Originally Posted by
bikemig
If the OP wants to stick to his budget, he'll probably be better off ditching the brazed on center pulls and going with a frame that uses cantilevers since a vintage bike with brazed on center pulls will likely be difficult to find.
Yeah, or bolt on centerpulls. That is the more pragmatic approach for sure. Even then it will take some prowling on ebay and craigslist etc to come up with an equivalent frame.
If he could buy a frame for $150 or so, the OP might
just squeeze in at under $500, assuming a cheap powdercoat and a local framebuilder, and doing all the work himself, including wheel building.