Another resurrection

It's been a winter for restorations.

This time it was an early 80's Merckx Corsa:

She'd been hanging 'round the shed for a few years, ever since i'd picked 'er up from that Really Big Auction Site. Don't know why i bought her, exactly. Maybe it was because she reminded me of the Merckx i didn't keep and have ever since regretted .

    

I'd tried to move the frameset along at last winter's bike swap, but people said she had "too much patina," and i kind of agreed. 

So off she went to the powder coat works. The colour was determined mostly by the repro decals i had on hand. Many of the components were actually from the long departed first Merckx- the bottom bracket, derailleurs,and wheelset- plus some other parts i'd been collecting for Just Such an Occasion...

The result:

 And it's 1983 again...

The intent was to try to sell her at this year's winter swap meet. There was actually some interest this time, but there were further deal breakers: One fellow objected because it was a respray, another was leery of tubular tyres, yet another insultingly low-balled, and the last decided that the 175mm cranks were too much longer than the 172.5's to which he was accustomed.

Feh.

Benotto tape that i'd been saving for the right moment...

N.O.S. crank arm of the dreaded 175mm

Tubular tyres and obsolete Campag changer.

                Correct dropout adjusters have since been installed.            

I really cannot complain about my unsuccessful attempts to sell this bike. Sure, a little extra cash flow would've been nice, but i'm going to enjoy riding this fine old machine. It's been too long since she's been on the road.