PaintItCeleste

I recently picked up an old Motobecane Grand Record. The bike is in rough shape but the frame is Reynolds 531 steel, with Nervex lugs. I just love these frames! I bought it with the intention of completely redoing the frame. I'm looking into chroming, powdercoating, etc. and I will be building it up with a modern groupset (for the fiancee). That said, I'm not really interested in the look of all the clamp-on bits like the cable guides, water bottle holder, cable stops, etc. (Not to mention having to go buy them all). I'd prefer they be part of the frame (and colored with the frame, be that painted or PC).

Is it possible someone could weld/braze the cable guides, cable stops, and possibly other modern bits, onto this frame? Is this cost prohibitive (I don't mind spending some extra money because I love bringing these old frames back to life)? Like say $50-100? If it is possible, does the heating of the frame, unnecessarily affect the steel, potentially weakening it? Also, I'm in St. Louis, MO and am interested in info so if you know someone who could do this, let me know! I contacted a couple folks I found from an older post here (not in STL, but not terribly far) and they had gotten out of building frames so that was a dead end.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

busdriver1959

FeCycles is in STL. Custom steel builder. I don't think the price will come in as low as you want but you won't know unless you ask. Brazeons won't hurt the bike, especially if silver is used. Adding guides and bottle bosses isn't rocket surgery. With a little research and downloading the free version of the Paterek manual, you could do it yourself within your budget. Nova Cycle Supply has the parts. Look for Harris 56% silver and flux at a local welding shop. A torch that will do the job can be found at a big box hardware store. Go for it. It's fun.

sailorbenjamin

Here's a price list from our local frame builder, Folk Engineering. Of course we're sort of East of East St. Louis but there's probably someone closer to you with similar rates;
https://folkengineered.com/bicycles/otherservices

rootboy 

Is it realistic? Sure. One question might be: why? If you'd prefer a frame with all the modern doodads, there are many out there. Not too many Grand Record frames out there though. It's yours of course, so you'll do what you like with it. It sure would be neat to see it restored to its original state.

SJX426 

I am going to be doing that on a Trek 610. Adding bosses for rear rack, FD hanger, Cable stops for BarCons, eyelets to replace the ones that were removed. My cost is $0 as I found someone who is building frames with silver in his garage for himself and he offered to do it. Not his day job! Hope to do it this weekend if the weather is bad, he wants to paint his first frame with good weather.

Would I do it to a Moto GR? No, I have a wrecked 72 Le Champion and would buy a replacement frame set in a heart beat if I could find one. I would restore back to original as I have all the components except the Universal hoods.

The only reason I am modifying the Trek is that it was in such poor shape when I bought it with damaged parts. The saving grace is the frame is in good condition and fun to ride.

mparker326

I think it will be cost prohibitive.

auchencrow

+1,000,000

likebike23

If you plan on using modern components, you may want the framebuilder to spread/align the rear dropouts to 130mm. As for the braze-ons, maybe you could have it done in a retro way (top tube cable guides for running full length housing, downtube shifter bosses instead of cable guides, etc.). I think it would keep the vintage spirit of the frame, but give you the upgrades you want.

oddjob2

DR PHIL checking in:

Have you checked this out with your fiancee? Your heart and desire may be in the right spot, but a lot of women love a retro look. Does she want a drop bar setup or a northroads setup?

Shiny Honcho hammered fenders, a nice Nantucket wicker basket, Brooks honey saddle, some cork grips, and a lot of Mothers Aluminum polish can be far less expensive, take your eyes off the paint, and are transferable to another frame. Go to velo-orange.com and check out all the bike jewelry.

If you still want to refinish, I'd recommend paint, so the lugs stay crisp. Check in with Sloar on this forum. He's only a 1/2 day away and does fabulous painting.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...gravel+grinder

PaintItCeleste

Thank you for the links busdriver and sailorbenjamin. I check them out and will definitely look into working with these people should I do the modifications. I don't have the capability at the time, to do any DIY brazing just yet (my torch is in storage, with empty tanks...blast!). Rootboy, I'm not sure how rare grand record frames are, so I was unaware it wasn't a common bike. Mine came with first gen Phil hubs (which need some work), and SR components. It appears not to be stock. Though it does have a very rough looking Ideale saddle. I can see from your avatar, you have some feelings for motobecanes? haha

likebike23, as far as why go through all the effort on an older frame, vs. just getting a newer frame. I haven't come across too many new frames with nervex lugs AND all the modern doodads. At least not within the price that I picked this up for, even after I do some modifications.

Oddjob, err, doctor phil, haha, that's a good point. I have consulted her about it and I think it could go either way. She likes both aesthetics. The newer "David" bikes I assemble which often consist of some classic touches, with a modern flare, as well as the old classics.

I am still on the fence about where to go with this, and thus, is partly why I put the question out there. I really appreciate all the responses! There's some really great considerations brought to light here. Can anyone tell me a little more about the motobecane grand record (rootboy perhaps).

Here is the frame. I can't find serials or anything. Huret rear dropouts. Reynolds 531 stickers are nearly all worn off.

likebike23

I think you have me confused with another poster. I totally get why you want to do what you're considering. I understand people wanting to see it fully restored to original condition. However, if you're starting with a frameset only, I wouldn't feel at all guilty about modifying it.

Six jours

The OP should consider the idea that maybe he doesn't actually like classic bicycles.

Having said that, the world really isn't losing anything if he wants to try to turn that frame into something else.

thirdgenbird

I now own an older colnago that was updated in a prior life to under the tt brake cable stops and head tube cable stops for sti/ergo levers. I love it.

rootboy 

I can't tell you a whole lot about the Grand Record as I don't have one but, I do own two Motobecanes from that era and to me they are just some of the coolest early seventies bikes out there. It's the wonderful paint jobs and sleek, understated graphics. I think of the Grand Record as the third leg in the triumvirate of great Reynolds framed bikes the huge company churned out during the Boom with their charming French je ne sais quoi and a touch of sloppiness.
Along with the Le Champion and the Team Champion the Grand Record was outfitted with quality parts and those parts are part of the charm. All the clamp on pieces of pretty aluminum and shiny chrome are the bike's jewelry. They adorn these neat old frames like an Italian necklace on your French aunt.
They look good there. She's hot.

oddjob2

+1 on above Rootboy, but wonderful paint? It rubs off like Joan River's pancake! By the time the frame gets equipped, only the top tube would look rough. A leather wrap, like VO sells would cover that up.

Below is my GR.

PaintItCeleste

rootboy - in response to your funny metaphor for about the clamp-on bits: I have refinished a bicycle with these parts before. It was a Bianchi, as that tends to be my preference bicycle. And thus, it needed matching italian jewelry!









That was for my mum for Christmas. Took me a few months to get all the parts and keep the finances flowing. The first image is what I started with. It's neat, but to me, it just has so much potential to be something different, something different! I think this is fairly classic, though with some newer amenities. I would be stepping a bit further towards modern with this motobecane, while still capitalizing on the unique and defining features of the frame (such as the nervex lugs).

thirdgenbird

That is without a doubt the hottest mixtie I've ever seen. Paul's brakes and a campy RD?

rootboy 

HooWeee! What a beauty!!!!
Yeah....you know what you're doing.

Now, how about some splendid French jewelry on a re-painted Moto? I'm imagining a set of Jubilee derailleurs, TA crank, MAFAC brakes ...etc.

PaintItCeleste

I would be lying if I said there wasn't a split second of hesitation giving it away...OK OK, it was for my mum. She's worth it! And she loved it. Yeah, most everything on it is Campy, save for the brakes which are Paul. Even the fenders have Bianchi stamped into them. But oddjob, like you were saying, many of the parts, like the stem and porteur bars, I picked up from velo-orange. Fantastic people.

So I have done some work. And I definitely respect the classic and vintage status of some of these bikes. But I feel they can also be tastefully re-imagined, which is what I like to do. Having no experience with having a frame modified with modern cable guides and other parts. I find it just one more thing to learn about. I appreciate the advice here, as far as how to go about it, and what I should consider prior to making the decision. My mind is running!

rootboy 

Well, not so much the paint, but the color schemes. I love those two-toned Moto paint jobs.
Both mine are single color. But what colors.
I'd like to find a minty black and red Grand Record.

oddjob2

That mixte is the shizzle, fer sure! "She's just gorgeous!" says Brent Musberger.

PaintItCeleste

You can always make one...what size frame do you need? Perhaps this isn't the frame to use for me...

rootboy 

Thanks but, no ....no building one for me. I'd have to find her whole. Besides, I need a 60-62.

oddjob2

Well here it is!

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...e-Grand-Record

PaintItCeleste

Haha you had go and do that to him!