Classic & Vintage - Yellow, Purple and Pink Eddy Merckx? SLX?

Hey all,

Any info you can give me about this would be greatly appreciated as I dont know much about Merckx serial numbers, or Merckx heirachy, or whether this is a repaint.

So yeah, I wish to delve into your infinite knowledge


Here are some pictures, if thats a fair trade off...


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6194/6131575114_952dda4c6b_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6065/6131025051_2dffe098bb_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6081/6131025189_b12f60bf46_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6188/6131025233_843aa7138c_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6206/6131574992_bd6201a5fa_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6181/6131025271_88ccc47aa2_b.jpg


From what I can see, it looks to me that the serial number says

E 6358 B6 R


Im guessing early 80s. The seat tube is 56cm (c-t-c) and the headtube is 140, thats all I know.


Thanks!! :D

Too many incongruities. I would walk away.

too many incongruities. I would walk away.

too late!!

Im just looking for info after the fact. I am intereseted in these incongruities though.

What's with the backdrop? It seems as if the purple on the cloth matches the frame color, though the frame doesn't appear to have been recently painted.

140mm spacing? Is that a typo?

I could be mistaken, but top of BB cable routing seems to pre-date that style paint job & aero brake cable routing.

What's with the backdrop? It seems as if the purple on the cloth matches the frame color, though the frame doesn't appear to have been recently painted.

140mm spacing? Is that a typo?

I could be mistaken, but top of BB cable routing seems to pre-date that style paint job & aero brake cable routing.


Oops. Yes that is a typo. 140mm head tube, does that make more sense?

They're the seller photos so I don't know what's up with the backdrop.

I think SLX tubing was first introduced around 1984 so no earlier than that if the tubeing sticker is original. (Check for SLX rifling inside bottom of seattube). A site that attempt to decode merckx SN is at; http://www.cadre.org/Merckx/ though your bikes SN does not exactly fit the pattern. It looks as if over the BB cable routing was used through '84 and starting with the '85 models they used under BB routing. The TT internal brake cable routing does seem very atypical for a '84 frame, perhaps this was a special order or custom frame??

I think SLX tubing was first introduced around 1984 so no earlier than that if the tubeing sticker is original. (Check for SLX rifling inside bottom of seattube). A site that attempt to decode merckx SN is at; http://www.cadre.org/Merckx/ though your bikes SN does not exactly fit the pattern. It looks as if over the BB cable routing was used through '84 and starting with the '85 models they used under BB routing. The TT internal brake cable routing does seem very atypical for a '84 frame, perhaps this was a special order or custom frame??

Thanks for the link! I agree with your assessment of around '84. I didn't see any bike he had on file with internal cable routing around the same dates. Very odd.

An '85 merckx catalog is online at http://www.bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/eddy_merckx2/
It does show a couple of internal routed brake cables so they were available by at least '85. All the complete bikes shown in the catalog are under the BB shifter routing but on the last page (P.6) there is a shot of a frame being built with above BB routing. The decals of all the bikes in the 85 catalog are of a later type than yours.

Interesting thing about your internal cable routing is that it looks somewhat primative, like they left a huge blob of brass fillet around the hole unlike later internal routing which looks more refined. Probably another indication that this was an early attempt at internal routing.

It's a repaint with some bondo on the top tube. Maybe even a replaced top tube. I'd bet it's not SLX, too.

I have never seen a Merckx with top tube cable routing that looks like that. It almost looks like someone drilled two holes and then used something to bend the metal upward, then used bondo to try to make it look okay. I've also never seen a fade paint job like that either.

The previous owner said that the frame was only produced for Belgium (where he picked it up ) and that the paint is original.

Those Tour and Giro map decals on the seat tube look like they're done wrong - there should be a Tour and a Giro on each side.

Overspray on the fork steerer looks suspicious to me. Isn't that usually masked so the paint won't interfere with the bearing race (headset) pressing?

As others have said, it is definitely a repaint. I am not sure what is going on with that head tube but the holes for the brake cables looks like a home job to my eye. If you can run the cable housing through the top tube, then you will know that it is someone's attempt to make the bike look like a Corsa Extra. If that is the case, have the top tube replaced and repaint it and you should have a petty nice bike.

As others have said, it is definitely a repaint. I am not sure what is going on with that head tube but the holes for the brake cables looks like a home job to my eye. If you can run the cable housing through the top tube, then you will know that it is someone's attempt to make the bike look like a Corsa Extra. If that is the case, have the top tube replaced and repaint it and you should have a petty nice bike.

More elegant solutions to the through-top-tube cable routing had been extant for decades, obviously.

As others have said, it is definitely a repaint. I am not sure what is going on with that head tube but the holes for the brake cables looks like a home job to my eye. If you can run the cable housing through the top tube, then you will know that it is someone's attempt to make the bike look like a Corsa Extra. If that is the case, have the top tube replaced and repaint it and you should have a petty nice bike.

http://www.bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/eddy_merckx2/4.jpg

Potentially a very nice rider to the op.

...and a prior repaint gives you "total" freedom to do your own repaint.

I'd have the top tube replaced at the same time, if you aren't into this for too many $$$ already.

Here are some pics of my 1991 Century for a little reference on this topic.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6196/6133116619_76cdbae927_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6077/6133123491_1ba6272f25_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6133663564_ca44582d93_o.jpg

Its already been drewed, the paint is hipsterific, and ive got a fixed gear wheelset just sitting around. This all seems to be adding up to what will be an awesome fixie build!! Are there water bottle holders that fit Pabst Blue Ribbon?

Its already been drewed, the paint is hipsterific, and ive got a fixed gear wheelset just sitting around. This all seems to be adding up to what will be an awesome fixie build!! Are there water bottle holders that fit Pabst Blue Ribbon?

You could go that route, but why don't you just order up a Milwaukee fixie frame from Ben's, and sell this one to someone that wants to give a resto a whack?

...or a nice Steamroller.

Just a thought......

You could go that route, but why don't you just order up a Milwaukee fixie frame from Ben's, and sell this one to someone that wants to give a resto a whack?

...or a nice Steamroller.

Just a thought......

Yeah I was just joking around. I do want to build this up as a road bike. Repainting and changing the top tube would eat a lot of my budget so I probably wont do that, plus I honestly like the funky paint.

Yeah I was just joking around. I do want to build this up as a road bike. Repainting and changing the top tube would eat a lot of my budget so I probably wont do that, plus I honestly like the funky paint.

Then by all means, build and ride her.

You absolutely love the ride, and you can always update the bike down the road.

I've been known to do just that.

How do you feel about all Shimano 600 Arabesque. I dont know if I have anything else on hand when it arrives.

How do you feel about all Shimano 600 Arabesque. I dont know if I have anything else on hand when it arrives.

Again, if you have all of the components on hand, build it.

I would put the bike on the road pronto. Then, think about a vision for the bike a year or two down the road.

Start saving for a gruppo, or better yet hunt for a donor bike with a decent gruppo that would be more appropriate.

If you'll enjoy riding the Shimano bits, a period correct DA gruppo may be a kick, or maybe after a thorough reno on the frame, a modern Campy gruppo would make you smile.

I put a 2009 Centaur/Record mix on my Century and it's a heck of fun bike to ride.

Good luck!

http://www.bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/eddy_merckx2/4.jpg

I just realized that I wrote "head tube" but I of course meant "top tube", sorry.

I have two Merckx Corsa Extras, the cable runs through the top tube, not the housing. If the OP's bike has an internal tube that just fits the cable then it must have come from the factory however, I would be pretty surprised if that were the case.

As you can see from gomango's post, the factory job is far more elegant than what is in the OP.

Did you check for internal SLX spirals yet? If they are missing, this it would seem that would indicate the SLX sticker is non-original thus certainly a re-paint. It also seems suspicious that the logo engraved in the fork crown and the seatstay caps is not highlighted with a contrasting color, further evidence of a re-paint.
Note that the colors used match a later merckx paint scheme that was called "tutti frutti" (google it). Most merckx paint schemes used rather elaborate masking of multi-colors, not fades (but there were a few fades). Whoever did the re-paint was probably paying homage to the tutti frutti cololors, just didnt quite have the skill to pull of the masking job so made it a fade instead.

Did you check for internal SLX spirals yet? If they are missing, this it would seem that would indicate the SLX sticker is non-original thus certainly a re-paint. It also seems suspicious that the logo engraved in the fork crown and the seatstay caps is not highlighted with a contrasting color, further evidence of a re-paint.
Note that the colors used match a later merckx paint scheme that was called "tutti frutti" (google it). Most merckx paint schemes used rather elaborate masking of multi-colors, not fades (but there were a few fades). Whoever did the re-paint was probably paying homage to the tutti frutti cololors, just didnt quite have the skill to pull of the masking job so made it a fade instead.

I agree that the tutti-frutti style is the closest Merckx paint job that ive seen to this one and not having the logo engravings highlighted makes me assume it's a repaint. I think I'll highlight them in yellow when it arrives.

Itll probably be a month before it get to me so I'll have to wait to check for spiraling.

Here is my tutti frutti Merckx, not really a fade but odd colours in the same pattern that the team bike wore

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j103/jetsanchEz/tutti2.jpg

Here is my tutti frutti Merckx, not really a fade but odd colours in the same pattern that the team bike wore

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j103/jetsanchEz/tutti2.jpg


That's a great looking Merckx you've got there.