I've enjoyed this thread. Thank you
Danhedonia . The bike's connection to Sheldon Brown is priceless. That melange of parts looks like it would be an effective theft-deterrent.
The FD appears to be shimmed with some cloth bar tape. I fear that might wick some moisture under the band and corrode the seat tube. You probably need to add a 0.6 mm shim to the clamp. A 12" x 12" of aluminum in the desired thickness can be had for about $10 here (
link). You can cut the FD shims from the sheet with tin snips or probably scissors.
One thing no one has advised him on yet (though I may have missed it) is the special crank puller he is going to need to remove those Stronglight cranks (if you are going to do the work yourself). J.A Stein continues to manufacture suitable ones (
link). There may be a hack to do it without the special puller, but I'm not aware of the method.
Re: Squealing MAFAC brakes. They'll save you a little money as you won't need to buy a vintage retro-bell. But you'll terrify everyone you come upon on the path. Just tell them the brakes are French.
