Can you identify this Raleigh road bike?

[Malvern Rider]

Bit of a tough one this as I don't yet have the bike with me. Have been gifted a Raleigh by an old friend, however, due to us both moving homes this winter I only got to see it for 5 minutes whilst visiting, and can't collect until sometime in the future.

Would love to know what it is as plan to restore it. Anyway I gathered this much:

Feels quite light, even with rear rack and panniers. Don't know how much is original/stock yet here goes:

- 501 sticker, think near top of seat tube, or midway/top. The typeface was in silver (foiled?) rather than the traditional stickers I'm used to seeing.

- Dark metallic red colour, frame and forks, no chrome.

- Fully lugged frame, no carrier bosses on fork legs.

- Seat-stays don't wrap around, they are truncated angled planes where they join seat tube at top.

- 'Raleigh' decal in white, thickish font, on downtube.

- No decals on top tube (could have been removed as there is some terribly mismatched touch-up paint added by brush)

- Maillard hubs

- Campagnolo sidepull brakes

- White bar tape (again don't know if original, but each side was mismatched so may have been replaced on one side.)


Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

[KermitGKona88]

Re:

1985 Sirocco came in that colour and in 501

 

[Malvern Rider]

^ Could be! Thanks. May get another look (and some pics) at the weekend. Need to figure out if worth restoring or just fixing up.

 

[Malvern Rider]

spot on, kermitgreenkona. It is a Sirroco. Now I need to figure out exactly WHAT kind of restoration I can do on it. Want to make a serviceable keep-fit bike but keep it as original/period correct as possible. Had a quick look last night. Rear derailleur is broken. Headset seriously notchy, bearings gone in at least one wheel and one pedal. It's a state. I like it though! Anyone recommend any 80s groupset replacement parts? 600?

Here's the currently sad case. You can't see in pic, but the entire top-tube has been brush-painted over the original paint, seems to be covering an old 'wall-wound' that runs half the length of the tube.

 

[Pionir]

Shimano Exage a450, 105 or 6400 groupsets were on the 1988 Raleigh lightweights range. Check the Raleigh catalogue in the brochures section for ideas. I'd probably go with 105 on that frame