ehcoplex 

If the bike has been sitting unused for a long time it’s very likely the grease in the headset, bottom bracket and hubs is congealed and hardened- all of those should be cleaned, checked for pitting & wear, possibly the loose bearings should be replaced, regreased and reassembled. The brake pads are probably hard as a rock and ought to be replaced with new Kool Stop pads. Looks like the brake cables need replacing, probably the tires and tubes, too. Chain should be cleaned and re-lubed. The Delrin Simplex derailleurs are prone to cracking and have a less-than-stellar reputation, but if they’re intact it’s worth cleaning and adjusting them and just using them (until they eventually do crack….).



But one step at a time…. Start by cleaning with dish-soap, some rags and warm water. A little WD-40 can help with crusted-up grease and grime, BUT be careful not to get any solvents on those foil Valgan stickers- I used a rag that still had a little WD40 on it to wipe the seat-tube and the image on the sticker almost completely disappeared. Not a big deal in my case as I was 99% sure I was going to be repainting.

Here's a recent thread with LOTS of info on dealing with old/rusty/pitted chrome.

Guttooth71

Awesome, Thanks.

ehcoplex 

Main decals applied, waiting on the Super Vitus tubing decals from Velocals so I can clear-coat. Original idea was to stick with as much 'stock' on this build as possible (though needing a new BB & RD...), and try to scare up the missing bits from the rear Maillard 700 hub and build up some 700c wheels with them. Striking out on the parts I need for the hubs, and now Velo Orange is having a 25%-off summer sale (SIZZLIN25 is the discount code, FYI), so I'm thinking of pivoting to a 650B conversion..... New hubs, rims, BB for under $300.... I've got an old set of Weinmann Vanquiere calipers..... hmm.

Guttooth71

Looking Great! Keep posting pics.

ehcoplex 

Current state-of-affairs update....
The BB cups were badly pitted, so I'm working on getting that sorted. I thought I would build this up with 650b wheels and give it to a riding buddy, but that hasn't worked out. It originally had 27" wheels and nothing has the reach necessary to go 650b on this- I test fit Tektro 559s, Weinmann Vainqueur, Dia Compe 750s.. But it can clear 700x35c, so that'll do. Had to swap out the Mafac Competition brakes for Racers just to get the reach for 700c wheels. I had hoped to find the bits needed to complete the Maillard 700 hubs that came with the bike (missing the rear axle and a seal), but no luck with that so just built up a set with some Shimano hubs I had and polished Sun M13ii rims. These aren't the chainrings I'll end up with, just thrown on temporarily. I was going to set it up with a Red Clover triplizer, but now I think I'll stay with a double.

repechage

does not apply in the car world often.
I have a white car that the paint is lifting off the primer. I am going to have to block sand it off, primer/ sealer it, prime it then respray.
not looking forward to it but I like the car.

ehcoplex 

Calling it ‘done’- at least for now. It’s (way) too small for me, so I’ll have to wait until spring when my main (& shorter) riding pal returns from wintering in a warmer place. Even with a 32t large cog the gearing is too high for where I am so I’m hoping by some miracle I’ll stumble upon a 37t for the Stronglight (or eventually splurge for one from Red Clover). She started out in very rough shape & certainly restoring this bike was far, far from being economically ‘smart’, but it was fun and the Vitus 971 frame is quite light.






(sorry for the direct sunlight and busy background- not the ideal kind of day to shoot a bike, and rural upstate NY in the winter doesn't provide the best of backdrops...)

Chuck M 

If it was fun and rewarding, your riding partner enjoys it too, then it was worth every penny IMHO. And it looks like it came a long way too compared to the earlier pictures.

Guttooth71

The Valgan looks amazing! I love the brown bar tape with the blue contrast. I think I'm going to copy that look!