I'm leaning strongly towards building and riding a frame, fork, and rear derailleur I found trolling Craigslist last July. It's green like my rides from 2021 (Super Course) and 2022 (Mirage), and it's not French except for the huret derailleur and it's oddball hanger (with stop at wrong clock position). Listed for $70, picked it up for $60 but to get the $10 off I had to take away a silver Schwinn something, 50 pound cast iron bike made in Wisconsin. Being able to ignore cost of wheels and tires will make it a challenge, but maybe possible, to keep under $108 budget.
