Originally Posted by
pastorbobnlnh
It's difficult to say this about a '67 Paramount--- but I approve!
'Tis better to be ridden and enjoyed, than to sit and gather dust!
I really wish I could change the title of the thread, as the bike is a '74, but since I was a complete novice at reading Paramount serial numbers--even after looking on the Waterford site and
still read it incorrectly--I titled the thread as a '67 and here it has been. Perhaps an accidental benefit that got more eyeballs on the thread than a 'boom years' 1974 model, but that was not my intention! All the original pictures are gone somehow, too....
As a fully rescued and repaired bike, the slate was clean to restore it in any number of ways. As I got the frame without parts on it, I didn't want to sink $600-900 into paint and decals only to have it crack on the first ride. So I went with painting it myself, going for a hot rod/rat rod theme. Between that and the Suntour components, it's been a bit of a rebel build, albeit carefully crafted.
That rebel theme continues with this update. I again carefully chose components for their relevance and complementary nature (ie high polish, radiused corners) to the frame. The triple Ultegra crankset was a major piece. Sure, there are other cranksets, but they either needed to be classic Campy/Sugino Mighty or something newer that was properly polished. No soft pearl-y luster or painted silver parts allowed.
Thank you for your approval! I am well aware of the dividing line between '84/'85 and newer Paramounts, and ones older. Older ones get restored or kept original (Campagnolo largely) and newer ones either stay period-correct or get the resto-mod treatment. I would like to think the spirit of its 'touring' designation is kept, while it is now functionally far superior without losing any stateliness--it is still a big bike, but a big and fast one now.
