Bump

Well it looks to be a nice French bike from the early '80s. Going to have a few minor "issues" such as a FR threaded BB and probably a 22mm stem diameter, but no big deals. I guess the worst thing is the Maillard Helicomatic rear hub: most people will tell you to lose it and replace with another hub, you could still use a FR one if you're concerned with keeping it French. The Module "E" rims are the first high-pressure narrow clinchers, and considered very good rims, tend to last longer than some of the competition from that period. The rest of the components seem like decent quality later French/Italian stuff, but no big whoop if you opt to replace them with something else, those Modolos are probably the very bottom of the Modolo barrel, but still I bet they stop OK. Do you think it's the original paint? What tells you it's a Vitus U959 seeing as there are no labels/decals beside the Reynolds 453? if I came across this I'd have guessed it was a Gitane...looks very similar to those shown in the 1983 Gitane catalog.
edit: OK I see it's stamped U959 on the BB shell!

Yes it is the original paint, the bike has been in my uncles garage for the past 20 years hanging on bike hooks. Believe it or not the the tires and tubes (michelin) actually held pressure after I pumped them up and could be ridden on but I choose to get some new ones anyway and the brakes do work remarkably well especially when I put some new pads on them.

One more question for anyone who might know about this bike. What do you think that this bike would have cost when it was new?