Having started the job of getting UAH 62R back on the road I took a break of several months before setting back on the task. Life and responsibilities got in the way but I eventually made time to get back into the workshop. The red paint over blue over orange was awful and I considered ways to put it right: a professional respray, hand paint, rattle cans; all were thought through and the cans won, mainly on cost and time. I couldn’t be sure which colour blue I needed but Hammerite smooth blue looked okay so that’s what would be used. It took lots of ‘little and often’ visits to the workshop for just two or three minutes turning parts over to get at the crevices with paint. I masked up as much as I could and hid the white parts away until needed. They had all been washed up in the kitchen sink, with Mrs H’s blessing, and they were looking much better than before. They were still care worn and chewed a bit, but serviceable. This wouldn’t be a show winner just a roadworthy machine.
The wheel rims were cleaned up and the missing spoke was replaced. The cleaned rims were dosed with Kurust, and they look much better for it too. Tyres went on, the correct sizes front and rear as supplied by Danny. Progress was being made slowly but surely. Once all the blue paintwork was completed I moved on to the headlamp shell and the fuel tank. I couldn’t quite see how to match the off-white of the original but I chose a satin finish white paint from Lidl to do the best I could and the results were not too bad.
As I assembled the parts I could see that the rear sprocket wasn’t as it should be. It was a well-made strong item but it had no plates to fit the cush drive and I could not work out a way around the problem, until I contacted Danny. For some reason, and really of no surprise, my PC50 K1 had an earlier rear hub with the older style cush drive so a different sprocket was required. It is a good job Danny knows his stuff and stocks the parts required. Danny provided the correct item and took the NoS sprocket back into stock for me; problem solved.
By midsummer, with no murder having occurred, the moped was complete. I had put it all back together, never having investigated the engine since Dr Watson and I had got it running a year before. I took some 50:1 two-stroke fuel intended for my Ciao and put an eggcup full into the tank of the PC. I expected to pedal rapidly for a few moments before any signs of life appeared but to my great surprise it burst into happy four-stroke life at the first descent of a pedal. That was enough for me, it was a runner. I had lost heart in the project and had decided it needed to go to a new home where someone would enjoy it. It would be up for auction, let the highest bidder win.
I am usually a calm and successful user of eBay (other methods of auction are readily available) but the sale of the PC proved less so. The bidding was slow and low but it sold at a price that didn’t hurt me too much while not covering costs. The winning bidder, from Manchester, let us call him Wayne, sent messages, checked on where I lived, called me, discussed pick up arrangements and agreed a date and time to collect and pay for the machine. Oh folly! Oh foolish trustful soul that I am. Woe unto me! The cheeky blighter, who had spoken to me on the Thursday by Mr Bell’s telephonic apparatus, left a mealy mouth excuse of a message on eBay 27 minutes before the agreed pick up time telling me he had decided not to pick the PC up because it wasn’t original. Well they say it takes all sorts to make the world go around; I could do without Wayne and his sort.
By the time you have read this I hope the PC has a new home because I have just purchased a Mobylette, and then another Mobylette. Shed space is at a premium now.
