Another frame thread, but different sort of
I want a new frame but none of the current crop of $500ish frames excite me too much. So I'm thinking I want an old, lugged, steel frame. Not necessarily track (though if I came across a Keirin frame for a decent price I'd jump on it) but something with nice lugs, maybe chrome dropouts. Could be from any country really. Looking for something smallish (53cm top tube, not really too worried about the bb to seat) which seems to eliminate a lot of frames as I think people used to buy much bigger frames. What brands should I be looking for? I figure by not looking specifically for track frames, I open it up to a lot more of the market and really, I could get used to more relaxed geometry. Just getting familiar with all the names perusing ebay but I'm sure there are some that stand out. Can you put a straighter fork on some of the ones with bent forks and tighten up the ride a little?