hlloydcycles.com has headbadges and black or white downtube and seat tube decals now. I've ordered some and will post pictures when they arrive.

Ron Cooper test from Cycling Weekly
 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/...bc9a0547_b.jpg
Dated April 1, 1972

Man... that's gorgeous. If your brother won't build that up and ride it, beat him up and take it. :lol:

fify

:)

Yep I agree! I think he would like to build it up with 50th Anniversary Campy parts - we will see. BTW the 1/2 actually means it was one of two built for a bike shop in California. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name of the shop or what happened to the other frame.

Is this the place and the other frame?
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Bik...le-Odyssey.htm

I don't know anything about Ron Coppers except they were always desirable, well built frames.

If it is not A Bicycle Oddyssey, maybe Cycle Dynamics in Santa Rosa?
Check out this CR List posting from Cycle Dynamics owner Paul Brown.

Got the decals from HLloyd a couple of days ago. They are cut vinyl and look nice as far as I can tell through the mounting films. I didn't look closely at the catalog images and descriptions so I'm disappointed that the seat tube transfer is just "COOPER" rather than "RON COOPER" as my bike originally had. Also I remember my head badge as having the large "C" with "ooper" emerging from it rather than "cooper" emerging as it does on the repro. What do your folks head badges look like? I haven't complained to Nick at HLloyd as I am pleased to have the transfers, but if there is a consensus about the head badge difference I might let him know. The white decals are almost impossible to see in the photo against their white backing. The head badges still have the film on top. TT, the head badge measures ~2 5/8 " top to bottom.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/P7310007.jpg
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/P7310004.jpg

Cranky
My headbadge, which I think is from a mid-80s US repaint, is as you describe: big 'C' ,small 'ooper'

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/...b4625174_m.jpg

Same thing on this seat tube decal from an original '70s frame that was offered on ebay a couple of years back

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2787/...4d15e3f0_m.jpg

BUT, on delving further, it seems that 80's Coopers have headtube decals like the one you have been supplied
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2790/...c1143fca_m.jpg

Thanks. I wonder if I should replace my home made head badge with the "store-bought" one that has a more authentic gold background but is for the incorrect time period? Reminds me of when I was Chef Poissonier at a hotel that hosted the annual US Rolls Royce rally. Many of the cars lacked hood ornaments because, I was told, only a "Spirit of Ecstacy" from the correct year would do.

I'm sure it would look better with the brake cables routed behind the bars.

Radio interview with Ron Cooper
 

From The Bike Show

I was hoping for some advice - I inherited a beautiful Ron Cooper that was my Grandfather's. It has been bouncing around various Ohio garages for almost 25 years now, so it will be a restoration project. Because this will be my first attempt at restoring an old bike, I was hoping for some advice. My plan is to strip the components and get the frame repainted to begin. Any advice on how old the frame is or any additional suggestions are welcome. I'm hoping to salvage and restore as much of this as possible - the goal would be to get it shiny and in the condition that my Grandfather would have ridden it in.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=167031

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=167032

I would avoid repainting unless it really needs it. The paint looks pretty good from here. Looks like it has Campagnolo NR components. There should be a year stamped onto the top of the rear derailleur. I'm guessing '72 - '80ish because it has the NR rear derailleur and the front derailleur looks like the redesign with the boxier pivot point and circlip. What was the last year for NR RD?

+1, You beat me to it!

Nick Tithecott at H Lloyd cycles in Penrith can supply all the decals you need. The decals are the best quality I've ever found and the instructions are very clear.

Here's the link to H. Lloyd cycles:

http://www.hlloydcycles.com/

Have never been a fan of behind the bar cables... they have been shortened up and the plan is to install some Zeus levers to go with the new Zeus 2000 brakes.

I discovered that the frame serial number was 504 after spending most of the afternoon stripping the parts off. Any idea what year the frame is?

I haven't been able to find any serial number to year correlation so far. The serial numbers and years already posted on this thread haven't made much sense to me. Do you have reason to believe that the components are not original to the frame? Were you able to find the year on top of the rear derailleur? It should say "Patent ##" the ## signifying "19##" for the year of manufacture.

Pricey52 cm frame for sale on eBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-70-s-Ron...item3a5e30bfe3

If that were a bit larger, I'd be sorely tempted.

Thanks Cranky - the Campy says Patent 73, so I'm guessing that narrows it down a bit. I'm not sure when the frame was ordered versus when it was built up. I may actually try and call the shop - have you ever tried to do that?

I bought mine used from a fellow who bought it in England, so no shop to call, but I did write to Ron Cooper once. The letter came back as having a bad address after several months. I'd taken the address for his shop from somewhere on the web. My serial number is 69 and my derailleur is Patent 70.

As Cranky says, there seems to be no clear corelation between serial numbers and date of build.
If Ron Cooper built only 200 frames a year, he would get to 999 in only five years, and I am yet to see a Ron Cooper with 4 digit frame number.

In a earlier post I suggested a timeline for Cooper frames based on braze ons, lug and BB type and some variations on lug cutouts and adornments.
Given your frames almost total lack of braze-ons, my guess is that it is no newer than the 1973 dated rear derailler, maybe a couple of years older.

If it was mine, I would clean it up and leave the paint in its slightly dilapidated glory. As Brain Baylis has said, "You only have original paint once".