[Emlupi]

Ok, so the bike is mine now. I came to an agreement with the owner so I will decide how to proceed with it going forward.
Thanks everyone for your advice, information, and opinions. I won’t be diving into this right away but will take my time gathering information and sources to get this old classic back to life.
I guess I’m in it now! Thanks again.

 

[DAVE M]

Lucky you!!
assuming some of the prices mentioned, you have a bargain.
restoration doesn’t need to be done all at once.
enjoy it

 

[Henry Anthony]

Cool!

Would love to see lots of pictures!

 

[speedrattle]

fantastic!

you now have all the time you want to think about what you might do with it.

 

[Happyfeet]

Congrats! Well Done!

 

[Snakeoil]

 

[StuartMac]

Hi,

bike is mine

Excellent! 🥳

I bought my 66 T120C TT Special in the crate and PDI'd it myself.
At time of sale the dealer told me the lighting kit would be there in a week.
The kit arrived with Triumph US labels on the box but NO parts numbers.

Bates also sold headlights and tail lights that were cheaper than genuine Lucas items.

This reminded me of stuff I'd seen before ..:-

. Your bike and View attachment 791981 don't have the TT shrouds (between the upper and lower yokes), which didn't have headlamp mounting brackets; the shrouds have been changed to ones from another model that had a headlamp as standard.

. Otoh, View attachment 791980 and View attachment 791982 show a Bates headlamp, its bracket mounted on the the lower yoke stanchion pinch bolts so the standard TT shrouds remained.

Hth.

Regards,

 

[twinsisin]

Hi,

Excellent! 🥳



This reminded me of stuff I'd seen before ..:-

. Your bike and View attachment 791981 don't have the TT shrouds (between the upper and lower yokes), which didn't have headlamp mounting brackets; the shrouds have been changed to ones from another model that had a headlamp as standard.

. Otoh, View attachment 791980 and View attachment 791982 show a Bates headlamp, its bracket mounted on the the lower yoke stanchion pinch bolts so the standard TT shrouds remained.

Hth.

Regards,

My bike came with headlight ears without the ears. Black sheet metal shrouds.

The headlight ears were in the lighting kit box and they looked like stock Bonneville ears (and were an exact replacement for the shrouds that came on the bike) as did the headlight and tail light.

Whatever anyone has seen or read that is how my TT Special came out of the crate and what was in the lighting kit box.

 

[StuartMac]

Hi,

My bike came with headlight ears without the ears. Black sheet metal shrouds.
The headlight ears were in the lighting kit box and they looked like stock Bonneville ears (and were an exact replacement for the shrouds that came on the bike) as did the headlight and tail light.

Interesting, thanks for the clarification.

So, looks like there were at least two versions of the lighting kit, perhaps at different times, or from the two different importers? As @Rookster Scott posted, Bates lamps would've been cheaper in the US than standard Lucas, and the additional cost of Triumph fork shrouds/headlamp brackets wouldn't have been necessary nor the time faffing around with the forks to swap them for the standard TT shrouds.

What rear lamp came in your bike's lighting kit - standard Lucas and ally mounting casting, or other?

Regards,

 

[twinsisin]

Hi,

Interesting, thanks for the clarification.

So, looks like there were at least two versions of the lighting kit, perhaps at different times, or from the two different importers? As @Rookster Scott posted, Bates lamps would've been cheaper in the US than standard Lucas, and the additional cost of Triumph fork shrouds/headlamp brackets wouldn't have been necessary nor the time faffing around with the forks to swap them for the standard TT shrouds.

What rear lamp came in your bike's lighting kit - standard Lucas and ally mounting casting, or other?

Regards,

Post #60. The lighting kit box had Triumph US shipping label but no part numbers.

The headlight ears, headlight without ammeter, and tail light assembly were Triumph Bonneville OEM parts.

It wouldn't surprise me that as time went by the Triumph US importer put whatever lights and ears they had on the shelf in a box as a light kit for the TT Specials cause there weren't many T120Cs getting on the street so I expect that compiling the light kit was on the US importer not the factory at Meridian. I don't recall ever seeing the light kit listed with a part number and never really was looking to see if it was.

I installed the light kit and was legal for the street.

IIRC at that time the AMA required 25 production units to qualify so that's not many T120Cs at the beginning and even fewer light kits cause I don't see Gary Nixon asking for one.

I didn't hear or read this. No one told me. I was there. I bought the bike. I uncrated the bike. I went to the dealer to pick up the light kit a week later and I'm relating what was in the box.

I'm old and my memory isn't what it used to be, but no one ever forgets their first... new bike.

 

[Emlupi]

and even fewer light kits cause I don't see Gary Nixon asking for one.

That’s pretty funny 😁

 

[newsh]

Congratulations @Emlupi

 

[Hacksaws Garage]

Looks good to me!

 

[DCrider]

Awesome buy, good luck with the resto, wish I had that to tinker on in retirement.

 

[Emlupi]

The TT Special is now in its new home. I went to pick it up today.

In the interim I discovered some interesting information pertaining to factory records for this machine ( with many thanks to Charles Rising).
The bike was built in mid September 1966 and shipped September 27, 1966. It was in the first batch of 396 TT’s built for ‘67 and was shipped to TriCor in the Aubergine/Gold paint scheme. I would like to trace its path further so if anyone knows how to research TriCor’s records I would appreciate it. This build date is consistent with the date code on the Amal carbs of “866”, or August of ‘66.
I have also obtained Triumh parts catalog data which shows the wheel codes to be the correct parts for the ‘67 model year.

More to come as I move forward. Thanks.

 

[StuartMac]

Hi,

The TT Special is now in its new home. I went to pick it up today.

I have also obtained Triumh parts catalog data
View attachment 792500
View attachment 792501
View attachment 792502
View attachment 792503
shows the wheel codes to be the correct parts for the ‘67 model year.

Well, sort-of ...

"WM" is just a wheel rim cross-section, "WM2" is 1.85" between where the tyre beads fit, 19" is the nominal ID of the 'ole in the middle of the tyre, "WM3" is 2.15" between where the tyre beads fit, 18" is the nominal ID of the 'ole in the middle of the tyre.

Those-size rims were fitted to all US-version twins from when God was in short pants 'til '70, to all twins '71-on except the ally-wheeled ones. If you're concerned about 'original', more important is "DUNLOP" (who supplied rims to Meriden) surrounded by "TRADE" and "MARK" stamped on each rim.

Hth.

Regards,

 

[speedrattle]

where do the "jones" rims come in?

 

[StuartMac]

Hi Kevin,

where do the "jones" rims come in?

Dunlop and Jones were BSA/Triumph's two rim suppliers; aiui, Dunlop usually supplied Meriden, Jones usually supplied Small Heath.

Hth.

Regards,

 

[Emlupi]

StuartMac,
Yes, I know that the wheel numbers denote the rim sizes, I was not aware of the Dunlop markings. Thanks for the heads up. After a little more investigation I believe we have a winner!

 

[speedrattle]

^^^those look lots better than i am accustomed to seeing.