Restoring a Gitane 1982 Road bike for my daughter

[clipperjay]

Well after finding my old racer (34 years old) I decided to restore it for my daughter who is addicted to speed, recon by next year she will be riding well on this. This is what I had to start with and I've bought loads of NOS parts build has cost me about £160 in total. The bloody tyres were a nightmare to get hold off 500A!!! 
Derailer, brake/gear cables, brake pads, rear caliper, pedals, dynamo lights, tyres/inner tubes 28x500A 20", gear cables, seat, handlebar tape, bar ends, Izumi 1/2 chain, chain wheel guard. 
I wanted to re chrome the rims but that's another £80 odd pounds

[barrym381]

speak to your local powdercoater see if he will do the lot 

[clipperjay]

Well its not finished still waiting on parts, but I'm going to leave the paint work adds the cool factor of vintage look I think?
Its a Junior Gitane Grand Prix model I was given this when I was 9 years old and I have tried searching on the internet but can't find much info except back in the day they called the kids range migets range! Its got really thick coats of primer and paint and lets face it 34 years old and it still looks good after a good clean up!

[barrym381]

still looks decent for that age 

[Thom89]

Jay, If you need powder coat just let me know! My Son runs a company that specialises in top notch jobs on bike frames, and regularly sorts out very very expensive frames for people all over europe!

Thom

[clipperjay]

still looks decent for that age 

Yeah I think all that grease and oil has saved it when it sat in the oldmans garage

Jay, If you need powder coat just let me know! My Son runs a company that specialises in top notch jobs on bike frames, and regularly sorts out very very expensive frames for people all over europe!

Thom

!

Cool Thom good to know I'm not sure whats it worth these days, but to me its pastime memories and hopefully my daughter will enjoy this! The budget was supposed to be small, but when I paid £20.00 just for four stamped Weinmann brake blocks you can see how easily the budget got destroyed!
Love to see some of your kids work with road bikes, Issues with full restore like stickers is a pain found some replicas, he wanted £30.00 for the set, but its adult size stickers this is only 20" wheel small frame so would be too big? 
 Was thinking getting back on the road with one, but realised the one I liked cost about £2.2K Mekk carbonfibre!     

[Sam]

The best way of sorting the chrome in my experience is with tin-foil and a small amount of wd40. Scrunch it into a ball, spray a little wd and then rub away

[clipperjay]

The best way of sorting the chrome in my experience is with tin-foil and a small amount of wd40. Scrunch it into a ball, spray a little wd and then rub away

Yes Sam thats what I do, but with Goddards sliver polish as cutting compound. TBF they are coming up nice but still have poppy seed rust coming through the chrome which I can't remove. 

[Thom89]

still looks decent for that age 

Yeah I think all that grease and oil has saved it when it sat in the oldmans garage

Jay, If you need powder coat just let me know! My Son runs a company that specialises in top notch jobs on bike frames, and regularly sorts out very very expensive frames for people all over europe!

Thom

!

Cool Thom good to know I'm not sure whats it worth these days, but to me its pastime memories and hopefully my daughter will enjoy this! The budget was supposed to be small, but when I paid £20.00 just for four stamped Weinmann brake blocks you can see how easily the budget got destroyed!
Love to see some of your kids work with road bikes, Issues with full restore like stickers is a pain found some replicas, he wanted £30.00 for the set, but its adult size stickers this is only 20" wheel small frame so would be too big? 
 Was thinking getting back on the road with one, but realised the one I liked cost about £2.2K Mekk carbonfibre! 

Have a look on here Jay, also follow the links to his FB pages. Plus a whole new section to the website is on its way soon http://www.noquarterbikes.co.uk/

Thom

[clipperjay]

Wow Thom is this your sons business?
I'm liking the stuff on there! 
When I'm ready to get a new road bike I'll come up and see him for sure! 

I forgot to ask people about rim cloth, but I measured the spoke nuts and rim width it looks like 13mm, Diameter 180cm which means this seems good to buy?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360789740425?var=630182484162&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649