My Le Mans project.
 

Last saturday I purchased an original 1972 Centurion Le Mans. The components for the most part were in fair shape, but the paint was basically beyond repair and led a lot of work.. I just felt like sharing it with you all.

The bike at the beginning. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...723111730a.jpg
All original and hideous! (mostly due to neglect).
So I stripped the components and proceeded to sand... and sand.. and sand... (ended up getting 3m discs, wonderful device!) I forgot to take a picture of the frame sanded down, but here it is primered up. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...725112256a.jpg a lil bit closer http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...0725112256.jpg
I'll put up more in a lil while.

I needed to replace the decals as well, since they were trashed in the sanding down process (and had rust under them to boot). I ended up stumbling across this link http://www.biketype.com/pages/4981/c...elated_emblems which had all the art work already done (I did have to resize the images to the actual decal sizes, and then printed them on sticker paper). Here's some shots of originals and then mine.
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...724111313d.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...727111813a.jpg
and the sticker unapplied.
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...726112007b.jpg

New Frame Color: Metallic green, and lots of coats glossy clear coat.
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...0727111814.jpg

Very, very cool.

Me likee!

Do you remember what "actual size" worked out to, pixel-wise? My Lemans is in desperate need of a respray, and I may as well go with the older font (since someone has made it so easy for me to do so!).

Actually I happen to have a cloth tape measure and a good graphics program, assuming your tube dimensions are the same as mine, feel free to take my resized ones, I think you'll be able to tell which ones are the graphics and not the photos ;). www.photobucket.com/clemans, I didn't print a head badge since I preserved mine.
(They should be on page 3) (Also, the program I use is free! it's called photo pos pro. I took my measurement with the cloth tape on the tube, then applied that measurement to the image size, in inches rather then pixels.) very easy.

Sorry to rez my own dead thread.. sorta but I never put up a final pic, so here she is after today's ride http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...ns/raleigh.jpg
The decals are a bit worse for the wear, and I've learned a bit about handlebar tape.. sadly. But the paint job considering how poorly done has been great, the only real chipping has been on the chain stay in my self edumacation on derailers. I love the feel and ride of this bike, but at times it does feel heavy but I think it has more to do with my prefered gears and currently underpowered legs.