Originally Posted by
repechage
Why the mfg department allowed silver as a product color was sabotage.
One thing that is interesting with many of these, the poor construction was "good enough", maybe the limited actual use? Luck? overengineered to begin with?
Silver is a fine color if you build the frame underneath correctly - that's the problem with this one. Otherwise, I'm having a pretty good time playing around with black components on this bike because of the silver scheme, and still somehow maintain a C&V look.
BITD, it was good enough - without the rust marks, the average buyer could probably be duped by a salesman that these crude lugs were a sign of "handbuilt quality." Find an original owner of a 1970's Raleigh, and you'll get that same sales pitch handed right back to you. Can't blame anyone for it when they're oblivious to what good lugwork is.
FYI, look up the stories of British Leyland in the 1970's. Makes these Raleighs look as if they were built by Patek Philippe.
-Kurt