ahokahaehawk

Vintage Merckx circa 1980/1981

Hi there-

I'm trying to see what my 1980/1981 Merckx is worth. I've sent the serial number in to the company so I'll have that information soon, but I know it was either 80 or 81 because I bought it myself and I've been the only owner.

I'm selling it as a package with an original Merckx wool jersey, the original brochure that came with the bike, and a Merckx duffel bag from the same year. I have a website with pictures on it here:

https://sites.google.com/site/vintagemerckx8081/

The bike is in fair condition. It would definitely need to be refinished. It has all of the original campagnolo parts. The fork is from the 80s as well but was replaced from the original because it cracked.

I'm trying to find out what something like this is worth as a whole package to a collector.

https://313648457451184437-a-1802744...attredirects=0

ahokahaehawk

Here are some more pics

https://313648457451184437-a-1802744...attredirects=0

https://313648457451184437-a-1802744...attredirects=0

https://313648457451184437-a-1802744...attredirects=0

https://313648457451184437-a-1802744...attredirects=0

https://313648457451184437-a-1802744...attredirects=0

https://313648457451184437-a-1802744...attredirects=0

https://313648457451184437-a-1802744...attredirects=0

https://313648457451184437-a-1802744...attredirects=0

https://313648457451184437-a-1802744...attredirects=0

https://313648457451184437-a-1802744...attredirects=0

Still working on pics of the duffel.

LemondFanForeve

Nice Campy parts, and nice bike. Good luck, and let us know how you do?

Bianchigirll 

the bike is nice but needs alot of cleaning. Merckx bikes garner alot of interest but I am not sure a buyer would take the whole kit and kabodle. is the catalog stained or something?

back to the bike it looks like someone replaced the brake levers at some point, do you hae the originals? my favorite part is the rear HiLo hub. any idea what the tubing type is? is there a date on the RD?

repechage

The brake levers are minor, the dirt is not that serious, the scratch on the down tube might be, which leads me to the fork... it appears later to me, in the catalog imaged it even shows the square shouldered crown, not a sloping unit. Friends way back had those bikes all had the flat topped crown. I would expect a painted fork with the eddy merckx logo "engraved" into the top of each side. The next version had the EM logo then the sloping crown later. I think crash at some point.
Sell the goodies separately, maybe give the bike buyer first refusal.

Bianchigirll 

scratch?? OH the brake caliper scratch, I never pay attention to those.

repechage

Putting back on my Mr. Holmes hat, I think the caliper swung around and clobbered the down tube, probably even requiring new caliper or parts as part of a wreck that took out the original fork. It's a dangerous world out there.

repechage

This is what I would expect the bike to appear like:

https://www.bulgier.net/pics/bike/Cat..._merckx/10.jpg

Bianchigirll 

yes. you see that on lots of bikes and I believe that is why some nicer brakes have the little rubber bumper on the back.

repechage

On the "normal" reach Campagnolo calipers the O ring was the first part to contact the down tube. On the "short reach" calipers they added a small bumper to the back side of the caliper as the adjuster was translated higher in the later design. In either case if the front end turned to the right in a strong fashion while the shift lever was rotated back, the down tube got clobbered by the metallic parts of the brake.

ahokahaehawk

Thanks for everyone's advice. I'll be posting it up soon on ebay so if anyone is interested you can take a look. It's worth quite a bit to me although perhaps it's worth more to someone else! (As bianchigirll alluded to, some people would pay big money just to get their hands on that flange!). If it doesn't go up there it's no biggie, I'm excited to see it restored myself!

repechage

the Hi-lo rear hubs do get attention usually, but the radial lacing on the non drive side will scare some, Campagnolo did not recommend that lacing due to flange failures. The radial lacing being on the non drive side which is less tensioned does help.

Picchio Special

No chance.

https://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1981-Edd...item3a6560babd

None. You're dreaming. Might as well hang onto it.

repechage

At least he is honest on the fork replacement, he get points for that, but I don't think he has an accurate price considering the market, if you don't try, you will not know.

e-RICHIE

the scans on the bulgier site are of my merckx catalogs, and the silver gray model in the link was never imported into the states. it has the pressed steel parts and all sorts of workmanship from the 1979 milan show where the units came from before they were shot. by the time the importer (ochsner at the time) started getting frames, they were all made with MFI parts and the dropouts had the machined treatment at the stay end (marchetti + lange sold dies for this shortcut) shown in the OP's picture atmo.

Picchio Special

Sure, but the OP opened the door to feedback when he posted in the first place.

repechage

One could take it in the way that if no one called him on it then it did not happen.

Being a cynic, I wonder if the frame is straight. If a crash cracked the fork and slammed the brake against the down tube... it leaves the question as to what else happened.

ahokahaehawk

I did not price the bike based on the market price I priced it based on what i would be willing to let it go for. As I mention on the listing, the bike is dear to me. I'm putting it up to see if it is more valuable to someone else than it is to me, if not, like I said, I'm excited to see it fixed it up myself. How often does a Merckx that early go on sale? How many could have even been made at that point?

The frame is straight as an arrow, I've ripped down hills at 57 mph and she was steady as a rock.

repechage

I would start looking for a painter, keep the bike.