Ti Raleigh Joop Zoetemelk?

[marshalllucky]

Just picked up this rather lovely timewarp Ti Raleigh which I think is a Joop Zoetemelk special edition?.
This bike is a beauty, all original paint and decals, even dealer sticker which has faded but looks like Brown cycles , Newark on trent ? . It`s not the sort of thing I usually buy , it weighs a ton but its so amazingly pretty and original I couldn`t resist , only the wheels and saddle appear to be non original . I suspect the yellow ribbon bar tape is original and the cables, even the lever hoods are unmarked. I can`t find a frame number anywhere , the BB shell has a letter S only which means nothing to me.
Although it bears no model name , I am certain its NOT a Europa as it doesnt have pump pegs and lamp bracket holder on the forks. The top tube has no decals it`s possibe the Joop Zoetemelk name has been rubbed off over time.
I have only given it a wipe over and there is a lot of scope for improvement so I intend to lavish some love on it and a few quid no doubt ( it didnt cost me much ).
I intend to get a couple of `TEAM` decals for the top tube and some hoods for the huret shifters and hunt for some reasonable priced Q/R wheels probably Rigida rims with maillard hubs,( I`m eyeing up a couple of cheap peugeots locally just for the wheels ) nothing too flash as its one heavy tank.
I will take some better pictures over the next few days when I have it sparkling, I have to say I am rather pleased I bought it

 

[marshalllucky]

Re:

Now found the frame number at the rear of set tube, it begins `ND3` which after a quick google means Nottingham March 1983 , a bit newer than I originally thought.

 

[Goldie]

Re:

Still one of the nicest paint schemes ever applied to a bike. My only TI liveried bike (so far) was a Europa (which I impulse bought on the basis of the livery, some chrome forks and the mistaken hope that it was higher up the TI livery pecking order than it was), but the weight of the thing didn't matter: I still felt like a legend when I was riding it.

 

[icrinson]

Re:

How heavy is heavy? Thats a very relative concept depending on the type of bike you are used to. Is it a 531 frame? You can't rely on any decals that might have been added, but should easily be able to tell if its double butted by tapping along the main frame and forks using a spanner or something metal to hear for a change in tone from the mid point of the tube to the ends. No change in tone, single butted gas pipe. Are the drop-outs embossed? If they are, are they campag or Vitus? You can't really go by the paint work alone either.

Anyway as long as you are happy with the bike, and you got a bargain thats what counts.