Probably should have stripped this at the yard, but its kind of diminishing returns when the aluminum bits cost 3x as much when separated from the frame and it was cold this morning.. Its an interesting frame but unfortunately the seat stays are crushed. I might keep the fork to practice straitening. I'm particularly digging the Blue Line GT rear derailleur. I'm going to swap the long cage onto a Black Line group set.
And I'll get a bunch more parts in the "French" bin..
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...61bfb6d48d.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...31a271e5cb.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f86dcbe54c.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1c8fb3a08a.jpg

Oooh nice!

Yeah, but maybe not. That thing looks like it was pulled out of a lake or river, and as bad as the rust is, makes me wonder what the inside of the frame looks like. A person would have to remove the seat and use a bright flashlight, not a cell phone light, and look all the way down the tube to see the bottom bracket area.

The OP did say the seat stays were crushed and that he got it for the parts.

The "surface rust" is a little weird, because I think the frame is fully chromed. Maybe it was a red oxide paint of some sort. I'll investigate further tomorrow.

"
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bc4837f1ac.jpg
This is what happens if your not there when the bikes arrive. Warmer today so I'll strip it here...

Junet
 

Oy vey!

Someone trying to make a 'bent'?

-----

:thumb:

cudak888 would have this in perfect alignment in no time

fancy Marchetti e Lange equipment not required


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https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ba0ccab14b.jpg
and dat's dat....

In my rush due to lack of time I didn't see that part

I saw this on a local fb bike group a minute after it was posted and was off like a rocket.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...52f4d044a7.jpg
It's a Grand Sport! Beausaged to hell. 1973 based on the Brooks date code.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0b3f26992d.jpg
I took it home and started breaking it down. The seatpost, surprisingly, came free. So did the pedals and stem, which has no cracks at the square corners of the expansion slot. Red C (for Carlton?) seatpost binder, and the white Carlton hoods are dirty but neither cracked nor sticky. I threw the delrin Simplex shifters and derailleurs away. Not touching the cranks until I have access to my Wera hex wrenches, which I hope will remove the caps without damaging them. Normandy hubs, worn-out 5 speed TDC freewheel, rims in good shape, the Mafac Racer on the back has suffered some inappropriate hardware substitutions. The headset has been replaced at some point with a Hatta Vesta.

The bad:
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6a68d85e0f.jpg
Both seatstay caps have these edges which are rusted through. My best guess is that they were barely brazed on in the first place. I'll probably clean the rust up and fill the cracks with JB weld.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a8d98c6820.jpg
Also a big ding on the top tube.

This frame is too trashed to flip or restore IMO. I think I'm going to build it up as a singlespeed coaster-brake beater with fattish 700c tires and use it for a loaner; if and when I do I'll post it in the Grand Sport thread. If anyone wants the freewheel, hubs, pedals, Brooks guts, or handlebars, let me know and you can have them for the cost of shipping, or as trade for a set of North Road-ish handlebars.

SWEET SAVE!!!

Got a torch? That would be a fantastic one to learn some brazing on. The rust would need to be cleaned up, but I would be wanting to give it a go. Also, Paul Brody (youtube) has a good vid on filling in dents with the torch too. At this point, the burn spots would enhance the paintwork!

But if I fix the frame, I won't be able to justify keeping it! :lol:

I watched Paul Brody's video and I do have some friends with a shop space that is capable of that work. I just don't have the time to go down the rabbit hole with this frame right now. Maybe I'll hold off on the JB weld though so I can get around to it "someday".

Testing out brazing would be interesting. But why even bother with the dent with the possibility of making it worse and screwing up the paint?

I found this frame rotting in the barn of a local bike builder who is going to find a set of wheels and drivetrain and give a it new cables, etc. to get it rideable and I'm pretty stoked. It's from an 81-83 Fuji S12-S 18-speed, and while what I'm getting from the builder will probably be a bit of a franken-bike, my plan is to slowly turn it into a more faithful rebuild. Any tips on sourcing parts, etc. are appreciated!

There is a lot going on in that picture! Good save. Had an S10-S for a while. Good bike. Fuji's are good quality.

Thanks! I'm now going over all the pictures I can find of original and rebuilt versions to see what I can do.

I am VERY excited. I've never ridden a mixte, but he threw some wheels on it and it fit me JUST SO. My last steel road bike was a Sears Best "Tourney" that I spent two years of allowance on in 5th grade, so this will be a big upgrade!

There is nothing like riding a bike that fits well. I have an S12-S LTD that I refurbished. It fits perfectly and rides great. I almost ordered a Sears bike for my first ten-speed, but my dad took me to a friend's bike shop and I got a Kabuki instead. Almost 50 years later, I finally got a Sears bike, their top-of-the-line Reynolds 531 Free Spirit. I wanted mostly it for the nostalgia. I actually like the Fuji better.

OH WOW. It somehow never occurred to me that any of those old Sears Best bikes would still be around, given how I rode my one-step-up-from-the-bottom bike basically into the ground. I bought it and then made friends with a bunch of kids with BMX bikes who wanted to ride on trails, so I took my 10-speed over all the rocks and roots it would handle.

Glad to hear you like your Fuji better - otherwise I'm making a huge mistake! 😀

A Fuji is never a mistake.

Agree curb tender old catalogues are the best.
Sourcing, try bike coops
Looks like the bike is rather complete and many parts may be original. Research will confirm one way or the other.

Good luck

Yeah, the handlebars are original, apart form the Grab On foam, as are the the Dia Compe brakes/levers and Suntour shifters/derailleurs. All it really needs is... all the parts that make it go: chainrings, cranks, pedals, cassette, wheels, tires....

I am pretty sure that "Rob" won't be able to source original parts for most of that, but maybe over time I can!