seized BB fixed cup or not?

So after messing with mountain bikes forever I decided to take on a vintage road bike project and found a bargain on Ebay, a 5 speed Elswick Hopper Tour Anglais. The plan is to take it apart repaint the frame and replace the decals before cleaning and polishing everything back up and rebuilding the bike replacing anything that can't be saved.


It's all been pretty straight forward with the exception of a cotter pin (which came out using a homemade g clamp tool) and the fixed cup (drive side) on the bottom bracket which seems to be seized in pretty tightly. I've tried soaking it in penetrating oil, using a wrench and hammer, heat and the Sheldon Brown bolt method (which just resulted in stripped threads and more work cutting the bolt off!) bur none of them have worked.


My plan it to replace and regrease the old cup and cone bearings, which I suppose I could do from the inside!? Interestingly the cup it painted the same colour as the frame so I'm starting to think it wad installed before painting and the installation of the BB bearings in the factory.


If anybody can help I'm after some advice:

• Would the factory have installed the fixed cup before painting and installing the bearings and am I better doing the same thing?
• Should it even come out of the frame?

Ta