Originally Posted by
timc11
I discovered that the frame serial number was 504 after spending most of the afternoon stripping the parts off. Any idea what year the frame is?
As Cranky says, there seems to be no clear corelation between serial numbers and date of build.
If Ron Cooper built only 200 frames a year, he would get to 999 in only five years, and I am yet to see a Ron Cooper with 4 digit frame number.
In a
earlier post I suggested a timeline for Cooper frames based on braze ons, lug and BB type and some variations on lug cutouts and adornments.
Given your frames almost total lack of braze-ons, my guess is that it is no newer than the 1973 dated rear derailler, maybe a couple of years older.
If it was mine, I would clean it up and leave the paint in its slightly dilapidated glory. As Brain Baylis has said, "You only have original paint once".