seagrade 

That frame is in near-perfect condition. Perfect for riding.

SoCaled 

I love this group and I have been having fun watching the reactions, let my clarify my original post:
First off, love the bike, no complaints with what I got, happy as pie. No intent to throw shade at the bike.
Exactly the opposite, I was trying to express that I was a little sad someone had not treated such a nice bike with more love.

When I picked up the bike it was obvious it was in a place where it was being "used and abused" and I was completing a rescue, this bike did not have a happy home, think dirt lot, rather than bike corral. Vice grips, rather than spanner wrenches.
as I said in a post above the rust/wear at the downtube shifters was one of the main reason I used "Rode hard and put away wet" in my (very short stint) in the bike world, this was the first time I had seen that kind of wear and seemed to be from extensive use/sweat. I have read many a BF thread where someone one bemoans a bike that had gone south due to lack of a proper wipe down, this appeared to resemble that remark.

Wasn't trying to claim it was the rustiest or most abused, far from it - I have others I might put up in that category - but I would bow to your some of your fossilized finds

Thanks to my (heavily BF supported) autodidact learning, I am well aware of what I got (could have blown the deal with the research I did) and thought I had made that clear in the Good/Bad list - Full 531 & Dura Ace vs. some condition issues - but now see I leaned in to the "Used and Abused". The irony is I don't have a single clean/show bike in my stable, they are all riders. Sold the only really clean bikes I had, to make sure they were kept that way.

Thank you all for your help, guidance and encouragement

AdventureManCO 

Looks great. Sort out pedal issue, wipe off the grime, repack, new cables, borrow a nice seat from another bike of yours and taker her for a spin. Withhold any judgement until that happens. If nice enough to keep, roll that dent and repaint.

Congrats!

repechage

that is a different bike.
I looked that that on CL for weeks, it finally vanished saving my wallet harm.

I have been very restrained, only acquired one bike and one frame set during the pandemic

I have been building up what I have.
I have a few to move along, problem is I finish them and find an excuse to retain them.

SoCaled 

if only I had listened to All of your advice . . .

• Got pedals sorted: What have you been wrenching on lately? & What have you been wrenching on lately?
• Took care of the old tires Rotting/molding tire stuck to rim bead - clean-up Suggestions?p
• Cables will be replaced but working fine, same with need to repack (rims are newer) crank/headset feel pretty smooth - but will get done

Was so excited to take a ride I didn't bother to swap saddle, only did a ten mile test run, but that saddle is a taint tickler, damn uncomfortable high center ridge - headed for the trash

That said . . . wow, it feels great. Just jumped to the top of my favorites list. Obviously owes a lot to the frame, but also the first time I have ridden on 32mm tires, all my road bikes are 25mm or less. Felt plush on rough terrain, and I know these are not as good as other tires.

AdventureManCO 

Its a nice looking bike! Those seat stay ends remind me of Dawes...which reminds me I have a Galaxy frame hanging in my garage, stripped and unloved...

georges1

Nice find

jdawginsc 

One of my short list of I ever found one near I’d have to jump in, despite having too many.

legendary frame builder and a true artisan. His brazing was exquisite.

great find despite any rust.

Velo Mule

I'd get a Cuevas if it was twisted and rusted. One of the best framebuilders of his time. That's some pretty good company.

Black paint makes the touch up so much easier. You may want to apply a few coats of paint so that the touch up paint sits up a little beyond the original paint then sand with sandpaper on a stick to get the paint to one level then polish it so that the paint blends. . . . . Or really just enjoy it.

The black with gold lettering has such a nice look to it.

SoCaled 

I had just been thinking about this. I have zero experience painting bikes, but lots of painting experience. With the depth of some of the chips I was thinking it would take a few coats to get to the same level as the rest of the paint. Wondering if I want to start with black primer that might be thicker/easier to sand? And then when level ad a finish blending paint coat? The bottom of the downtube is pretty rough, might give me a mostly inconspicuous place to start/test. I have read through some of the "painting" threads but not recently, I recall my main takeaway seemed to be I was going to try a brush, rather than spray. I know black is easier to touch up, but matching is always fun, what paints would anyone recommend? I am familiar with Testor's and Rust-Oleum (which seem to have the same formatted websites?) Rust-Oleum also has the car touch-up paints & Duplicolor - anything else I should look at?

I actually kind of like the current look - well loved, but I think I will probably take the time to properly clean everything up and then do some touch-up painting.

Velo Mule

I have used both Rustoleum and Testors. Both being oil based paints they work well hand hold up pretty good. I mixed Testors with Rustoleum to try to get the color I wanted. Don't mix them. Stick to one or the other. Even though they are both oil based they don't get along well with each other. Testors is thinner and easier to control in my opinion. Rustoleum could probably fill in the chips with less coats. I'd leave at least a week for the paint to dry before sanding if you do sand. That is one of the good things about be an amature. Pro's have to get their work out and get paid. You have the luxury of time.

ShannonM

Considering the number of white cars I see up here with green fuzz growing on the body panels, "fast enough" has got to be upwards of 80 mph...

Gotta love Humboldt!

--Shannon

Korina

True. And stuff will still grow on the trunk. My MIL's car sat out front for several years, inoperable, and grew an impressive variety of lichen. I was almost sad to see it go.

Whereabouts in Humboldt are you located? I promise not to stalk you. ETA: I've asked you this before, haven't I? Ah, the post-menopausal brain.

ShannonM

I'm in Fields Landing. I don't think you'd asked me that before, so no worries there.

And I'm not worried about being stalked... I'd be flattered, and you'd be really, really bored. (Unless you find watching a 50-year-old redneck hippie longhair read books and drink beer interesting. In which case, being a stalker would be the least of your problems.)

--Shannon

Korina

Sounds no less interesting than my life. I saw the Tour of the Unknown Coast is on this year. Any plans to ride it?