landscape materials. It also is crying for attention as I hadn’t seen it in 4+ years.
Now that that’s sorted, I can focus on the next tasks: building tools for the front and rear shocks, arranging that trip to Wyoming for the rims, and hopefully getting access to a friend’s sandblaster to prep the frame and sheet metal for paint. Plenty to keep me busy—though as my Scottish relatives would say, “that’ll keep ye oot o’ the pub, laddie.”
At the end of the day, this project isn’t just about chrome and torque specs — it’s about carrying a bit of family history forward on two wheels. So even if the next post finds me with more excuses than progress, just remember: like a proper heirloom, this BSA rebuild will take patience, persistence… and probably a pint or two along the way.