Claud Butler Coureur

No, don't get excited, not a 60s one!

I just picked up one of those short-lived early eighties ones. Planning to do little more with it than dress it up for a winter commuter for the time being. Single chainset, 6 speed 14-28, mudguards etc.

Couple of questions...

Paint is shot in places. Don't want to fork out for a respray unless it grows on me eventually. Is it possible to T-cut back most of the bad stuff, smooth out any rust show-throughs and then coat with laquer as a kind of 'stop it getting worse' tactic?

Secondly. Is it 531? Kilgariff catalogue shots don't say. Forks have 531 stickers but frame does not. Frame does however have a square patch of less oxidised paint at the top of the seat tube which matches the dimensions of the 531 decal on my 1981 Majestique. Also, why would anyone build a gas pipe frame and then stick 531 forks on it? Sleuthing and common sense suggest frame must be 531 but what does anyone else think? Would make a vast difference in terms of potential respray.

Pics on www.flickr.com/photos/sjromaine

Thanks

You could ask Mario Vaz, who was, I believe, in charge of Holdsworthy's paint for a while in the eighties, about the frame material. Phone is better than email, and it's the holidays, so you may have a job getting through.