Having finally completed one Raleigh project, a 1974 Competition, I'm faced with another, a 70's Grand Sport(s). It is the classic white and blue paint scheme. This particular bike has the Grand Sports decal (plural), but many, probably most, are decaled Grand Sport (singular). The serial number doesn't conform to any system I've found on RetroRaleighs, and I'm told that Grand Sport(s) did not use the same numbering scheme as other 531 Raleighs, at least not consistently. Anyone know the Grand Sport(s) serial # code? Does the spelling of the model name give any clue as to the year?
So far, I'm guessing this bike is somewhere between 1973 and 1979. My primary question for the list is if the SunTour derailleurs are original. It has a VGT, or maybe VxGT RD with a matching SunTour FD and the ratcheted SunTour DT shift levers. The most recent catalog on RetroRaleigh to show the Grand Sport is 1976, which shows a long cage Criterium-quality Simplex plastic RD (called the Simplex "Maxi"), a pushrod plastic Simplex front, and the truly dreadful plastic Simplex Prestige DT shift levers. The same setup is shown in the 1973 catalog on RetroRaleigh. A couple of Raleigh gurus on the list believe the derailleurs are not original. However, if the bike is late 70's, maybe 1977-1979, I think it is possible it might have come with SunTour, as Raleigh did use a lot of SunTour stuff in the late 70's, including the original derailleurs on a Grand Prix I bought my wife in that period.
Anyone know of a blue and white Grand Sport(s) with original SunTour derailleurs?
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, TX