Originally Posted by
Roadieokie
I'm just getting started on my Cooper project. I too hope to update rather than stay with original equipment. Everything on the frame I bought was clamp on stuff. I have a guy who is going to do braze ons for me. But I was wondering what method you used to get it to 130 mm. I want to do that, but I don't want to screw the frame up in the process. Thanks for your advice.
Take it to shop or framebuilder who has the experience and the right tools. This is a comparatively cheap thing to have done (I don't think I've ever paid more than $40 or so). With tons of respect to Sheldon Brown, may he rest in peace, I feel pretty strongly that this is not the place for DIY, especially on so great a frame as a Cooper. It's not that you're likely to damage the chainstays, but gettng everything in proper alignment (including the rear dropouts, which you need to checl if you cold set the rear triangle) is a PITA at best and an ongoing problem at worst. Milimeters matter here. Let the pros from Dover do it. Save the DIY for the build-up.
I'd also spend a few extra bucks and have the same shop or builder chase the threads, make sure the BB and head tube are properly faced, and check the overall alignment of the frame. Don't assume it was ever done, and although on a Ron Cooper it almost certainly was when Ron finished building and painting it, who really knows what happened since. If there are no problems, the charge is minimal. If there is a problem, you want to know about it and get it fixed now, before you start wondering why your beautiful frame isn't tracking right and start going through the aggravation of: "Is it my bottom bracket? Is it my headset? Oh poop Ihave to strip everything off the frame." A relatively paltry sum now wil either (a) assure that everythng is as i9t should be or (b) save you a bunch of grief later.