The irony is that complete 70's French bikes still go cheap compared to Italian bikes of similar age and condition. But if even a few of the parts are sought after by Japanese collectors, then it is more profitable to part out the bike. Until recently, the parts on, for example, an early 70's PX-10 were not all that coveted, the Japanese collectors usually being more interested in pre-1970 stuff. The one exception was the Normandy hubs with Simplex QR's. But in the last couple of years the Japanese do seem to be showing a little more interest in post-1970 French parts. Plastic Simplex Criterium derailleus which used to be dirt cheap now command at least a respectable price. One irony is that Stronglight 49 cranks, which in the 70's had been pushed down to mid-priced bikes, are now more valuable than the Strongligh 93, which was the top French crank in the early 70's. This is because the model 49, which was already an old design in 1970, had appeared, often with TA rings, on many French touring bikes, including Herse, in the 50's and 60's. This of course is the type of bike most favored by Japanese colletors.
Of course, it is generally true of classic bikes that buying a frame and building it up with correct parts will be much more expensive than buying a complete bike if one can be found in the desired size and condition. These projects can be fun and interesting, but they almost never make any economic sense. A complete bike is almot never worth the sum of its parts unless it has some special provenance.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
Kurt Sperry <haxixe@gmail.com> wrote: It seems like once a vintage French bike that requires those sorts of components the Japanese collectors covet gets parted out, it almost makes better sense to pitch the frame into a dumpster than to try to do anything halfway correct with it. The restoration cost will far exceed any value the finished project will ever possess. At least this one doesn't need Juy 543/53 changers to be correct. I reckon a vintage PX or similar bike that needs those pieces is pretty much worthless once those derailleurs are removed and sold off.
Kurt Sperry
Bellingham WA
USA