Black Phantom?

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Hey guys. My buddy is looking at picking up his first vintage bike and think it may be a pretty good deal. It looks like a Black Phantom to me but without the tank. The crank pattern also doesnt look correct but everything else seems to be right. What do you guys think?

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Kinda looks like a mix and match. If it's a Phantom, it was a red one, not a black one. The red ones had the black accents as shown. It generally looks like it has the right paint markings, but it's odd to me that the red would've become brownish. Someone might have swapped the crankset (should be a big 52T ring) and wheelset (should be chrome) out to gain the 3-speed hub, and maybe a bit lower gearing overall. The Phantom was not a light bike, and the gearing they came with would've made hills tough. If it is a Phantom, it's missing the head and tail lights in addition to the tank. Those can be pricy to replace; my red Phantom is in a similar state (but also housepaint blue). I would start by checking the serial number. That would at least let you pin down the year.
 
It looks like a red Phantom to me. Fenders have been replaced and so has the seat. I've seen 3 speed Sturmey Archer hubs on original Phantoms, either factory or dealer installed. The springer is the older style '55 and before. If the 3 speed hub was original the 46T chainring might have been original or dealer installed as well. The rims look like S2's but also look shot. Taillight assy missing. You're looking at $300 in parts at least if you bought it to part out. Gary
 
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