Saw this on eBay a few weeks ago, and it immediately piqued my interest. 1963 Carlton Catalina frameset in size 52.

I like the fact that it's English and that it has Carlton's usual fabulous lugwork. It's tri-tube 531 straight gauge, so I guess we could call it semi-gaspipe.

Unfortunately, it's also a basket case. The chainstays are a little crushed, due to some gorilla former owner trying to mount a kickstand.



There's a divot in the downtube as well.



But the biggest problem is the fork. Someone sliced the steering tube in order to compensate for a stuck stem.



I don't view the first two problems as insurmountable - Fleet Valley Fabricators should be able to work their usual magic with the TIG welder and torches. The fork is different, mainly because of the hacksaw treatment. There would be two approaches to a fix - butt-splicing a replacement 1" steering tube or taking the fork to a competent frameshop (Bilenky or Spectrum come to mind). Any thoughts on this?

Also, I have a choice about parts picks. I can try to mimic the original '60s appearance with vintage French / Brit parts or go with more modern though dated-appearing MIJ late '80s stuff (which I currently have). What's your opinion on that?

Thanks - k