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1970-71 Gitane (Before Shots) 
PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:07 am Reply with quote
Kinst VonSterga
Joined: 26 May 2008
Posts: 153
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon USA
I recently purchased this bike for my wife who's 5' 11", so the 60cm frame should fit her perfectly and when we ride together, it will definitely compliment my like-kind blue Gitane of the same model/era. The campy dropouts and front fork tips are also a nice touch, though I'm still debating over having this frame either (i) professionally resprayed/re-chromed, or (ii) meticulously cleaned, removal of any rust residue, and then touch-up/paint any of the existing blemishes. I also need to find a replacement set of frame decals?? as some of the existing ones have have long since worn off.

I have a collection of Campy and Mafac parts of the same year, so swapping out any parts for a VGC replacement shouldn't be an issue, if needed. I'm not too confident about the structural integrity of either the rims and/or stem, so I may use my existing set of Mavic E2s (that have the hub set w/SS dbl butted spoks) + replace the Pivo stem with a Cinelli 1A or Ambrosio record stem.

Here are some of the BEFORE pics ... and I'll try to remember to post the AFTER pics too after the frame has been restored.
Cheers!

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60cm Super Corsa 
PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 2:32 am Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
Nice find. It should clean up great with some spray household cleaner. Test it on an inconspicuous spot first.

White is easy to touch up with the little containers of touch up paint that you can get at auto parts stores. After the paint dries for several weeks you can rub it out with rubbing compound.

I use xxx or xxxx fine steel wool for polishing the chrome. Others claim copper "wool" is better.

Here's some before and after shots of my late 60s Tour de France. It was a barn bike that had been in storage for at least 25 years. The bike had about an 1/8" of dust on top of the grime.

This is what it looked like after briefly vacuuming it:



Here's what the left chain and seat stays looked like after about 2 minutes with cleaner and steel wool.



The left side of the brake caliper and seat stay with about a minute of work.



After touch up, see first picture.




Remember, it's camouflage not a respray. It just has to look good from 5 feet away. Gitanes from this era had terrible paint from the factory! Shocked

Think "silk stockings on a rooster".

Nothing stands out worse than new paint with old chrome and old components. Same with new paint, chrome and old components. A degree of patina shows that the bike had a previous life or two!

Cinelli 1A stems look great on these bikes. Finding one with a 22.0mm quill is going to be a problem. I may have a 90mm one that I'd be willing to part with.

Chas.
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Questions 
PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:05 am Reply with quote
Kinst VonSterga
Joined: 26 May 2008
Posts: 153
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon USA
There are sticker residue/remnants on the top of the seat tube (above the hand) and on both sides of the top tube towards the front of the frame ... but I'm not sure which decal should appear there. There's a partial 531 sticker on the right fork blade but none on the left, so I wonder what decal was on the left fork blade? All the parts are 71' so should I assume that this frame is of 71 vintage? as I don't see a serial # stamp on its BB or any marking of the actual model name. Can you tell by any of its features what year/vintage this Gitane falls under? ... and what in the heck "Emau Luxe Polymerise" means on the chainstay decal?
Cheers,
LT
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Re: Questions - Answers 
PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:45 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
Kinst VonSterga wrote:
There are sticker residue/remnants on the top of the seat tube (above the hand) and on both sides of the top tube towards the front of the frame ... but I'm not sure which decal should appear there. There's a partial 531 sticker on the right fork blade but none on the left, so I wonder what decal was on the left fork blade? All the parts are 71' so should I assume that this frame is of 71 vintage? as I don't see a serial # stamp on its BB or any marking of the actual model name. Can you tell by any of its features what year/vintage this Gitane falls under? ... and what in the heck "Emau Luxe Polymerise" means on the chainstay decal?
Cheers,
LT


The sticker residue is probably from the old Reynolds 531 decal.




The right fork blade should have this decal, the left a Reynolds decal.






You can get a complete set of reproduction decals from Cyclomondo on eBay. Several of us worked with Greg to get them "better than the originals". They come with the correct French Reynolds 531 deals. Also mention that you want Super Corsa decals.




I generally don't trust the date of manufacture stamped into the components as a guarantee of a bike's age. They could have been replaced at some time or the bike manufacturer could have used old stock. In you case however it pretty much narrows the bike down to a 1971 or 72.


The frame has swaged over seat stay tops vs. the earlier willow leaf braze-ons as on my late 60s TdF (pre-cleanup picture).



It also has a braze-on brake cable stop bridge as in the picture above. Your bike has a Nervex Professional fork crown as pictured above. From about 1972 on Gitane switched to the simpler Nervex DuBois fork crowns.




Trust me you have a genuine Gitane Super Corsa bike. Serial numbers were stamped into the left dropout and aren't going to tell you anything.

Gitane serial numbers have no relationship to to any known encryption system . They were randomly generated - any thing the employee who was stamping them in that day wanted. Confused


"Emau Luxe Polymerise" means that it was Gitanes attempt at early polymorphic deluxe email or... it was painted by an emu! Shocked

It means that the frame was painted with deluxe enamel paint - ya, sure! Rolling Eyes



They put these decals on the right, left, both or neither chainstays. We used to take them off of the new bikes we were assembling or repair bikes because they were fragile and easily damaged.

Chas.
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1970-71 Gitane (Before Shots) 
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